Sharks 2, Flames 1: Joe Pavelski snapped a tie with 2:06 remaining in the third period as host San Jose rallied to extend its winning streak to seven games.
Defenseman Dan Boyle also scored and Antti Niemi made 23 saves for the Sharks, who improved to 6-0-0 on their seven-game homestand. San Jose moved one point ahead of idle Los Angeles for fourth place in the Western Conference.
With the game even, the Sharks applied late pressure and found a way to get the puck past Miikka Kiprusoff, who was impenetrable in the first two periods. After a scramble in front, a loose puck came to Pavelski, who buried it from the left side of the crease for his team-leading fifth game-winner of the season.
Mikael Backlund scored and Kiprusoff turned aside 39 shots for Calgary, which has lost four straight contests.
Calgary wasted little time converting its first power-play opportunity late in the first period. Just six seconds after Logan Couture was sent to the penalty box for hooking, Backlund unleashed a hard wrist shot from the top of the right faceoff circle that beat Niemi with 2:05 remaining for a 1-0 lead.
The goal held up until early in the third as Boyle carried the puck out of his own zone before dishing it to Couture. Boyle received a return pass in the slot and ripped a shot past Kiprusoff at 2:40 to knot the contest.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Boyle's goal was his seventh of the season but just his second at even strength. ... The seven-game winning streak is San Jose's second this campaign. The Sharks kicked off the lockout-shortened season with seven straight victories. ... Pavelski is one behind Los Angeles' Jeff Carter and Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk for the league lead in game-winning goals. ... Flames D Mark Giordano missed the game to be with his wife for the birth of their child. ... Sharks D Jason Demers sat out his fourth straight contest with an upper-body injury.
Calgary | San Jose | |
Mikael Backlund 1 | Points | Dan Boyle 1 |
Mikael Backlund 1 | Goals | Dan Boyle 1 |
Michael Cammalleri 1 | Assists | Brent Burns 1 |
Mikael Backlund 1 | Power Play Goals | N/A |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Miikka Kiprusoff .951 | Save Percentage | Antti Niemi .958 |
Miikka Kiprusoff 39 | Saves | Antti Niemi 23 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Calgary | 24 | 1 | 1-2 | 3-3 | 6 | 30 |
San Jose | 41 | 2 | 0-3 | 1-2 | 4 | 41 |