Wild score twice in third period to polish off pesky Sharks, 3-1

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Wild weren't going up against someone they're chasing in the Western Conference wild-card race.

That's their next game.

But there was still pressure, to not lose to the last-place Sharks and snap their weeks-long skid.

Thanks to a two-goal third period, the Wild shrugged off San Jose, 3-1, on Thursday at Xcel Energy Center to barely stay off a very short list of teams the Sharks have defeated since the All-Star break.

Matt Boldy backhanded in a rolling puck only 18 seconds into the final frame before Ryan Hartman drained an empty-netter with 54 seconds left to give the Wild a much-needed pair of points in their return from a four-day break and extend San Jose's rut; the Sharks have dropped nine in a row and own just two wins (over the Senators and Flames) in their last 20 games.

But they were competitive against the Wild after the Wild scored just once in a first period they controlled.

Actually, two pucks entered San Jose's net in the opening 20 minutes.

The Wild used a goal-mouth scramble to get the puck behind goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood just past the 5-minute mark, but video review decided the play was ruled dead before the puck crossed the goal line.

Still, the Wild still finished the first period ahead.

With 3:59 left, Joel Eriksson Ek polished off a give-and-go with Kirill Kaprizov that Boldy also factored into to hit the 30-goal plateau for the first time in his NHL career.

This was Eriksson Ek's first game back after sitting out five with a lower-body injury.

Jonas Brodin also suited up for the Wild after a lower-body injury kept him out of the team's last two games, which were both losses; the Wild were blown out, 6-0, by Los Angeles on March 20 before kicking off this six-game homestand in St. Paul last Saturday by getting dumped, 5-4 in overtime, by St. Louis.

But the Wild had another key player in Marcus Foligno exit the lineup; coach John Hynes mentioned Thursday morning there was a forward who was questionable to play due to injury, and Foligno missed a practice earlier in the week for maintenance.

Eriksson Ek's return meant the Wild could reunite their top line, and Kaprizov assisted on the Wild's first two goals to reach 81 points.

He's the first player in Wild history to record multiple 80-point seasons; his other campaign was 2021-22 when he set a franchise record with 108 points.

Eriksson Ek's goal was one of 15 first-period shots by the Wild — the Sharks had only one — and the Wild's inability to manufacture more offense from those looks became costly in the second.

That's when San Jose upped the intensity.

Not only did the Sharks outshoot the Wild 9-7, but they scored the equalizer at 9:26 when Mikael Granlund capped off a 3-on-1 rush by batting in a puck that deflected off Wild defenseman Declan Chisholm's stick.

Neither power play capitalized with the Wild going 0 for 2 and San Jose 0 for 1.

The Wild and Sharks were also tied after two periods in their previous meeting on March 3.

After falling behind early in the third, the Wild rallied because Kaprizov completed a hat trick.

A similar script played out in the rematch, this time with Boldy providing the tiebreaker before a Saturday matinee vs. Vegas, which occupies the final wild-card seed in the West.

Blackwood ended up making 29 stops, while Filip Gustavsson had 26 to win his second straight start.