Wild 5, Sharks 4 (SO)
Matt Cullen scored in both regulation and the shootout while playing in his 1,000th career game and Josh Harding denied both attempts in the extra session as the Minnesota Wild skated to a 5-4 home triumph over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday.
Warren Peters netted his first goal of the season and Cal Clutterbuck and Nick Johnson also tallied for Minnesota, which snapped a three-game losing skid with just its second win in 13 games.
Wild star Devin Setoguchi was made a healthy scratch against his former team for disciplinary reasons, the team said.
In the shootout, Cullen's wrist shot was temporarily denied by Antti Niemi, but the momentum carried the puck into the net. Captain Mikko Koivu also scored in the shootout, and Harding denied Michal Handzus with his glove and Ryane Clowe with his left pad to preserve the victory.
Cullen gave the Wild a 4-2 advantage with 6:20 remaining in the third period after skating hard to the net. Niemi made the initial save, but the puck caromed off his leg and just inside the post for his 11th goal of the season.
Logan Couture brought the Sharks within one with 3:06 remaining after scoring on the doorstep. Patrick Marleau, who picked up his 800th career point with an assist on defenseman Dan Boyle's 5-on-3 goal, leveled the contest 22 seconds later after redirecting a centering feed from captain Joe Thornton.
Benn Ferriero also tallied for San Jose, which saw its four-game winning streak come to an end.