SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Matt Boldy had two goals, Kirill Kaprizov recorded three assists and the Wild beat the Sharks 5-2 on Thursday night.
Mats Zuccarello’s goal put the Wild ahead 2-1 in the second period, set up by a no-look pass through multiple defenders by Kaprizov. Kaprizov entered the night sixth in the league with 17 assists.
Boldy scored on the power play in the second to double Minnesota’s lead, and Jonas Brodin made it 4-1 with a slap shot from the point in the third. Boldy added an empty-net goal with 1:35 remaining.
Zach Bogosian put the Wild ahead 1-0 in the first.
Macklin Celebrini, the top pick in the 2024 NHL draft, scored both goals for the Sharks.
Celebrini tied the game early in the second for the Sharks, and he scored again in the third period. His two goals marked a statistical novelty, as Celebrini, the NHL's youngest player, scored on Marc-Andre Fleury, the league's oldest player.
Fleury, playing in his 1,029th career game, had 24 saves and tied Patrick Roy for third-most games played in NHL history among goaltenders.
Takeaways
Wild: Boldy’s goal snapped an 0 for 17 streak on the power play for Minnesota, which rebounded from a 5-1 defeat to the Kings on Tuesday.
Sharks: Celebrini has three goals in his first three NHL games. In his second game since coming back from a hip injury, Celebrini had a team-high seven shots and recorded the second multi-point game of his young career.
Key moment
Celebrini energized the Sharks with his game-tying goal early in the second period, but Kaprizov’s assist on Zuccarello’s goal minutes later gave the Wild the lead and momentum back.
Up next
The Wild play the Ducks on the road on Friday, while the Sharks begin a four-game trip against the Devils on Sunday.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Eric He, The Associated Press