Wild snaps three-game skid with 3-1 victory over Panthers

Subdued like they've been there before, Wild players didn't party like it's 1999 afterward. In fact, the celebratory music in the home locker room was brief and shockingly with reasonable volume.

The Wild treated Sunday's 3-1 victory over the Florida Panthers at Xcel Energy Center like they happen every day … even though they don't.

For the first time in 62 days, Wild fans left St. Paul with reason to feel satisfied. Erik Haula's magnificent breakaway goal off a total individual effort snapped a 1-1 tie in the third period and the Wild skated off with its first win at its home arena since Dec. 28, snapping a nine-game winless streak.

"Anytime something is being talked about, it becomes more difficult each game as it goes forward and continues on," goalie Devan Dubnyk said after his 17-save win. "We needed to get that out of the way eventually and we're going to have to win a lot of games here down the stretch in order to make the playoffs."

The win sets up what should be an intense clash Tuesday against the rival Colorado Avalanche, which occupies the eighth and final playoff spot. A Wild regulation victory, and the Wild would tie the Avs with 68 points but move into the eighth spot because of one fewer game played.

"It's going to be huge," said Charlie Coyle, who buried Zach Parise's pass 5 minutes, 18 seconds into Sunday's game for a 1-0 Wild lead. "And we all know, it won't be hard to get up for that one or any time we play them, really."

It'll be interesting to see if there are any changes to the Wild roster by then. The Wild, which snapped a three-game losing streak and improved to 5-3 under coach John Torchetti, head into Monday's 2 p.m. trade deadline looking for more scoring up front.

Wild players are trying to ignore the chatter. "I don't think there's any player sitting around waiting for something to happen. If it happens, it happens," Parise said.

At times, Sunday's game was a frustrating one for Wild fans. After the Wild jumped out to that early lead on Coyle's team-leading 19^th goal, Nino Niederreiter blew a chance at extending the lead by hitting the far post of a wide-open net. In the second, Jared Spurgeon missed an open net, then the Wild couldn't elevate multiple rebounds over Roberto Luongo's pad.

The Wild got too cute, wasting four power plays and giving up an Aaron Ekblad tying goal on a power play, which is becoming all too common against the Wild's seeping penalty kill (five goals against in eight chances the past four games).

But in the third, with the game tied, Haula stole a puck in the defensive zone from Dmitry Kulikov, then blocked Reilly Smith's shot for a breakaway. Haula turned on the jets, split defenders Smith and Erik Gudbranson, brushed off a Gudbranson dive for the puck and scored a beauty over Luongo's left shoulder. Luongo, 3-11-2 lifetime in St. Paul, had replaced injured Al Montoya in the first period.

"The kid can score on breakaways. He's fast," former Gophers teammate Nick Bjugstad said.

"It was all about the win at home. The fans deserved it," Torchetti said.