Sharks feast on sinking Canucks
SAN JOSE 4 VANCOUVER 0
SAN JOSE, California — Erik Karlsson had a goal and two assists, Joe Thornton surpassed a big milestone for the second time this month, and the San Jose Sharks beat the slumping Vancouver Canucks 4-0 on Friday.
Thornton had two assists, moving him past Mario Lemieux for 11th place on the NHL list. The 39-year-old centre scored his 400th goal on Nov. 13.
The Sharks took the early lead on Logan Couture’s eighth goal midway through the first period.
Thornton passed Lemieux with his 1,034th assist late in the first period when Timo Meier redirected his shot with 10 seconds remaining near the end of a fourminute double-minor on Derrick Pouliot for high sticking.
Thornton had another assist in the third period on Karlsson’s second goal of the season. His 1,035 assists include 750 with the Sharks.
San Jose sent the Canucks to their eighth straight loss. Vancouver has been outscored 34-16 over that stretch.
Vancouver had three power plays.
San Jose has given up just two power-play goals in its last 19 games. The Sharks have killed off 48 of 50 penalties (96 per cent) over that stretch.
The Sharks broke the game open midway through the third period on Melker Karlsson’s first goal of the season.
Sharks goalie Aaron Dell had 19 saves.
Canucks goalie Anders Nilsson turned back 20 shots.
Sabres 3, Canadiens 2 (OT)
BUFFALO — Jeff Skinner’s second effort extended the NHL’s longest win streak.
Skinner scored 3:06 into overtime after getting the tying goal late in regulation, and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 on Friday for their eighth straight win.
It’s the longest streak for Buffalo since winning 10 games in a row to start the 2006-07 season. That also was the last season the Sabres (15-6-2) had this many victories after 23 games.
Buffalo didn’t get its 15th win last season until February and finished in last place.
The Sabres have come from behind to win six times during their streak.
“Guys don’t give up and sort of have that belief that you can come back,” Skinner said.
Casey Mittelstadt also scored, and Carter Hutton made 31 saves in his seventh straight victory.
Brendan Gallagher and Andrew Shaw scored for the Canadiens, who have lost three straight. Phillip Danault had two assists, and Antti Niemi stopped 37 shots.
“We lost a big point,” Canadiens coach Claude Julien said. “We minimized the scoring chances against a team that’s doing well. We were in a good spot until the final few minutes.”
Skinner scored both of his goals on rebound chances near the front of the net. The top-line winger acquired in an off-season trade with Carolina has 17 goals, tied with David Pastrnak for the league lead.
“He has a dog-on-a-bone mentality,” Sabres coach Phil Housley said. “Any loose puck or retrieval, he was going to get on it.”
Skinner got the winning goal late in a 4-on-3 power play after he drew a slashing penalty on Montreal’s Max Domi. Skinner knocked in a rebound while falling down between the faceoff circles following Niemi’s saves on shots by Jack Eichel and Rasmus Ristolainen.
Skinner tied the game with 2:26 left in regulation. Gathering the rebound of Zach Bogosian’s shot in the right circle, Skinner flung a backhand by a sliding Niemi.
Buffalo’s Jake McCabe then hit the post on a slap shot with 29 seconds left in regulation.
Shaw’s power-play goal gave Montreal a 2-1 lead 8:18 into the third period. Danault won a faceoff in the Sabres’ zone and Shaw deflected David Schlemko’s slap shot past Hutton five seconds after Jason Pominville went to penalty box for holding.
Having allowed 10 goals in their previous two losses, the Canadiens were pleased with their improvement on defence.
“The positive point from tonight is we had a great defensive game,” Danault said. “Nemo was solid in net and our D was playing well, too.”
Ducks 2, Oilers 1 (OT)
ANAHEIM — Rickard Rakell scored 14 seconds into overtime, and the Anaheim Ducks rallied to beat the Edmonton Oilers 2-1.
The Ducks earned their second straight win after a pair of overtime losses to Toronto and Colorado. Nick Ritchie tied the game with 16.2 seconds remaining, and John Gibson made 27 saves.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored a power-play goal for the Oilers.