Coyotes 3, Sharks 1
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Coyotes captain Shane Doan doesn't have to worry about winning popularity contests in Arizona. He is already the franchise icon, and he was selected the Valley's most popular athlete in a poll by The Arizona Republic.
Doan knows how to play to the home crowd, however.
He did so again Thursday when he took a shot from the corner that banked in off Sharks goalie Martin Jones with 1:31 remaining to break a tie and lead Arizona to a 3-1 win over San Jose at Gila River Arena.
Doan has 25 goals this season, and 18 of them have come at home.
Antoine Vermette scored into an empty net with 54 seconds remaining to provide insurance for the Coyotes.
Defenseman Michael Stone scored Arizona's first goal, and Mike Smith made 27 saves in his second game back from abdominal surgery that sidelined him for 40 games.
Tomas Hertl scored for San Jose, which got 19 saves from Jones but missed a chance to leapfrog the Anaheim Ducks into second place in the Pacific Division.
Stone scored at 13:23 of the first period on an assist from Alex Tanguay.
Hertl tied the game at 14:29 of the second. Paul Martin and Joe Thornton assisted on the play.
The Sharks (39-25-6) won four of their previous five games. They were 5-0-1 in their previous six road games.
The Coyotes (31-32-7) recorded their third consecutive victory. Arizona sits seven points behind the Colorado Avalanche for the Western Conference second wild-card spot, though the Coyotes have a game in hand.
NOTES: Coyotes D Oliver Ekman-Larsson (bruised shoulder) missed his fourth straight game. Coach Dave Tippett said Ekman-Larsson is close to returning but does not want to rush him. "He's not quite there yet," Tippett said. "We'll make sure he's good and ready to go before he can play." ... Coyotes G Mike Smith played his second straight game since returning from abdominal surgery in mid-December that sidelined him for 40 games. Smith said Wednesday that the injury has actually been present for "two to three years" but he had been able to manage it before December. ... Sharks D Matt Tennyson (concussion) missed his 12th straight game as he continues to suffer from concussion-like symptoms. ... Sharks D Brent Burns recorded his 26th goal in Tuesday's victory over Boston, surpassing Sandis Ozolinsh for the most all-time by a Sharks defenseman. His 64th point also tied him with Ozolinsh, who recorded both marks in 1993-94.