TORONTO -- It was a matter of hanging on desperately for the Minnesota Wild -- gutting it out as they put it -- in the third period against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Despite feeling the effects of a five-game road trip, they were able to survive the third period with the help of goaltender Devan Dubnyk to claim a 3-2 victory over the Maple Leafs on Wednesday night.

The Wild won the final two games of the trip to go 2-1-2 while the Maple Leafs were losing their third in a row.

"We held on," Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said. "We didn't do anything in the third period, but at the end of an 11-day trip to win in a tough building to win in is pretty good.”

Jason Zucker, Chris Stewart and Eric Staal each scored a goal for the Wild (13-8-4) and Dubnyk made 35 saves.

"(Dubnyk) hasn't allowed more than three goals in any game he's played this year," Boudreau said. "He's held us in all the time. What did they have, 17-3 or something (advantage) in shots in the third period? And they didn't get any (goals)."

Ben Smith and Tyler Bozak scored for the Maple Leafs (10-10-5), who had 17 saves from goaltender Frederik Andersen.

"When you look at our game, we did lots of good things," Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. "We worked hard, we created lots -- but we also gave up four chances from below our goal line and you can't give those up. Those are freebies. Any way you look at it, you have to crawl back in."

The Maple Leafs were pressing in the third period and had a power-play opportunity when Wild defenseman Ryan Suter took an interference penalty at 12:46. Minnesota held firm.

The Maple Leafs removed Andersen for an extra attacker with 2:09 to play. Dubnyk made a big save with about a minute to play.

"They were just tired from being on the road and had to gut it out and when we got two blocks in the last 20 seconds and everybody on the bench stood up," Boudreau said. "You could tell they wanted to win pretty bad."

Linesman Steve Miller was helped from the ice after being hit by the puck on the left knee on a shot by Maple Leafs defenseman Roman Polak 14 seconds into the third period.

Minnesota took the lead at 8:42 of the first period when Zucker scored his fourth goal of the season from the slot after Mikko Koivu took the puck away from Nazem Kadri behind the net.

The Wild took a 2-0 lead at 14:22 of the first period when Stewart was allowed to skate in alone and apply a nifty move on Andersen for his fourth goal of the season.

"A couple of breakdowns, a couple of turnovers," Bozak said. "They're a very good team in the neutral zone and prey on your turnovers and wait for you to turn the puck over.

"I think we did that a little bit too much early in the game. We gave ourselves a chance and came hard in the third and had our opportunities and weren't able to bury it."

The Maple Leafs got a goal back when Smith popped in his second of the season on a rebound at 16:50 of the first period.

Staal tucked in a backhander at 1:15 of the second period to restore Minnesota's two-goal lead with his sixth goal of the season and his third against Toronto.

It was Staal's first goal in 13 games. "It was good to see one in the back of the net," Staal said. "Hopefully, that starts a roll for me and our line because it's important for our team. ... It's been a long trip, it can be grinding. You're trying to find your legs and your jump.

"I like the fact that this group gutted it out in the third period and did the job that needed to be done."

Bozak scored his sixth goal of the season at 10:54 of the second period. He danced around Wild defenseman Matt Dumba before putting in a backhand to cut the Wild lead to 3-2.

"On the second goal, I didn't do what I was supposed to," Dubnyk said. "It was a great shot, but it's an example where that goal goes in and I give myself a quick talking to and realize that's not my best way to stop a puck and move on and just make sure I do it properly next time."

Toronto defenseman Martin Marincin was unable to play because of illness.

"We expected him to play, he just wasn't able to," Babcock said. "We've had lots of guys sick."

NOTES: The Maple Leafs promoted G Antoine Bibeau from the Marlies of the American Hockey League and he was the backup goaltender Wednesday. He replaced G Jhonas Enroth, who cleared waivers, and has been loaned to the Marlies. ... Minnesota reassigned RW Zack Mitchell and D Gustav Olofsson to Iowa of the AHL. ...The Wild recalled LW Teemu Pulkkinen from Iowa. He had one goal in eight games with Minnesota after being claimed off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings on Oct. 11. He has eight goals and seven assists in 16 games with Iowa. ... The Wild completed a five-game trip Wednesday and will return home for a game Friday against the Edmonton Oilers. ... The Maple Leafs will visit the Boston Bruins for a game Saturday.