Sharks work OT to get past Canucks
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Kevin Labanc broke a 23-game goal-less streak by scoring the winner at 1:53 of overtime, giving the San Jose Sharks a 5-4 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night at SAP Center.
Labanc collected his fourth goal of the season to cap a four-point night that included three assists. Joe Thornton added two goals and an assist for the Sharks.
San Jose (18-11-4) improved to 4-1-2 in its past seven. Vancouver (15-16-5) lost for the seventh time in eight games.
The Canucks outshot the Sharks 40-32 in regulation.
Vancouver tied the score in the third period when Daniel Sedin came through with his eighth goal of the season at 2:09. His shot from the far edge of the right circle slipped through the pads of Sharks goalie Aaron Dell and barely went over the goal line.
The Sharks emerged from a wild second period with a 4-3 lead on the strength of their power play.
Timo Meier scored his fifth goal of the season at 5:20 during a long cycle by the hosts on an even-strength shift for a 2-1 lead.
After Thomas Vanek's trip of Chris Tierney, it took Thornton only 22 seconds to convert for the second time on the power play. Thornton tied his last season's output of seven goals with a bullet from the left dot over the shoulder of Vancouver goalie Jacob Markstrom at 6:29.
The visitors rallied, however, with two goals less than eight minutes apart to tie it. Jake Virtanen flew around Sharks rookie defenseman Tim Heed to score his fifth goal in close at 8:49, and rookie Brock Boeser notched his 19th with a backhand past Dell at 16:02.
San Jose went back on top during a five-on-three power play as Tomas Hertl scored his ninth of the season at 18:56 as the undisciplined Canucks took two minors within three seconds late in the period.
The Sharks and Canucks were tied 1-1 at the first intermission after a period that featured special teams and near misses.
NOTES: San Jose C Logan Couture missed a second straight game because of a concussion sustained Dec. 15. There is no timetable for his return. ... Sharks C Joe Thornton passed Doug Gilmour for 18th place on the NHL career scoring list with his three-point game. Thornton has 1,416 points to trail No. 17 Adam Oates by three points. ... Vancouver continues to play without D Christopher Tavev (groin), LW Sven Baertschi (jaw), C Bo Horvat (foot) and C Brandon Sutter (upper body). D Ben Hutton and RW Nikolay Goldobin were healthy scratches. ... Sharks D Paul Martin remains on a conditioning assignment with the San Jose Barracuda. RW Joel Ward was San Jose's lone healthy scratch as C Barclay Goodrow (lower body) is still injured.