Matt Boldy keeps making plays as a rookie forward for Wild

Matt Boldy doesn't work on the move often, but occasionally he'll test it out on the ice.

"Messing around every once in a while after practice with the guys," he said.

That he was able to pull off the between-the-legs shot at game speed in the 2-0 win in Montreal on Tuesday didn't shock the Wild.

"He does a lot of things in practice," Kevin Fiala said. "He's a very skilled guy. I was actually not surprised. It's a very nice goal. You don't score that normally, but I'm not surprised he can do it."

But the talent it took to execute the highlight-reel play wasn't all that was eye-catching about it.

The goal was just another example of how effective the 21-year-old rookie's season has been, especially lately as the Wild gets closer to the playoffs.

"Doing what he's doing, he's helping our line so much and right now it's rolling a lot," Fiala said. "I'm not very surprised on how he's doing overall this season. He's such a great player."

Since a midseason call-up from the minors to make his NHL debut, Boldy has been among the most productive first-year players in the league.

He made a splashy arrival, with the Massachusetts native scoring the game-winning goal Jan. 6 in a 3-2 victory at Boston in front of his family, and Boldy tallied a hat trick on Feb. 14 vs. Detroit as part of a four-point effort to become the first Wild rookie to record that many points in a game.

A six-game lull in March was the longest Boldy has gone without picking up a point but ever since he returned from a four-game injury absence earlier this month, he's been one of the Wild's most reliable point producers alongside Fiala and Frederick Gaudreau.

This impact is coming as the Wild continues to battle for home-ice advantage after clinching a playoff spot but also amid an increased workload for Boldy, who has already totaled more than 50 pro games this season after logging significantly less during two prior seasons at Boston College.

"Just having fun with it, I think, is the biggest thing for me," Boldy said. "The more fun you're having, the more easy it comes and the more excited you are to play. If you show up with a bad attitude, it's just going to make you more tired and not as motivated."

For the first time since Marc-Andre Fleury debuted with the Wild last month following his trade from Chicago, the team started the same goalie in two straight games.

Cam Talbot was back in net on Thursday to face Vancouver at Xcel Energy Center after posting a 26-save shutout vs. the Canadiens, his third of the season. This stopped the rotation that had gone on over the previous 14 games.

"Cam played extremely well, had a shutout, so it just made sense," coach Dean Evason said, "and we have a back-to-back. So, they're both going to play one [game]. So, we just felt that he would roll right into this game."

Jon Merrill returned to action against Vancouver after the defenseman sat out 10 games with an upper-body injury; Jordie Benn was scratched.

Tyson Jost is projected to play on Friday vs. Seattle, which would be the winger's first game since suffering a lower-body injury last Saturday at St. Louis.

The Wild is still without defenseman Matt Dumba and winger Jordan Greenway because of upper-body injuries, and Evason ruled them out for Friday, too. Both players, however, skated with the group on Thursday morning. It's unclear if they'll be available Sunday at Nashville.