Final Score: Boston 3, Minnesota 2

St. Paul, MN (Sports Network) - Marco Sturm's third-period goal proved to be the game winner as the Boston Bruins defeated the Minnesota Wild, 3-2, at Xcel Energy Center.

Patrice Bergeron and Sergei Samsonov also scored for the Bruins, who defeated the Wild for the first time in franchise history (1-5-0). Brian Leetch and David Tanabe added assists in the win.

"Our team really came out and played well tonight," said Tanabe. "The goaltending was solid. We've been struggling, so it's really good for us."

Andrew Raycroft made 29 saves for Boston, which snapped a three-game losing streak.

Brian Rolston scored a goal and had an assist and Randy Robitaille also netted a goal for the Wild, who lost for the seventh time in their last nine games. Kurtis Foster added a pair of assists and Manny Fernandez allowed three goals on 28 shots faced in the loss.

"We didn't get that bounce we needed at the end," Robitaille said. "Nothing we can do about it now. I think we still have to play the same way and give ourselves a chance to win in the third period."

Sturm's game winner came at the 11:02 mark of the third after he deflected Tanabe's shot from the right point past Fernandez for his 10th goal of the season.

Down 1-0, Boston scored two straight goals for a 2-1 edge it could not hold.

The Bruins would net the equalizer at the 12-minute mark of the first after a strange bounce led to the tally. The play began when Leetch dumped the puck in from the neutral zone along the left side. The disc then whipped around the boards but took an odd bounce behind the net and skipped out in front.

Bergeron then glided in and fired a shot from the slot that beat Fernandez stick side before the netminder could get set.

Boston then took a one-goal edge after Tom Fitzgerald's one-time blast from the right circle hit off the glove of Samsonov, who was stationed in front of the net, and past Fernandez 5:30 into the second. The goal was reviewed to see if Samsonov intentionally batted the disc into the net, but the tally stood.

Robitaille's power play goal with 1:34 left in the second tied the contest at 2-2. It was Robitaille's sixth goal of the season and Rolston picked up his 13th assist of the season on the tally.

The Wild staked themselves to a 1-0 advantage at the 10:30 mark of the first period after a power-play tally. Marc Chouinard carried the puck in and hit Rolston with a pass. Rolston fired a shot from the high slot that beat Raycroft glove side.

Minnesota has now scored a power-play goal in 14 of its last 15 games.

Game Notes

This was the first of three straight home games for the Wild...Minnesota's Marian Gaborik had his four-game point streak stopped...Sturm has four points (three goals, one assist) in his last four games...Brad Boyes picked up his 14th assist of the season on Sturm's goal...The Wild finished 2-for-4 on the power play, while the Bruins failed to convert their only power play...Minnesota outshot Boston 31-28.

12/15 23:13:06 ET