Sharks stop Flames in shootout
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Joe Pavelski and Joonas Donskoi scored the only goals in a shootout, lifting the San Jose Sharks to a 3-2 comeback victory over the Calgary Flames on Thursday night at SAP Center.
Pavelski and Timo Meier scored for San Jose (20-11-4) in regulation, and Martin Jones made 32 saves. Jones stopped all three shots he faced in the shootout.
Garnet Hathaway and Mikael Backlund scored for the Flames (18-15-4). Backup goaltender David Rittich made 30 saves.
The Sharks won their third consecutive game.
San Jose trailed 2-1 entering the third period but pulled even when Meier scored at 12:00. Brent Burns sent a shot from the right point, and Meier tipped it between Rittich's pads from the slot.
Calgary winger Jaromir Jagr played his 1,731st game, tying Ron Francis for third most in NHL history. Gordie Howe owns the record with 1,767 games played, and Mark Messier is second with 1,756.
The Flames took a 1-0 lead on Hathaway's goal at 4:22 of the first period. He tracked down a loose puck in the slot and beat Jones with a wrist shot.
San Jose pulled even on Pavelski's power-play goal at 7:16 of the opening period. Pavelski took a pass in the slot from Joe Thornton and lifted a wrist shot inside the left post and past Rittich. He extended San Jose's streak of games with a power-play goal to nine.
The Flames regained the lead at 2-1 on Backlund's power play goal at 15:45 of the first period. Matthew Tkachuk sent the puck to the slot, and Backlund deflected it past Jones. Backlund moved from the Flames' second power-play unit to its first Thursday, swapping places with Mark Jankowski.
Flames forward Michael Frolik went to the locker room with 11:27 left in the second period after being hit in the face with the puck on a shot from Burns. Frolik did not return.
NOTES: Sharks C Logan Couture missed his fourth game in a row due to a concussion. Couture skated for a second consecutive day and continued making progress but remained day-to-day. ... San Jose D Brenden Dillon played his 400th NHL game. ... Sharks C Barclay Goodrow (lower body) skated but is not healthy enough to play and remained on injured reserve. ... Flames D Travis Hamonic returned to the lineup after missing one game with a groin injury and replaced D Matt Bartkowski. ... Flames G Mike Smith will start against the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night at Honda Center. He made 43 saves in a 2-0 victory over the Ducks on Oct. 9, snapping Calgary's 29-game losing streak, including playoffs, at Honda Center. ... San Jose faces the Stars in Dallas on Sunday.