Wild edge Canadiens

ST. PAUL (AP) -- Jim Dowd scored 54 seconds into the game Tuesday night, sparking the Minnesota Wild to a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens in an NHL preseason game.

Jeremy Stevenson also scored for the Wild, and Manny Fernandez faced only 13 shots as Minnesota improved its preseason record to 4-3.

Andrei Markov scored for the Canadiens, who have won just once in seven games (1-6).

Minnesota led 2-0 just 8:33 into the game, but the Canadiens came back and nearly tied it before the end of the first period.

Dowd, at 34 the oldest member of the Wild, converted the rebound of a shot from the point by Nick Schultz for his third goal in five games.

Montreal 1 0 0 -- 1

Minnesota 2 0 0 -- 2

First Period--1, Minnesota, Dowd 3 (Schultz, Stevenson), :54. 2, Minnesota, Stevenson 1 (Kuba), 8:33 (pp). 3, Montreal, Markov 1 (Hossa), 10:31 (pp).

Second Period--None.

Third Period--None.

Shots on goal--Montreal 5-5-3--13. Minnesota 12-7-3--22.

Goalies--Montreal, Theodore. Minnesota, Fernandez. A--18,064.