Sharks blows 3-1 lead in Minnesota (w/video)

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Mikko Koivu and Jason Pominville scored in the shootout and the Minnesota Wild beat the San Jose Sharks 4-3 Thursday night.

Kyle Brodziak scored twice in the third period and Koivu in the second period for Minnesota, which for the second straight game overcame a 3-1 third-period deficit to win.

The Wild rallied to win 4-3 Tuesday at Boston, one night after allowing five third-period goals in a 5-4 loss against the New York Rangers.

Joe Thornton, Tommy Wingels and Mirco Mueller scored for the Sharks. Antti Niemi made a career-high 43 saves.

After Logan Couture scored in the shootout for San Jose, Koivu scored on a backhand to tie it after two rounds. Pominville scored with a wrist shot in the third round before Wild goaltender Darcy Kuemper stopped Patrick Marleau.

Brent Burns nearly won it for San Jose with 1:10 left in overtime as he charged down the left side and drove to the net where he bumped into Kuemper as the puck trickled toward the net.

However, the net became dislodged before the puck crossed the line.

Minnesota was 0 for 1 on the power play, to extend its season-opening drought to 27 opportunities with the extra man. The Wild are the only team without a power-play goal.

With the Sharks leading 2-1 after two periods, Pavelski and Thornton executed a 2-on-1 break early in the third period that ended with Thornton putting a wrist shot from the left circle over the glove of Kuemper and just inside the far post.

But Minnesota answered at 5:13 when Brodziak tipped a shot from Thomas Vanek behind Niemi to make it 3-2.

The same pair hooked up midway through the period to tie the game with Vanek sending a pass to Brodziak, who converted a tip behind Niemi.