Canucks topple struggling Sharks 4-2
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Tanner Pearson scored twice, leading the Vancouver Canucks to a 4-2 comeback win over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night.
Markus Granlund and Troy Stecher also scored for the Canucks, while Bo Horvat and Loui Eriksson each had a pair of assists.
Kevin Labanc and Joe Pavelski scored for the Sharks.
Vancouver goalie Thatcher Demko stopped 33 of 35 shots and Martin Jones had 19 saves for San Jose.
The loss added to a tough stretch for the Sharks, who are 1-8-1 in their past 10 games and haven’t had a regulation win since March 12.
Vancouver trailed 2-1 midway through the third period, but quick goals from Pearson and Granlund swung the game.
Granlund broke the tie for the Canucks, completing the come-from-behind victory with a gritty goal 13:39 into the third.
With heavy traffic in front of the San Jose net, the Vancouver center banged away at the puck and found a way to shovel it in behind a diving Jones.
The Canucks scored on their first shot of the game after Horvat sliced a back pass to Pearson from below the goal line.
The left wing snapped the puck past Jones 1:28 into the game.
Labanc scored for San Jose, tipping a long shot from Brendan Dillon in past a diving Demko at 5:09 of the first.
The goal extended Labanc’s points streak to six games, including three goals and three assists.
The Sharks added a power-play goal 10:47 into the period after Vancouver’s Adam Gaudette was called for hooking.
Tomas Hertl sent a pass down low and Pavelski tipped it in back door.
Pavelski returned to the San Jose lineup after missing seven games with a lower-body injury.
Joe Thornton had assists on both Labanc and Pavelski’s goals.
The 39-year-old center has 1,063 assists, tying him with Steve Yzerman for eighth place on the NHL’s all-time assists list.
The Canucks tied the score 10:18 into the third with a controversial goal.
Jones stopped Eriksson’s shot but Pearson fought to knock out the rebound and poked the puck into the net.
Officials on the ice initially ruled no goal, but the call was quickly overturned.
San Jose coach Peter DeBoer challenged the refs, citing goalie interference. Review in Toronto determined the goal was good, saying the puck was loose.
Stecher added an empty-net goal with 90 seconds left in the game.
NOTES: Tomas Hertl extended his points streak to five games. He has three goals and four assists in that stretch. … The Canucks handed out their team awards, giving goalie Jacob Markstrom MVP honors and star rookie Elias Pettersson the title of most exciting player. … Linesman Lonnie Cameron worked his final NHL game. The Victoria native has been with the league for 23 seasons and officiated 1,554 games.
UP NEXT:
Sharks: At Oilers on Thursday night.
Canucks: At Predators on Thursday night.