Jason Zucker proving to be unlikely offensive catalyst for goal-hungry Wild

Jason Zucker is as hot as they come right now.

The Minnesota Wild forward played a big hand in helping his team snap a three-game losing streak Thursday, scoring all three of the club's goals in their shutout victory over the Montreal Canadiens.

This came one night after Zucker tallied two goals in a losing effort against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The recent hot streak has given the 25-year-old a team-leading eight goals and 13 points in 15 games.

On a team with Eric Staal, Mikael Granlund, and Mikko Koivu, Zucker is not who you'd expect to be leading the team in scoring.

Given the man-games lost to key forwards Zach Parise, Charlie Coyle, and Nino Niederreiter this season, Zucker's production is a major reason why the stumbling Wild are still two points out of a playoff spot.

Zucker had a breakout season a year ago, tallying 22 goals, 47 points, and an NHL-best plus-34 rating, but he appears to have taken his game to another level in 2017-18 - right when Minnesota needs it most.