Wild beat Sharks in home opener

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A mostly empty Xcel Energy Center wasn’t all that was waiting for the Wild when they made their home debut Friday.

So was the team’s first battle with adversity.

After a smooth start to the season during a 3-1 road trip through Southern California, the Wild’s manpower was immediately tested with only 11 forwards in the lineup and starting goalie Cam Talbot exiting the game after the first period.

But in what’s emerging as a hallmark of the group, the Wild tapped into the resiliency they showcased in those three previous victories and persevered 4-1 in the first of two in a row against the Sharks.

Winger Zach Parise’s first goal of the season was the clincher, set up by Blaine’s Nick Bjugstad for his first point with the Wild, and backup Kaapo Kahkonen made 17 solid saves in relief in what turned out to be his second consecutive appearance.

He also capped off the road trip, winning 3-2 over the Ducks on Wednesday in Anaheim with a 22-save effort.

Kahkonen was ushered into duty to start the second period after Talbot appeared to get stung by a Mario Ferraro shot late in the first period during a San Jose power play.

Talbot was evaluated on ice before finishing out the period, and he even led the Wild out onto the ice for the start of the second. But he then went back to the Wild’s bench before the opening faceoff and Kahkonen replaced him; Talbot left down the tunnel and didn’t return. He left with 11 saves.

When Kahkonen took over, the Wild (4-1) and Sharks were tied at 1 and the Wild were already using a revamped lineup.

Forward Nico Sturm was scratched because of illness but is not in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocols.

In his absence, the Wild added defenseman Brad Hunt, who has skated as a forward before for the Wild. Still, Hunt was used sparingly with the team mostly relying on its 11 forwards.

And that didn’t prevent the Wild from getting an early jump on San Jose.

Just 5 minutes, 1 seconds into the first, center Joel Eriksson Ek put the Wild ahead with his teamleading third goal — a deflection that flew five-hole on former Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk, who earned the start for the Sharks in his first game back in Minnesota since the Wild traded him in the offseason to San Jose.

Winger Jordan Greenway notched an assist on Eriksson Ek’s goal, his fourth of the season.

But the Wild’s lead didn’t last long.

Only 1:11 later, Matt Nieto’s shot from up the middle evened the score.

After a sluggish start to the second, the Wild picked up the pace as the period progressed and Parise put the Wild up 2-1 at 13:17. He put back a rebound off a Bjugstad shot, just seconds after he was denied by Dubnyk’s pad.

With an assist on the play, Bjugstad became the 24th Minnesota native to register a point with the Wild and the 69th Minnesota-born NHL skater to tally a point at Xcel Energy Center.

The third period changed nothing, a hohum finish after a dramatic start that included empty-net goals by winger Kevin Fiala (18:44) and Greenway (19:34) — the first goals of the season for each player.

Greenway and Eriksson Ek are tied with Kirill Kaprizov for the most points on the Wild with 5.

Earlier in the frame, the Wild had a look on the power play but blanked on it to go 0-for-3. San Jose also was 0-for-3, and Dubnyk ended up with 25 saves.

One of those stops in the third period was a between-the-legs attempt by Kaprizov during an impressive drive to the net by the rookie in the first home game of his NHL career.