The San Jose Sharks have successfully returned to the win column, marking their first victory since December 16 with a decisive 6-3 road win against the Vancouver Canucks. The game showcased an intense battle in which the Sharks established an early lead of 2-0 and managed to maintain their advantage despite the Canucks repeatedly narrowing the gap.
The scoring for San Jose began with Ryan Reaves, who tapped in a loose puck just over six minutes into the first period. Following this, John Klingberg extended the lead to two goals at the 7:55 mark with a powerful shot from the blue line that was made possible by a screen from teammate Igor Chernyshov, making it difficult for Canucks’ goalie Thatcher Demko to see the puck.
Vancouver responded with a power-play goal from Linus Karlsson, who successfully converted a cross-ice pass from Conor Garland at 10:04, bringing the score to 2-1. The Sharks quickly reclaimed a two-goal lead when William Eklund sent a puck toward the net, which deflected off Marco Rossi and found its way into the net, marking an unusual but effective goal.
In the third period, Rossi found himself on the scoresheet again, scoring another tipped goal early on, further demonstrating the pressure the Canucks were applying. However, the Sharks answered back when Igor Chernyshov notched his first NHL goal with a well-placed shot that slipped around Demko’s pad at 4:47, widening the lead once more.
The Canucks fought back with a shorthanded goal from Drew O’Connor at 10:43 in the third, bringing the score to 4-3 and keeping the game competitive. Nonetheless, the Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini responded with a stunning one-timer from the left circle at 16:20, marking his second point of the night and bringing his season total to an impressive 57 points. Collin Graf then capped off the night with an empty-net goal at 16:55, solidifying San Jose’s bounce-back win.
This victory also marked a significant moment for the Sharks, as it ended a lengthy winless streak and was the first loss for Demko in 14 games against San Jose. The team will be looking to build on this momentum in their upcoming matches.