Collin Graf scored the winning goal 2:40 into overtime to lift the San Jose Sharks to a 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night in St. Paul, Minn.
Macklin Celebrini set up Graf for the overtime goal, which gave San Jose its season-best fourth win in a row. Celebrini finished with two assists, and Will Smith tallied a power-play goal.
Matt Boldy scored the lone goal for Minnesota, which fell short in its bid for a third straight win. Mats Zuccarello and Zeev Buium notched one assist apiece.
Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov turned aside 28 of 29 shots to earn the victory.
Wild netminder Filip Gustavsson gave up two goals on 18 shots in the overtime loss.
Minnesota opened the scoring on a power-play goal 5:02 into the second period. Boldy stood near the middle of the right circle and blasted a one-timer off a cross-ice pass from Zuccarello.
The sequence gave Boldy nine goals this season, including four in his past four games.
San Jose evened the score at 1-all when Smith scored on the power play with 8:03 remaining in the third period. Celebrini spotted Smith open near the right side of the crease, and he zipped a pinpoint pass that Smith redirected into the net for his seventh goal.
The score remained deadlocked for the remainder of regulation, guaranteeing each team at least one point in the standings.
Celebrini showed off his world-class skill on the Sharks’ game-winning goal. He carried the puck into the offensive zone and saw Graf streaking toward the net.
Celebrini waited for the play to develop before slipping a pass between the skates of Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin. The puck landed on the stick of Graf, who punched a shot past Gustavsson before the goaltender could recover.
The Sharks finished 1-for-3 on the power play. The Wild went 1-for-4 on the man advantage.
Boldy and Joel Eriksson Ek had five shots on goal apiece to lead all skaters.
–Field Level Media
