CHICAGO — Erik Karlsson had two assists to extend his point streak to 13 games for the San Jose Sharks in a 5-2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on Sunday.
Karlsson has 21 points (two goals, 19 assists) during the streak, which is a San Jose record.
Five players scored for the Sharks (12-20-7), who had lost three straight, including 5-2 at the Dallas Stars on Saturday. Logan Couture and Oskar Lindblom also each had two assists, and Kaapo Kahkonen made 20 saves.
“After we started the game and it’s 2-0, you’re thinking, ‘Not again,'” San Jose coach David Quinn said. “I thought we really played well in the first period. I thought our first 10 minutes, we really set the pace and the tempo. We did everything with conviction.”
Video: SJS@CHI: Barabanov gives Sharks lead in 2nd period
Patrick Kane scored, and Petr Mrazek made 23 saves for the Blackhawks (8-24-4), who have lost four in a row and 12 of their past 13 games.
“Yeah, you get a little bit of that feeling sorry for yourselves, and I think you end up retreating,” Chicago coach Luke Richardson said. “I thought in the third period, because of the second period when we were giving up a lead, we didn’t play as aggressive as we did when we got the lead. We were playing aggressive in the O-zone and D-zone. and moving the puck better. That’s what happens when you get scored on, when you lose some games. When one thing bad happens, we’re not ready, at this point, to turn the page and get back to what we were doing well. “
Kahkonen made two key saves in the first period to keep the game scoreless, stopping Kane on a breakaway at 14:35 and Philip Kurashev from in front at 15:17.
Kane was able to give the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead at 6:40 of the second period. He shot blocker side on Kahkonen, who had lost his stick, after Ian Mitchell kept Scott Harrington‘s clearing attempt at the right point.
Sam Lafferty made it 2-0 at 13:30, tapping in a backdoor pass Andreas Athanasiou at the right post.
Jonah Gadjovich got the Sharks to within 2-1 at 15:12 during a scramble in front of the net following a shot from the point by Lindblom.
“It means we’re getting in the right areas and putting in the work, and we’re getting rewarded for it,” Gadjovich said. “It’s just a character win.”
Video: SJS@CHI: Vlasic evens game in 2nd period
Marc-Edouard Vlasic scored 41 seconds later to tie it 2-2 when a backdoor pass from Matt Benning deflected in off his skate. Although the goal was originally disallowed, the call was reversed after a video review determined that Vlasic did not kick the puck into the net.
“I knew I didn’t kick it, but the ref was so convincing. He waved it off right away, so I thought it wasn’t a goal,” Vlasic said. “I didn’t kick it. I turned my foot, and evidently it counted.”
Vlasic was playing in his 1,200thth NHL game, all with the Sharks.
“A win is good no matter if it’s 1,200, 1,201,” he said. “Right now, we need the wins. It feels good to win.”
Asked what he would do with the game puck, Vlasic replied: “I don’t know. I’ll probably play street hockey with my dogs with it, or they’ll steal it and put a hole in it.”
Alexander Barabanov gave the Sharks a 3-2 lead at 18:34 of the second, skating across the zone before scoring with a backhand short side on Mrazek.
Timo Meier pushed it to 4-2 at 3:52 of the third period, scoring on a rebound in the crease after Hertl’s redirection of Harrington’s point shot dropped down at the side of Mrazek.
Video: SJS@CHI: Meier nets 21st goal of season in 3rd period
Evgeny Svechnikov scored on another rebound at 12:55 for the 5-2 final.
“Yeah, it’s tough,” Kane said. “Obviously, we’ve been losing a lot of games, and I think it wears on a lot of guys. Guys get frustrated. It’s understandable. At the same time, when we’re in positions like we are tonight, we got to find a way not to give up so much so easily. It’s obviously been a problem all year for us. I think we had the right attitude. Guys want to win. Guys are staying positive. Especially tonight, I think we had a new outlook on things after last year, and it being a new year and trying to start off the way we wanted to. It looked like it was going right there for a while, and then it wasn’t.”
Kane took a hard hit from Svechnikov late in the third period, but after skating to the bench was able to stay in the game.
“I should be all right,” he said. “Get checked out here, so we’ll see.”
NOTES: Harrington played in place of Radim Simek, who sustained an upper-body injury against the Stars on Saturday. Quinn said the team would know more about Simek’s status “in a few days.” … Blackhawks forwards Jujhar Khaira and MacKenzie Entwistle did not play due to what Richardson called “soreness.” He said Entwistle may get checked by doctors on Tuesday and that if he can’t play against the Tampa Bay Lightning, it may force the Blackhawks to call someone up from Rockford of the American Hockey League.
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