Wild’s fourth line flexes in win over Sharks

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 it finishes off this 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 headsup 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.