For the second time this week, the Sharks entered the third period trailing by a goal in Vancouver. And for the second time this week, they mounted a third period comeback to pick up another win. The victory extends their lead over the Canucks to 16 points and keeps them within four of Anaheim and LA.
It was all Canucks early in the first, with Vancouver outshooting San Jose 10–1 through the first seven plus minutes of play. Their early domination paid off when Jake Virtanen beat Martin Jones with the Canucks’ tenth shot less than 20 seconds after a hooking penalty to Micheal Haley expired. Sven Baertschi added a second Vancouver goal with 90 seconds left in the first following an unsuccessful Sharks power play that didn’t result in a single shot on goal.
After the subpar first period, the Sharks came out strong in the second. They quickly evened things up on the shot clock, and Tomas Hertl got them on the board halfway through the period with a deflection of Brent Burns‘ shot from the point. The league took a look at the goal to see if Hertl touched the puck with a high stick, but the call on the ice stood to cut the Vancouver lead in half.
That hand-eye coordination. ️ pic.twitter.com/LeK7pkSGu0
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) March 4, 2016
The Sharks were unable to get the tying goal in the second despite several chances on the power play, but it only took 38 seconds to get it in the third. Hertl won a faceoff at the tail end of a carryover penalty to Daniel Sedin, and Burns blasted the puck off the iron and into the net for his 22nd goal.
With the Sharks applying some pressure, Jones made a huge save on a breakaway by Derek Dorsett to keep the game tied at two. Less than two minutes later, Patrick Marleau gave San Jose the lead with his 19th goal, taking a feed from Joonas Donskoi and putting it behind Miller. San Jose kept its foot on the gas after Marleau’s goal, and Jones stopped every chance the Canucks had, including a huge save on Daniel Sedin with the net empty in the final minute.
The Sharks will face the Canucks again on Saturday in San Jose, but tonight they’ll be able to enjoy a very happy flight home after another comeback win in Vancouver.
Sharks goals (assists): Tomas Hertl (Brent Burns, Joe Thornton), Brent Burns (Tomas Hertl), Patrick Marleau (Joonas Donskoi, Logan Couture)
[Fancy Stats] – [Canucks Reaction] – [TOI Log] – [Faceoff Report] – [Event Summary] – [PBP Log]
Fear the Fin’s Three Stars
1) Patrick Marleau
2) Martin Jones
3) Brent Burns
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