Music: {allcanada} Canucks snap nine-game losing streak to Sharks

Thursday, November 7, 2013

{allcanada} Canucks snap nine-game losing streak to Sharks

The Michael J. Fox Show, Season 1 - The Michael J. Fox Show

SAN JOSE -- Getting goals from Brad Richardson, Mike Santorelli, Chris Higgins and Zack Kassian, the Vancouver Canucks snapped a nine-game losing streak to the San Jose Sharks with a 4-2 victory Thursday night at SAP Center.

The Canucks beat San Jose for the first time since Jan. 21, 2012. During their drought, the Canucks lost five regular-season games to the Sharks and were swept 4-0 last season in a first-round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Sharks won the first two games in the season series this year, beating the Canucks 4-1 in the opener in San Jose and 4-1 a week later at Vancouver.

The Sharks lost their fourth straight game, their longest skid since losing four straight March 6-12 last season. It was their first regulation loss at home after a 5-0-2 start.

The Canucks, under new coach John Tortorella, had gone 5-1-1 in their previous seven games before beating the Sharks.

Joe Thornton and Mike Brown scored for the Sharks.

The Sharks entered the game averaging 38.3 shots per game, but Vancouver outshot them 34-24. The Sharks had six shots in the first period and five in the second. The Canucks had 26 shots entering the final period.

Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo made 22 saves.

Sharks goalie Antti Niemi gave up four goals on 12 shots and was pulled for backup Alex Stalock at 5:22 of the second period with Vancouver leading 4-2. Stalock stopped all 22 shots he faced.

Sharks coach Todd McLellan spent the rest of the night shuffling his lines, looking for some combinations that would work.

The Canucks (11-5-2) built a 3-2 lead in a wild first period.

Thornton started the scoring with a believe-it-or-not goal just 1:17 into the game. He fired the puck wide left of the goal, and it amazingly wound up in the net. The puck ricocheted off the back boards, climbed up the net and over the crossbar, hit Luongo in the shoulder and dropped behind the goal line.

Vancouver responded quickly, pulling even on Richardson's fifth goal of the season at 4:28.

The Canucks took a 2-1 lead at 9:25 when Santorelli scored his fifth goal of the season, this one on a rebound. Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa forced a turnover by Tyler Kennedy, and Alexandre Burrows sent the puck ahead to Chris Higgins, who fired a sharp-angled shot from the left circle. Niemi stopped Higgins' shot but couldn't control the rebound, and Santorelli knocked it home from the crease.

San Jose (10-2-4) made it 2-2 at 10:45 when Brown scored his first goal with the Sharks and ended his 35-game stretch without a goal. Brown and James Sheppard got behind the Canucks' defense and didn't waste the opportunity. Brown sent a pass to Sheppard on his left, got the puck back and beat Luongo from close range.

Vancouver capitalized on another Sharks miscue to take a 3-2 lead at 18:55. This time, Sharks defenseman Jason Demers turned the puck over in the San Jose end. Burrows got to the puck and, as Demers and Scott Hannan converged on him, got it to Higgins, who fired a shot over Niemi's shoulder and into the net.

The Canucks increased their lead to 4-2 just 5:22 into the second period. Bieksa blasted a shot from near the blue line that deflected off of Kassian and past Niemi. That was it for Niemi, who has allowed 14 goals on 101 shots over his past four games.

Sharks center Logan Couture nearly cut the Canucks lead to one goal with just under 12 minutes left to play, redirecting a pass from Marty Havlat toward the net, but Luongo made a brilliant save with his left pad.

ESPN Fantasy Football - ESPN

Click here to buy movie posters!