National Hockey League
Minnesota 6, San Jose 2
When: 10:30 PM ET, Monday, February 22, 2021
Where: SAP Center at San Jose, San Jose, California
Referees: Gord Dwyer, Corey Syvret
Linesmen: Matt MacPherson, Jonny Murray
Attendance: N/A

Marcus Foligno recorded a Gordie Howe hat trick (a goal, an assist and a fight) while Mats Zuccarello and Kirill Kaprizov scored goals 11 seconds apart to lead the visiting Minnesota Wild to a 6-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Monday night.

Zuccarello and Victor Rask each collected a goal and two assists, and Kaprizov, Foligno and Ian Cole netted one goal and one assist apiece. Foligno also won a fight with Nikolai Knyzhov in his big game for the Wild, who have won three straight games.

Rookie goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen made 31 saves for the win that runs his road record to a sparkling 4-1-0. Although he wasn't overly busy, Kahkonen provided a handful of quality saves in the second half of the opening period.

After San Jose's Brent Burns opened the scoring with a highlight-reel-worthy goal just 45 seconds into the clash, the Wild regrouped and took the lead for good when Zuccarello and Kaprizov tied a franchise record for the fastest two goals in a road clash.

Zuccarello put the visitors on the board at the 7:49 mark when he converted a cross-ice pass from Rask, a tally created by a Sharks turnover in the neutral zone. Then Kaprizov tallied the go-ahead goal by completing a three-way passing play with a redirect of Zuccarello's pass.

Cole scored his first goal of the season by joining a rush and converting from the slot to make it 3-1 at 3:36 of the second period, and then Foligno extended the lead just past the midway point when his shot went off the stick of Sharks defenseman Nicolas Meloche and bounded over besieged netminder Martin Jones.

Jones was pulled at that point, the victim of four goals on 20 shots, and replaced by Devan Dubnyk, who stopped 12 shots in relief.

San Jose's Logan Couture collected his team-high 10th goal at 11:57, but a power-play goal by Minnesota defenseman Jonas Brodin restored the three-goal edge with 2:35 remaining in the middle period.

Rask added an empty-netter with 3:03 left in the clash.

Zuccarello, Kaprizov and Rask have combined for 14 points over the past two games.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Minnesota   San Jose
Mats Zuccarello 4 Points Brent Burns 1
Mats Zuccarello 1 Goals Brent Burns 1
Mats Zuccarello 3 Assists Rudolfs Balcers 1
Jonas Brodin 1 Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Kaapo Kahkonen .939 Save Percentage Devan Dubnyk .923
Kaapo Kahkonen 31 Saves Martin Jones 16
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Minnesota 34 6 1-3 3-3 11 34
San Jose 33 2 0-3 2-3 11 33
Upcoming Games
  • San Jose will play their next game at home against Vegas. The Sharks have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .667 after a loss.
  • Minnesota will play their next game on the road against Colorado. The Wild have a W/L % of .500 after a win and .667 after a loss.