Sharks 3, Canucks 2: Captain Joe Thornton registered a goal and an assist as host San Jose scored three times in a 2:13 span of the second period and held on for its fifth consecutive victory.

Andrew Desjardins and Logan Couture also scored and Antti Niemi made 23 saves for the Sharks, who improved to 4-0-0 on their seven-game homestand and completed a sweep of their three-game season series with the Canucks.

Chris Higgins had a goal and an assist, Alex Burrows also tallied and Jannik Hansen set up both scores for Vancouver, which has lost two straight following a six-game winning streak. Cory Schneider turned aside 32 shots.

After a scoreless first period, Desjardins gave San Jose the lead at 7:41 of the second as he grabbed a loose puck in the slot and fired it past Schneider. Thornton doubled the lead 41 seconds later with a wrist shot from the top of the slot that found the top right corner of the net.

Couture completed the Sharks' outburst with his 15th goal. After failing to get off a clean shot from the doorstep, Couture fell to the ice and had the puck go off his skate as he was spinning around and into the net for a 3-0 advantage.

Higgins beat Niemi from the high slot with 2:34 remaining in the second and Burrows got Vancouver within a goal at 10:20 of the third, but the Canucks were unable to get the equalizer.

GAME NOTEBOOK: San Jose traded C Michal Handzus to Chicago for a fourth-round pick in the 2013 draft earlier in the day. ... Sharks D Matt Tennyson made his NHL debut and registered an assist on Thornton's goal. ... Nine seconds before Couture's goal, Niemi made a big save on Hansen during a breakaway to keep Vancouver from pulling within 2-1. ... With rumors of a trade running rampant, San Jose made LW Ryane Clowe a healthy scratch. As many as six teams have been mentioned as possible suitors for Clowe, who has not scored a goal in 28 games this season. ... Sharks D Jason Demers missed his second straight game with an undisclosed injury. ... Canucks LW Nicklas Jensen made his NHL debut and was minus-1 in 17:32 of ice time.