Oilers 6, Sharks 3
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The San Jose Sharks were sitting pretty with a 2-0 lead after one period. Unfortunately for them, the Edmonton Oilers didn't stop playing.
The Oilers stormed back with five unanswered goals over the final 40 minutes to beat the Sharks 6-3 in front of 16,570 fans at SAP Center.
The Sharks failed to clinch a playoff spot for a second straight game, and they failed to take advantage of the fact Los Angeles lost and Anaheim earned only one point during an overtime loss. San Jose remains in third place in the Pacific.
Roman Polak's blast from the right point was redirected by Tommy Wingels past Edmonton goalie Cam Talbot at 3:47 of the first period for a 1-0 Sharks advantage. Wingels' seventh goal of the season was his first point in four games since returning from an injury that kept him out 14 games.
San Jose converted its first power-play chance just past the midway point of the period, taking advantage of an after-the-whistle unsportsmanlike minor on Edmonton forward Zack Kassian.
Joe Pavelski one-timed a feed from Joe Thornton for his 35th goal of the season at 11:41 as San Jose's top power-play unit emerged from a recent dry spell to give it a 2-0 advantage.
The Oilers blitzed the Sharks in the second period, however, scoring four goals on nine shots to take a 4-3 lead after 40 minutes.
The Edmonton rally started at 1:39 when Lauri Korpikoski scored his 10th of the season by reaching as far as he could to redirect a point shot past San Jose goalie James Reimer to pull within 2-1.
Sharks' forward Patrick Marleau coughed up the puck along the boards and Taylor Hall fired high and off Reimer's left shoulder for his 24th goal to tie it 2-2 at 8:18.
Edmonton made it two goals in 45 seconds when defenseman Adam Clendening's wrister found a way through an inadvertent screen by Wingels and Clendening's first goal of the season came at 9:03 to make it 3-2.
The Sharks briefly tied the game again when Marleau atoned for his turnover with a power-play strike at 12:26. Marleau's 21st goal enabled Thornton to pull even with Mark Recchi in 14th place on the all-time assist list with his 956th career helper.
But Edmonton struck one last time as Patrick Maroon capped a 2-on-1 break by one-timing a Connor McDavid pass through defenseman Brent Burns past Reimer to make it 4-3at 18:04. Maroon's seventh goal came on a delayed penalty as San Jose's Joel Ward had interfered with Ward.
Jordan Eberle scored his 24th goal at 12:54 of the third period to give the visitors insurance, and Taylor Hall filled an empty net with 5.8 seconds left for his second goal of the game to cap the scoring.
NOTES: Edmonton C Ryan Nugent-Hopkins sustained a concussion on Tuesday against Arizona and may miss the Oilers' remaining five games, according to coach Todd McLellan. "He's got a minor concussion and we're going to treat it with kid gloves at this point, where we are in the standings and the time of year," McLellan said. ... G James Reimer made his fifth start as a member of the Sharks since acquired at the trade deadline. He brought a 5-0 career record with a 1.36 goals-against average against Edmonton into the contest. ... LW Micheal Haley was promoted from AHL affiliate San Jose. ... The Oilers conclude a three-game road trip on Saturday at Los Angeles. ... The Sharks next host the Dallas Stars on Saturday. ... D Adam Pardy, RW Adam Cracknell, C Anton Lander and D Nikita Nikitin did not dress for Edmonton while C Dainius Zubrus was San Jose's lone healthy scratch.