Joel Eriksson Ek scores 4 goals in Wild’s OT win over Sharks

Kirill Kaprizov scored one minute into overtime, Joel Eriksson Ek netted four goals and the Minnesota Wild escaped with an 8-7 win over the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night in Saint Paul, Minn.

Both players celebrated remarkable returns from prolonged lower-body-injury absences for Minnesota (43-29-7, 93 points), which won its second game in a row. Kaprizov finished with two goals and an assist in his first game since Jan. 26.

Eriksson Ek, appearing in his first game since Feb. 22, produced the second game of four-plus goals in Wild history. Marian Gaborik logged five goals against the New York Rangers on Dec. 20, 2007.

Minnesota’s Matt Boldy recorded four assists.

Rookie Macklin Celebrini notched his first hat trick and tallied two assists for San Jose (20-47-11, 51 points), which lost its seventh game in a row (0-5-2). Will Smith had one goal and three assists for the Sharks.

Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury earned his 574th career victory despite allowing seven goals on 31 shots. The contest likely marked the final regular-season start on home ice for Fleury, who has said this is his final campaign.

Sharks goaltender Alexandar Georgiev took the overtime loss after giving up eight goals on 44 shots.

Minnesota led 7-6 in the final minute of regulation before the Sharks scored to force overtime. San Jose pulled its goaltender for an extra attacker, and Smith ripped a wrist shot from the top of the right circle to make it 7-7 with 52 seconds remaining.

Smith’s goal marked the third in a row for San Jose, which trailed 7-4 early in the third period. Nikolai Kovalenko trimmed the deficit to two when he scored with 15:16 to go, and Celebrini brought the Sharks within 7-6 when he capped off his hat trick with 9:58 remaining.

The score was tied at 2-all when Eriksson Ek scored his first goal of the game with 12:13 to go in the middle frame.

The Sharks rallied to grab a 4-3 lead after back-to-back goals by Carl Grundstrom and Celebrini midway through the second.

Kaprizov tied the score at 4-all on a power-play goal with 2:58 left in the second. Then Eriksson Ek struck with three goals in a row — a power-play tally in the final minute of the second period, another power-play marker 1:02 into the third period and finally an even-strength goal at 2:06 of the third.

–Field Level Media