Jets upset Sharks 4-3 to dampen division title hopes

SAN JOSE – San Jose’s uphill battle to secure the top spot in the Pacific Division took a blow Thursday night when the Winnipeg Jets pulled out a 4-3 win at sold-out SAP Center.
The Sharks hold down first place with 103 points. Anaheim is second with 101 points and has three games in hand as the season heads toward the final two weeks of play.
Tobias Enstrom scored the lone goal of the third period, snapping a 3-3 deadlock with 3:26 to play. The Jets turned the power play into the game-winner when Enstrom, unmarked and heading toward the bottom of the left circle, turned Blake Wheeler’s cross-ice pass into the shot inside the left post.
The Sharks were quick to get the scoring started, although the visitors were almost as fast pulling even in the first period.
Three shifts into the game left San Jose with a 1-0 lead. James Sheppard was credited with his 14^th assist of the season when he threaded a low pass across the ice in the Winnipeg zone to a waiting Dan Boyle for the goal from the left edge of the crease at 1:57.
The Jets responded with the equalizer 36 seconds later. Andrew Ladd received Michael Frolik’s pass at the right edge of the crease and lifted the puck over Antti Niemi’s pads on the third attempt for his 22nd goal of the year.
The first of two Shark power plays on the evening put the home team up 2-1 at 14:27 of the first period. Brent Burns controlled the puck to the Jets blueline before dumping it off to Joe Pavelski. As Burns skated to the slot, Pavelski’s pass allowed Burns to stay in stride and backhand a shot past goaltender Al Montoya.
Winnipeg, winner of only two of the past 11 games, garnered the first two goals of the second period.
Wheeler, the top goal-scorer for the Jets, whipped a low shot from the goalline that disappeared between Niemi’s pads and into the net. Wheeler’s 25^th goal of the year was unassisted.
Dustin Byfuglien, celebrating his 29^th birthday, one-timed a shot from the bottom of the left circle inside the left post at 9:32 for the 3-2 Jets’ edge.
San Jose’s Logan Couture, one day away from his 25^th birthday, made it 3-3 at 11:23 with the Sharks on a power play. Sheppard’s high shot from the high slot caromed off Couture at the front of the crease and past Montoya for Couture’s 20^th goal of the year.
Down to seven games in the regular season, the Sharks play in Denver against the Colorado Avalanche Saturday before beginning a three-game homestand Tuesday against the Edmonton Oilers.