Sharks 3, Bruins 2
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Brent Burns enjoyed a historic night in leading the San Jose Sharks to a 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday at SAP Center.
Burns tied the franchise record for most goals and points by a defenseman as San Jose won for the seventh time in nine games to move within one point of idle and second-place Anaheim in the Pacific Division.
Burns' 64th point of the season came on a second assist on Joonas Donskoi's tie-breaking power-play goal at 6:37 of the third period. Burns fed cross-ice to Joel Ward, whose blast from the left dot was redirected by Dooskoi past Boston goalie Tuukka Rask.
James Reimer won for the second time during his third start in goal since acquired from Toronto at the trade deadline. Reimer made 21 saves in all. He got help late when Boston's David Krejci struck the near post on an attempt to tie the game with just over four minutes left.
The Sharks scored the only goal of the second period to tie it 2-2 through 40 minutes.
Burns matched the franchise single-season record of 26 goals by a defenseman when he found the back of the net at 11:46. He did, however, have some help. Burns was attempting to pass across the goalmouth to Joe Thornton, but the puck deflected perfectly off the stick of Bruins forward Ryan Spooner and just inside the far post.
Burns' on-going career-high goal total tied the mark set by Sandis Ozolinsh in 1993-94. With two points Tuesday, Burns matched Ozolinsh's club-defenseman-record 64 from that same season.
The Sharks opened the scoring on top at 8:44 of the first period when Melker Karlsson capped a strong San Jose cycle by scoring his ninth goal of the season in close. Karlsson started the sequence with the first of three consecutive backhanded passes along the boards. Logan Couture and Joonas Donskoi followed with backhanders, the final one from behind the goal line to set up Karlsson.
The Bruins, who dropped to second in the Atlantic Division with the loss coupled with the Florida Panthers' win Tuesday, rallied to score twice after surrendering the first goal of the game to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.
Boston tied it when David Krejci snapped an 11-game goalless string that stretched back to Feb. 20. Krejci followed a long rebound left by Reimer and potted his 15th goal at 11:26.
The visitors scored short-handed at 17:46 when Loui Eriksson broke in alone on Reimer to collect his 27th goal. Burns was guilty of a neutral-zone turnover to Krejci, who chipped the puck forward to a breaking Eriksson.
After Burn's equalizer in the second, Donskoi netted the winner in the third for the Sharks.
NOTES: San Jose G James Reimer made his third start since being acquired at the trade deadline. Reimer had a 2.27 goals-against average and .935 save percentage during three appearances earlier this season vs. Boston as a Toronto Maple Leaf. ... Before Tuesday, San Jose was 7-4-1 against Boston since the Joe Thornton trade in 2005. In 12 games against the team that drafted him first overall in 1997, Thornton had 10 points on four goals and six assists. ... The Sharks next play at Arizona on Thursday, while the Bruins continue a four-game road trip with stop No. 2 in Anaheim on Friday. ... San Jose's healthy scratches included RW Tommy Wingels, D Matt Tennyson and D Dylan DeMelo, who was recalled from AHL affiliate San Jose on Tuesday. ... RW Tyler Randell, C Frank Vatrano, D Zach Trotman and D Joe Morrow did not dress for Boston.