Postgame Hat Trick: Sharks 4, Wild 3 (SO)

On Tuesday night, the Wild lost 4-3 in a shootout against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center in San Jose, California.
Wild.com's Dan Myers provides three takeaways in the Postgame Hat Trick, presented by Associated Bank. Learn more on how to score up to $500 by opening a Wild Checking account.

1. First time for the skills competition.
Playing past overtime for the first time this season, the Wild certainly didn't get cheated.
Minnesota was in position to win after three rounds, but Kevin LaBanc extended things ... and the shootout kept going, all the way to round eight, where Erik Karlsson's slapper from the hashes beat Cam Talbot high to earn San Jose the extra point.
The shootout loss snapped Minnesota's three-game winning streak, but the Wild extended its points streak to four games.
2. The chemistry keeps building.
Marcus Johansson and Kevin Fiala appeared to be creating some solid chemistry in the final game before the team's three-day layoff.
Well, those two picked up right where they left off in the first period on Monday.

Moments after Fiala had a rolling puck go just wide of the net on a partial breakaway, Fiala regrouped by tracking down the puck along the right-wing wall and finding Johansson in the slot. The veteran forward received it on his backhand, spun and fired a snap shot through traffic that goaltender Martin Jones got a piece of, but couldn't stop, for a 1-0 lead 13 minutes into the game.
The goal was Johansson's fourth of the season. It was the first time in his 15 games with the Wild that he's scored goals in back-to-back games.
Later in the game, the two connected again for a goal, this time Fiala finishing off a shot after Johansson had missed the post on a golden opportunity.

Fiala's goal, his 10th of the year, was large; Minnesota had fallen behind 3-2 a few minutes earlier.
3. Ek of a play.
Late in the first period, after the Sharks had tied the game at 1-1, Nick Bonino scored off a quick 2-on-1 that gave the Wild the lead once again.
But as nice as the goal was, it was the set up by Joel Eriksson Ek that was outstanding.

Before feeding the puck right into Bonino's wheelhouse for a one-timer, Eriksson Ek danced around a defenseman with the puck to create the odd-man chance.
With the goal, Bonino snapped a six-game goal drought by tallying his fourth of the season.