After seeing a 2-0 lead evaporate, the San Jose Sharks rolled to a three-goal lead by the end of the second period and put away the Dallas Stars 5-2 Thursday night at sold-out HP Pavilion.
Losers of four of the past five games, the Sharks were able to scramble back into the top eight in the Western Conference with the win, closing the four-game homestand at 2-2. San Jose has 31 points, tied with Dallas for seventh in the conference and second in the Pacific Division behind Phoenix (33).
San Jose opens a three-game roadtrip Saturday against the St Louis Blues. After games with Chicago Sunday and Colorado Tuesday, the Sharks host Colorado Thursday to begin a six-game homestand.
The Sharks scored on two of the first three shots of the game to earn a 2-0 advantage.
Logan Couture moved into the middle spot in a 3-on-2 rush and whipped a shot past goaltender Andrew Raycroft from the high slot for a 1-0 San Jose lead 1:07 into play.
The hosts made it 2-0 15 seconds later. Raycroft appeared to stop Justin Braun’s long shot, but Michal Handzus pulled the puck away from the crease to Jamie McGinn at the goalline. McGinn, with the left-handed shot, was able to deliver a shot from behind the goalline by Raycroft and into the net for his fifth goal of the year.
Dallas, opening a five-game roadtrip, responded with the next two goals for a 2-2 tie.
Mike Ribeiro was at the left post when Stars captain Brendan Morrow pulled a long shot toward the San Jose net from the right point. The puck bounded off goaltender Antti Niemi, then against Ribeiro and into the net at 13:37 of the first period.
After San Jose could not convert 110 seconds of 5-on-3 power play early in the second period, Dallas scored a power-play goal 6:30 into the second to pull even.
As Frazer McLaren sat in the box for charging, Morrow one-timed a cross-ice pass from Ribeiro inside the right post from the top of the right circle. San Jose, last in the NHL in penalty-kill, denied the Stars on their other two power plays.
San Jose came back with three goals in a span of 6:04.
First Marty Havlat and then Joe Thornton sent close-range shots at Raycroft. Thornton was able to collect the puck behind the net and try a wrap-around at the right post. The puck bounded off the post to Ryane Clowe for the put-back goal at 11:53.
Thornton also delivered the primary helper on the next San Jose goal at 13:48. Thornton won the face-off in the left circle, the puck moving from Dan Boyle to Brent Burns for a shot from the lost post. The puck clipped off Thornton before Brad Winchester tipped the puck past Raycroft for his third goal the year.
Patrick Marleau keyed the insurance goal scored at 17:57, controlling the puck along the left boards before skating behind the Dallas net. Marleau, knocked off his skates, pushed the puck toward the right circle. Star Jamie Benn was able to intercept the puck before Jamie McGinn tapped it back to Torrey Mitchell for a blast from the dot for his third goal of the season.
San Jose finished with a 36-20 edge in shots on net.
