St. Paul, MN (SportsNetwork.com) – Jason Pominville scored the deciding goal
of the shootout to lead the Minnesota Wild past the San Jose Sharks, 4-3, on
Thursday.
After Logan Couture beat Darcy Kuemper with a shot through the legs, Mikko
Koivu answered back by moving the puck to his backhand and roofing a shot over
Antti Niemi. Even at one goal apiece after two rounds, Pominville went in slow
and wristed a shot past Niemi’s glove and Kuemper stoned Patrick Marleau for
the win.
Kyle Brodziak scored two late third-period goals to force extra time, Koivu
also lit the lamp and Thomas Vanek had two assists for the Wild, who had
Kuemper make 25 saves.
Mirco Mueller, Joe Thornton and Tommy Wingels all scored for San Jose, which
was coming off a 3-2 shootout win over Colorado on Tuesday.
Niemi turned aside 43 shots in defeat.
After Jason Zucker’s shot clanged off the post 23 seconds into the third, Joe
Pavelski intercepted Nate Prosser’s pass and entered the offensive zone before
feeding Joe Thornton, who made it a 3-1 game with a wrist shot just over a
minute later.
Brodziak re-directed Vanek’s pass from up high over a sprawled Niemi to pull
the Wild within a goal 5:13 into the final stanza.
The pair combined for another goal midway through the frame. Vanek raced
through the neutral zone up the left side and sent a cross-ice pass to
Brodziak, who tipped the puck under the arm of Niemi for a tied game.
Marleau corraled a rebound, but his backhander was robbed by the quick glove
of Kuemper nearly two minutes into the extra session. Brent Burns had a
potential game-winning score waved off with 1:10 to go after he made contact
with Kuemper.
Jason Demers apppeared to wrist a shot over the glove of Kuemper 6:19 into the
game, but the goal was waved off after Couture was ruled to have made
incidental contact with the netminder.
Mueller then scored his first career goal after his shot from the left corner
deflected off Zach Parise and through the legs of Kuemper with 3:54 remaining
in the opening stanza.
Wingels added to San Jose’s lead with a snap shot under the arm of Kuemper
4:20 into the second on the power play.
The Wild got on the board 8:40 into the second. Koivu crashed the net and
tipped in Zucker’s pass from down low for a 2-1 score.
Game Notes
The Wild have outshot their opponents in every game this season, totaling a
320-209 advantage through nine games … Minnesota won 20-of-25 faceoffs in
the first period … Sharks forward Barclay Goodrow played in his first NHL
game … Burns assisted on Wingels’ goal and has registered a point in 11
of San Jose’s 12 games this season.
