Pavelski scores SO winner as Sharks top Canucks

[March 06, 2013]  VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- Scott Gomez and Adam Burish ended long goal droughts and Joe Pavelski scored the shootout winner as the San Jose Sharks defeated the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 on Tuesday night.

Brad Stuart added two assists and Antti Niemi made 36 saves for San Jose, which won its second straight game after a stretch in which it went 2-6-4.

Gomez's goal was his first of the season and just his 10th in his last 133 NHL games, while Burish scored his first goal in 45 games.

Henrik Sedin and Jannik Hansen scored for Vancouver, which dropped to 3-5-2 in its past 10 games after starting the season 8-2-2.

The Sharks, who entered tied with Nashville for the fewest goals in the NHL with 47, came on strong in the third period and took seven shots at Cory Schneider in overtime. In the shootout, Logan Couture had to score or the Sharks would lose, but he calmly deked to the backhand and beat Schneider between the legs.

After Niemi stopped Alex Burrows in the fourth round, Pavelski broke in and beat Schneider with a quick wrist shot to the blocker side to end it.

Chris Higgins had Vancouver's lone shootout tally, beating Niemi on the blocker side.

The Canucks fell behind 2-0 early in the second period, but it was their top line that rallied to tie the game going into the third.

Daniel Sedin flipped the puck in front of the net and it took a fortuitous bounce to Henrik Sedin, who went to the backhand to beat Niemi at 13:23.

With 25 seconds remaining in the middle period, the Canucks were rewarded for a strong shift that saw them buzzing in San Jose's end for a while. Hansen capped the play with a wrist shot that Niemi never saw for his sixth goal of the season. He has three goals and five points in the past three games.

The Sharks opened up their lead thanks to Gomez and Burish, who took a short-handed breakaway pass from Brad Stuart and firing a shot that hit Schneider's glove and went in.

With Vancouver pressing for the winner late in the third period, Niemi robbed Burrows and Henrik Sedin with nifty pad saves. Jason Garrison also hit the post with a minute remaining.

Schneider finished with 28 saves.

In overtime, the Sharks killed off a two-minute Canucks power play with Gomez in the box for goaltender interference.

NOTES: Sharks coach Todd McLellan earned his 206th victory with the Sharks, tying Ron Wilson for the franchise record. ... The Canucks went 0-5 on the man advantage, their sixth straight game without a power play goal. ... F Bracken Kearns, 31, played his first game as a Shark and the sixth of his career. Kearns is the son of former Canucks defenseman Dennis Kearns. Bracken Kearns, who was born in North Vancouver, had zero points in five games with Florida last season. ... Canucks D Keith Ballard was back in the lineup after being a healthy scratch the past two games. He left the game midway through the third period with a lower-body injury. ... Cam Barker also dressed for his second straight game, while Kevin Bieksa (groin) and Andrew Alberts (healthy scratch) did not dress. ... Martin Havlat (lower body), T.J. Galiardi (healthy scratch) and Justin Braun (healthy scratch) did not dress for San Jose.

[Associated Press]

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