SAN JOSE – Two goals in the first period proved sufficient to earn the New York Rangers their 13th win in the past 14 games, a 3-1 nod over the host San Jose Sharks.
The loss kept the Sharks in third place in the Pacific Division with 49 points. San Jose visits the Arizona Coyotes Tuesday before playing Toronto Thursday and Calgary Saturday at SAP Center. Los Angeles, after a 5-4 shootout loss to Winnipeg, has 48 points in eighth place. Calgary’s 1-0 win over Vancouver lifted the Flames to 47 points in the bunched division.
New York struck for two goals in a span of five minutes, then held on behind the 30-save performance by Henrik Lundqvist.
Shark rookie Melker Karlsson provided a goal for the fifth consecutive game. The 24-year-old center followed up James Sheppard’s power play shot by jabbing the loose puck over Lundqvist’s glove at 7:14 of the third period.
Joe Thornton came off the Injured Reserve list to have 17:40 of ice time and won 12 of 17 face-offs.
“Felt good,” Thornton reported after his first game in 10 days. “Our group looked dangerous. That’s a good sign for us.”
Defenseman Dan Boyle, a fixture for the Sharks for six seasons before joining New York this fall, was held off the scoresheet.
New York needed a few seconds after offensive-zone face-offs to take a 2-0 lead.
The first goal of the night came three seconds after a face-off. Thornton drew the puck back but Ranger Chris Kreider was able to sweep the puck to the top of the crease for Martin St. Louis’ 14th goal of the year at the 10:40 mark.
Derek Stepan netted his second assist of the night when he won a face-off, leading to Kreider’s lunge at the puck at the top of the crease for his eighth goal this season.
Both teams came up with 11 shots on net in the third period before Rick Nash pocketed an empty-net goal with 59.1 seconds left to play.
NOTES: Defenseman Brent Burns was named to the Honda NHL All-Star Game, scheduled for Sunday January 25 in Columbus…SAP Center has drawn four consecutive sold-out crowds for the Sharks…To make room for the return of Thornton, the Sharks placed Mirco Mueller on Injured Reserve Saturday.
