Eriksson Ek, Kaprizov return to lead the Wild past the Sharks, 8-7 in overtime
ST. PAUL, MN — Joel Eriksson Ek made a stunning return from injury, notching a career-best four goals, while Kirill Kaprizov capped off his own comeback with the overtime winner as the Minnesota Wild edged the San Jose Sharks 8-7 in a wild Wednesday night matchup.
With the victory—and thanks to the St. Louis Blues falling to Edmonton—Minnesota jumped into the top wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Both the Wild and Blues sit at 93 points, but St. Louis has played one more game.
Eriksson Ek had missed 21 games with a lower-body injury. Kaprizov, also sidelined with a similar injury, hadn’t played in 28 straight and only appeared in three of the last 43 games following surgery in late January. Both made an immediate impact.
Kaprizov scored his second goal of the night just over a minute into overtime, his 25th of the season, sealing the win after San Jose’s Will Smith had tied it with 52 seconds left in regulation. Kaprizov also tallied an assist.
Eriksson Ek was on fire, putting the Wild ahead 3-2 midway through the second period before erupting for three more goals across a 2:18 span that bridged the second and third periods. His first three were all on the power play, helping Minnesota build a 7-4 cushion.
Marcus Johansson and Brock Faber also found the net for the Wild, while Matt Boldy dished out four assists. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury made 24 saves and set a new NHL record for most career overtime wins in the regular season, surpassing Martin Brodeur with 70.
On the other side, rookie phenom Macklin Celebrini lit it up for San Jose with a hat trick and two assists. Will Smith chipped in three assists to go with his late goal, while Tyler Toffoli, Carl Grundstrom, and Nikolai Kovalenko each scored. Sharks goalie Alexandar Georgiev made 36 saves.
San Jose, currently at the bottom of the NHL standings, has now dropped six straight.
Eriksson Ek came close to tying the franchise record of five goals in a game, set by Marian Gaborik in 2007. To make room for the returning stars, the Wild reassigned Brendan Gaunce and Devin Shore to the AHL’s Iowa Wild.
Kaprizov’s game-winner came off a slick give-and-go with Mats Zuccarello, ending the game with a one-timer from the right side.
Minnesota finished 3-for-4 on the power play, while San Jose didn’t get a single opportunity with the man advantage.
Up Next:
The Sharks visit the Oilers in Edmonton on Friday. The Wild have a back-to-back set in Alberta, playing Calgary on Friday and Edmonton on Saturday.
