Canucks 3, Sharks 2
Cory Schneider continued his red-hot play with 43 saves as the Vancouver Canucks edged the host San Jose Sharks 3-2 Saturday night.
The veteran backup, thrust into the spotlight with Roberto Luongo on the sidelines due to injury, has stopped 117 of 120 shots in winning his last four games.
Vancouver held off extended San Jose pressure late in the game to prevail in the first meeting between the teams since the Canucks beat the Sharks in five games in last year's Western Conference final.
Vancouver's Manny Malhotra, playing in his 800th career game, opened the scoring at 6:13. Controlling the puck deep in the San Jose zone, Malhotra's shot from a bad angle deflected off the skate of Sharks defenseman Douglas Murray's skate and past goaltender Antti Niemi.
Andrew Murray drew San Jose even nearly 10 minutes later, converting a slick no-look pass from Andrew Desjardins for his first goal of the season.
Henrik Sedin put the Canucks ahead early in the second period, firing a shot past a sprawling Niemi with Vancouver on a power play. Less than a minute later, Andrew Alberts fluttered a shot from the blue line that eluded Niemi.
San Jose pressed throughout the third period and finally trimmed the deficit with 1:15 remaining. Joe Thornton's centering pass found Patrick Marleau, who flicked a shot that went over Schneider's right shoulder.