ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Wild's depth chart might be upside down.
For the second straight game, the team's fourth line was invaluable – contributing two goals in a 3-2 win over the Sharks Friday at Xcel Energy Center that gives the Wild a chance to sweep the week when they finish their back-to-back against San Jose on Saturday.
Zach Parise and Nick Bonino were in charge again, each scoring a goal and combining for three points.
Overall, since their line was formed with Nico Sturm at the outset of the week, the three have racked up nine points in two games.
After the Wild fell behind early on a near end-to-end goal by Tomas Hertl 3 minutes, 32 seconds into the first period that included Hertl playing the puck off the boards to himself in the neutral zone, the fourth line did what it does best to even the score: get in on the forecheck.
Pressure by Parise and Sturm forced a Sharks turnover into the slot, and Bonino pounced on it at 9:30 for his second goal in as many games. Bonino had a goal and two assists Wednesday in the 5-2 victory over Arizona.
That goal came on just the Wild's second shot of the game, but the team was much more engaged in the second.
At 2:15, Mats Zuccarello buried a loose puck off a Victor Rask faceoff win to put the Wild ahead. The goal was Zuccarello's third in his last two games after he converted twice on the power play Wednesday.
On the very next shift, only 1:05 later, the fourth line delivered its second goal of the night on a heads-up sequence. Parise chased down a dump-in and then made a drop pass off the end-boards to Bonino, who handed the puck off to Matt Dumba, and Dumba found Parise just outside the crease for the redirect.
Not only was the goal Parise's third over his last four games — this after he went goalless for 14 — but the veteran winger has five points in his past five games. He's also sitting on 399 career points with the Wild. This was only his second game-winner of the season.
Dumba extended his point streak to a season-high three games with the assist, and Bonino's assist sealed another multi-point effort for the center turned right winger. The last time Bonino had back-to-back multi-point games was April 4-6, 2019.
Credit goaltender Cam Talbot for weathering San Jose's fast start until the rest of his teammates caught up.
He and the Wild penalty killers, including Bonino and Sturm, also denied a Sharks power play soon after Parise's goal in the second period. San Jose finished 0 for 1, and the Wild went 0 for 3 — an unusually quiet night for the unit. This was just the second time in the past eight games the Wild power play didn't capitalize; the power play was a perfect 3 for 3 on Wednesday.
The unit actually surrendered a goal in the third period, a short-handed breakaway by Evander Kane at 13:43 off a Kevin Fiala turnover. This was the second short-handed goal given up by the Wild over the last four games.
Talbot was airtight the rest of the way, totaling 20 saves while improving to 10-1 this season at home. Martin Jones had 15 stops at the other end.
The win was the Wild's 14th in its last 15 contests in St. Paul. Only Colorado and the New York Islanders (18) have more home victories than the Wild's 16.
As for the standings, not much changed.
The Wild remain locked into third in the West Division with 55 points, 11 points ahead of No.4 St. Louis and 12 up on No.5 Arizona.
