SAN JOSE, CA (AP) — Erik Karlsson scored twice in regulation and then added the deciding goal in the eighth round of the shootout to lead the San Jose Sharks past the Minnesota Wild 4-3 on Monday night.
Karlsson capped a stellar night by ending a streak of nine combined misses by both teams when he beat Cam Talbot with a slap shot.
Karlsson had his first two-goal game in the regular season in more than three years and Radim Simek also scored as the Sharks rebounded from back-to-back losses in Arizona. Martin Jones made 22 saves and allowed only two goals in the shootout.
Marcus Johansen, Nick Bonino and Kevin Fiala scored for the Wild, who lost for just the third time in 11 games. Talbot made 36 saves.
The teams traded goals in the first half of the third period with Karlsson giving the Sharks a 3-2 lead on a blast from the blue line and Fiala answering after Johansen hit the post.
Karlsson last scored multiple goals in a regular season game on Dec. 19, 2017, for Ottawa against Minnesota. He also did it in Game 3 of the Western Conference final for San Jose against St. Louis in 2019.
The Wild took nearly 11 minutes to get a shot on goal but still managed to take a 2-1 lead after the first despite getting outshot 18-7. Johansen beat Jones from the high slot through traffic for the first goal and then Joel Eriksson Ek created a beautiful second goal to regain the lead after Simek tied it.
Eriksson Ek used a toe drag to elude Nikolai Knyzhov and then slid a cross-ice pass to an open Bonino, who knocked it into the open net with 1:00 remaining in the period.
“That was one of the easiest ones I’ve scored,” Bonino said. “It was a beautiful play.”
The Sharks tied it late in the second when Karlsson finished off a 2-on-1 rush on a pass from Evander Kane.
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