Marc-Andre Fleury makes 36 saves as the short-handed Wild beat the Sharks 3-1

SAN JOSE, CA – Marc-Andre Fleury made 36 saves, Marco Rossi and Matt Boldy each scored, and the shorthanded Minnesota Wild secured a 3-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night. Despite missing leading scorer Kirill Kaprizov and several other key players, the Wild extended their strong run with their fifth win in the past six games.

Rossi and Boldy both netted their 16th goals of the season, giving Minnesota a 2-0 advantage in the second period. Mats Zuccarello provided assists on both goals and added an empty-netter to seal the win. Late in the second period, William Eklund pulled one back for the Sharks, cutting the Wild’s lead in half. San Jose’s Yaroslav Askarov recorded 18 saves in the loss.

Minnesota bounced back after a tough 6-1 defeat to Colorado on Thursday. Although they were outshot 37-21, Fleury’s stellar performance, including several key saves, helped his team secure the win. The 40-year-old goaltender has now won three straight starts.

The Sharks, who have lost three in a row, generated more scoring chances than in their 2-1 loss to Utah on Friday, but they couldn’t capitalize. Askarov continued to impress with several point-blank stops. Meanwhile, Will Smith, a rising star in the Sharks’ young core, did not play in the third period but remained on the bench.

Next up, the Wild will face Vegas on Sunday, while the Sharks will begin a five-game road trip in Detroit on Tuesday.