Sharks 6, Canadiens 2
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Joe Pavelski scored his 28th and 29th goals of the season while Brent Burns and Joe Thornton contributed three points each as the Sharks beat the Montreal Canadiens 6-2 at SAP Center on Monday.
The team's second win in as many nights moved the third-place Sharks to within two points of Anaheim and four behind first-place Los Angeles, both of which were idle.
The hosts broke the game open with two early strikes in the third period to put an end to Montreal's hopes of extending a point streak to five games.
Left winger Melker Karlsson scored his eighth goal by punching an aerial pass out of the air from the slot past Montreal goalie Mike Condon at 2:14. The goal capped a hard-working shift in the offensive zone by San Jose's fourth line. It marked Karlsson's first goal in seven games, and his second in 14.
Just over one minute later, recently acquired center Nick Spaling scored his second goal in four games as a Shark by following up on a rebound left by center Logan Couture's shot at 3:37.
Pavelski capped the scoring with a blast in close at 14:50.
The teams traded goals in the middle session as the Sharks took a 3-2 lead into the final period.
Burns worked a give-and-go with Thornton through the neutral zone before the Sharks' All-Star defenseman potted his 21st goal at 3:11 with a rifled wrist shot from the bottom of the right circle.
The Canadiens narrowed the lead to a single goal again a little more than nine minutes later when an ex-Shark struck. Right winger Torrey Mitchell batted the partially fanned shot of teammate Paul Byron out of the air, and he literally bounced his seven goal of the season past San Jose goalie Martin Jones at 12:32.
Jones came up big inside the final 30 seconds of the period with a right-pad save on right winger Brendan Gallagher's potential game-tying shot from the bottom of the right circle. Jones got help from the crossbar in the opening minute of the second period, too, when defenseman Mark Barberio's drive on the power play struck iron.
The Sharks took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission after controlling play during the opening 20 minutes and outshooting the Canadiens 13-7 in the process.
San Jose broke on top with a pretty goal as Thornton stuffed home a redirected pass from Pavelski after defenseman Justin Braun executed a perfect shot-pass from the right point. Thornton's 15th goal of the season came at 3:11.
Montreal struck back at 5:26, however, when Gallagher fired a low shot along the goal line from the right boards that somehow slipped through Jones. It was Gallagher's 18th goal of the season.
San Jose failed to convert on its first home power play since Feb. 13 despite several close chances.
Instead, the hosts broke the tie at 15:55 when Thornton threaded a cross-ice feed to Pavelski, who one-timed his 28th goal of the season past Condon. Burns picked up the 400th point of his NHL career with a second assist.
NOTES: RW Mike Brown was claimed by Montreal off waivers, switched locker rooms and was in Monday's lineup for the Canadiens playing against his recent ex-teammates in San Jose. Brown paired with ex-Shark LW Torrey Mitchell and C Michael McCarron on Montreal's fourth line, taking the place of RW Devante Smith-Pelly, who was dealt Monday to New Jersey in exchange for F Stefan Matteau. ... G Martin Jones made his ninth straight start for San Jose as new backup James Reimer was not yet in town following Saturday's trade with Toronto. Reimer was in the process of working through immigration issues, and he will likely join the team in time for Thursday's game in Vancouver. AHL call-up Aaron Dell dressed as Jones' backup for a second straight night. ... G Carey Price did not accompany the Canadiens on the road but skated wearing full equipment in Montreal. ... The Sharks assigned D Dylan DeMelo to San Jose of the AHL. ... LW Lucas Lessio and D Morgan Ellis were healthy scratches for Montreal, while D Matt Tennyson did not dress for San Jose.