• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Ehrhoff nets game-winner in overtime as Sharks end skid

Mar 11, 2009 - 4:18 AM ST. PAUL, Minnesota (Ticker) -- Defenseman Christian Ehrhoff scored with 86 seconds left in overtime as the San Jose Sharks ended their longest losing streak of the season Tuesday with a 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Wild.

Joe Thornton netted a pair of goals and Travis Moen collected a shorthander and an assist for the Sharks (43-12-10), who snapped a four-game slide to maintain the top spot in the Western Conference.

"We've won, finally. That's a really good thing," San Jose coach Todd McLellan said. "We'll take the win, but I'm disappointed. I'm disappointed in the way we carried ourselves. We're a club that's won a lot of hockey games for a reason. We should be playing with a lot of confidence."

Milan Michalek also tallied and Brian Boucher made 25 saves in his sixth straight start for San Jose, which jumped to a 3-0 lead in the second period.

"Usually when we're up by three, it's a done deal," Thornton said. "These guys come back on us every time. They played hard. After we got up there, they kept coming. They are not going to go away. It was nice to finally get a win and reverse the trend."

Owen Nolan notched two goals and rookie Peter Olvecky and Pierre-Marc Bouchard also scored for the Wild, who have lost six of their last eight contests.

Ehrhoff forced a turnover in the defensive zone and carried the puck down the ice before flipping a quick shot over goaltender Niklas Backstrom, who finished with 18 saves. It was Ehrhoff's eighth goal - and second game-winner - of the season.

"They lost it at the blue line and (defenseman Marek) Zidlicky couldn't get the puck," Ehrhoff said. "I got it and knew I was up against the forward. So I tried to take it to the net and get by him, and then I tried to get it upstairs on the goalie because he went down."

With San Jose holding a 4-2 lead, Nolan halved the deficit with 6:04 remaining in the third period with his 400th career goal. The veteran right wing scored again less than four minutes later to tie the contest.

"The pace of the game in the third was just so fast," Nolan said. "We were buzzing. We were all over. It's just nice to get the puck in the net and get closer to the tie."

Mikko Koivu collected two assists for Minnesota, which failed to climb into the top eight in the West.