Saint Paul, Minn. – In a thrilling contest at Grand Casino Arena, Joel Eriksson Ek scored with just 23.1 seconds remaining, securing a 3-2 victory for the Minnesota Wild over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. The Wild, fresh off acquiring defenseman Quinn Hughes in a blockbuster trade, managed to clinch their third straight win.

The game remained scoreless through the first period, with both teams testing the opposing goaltenders. Tyler Pitlick broke the deadlock for the Wild with 16:06 left in the second period, deflecting a shot from the point past Senators' goalie Leevi Merilainen for his first goal of the season. The Wild extended their lead to 2-0 on a power play with 3:58 remaining in the second, as Ryan Hartman tapped in a crisp pass from Marcus Johansson.

Ottawa responded late in the second period, with Tim Stutzle scoring on a power play with just 23 seconds left. Stutzle dove to net a rebound, narrowing the Wild's lead to 2-1. The Senators then tied the game early in the third period with another power-play goal, this time from Dylan Cozens, who fired a wrist shot over Jesper Wallstedt's right shoulder.

As the clock ticked down in the final minute, the Senators failed to clear the puck from their defensive zone. Marcus Johansson capitalized, sliding a pass to Eriksson Ek, who blasted a one-timer from the right circle past Merilainen, stunning the Senators and sealing the 3-2 win for Minnesota.

Jesper Wallstedt made 34 saves for the Wild, while Leevi Merilainen stopped 22 shots for the Senators. The Wild were without defenseman Jonas Brodin and forward Marcus Zuccarello due to injuries. Quinn Hughes, acquired in a trade with Vancouver on Friday night, did not play but is expected to debut against the Boston Bruins on Sunday.

The Wild now stand at 18-9-5 and will host the Boston Bruins on Sunday. The Senators, who fall to their fourth loss in the last five games, will travel to Winnipeg on Monday.