SAN JOSE, Calif – It was the hardly the anticipated defensive struggle at SAP Center on Thursday night. Instead, as its name suggests, Minnesota staged a wild third-period comeback to beat the San Jose Sharks 5-4.

The visitors struck for three straight goals during a 5:12 span of the third period to erase a 4-2 deficit and hand San Jose its third straight loss. Minnesota began a three-game West Coast trip by winning for the 13th time in 14 games.

"We started to move our feet a little bit in the third," Wild forward Zach Parise said. "We started to play a little smarter at the offensive blue line, got it below their defense and forced them into some turnovers. That's how we got a lot of pucks back and that's how I think we got all of our goals, really."

"We just didn't have an answer for it," Sharks defenseman Justin Braun said. "We weren't getting out clean on their dumps and we were spending too much time in the (defensive) zone. Just got to move on, I guess."

How historic of a third period was it for the stingy Wild? Minnesota has scored at least four goals in the third period of regulation only 10 times in history, and not in more than two seasons.

"It's fun at the end when you come out on top," Wild captain Mikko Koivu said.

It wasn't so much fun for the hosts.

"When we score four goals, we expect to win," Sharks captain Joe Pavelski said. "You understand you have to compete always, you have to do a lot of little things right. The fifth one would have been nice."

Before its complete defensive meltdown, San Jose got two goals from its third line in 32 seconds to break a 2-2 tie early in the third period.

First Joel Ward scored for the first time since Nov. 23 by punching a short rebound of a Brent Burns drive past Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk at 3:49. Then Patrick Marleau struck for his 492nd career goal with a low shot from just below the left dot at 4:21.

The seemingly safe lead didn't last long, however.

Minnesota's Eric Staal scored his 13th goal at 5:06 on a rebound left by San Jose goalie Martin Jones. And Koivu re-tied it at 8:23 when he beat Logan Couture to a rebound, made a move on Jones, and scored the first of his two less than two minutes.

Koivu struck with his 11th of the season by one-timing a Mikael Grandlund cross-ice feed past Jones at 10:18 to give Minnesota its fourth goal in 8:10 of the third period, a rally that started when Parise scored his seventh of the year at 2:08 to tie the score 2-2.

"They seemed to get all the loose pucks," Jones said. "They were hungrier around the net than we were. It was a grind. Pucks were just bouncing around."

"They stayed on it," Ward added. "A couple small turnovers and breakdowns and they capitalized on them. They're a good team, they went on a good stretch there so they're playing with confidence.”

The Sharks scored twice in the second period before surrendering a late power-play goal to take a 2-1 lead over the Wild into the third period.

Joonas Donskoi beat Dubnyk from the inside edge of the right circle by lifting a wrist shot over the left glove of the Minnesota goalie at 8:22 to cap a well-executed rush by the hosts. And Pavelski scored his 13th at 11:27 by backhanding a shot over Dudnyk before Staal got the visitors on the board at 18:59 with a power-play goal.

"We were really good for two periods," Jones said. "It's one of those things. They get a couple bounces, they get some momentum and they really started buzzing there in the third."

Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said, "I still don't like the four (allowed), but I like the 'W' that goes into our win column."

NOTES: Minnesota F Mikko Koivu played in his 800th game and D Jonas Brodin appeared in his 300th. ... Rookie Timo Meier started on San Jose's top line alongside C Joe Thornton and RW Joe Pavelski where the Swede was promoted from the third line at the start of the third period against Los Angeles on Tuesday. ... Minnesota F Mikael Granlund extended a streak of two-poiont games to five in his past six with Thursday's two assists. ... Sharks F Mikkel Boedker was a healthy scratch for the first time. F Tommy Wingels drew back into the lineup after sitting out healthy for five straight. Without a goal in 28 games, Boedker has two goals and six assists for eight points in 38 games after signing a four-year, $16-million free agent deal in the offseason. ... The Wild were without injured D Victor Bartley (torn triceps). D Christian Folin and RW Kurtis Gabriel were healthy scratches. ... The Sharks continue to play without D Marc-Edouard Vlasic (IR, facial cuts), D David Schlemko (upper body) and F Tomas Herlt (knee). Rookie D Tim Heed was recalled from AHL affiliate San Jose, but was scratched along with Boedker. F Matt Nieto was claimed by Colorado after the Sharks placed him on waivers Wednesday.