Canucks send San Jose to third straight loss, 3-1

SAN JOSE – The logjam involving the four teams trailing Anaheim in the Pacific Division left only two teams tied after two games were played Tuesday night.
San Jose, one of the four teams with 43 points going into Tuesday’s games, dropped a 3-1 decision to the visiting Vancouver Canucks. The win pushed the Canucks to 45 points.
While Calgary, at 43, was idle, the Los Angeles Kings improved to 44 points with a 3-2 shootout loss to Edmonton on the Oilers’ ice.
The Sharks play at Anaheim Wednesday at 5pm, while Edmonton plays at Calgary later that night. The King visit Vancouver Thursday.
San Jose finished with a 32-21 edge in shots on net, yet had to settle for one successful penalty shot out of two earned against Vancouver.
Joe Pavelski was tripped by Alexander Edler on a breakaway with 8:28 gone in the first period to net Pavelski the penalty shot opportunity as Vancouver held a 1-0 lead. Pavelski’s shot flew over the net as the period ended with the Canucks owning the lone goal.
San Jose was down 2-0 with 4:36 gone in the second period when Joe Thornton was pulled down during a breakaway by Vancouver’s Christopher Tanev. Thornton responded with a crisp shot inside the left post to beat Vancouver goaltender Ryan Miller.
Thornton was also successful in the only other penalty shot of his career, scoring in a 5-2 win over Washington exactly five years ago.
Playing Anaheim Wednesday “will be a good test for us,” said Thornton. “We have to find some energy.”
After winning nine of 10 games, San Jose takes a three-game losing streak into Anaheim.
Vancouver opened the scoring at 3:08 of the first period when Bo Horvat’s wild shot from the left circle bounded off two skaters and into the net for the 19-year-old’s second career goal.
Canuck winger Jannik Hansen went to the penalty box 59 seconds into the second period for an illegal check to the head of Tommy Wingels. As the two-minute penalty expired, Hansen came out of the box, accepted a long pass from Edler and whipped a shot past goaltender Alex Stalock for the 2-0 margin.
The visitors completed the scoring when Radim Vrbata’s high shot from the top of the left circle skimmed over Stalock’s glove with 7:09 gone in the second period.