Music: {allcanada} Rookies help Sharks rally past Oilers

Thursday, December 18, 2014

{allcanada} Rookies help Sharks rally past Oilers

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SAN JOSE -- Rookies Matt Tennyson and Barclay Goodrow scored goals in a 34-second span midway through the third period, and the San Jose Sharks came from behind to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 at SAP Center on Thursday.

The Sharks trailed 3-2 entering the third period, but Tennyson scored his first career NHL goal at 8:29 on the power play. Edmonton's David Perron was in the penalty box for a hit to the head of San Jose's Patrick Marleau, although on video replays it appeared that Perron delivered a shoulder-to-shoulder hit.

Goodrow then put the Sharks ahead 4-3 when he scored on a breakaway. Goodrow took a long pass from defenseman Brent Burns, stayed ahead of defenseman Justin Schultz and scored from close range.

James Sheppard and Logan Couture also scored for the Sharks (18-11-4), who won their seventh straight home game. San Jose is 8-1-0 in its past nine games.

Boyd Gordon, Steven Pinizzotto and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored for Edmonton (7-20-6), which lost its second straight game under interim coach Todd Nelson and has lost 17 of its past 18 games.

Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi made 25 saves. Ben Scrivens made 26 saves for the Oilers.

Gordon gave Edmonton a 1-0 lead at 14:43 of the first period by scoring his fifth goal of the season. Perron and Jordan Eberle battled Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic along the boards in the right corner, and the puck popped out to Gordon in the slot. Gordon didn't get much zip on his backhand, but he somehow snuck the puck under Niemi's left pad. Niemi blanked the Nashville Predators in his previous start, but his bid for back-to-back shutouts ended on a shot he'd typically have no problem stopping.

Gordon had missed the previous five games because of a back injury he sustained Dec. 7 against San Jose. He centered the second line, between Perron and Eberle.

Sheppard and Couture scored back-to-back goals in a span of 1:45 early in the second period to give San Jose a 2-1 lead.

The Sharks pulled even at 5:51 when Sheppard scored from the slot, snapping his 17-game goalless streak. Goodrow took a pass behind the net from Melker Karlsson and fed a pass through traffic in front to Sheppard, who scored his fourth goal of the season.

Couture gave the Sharks a 2-1 lead at 7:36, finishing off a give-and-go with defenseman Brenden Dillon. Couture elevated a wrist shot from the right circle over Scrivens' right shoulder for his 13th goal of the season.

Edmonton roared back to grab a 3-2 lead on goals 96 seconds apart by Pinizzotto and Nugent-Hopkins, who made Niemi pay for more costly mistakes.

Pinizzotto hammered home a rebound from close range at 8:23 for his second goal of the season. Niemi stopped Schultz's shot from the point but couldn't control the rebound. Matt Hendricks fired a shot off Niemi's pads from the low slot, and Pinizzotto buried that rebound.

Nugent-Hopkins put the Oilers back in front at 9:59 when sent a rebound from the blue paint past Niemi. He couldn't control the puck after stopping Eberle's shot from the left circle, and Nugent-Hopkins took advantage, scoring his team-high ninth goal of the season.

Good Luck Charlie, It's Christmas!