Will Smith scored twice to spark a third-period comeback as the host San Jose Sharks claimed a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday.
Mason Marchment tallied the winner and added an assist for the Sharks, who snapped a two-game losing skid thanks to three unanswered goals.
San Jose goaltender Yaroslav Askarov made 23 saves.
Drew O’Connor and Liam Ohgren scored for the Canucks, who have one win in their past 12 games (1-10-1) and sit at the bottom of the league standings.
Vancouver goalie Leevi Merilainen stopped 21 shots.
With his team trailing 2-0, Smith finally put the Sharks on the board eight minutes into the final frame. During San Jose’s fifth power play of the clash, Smith was fed a pass in the high slot and converted a wrist shot.
The tally snapped San Jose’s goal drought at 115 minutes, 33 seconds.
That started the rally. Smith tied the contest at 10:39 by lifting a loose puck from the doorstep on a play set up by Macklin Celebrini.
Marchment put the Sharks ahead 11 seconds later, converting a sharp-angled shot off the rush right after the ensuing faceoff.
The Canucks had a golden chance to tie the game with a late power play, but could not solve Askarov. He made a clutch stop on Filip Chytil’s one-timer with 19 seconds remaining.
O’Connor opened the scoring with a rebound tally at the 13:21 mark of the first period. Elias Pettersson sent a long shot on net that was denied, but O’Connor was on the spot.
Pettersson has collected two goals and five assists in a six-game point streak.
Ohgren doubled the lead late in the second period. Shortly after escaping the penalty box, Ohgren was sent a long pass, worked his way to the slot and ripped a shot off the far post and in with 64 seconds remaining in the frame.
The Canucks led after two periods for only the second time this season. They dropped the other one of those games in overtime to the Florida Panthers.
–Field Level Media
