Hartman scores twice again, Wild ease past Senators

OTTAWA -- Ryan Hartman scored twice for the second straight game, and Jesper Wallstedt made 33 saves for the Minnesota Wild in a 4-1 win against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday.

Hartman has goals in four straight games, including two in a 5-2 victory against the Vancouver Canucks to help Minnesota clinch a Stanley Cup Playoff berth on Thursday.

“We talked a lot about getting ourselves ready, trying to build our team and build our style of game and feel good going into playoffs,” Hartman said. “If we're up goals, if we're down a couple, we want to use those as learning spots for us.”

Jonas Brodin and Jake Middleton also scored for the Wild (43-21-12), who have won three of their past four games. They are third in the Central Division, four points behind the Dallas Stars with six games remaining. Dallas lost 2-0 to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday.

“I think we know these last couple of games before we're heading into the playoffs, it's going to be important to shape the way we want to play but also be in the right tempo when we get to playoffs,” Wallstedt said. “I think, especially playing with a lot of confidence, that's big, and guys are helping me a lot.

“We had an unbelievable amount of blocked shots (13), and that always helps me, makes it a lot easier for me.”

Drake Batherson scored and Linus Ullmark made 19 saves for the Senators (39-27-10), who have lost four of five (1-3-1) and were unable to pad their lead for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. They entered Saturday in a four-way points tie (88) with the Detroit Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Flyers but hold the first tiebreaker with 33 regulation wins.

The Red Wings lost 4-1 to the Minnesota Wild and the Senators lost 4-1 to the Minnesota Wild; the Blue Jackets are hosting the Winnipeg Jets later Saturday and the Flyers are idle.

“Obviously, it stings right now,” Ottawa forward Shane Pinto said. “But we’ve got to get ready, get our bodies ready to battle a little bit harder tomorrow (against the Carolina Hurricanes) and come out with a good effort.”

Jake Sanderson played for the first time since March 7 after Ottawa’s top defenseman sustained an upper-body injury.

“Great to play again,” Sanderson said. “A little bit rusty for sure, but you know, as expected. I think just excitement and trying to help this team. The guys have been absolutely grinding lately.”

Brodin gave Minnesota a 1-0 lead at 9:45 of the first period when his shot from the top of the left face-off circle rebounded off Ullmark and then deflected off the skate of defenseman Nikolas Matinpalo.

“I just thought we played the game with the right intentions tonight,” Wild coach John Hynes said. “We played fast, we were really good with the puck. I thought our execution, puck decisions were good, our puck pressure and physicality was strong.”

Hartman made it 2-0 at 15:35, capitalizing on a turnover by Jordan Spence at the offensive blue line that led to a 2-on-0 the other way. Hartman finished a feed from Mats Zuccarello off the rush.

He then gave the Wild a 3-0 lead at 15:31 of the second period, scoring on a wrist shot after another pass from Zuccarello.

“Every game is obviously a different game,” Hartman said. “Sometimes you feel great; sometimes there’s other things you need to do because you're not feeling 100 percent. But we feel good right now and we're building our game.”

Middleton made it 4-0 at 12:46 of the third period. He skated in from the blue line into the left circle and ripped a wrist shot past Ullmark. It was Middleton’s second goal of the season and first since Jan. 3.

Batherson ended Wallstedt’s shutout at 16:43. He was struck by Lassi Thomson’s shot from the blue line but managed to put the puck past Wallstedt while falling for the 4-1 final.

“It was kind of a weird game,” Ottawa coach Travis Green said. “I thought we did some really good things in the first period; it was unfortunate that we came out of it down two. Gotta give their team credit -- they played well. That's a good hockey team over there.”

NOTES: Wild defenseman Zach Bogosian went awkwardly into the boards following a collision with Nick Cousins in the third period and did not return. Coach John Hynes did not have an update. … With his 51st assist since joining the Wild in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks on Dec. 12, Quinn Hughes tied Ryan Suter (2015-16; 2017-18) for the most in a single season by a defenseman in franchise history. Hughes also tied Phil Housley (68 in 1992-93) and Brian Leetch (68 in 1991-92) for the most assists by an American defenseman in NHL history. … Senators forward Brady Tkachuk had a game-high seven shots on goal.