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Matt Boldy breaks tie early in 3rd, Wild beat NHL-worst Sharks 3-1

Thu, Mar 28, 2024
NHL News (AP)

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Matt Boldy broke a tie 18 seconds into the third period and the Minnesota Wild beat the NHL-worst San Jose Sharks 3-1 on Thursday to pick up a couple points in their slim playoff bid.

Joel Eriksson Ek also scored, Ryan Hartman added an empty-net goal and Kirill Kaprizov had two assists. Filip Gustavsson made 26 saves and assisted on Hartman's goal to help Minnesota improve to 7-1-3 in its last 11 games.

Having not played in five days, Minnesota began the night nine points back of Vegas for the final wild-card berth in the Western Conference and three points behind St. Louis. Minnesota has 10 games left, including against the Golden Knights on Saturday.

Mikael Granlund scored and Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 29 shots for the Sharks. San Jose, which has an NHL-worst 40 points, has dropped nine straight and 18 of 19. However, this marked the first time in eight games the Sharks allowed fewer than four goals.

On the go-ahead goal, Boldy centered for Kaprizov, whose shot was partially blocked by a defenseman. The puck squirted to the left of the net where Boldy lifted in a backhander for his 25th goal of the season.

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The Wild dominated the first period, recording 16 of the 17 shots, finally breaking through on a give-and-go between Eriksson Ek and Kaprizov with the latter threading a pass between two defenders for the former below the left circle.

Eriksson Ek was back in the lineup after missing four games with a lower-body injury. He's second on the Wild with 61 points, including a career-high 30 goals.

With 36 goals and 45 assists of the season, Kaprizov is the first player in Wild history with multiple 80-point seasons. He had 108 points in 2021-22.

Granlund tied it midway through the second period off a three-on-one rush. He tried to pass across, but the puck deflected off the stick of defenseman Declan Chisholm and Granlund swatted it home.

UP NEXT

Sharks: At St. Louis on Saturday night.

Wild: Host Vegas on Saturday.

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