Wild defeat Sabres for third win in a row, each tied to the goaltending of Filip Gustavsson

This is the kind of goal rut that works for the Wild.

Since shedding their own slump, they keep stymieing opposing offenses, on Saturday afternoon snubbing the Sabres 4-1 in the finale of their season-long seven-game homestand at Xcel Energy Center.

“Everything is going really good,” Marco Rossi said, “defensively and offensively.”

Goaltender Filip Gustavsson stopped 20 shots and has been scored on just twice over his past three starts, a 3-0 run for the Wild that includes a 161-minute, 49-second shutout streak for Gustavsson that’s the longest in team history on home ice.

In front of him, the Wild continue to ignite.

Rossi ended an 11-game goalless skid, and Justin Brazeau scored his first goal in his eighth game with the Wild since coming over in a March 6 trade from the Bruins.

“You always have stretches maybe it doesn’t go your way, and unfortunately it was our line,” Rossi said. “But now it’s good to be back and just try to keep rolling and obviously keep helping the team to win.”

Only 56 seconds into the second period, a wide-open Rossi buried a Yakov Trenin pass for his career-high 22nd goal.

Rossi was back in action after leaving the 4-0 win over the Kraken on Wednesday early after getting hit by a Matt Boldy shot.

“I was really worried after it happened,” Rossi said. “But lucky I’m good now.”

The center has skated in every Wild game since the beginning of last season, rattling off 152 consecutive appearances.

“Your best ability is availability, and Marco’s certainly done that,” coach John Hynes said. “It’s a tribute to, I think, the way that he takes care of himself.”

Jonas Brodin returned after missing nine games hurt, and Marcus Johansson also suited up after sitting out Wednesday because of illness. As a result, the Wild sent Liam Ohgren, who was with the Wild as an emergency call-up, back to the minors.

During a delayed Buffalo penalty later in the second, the rebound from a Brendan Gaunce shot bounced around the crease until deflecting in off Brazeau at 5:07.

BOXSCORE: Wild 4, Sabres 1

NHL standings

“I knew I kind of got it with the foot a little bit,” Brazeau said. “But I obviously knew I didn’t try to kick it. It was just kind of a bang-bang play. Happy it counted.”

This was the net-front presence the Wild expected from Brazeau, a 6-foot-6, 227-pound winger acquired for forwards Marat Khusnutdinov and Jakub Lauko and a sixth-round draft pick.

Gaunce’s assist was his first point with the Wild.

“I don’t think I’m much of a flashy shooter or anything like that,” Brazeau said. “I know where I’m best at, and I know where they want me to be. I try to be there as much as I can.”

Then Mats Zuccarello flung a wrister by goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (17 saves) only 3:04 after Brazeau capitalized.

Boldy factored into both Zuccarello and Brazeau goals, making him only the fourth Wild player to post three straight 60-point seasons; Zuccarello, Kirill Kaprizov and Mikko Koivu are the others.

But like in the shutout against Seattle, this result wouldn’t have been possible without Gustavsson, who was making a career-high sixth consecutive start.

He held off the Sabres while they had the better-quality chances in the first period, including keeping out a deke by Tage Thompson in tight. Gustavsson also denied former Wild forward Jordan Greenway during a slight 2-on-1. (Both power plays went 0-for-2.)

Not until 6:48 elapsed in the third period did a puck finally elude him, a shot by JJ Peterka during a 3-on-2 look off the rush.

Gustavsson’s 161:49 shutout streak is the sixth longest in Wild history and sixth best in the NHL this season. His career high is a 177:13 stretch Feb. 28-March 12, 2023.

“It’s good playing behind this team,” said Gustavsson, who is 5-1-1 in his past seven home games with a 1.41 goals-against average, .949 save percentage and two shutouts. “They’re sacrificing with blocks and making the right plays at the right time to keep the defense as good as it is right now.”

Frederick Gaudreau added an empty-netter with 33 seconds to go that Zuccarello assisted on, and the Wild finished 4-2-1 during the homestand ahead of a telling week: They’ll play at Dallas on Monday before hosting Vegas in a potential first-round playoff preview, No. 1 Washington and New Jersey.

“If we can come there with a game like this and play with this confidence,” Gustavsson said, “we’re going to give ourselves the best chance to win them.”