Sharks survive slow start, rally to top Oilers

EDMONTON, Alberta — The San Jose Sharks could have packed it in after the Edmonton Oilers scored twice in the opening five-plus minutes of the first period Thursday. Instead, they went right back to work and picked up another victory in the province of Alberta.

Timo Meier scored twice and Maxim Letunov and Alexander True both picked up their first NHL points as the Sharks scored five unanswered goals after an early deficit to help earn a 6-3 win over the Oilers at Rogers Place.

After the Oilers took a 2-0 lead 5:20 into the first period, Meier, Evander Kane, Letunov and

Stefan Noesen all scored as the Sharks took a 42 lead after two periods.

Meier added another goal at the 5:05 mark of the third period, and Kevin Labanc added his 13th of the season — off an assist from Meier — at the 12:19 mark of the third for a little more insurance.

Brent Burns and Joe Thornton both had two assists and Aaron Dell finished with 29 saves as the Sharks swept a two-game road trip through Alberta after they beat the Calgary Flames 3-1 on Tuesday.

Letunov’s goal came at the 7:07 mark of the second period and gave the Sharks a 3-2 lead. True then assisted on Noesen’s follow-up goal

with 7:29 to go in the second.

The Sharks allowed two goals on seven shots to start the game, as a brilliant individual play from Connor McDavid put Edmonton up by two goals. But the Sharks regrouped to tie the game, with Meier and Kane redirecting shots by Burns past Oilers goalie Mikko Koskinen.

McDavid was held to one shot over the final two periods.

“Obviously it’s a team with their skill and their speed, you’ve got to shut down the neutral zone,” Sharks interim coach Bob Boughner said Thursday morning.

“You’ve got to be above them all night. You can’t feed their rush with turnovers, you’ve got to be smart and play a patient road game here.”

Kane’s goal came on the power play, as Burns took a cross-ice pass from Thornton and fired a shot on net that went off Kane for his 21st goal of the season. The goal snapped the Sharks’ 0for-11 drought with the man advantage over the past six-plus games.