Rangers spoil Joe Thornton’s return to Sharks’ lineup

SAN JOSE — Joe Thornton rejoined the lineup, but the San Jose Sharks failed to earn a win in his return to action.

Kevin Shattenkirk clinched a 4-3 win for the New York Rangers in a shootout at SAP Center Tuesday.

Tomas Hertl tied the game with less than two seconds remaining in regulation, allowing the Sharks to extend their point streak to six games.

Chris Kreider put the Rangers ahead 2-1 at 1:13 of the third, blasting a one timer past Martin Jones from the right circle. Later in the period, with the scored tied, Kreider knocked a bouncing puck past an outstretched Jones after Erik Karlsson failed to break up a pass from Mats Zuccarello.

Timo Meier tied the game 2-2 at 8:14 of the third, blasting the puck into the upper shelf on a two-on-one rush with Melker Karlsson. Meier’s team-leading ninth goal extended his point streak to eight games. Brent Burns picked up the assist, his second point of the game.

Burns opened the scoring at 3:22 of the first, slapping in a 60-foot shot from above the right circle. The goal, Burns’ third, extended his point streak to nine games. Marcus Sorensen and Melker Karlsson earned assists on the play.

The Rangers answered just 59 seconds later. Zuccarello tied the game by beating goalie Martin Jones with a 33-foot shot above his glove. The Rangers dominated the rest of the period. They outshot the Sharks 17-6 in the frame, recording nine of the period’s last 10 shots.

Thornton skated for 14:19 in his first game since Oct. 5, playing a role in a pair of scoring chances as the Rangers kept him off the scoresheet. He caught the webbing of Henrik Lundqvist’s glove with a 33-

foot wrist shot in the opening frame. In the second, he almost scored off a one timer on the power play. Brady Skjei blocked Thornton’s shot in front of the crease and the puck nearly trickled in after hopped past Lundqvist.

The game was Thornton’s 1,496th NHL contest, putting

him in 20th place on the league’s all-time games played list.

Thornton’s longtime linemate, Joe Pavelski, also reached a milestone, suiting up for his 900th career game. In doing so, Pavelski became just the second player selected in the third round or later in the 2003 NHL Draft to play 900 games, joining Lee Stempniak.