The sweep of the NHL from Thursday starts in San Jose where the Sharks were looking to keep pace with the Los Angeles Kings who defeated the Calgary Flames. Instead, the Vancouver Canucks put together a rare complete game and downed the Sharks, 4-2.
Ryan Miller made 32 saves for the win.
“We should be playing like we’re fighting for our lives, and we didn’t tonight,” Sharks center Logan Couture said. “We made some mistakes that don’t work in the playoffs. We need to be better.”
Jannik Hansen broke a 2-2 tie with his 20th of the season late in the third period.
Markus Granlund sealed it with an empty-netter.
The win snapped a nine-game losing streak.
“Nine games is a lot of games to go between wins,” Hansen said. “It was kind of starting to weigh on the team a lot of different ways. You don’t want to get into where it’s OK losing in any way. And we have been starting to play some better games, playing some good teams, but we found ways to lose. Today, we found a way to win.”
San Jose trails first place LA by five points and the Anaheim Ducks by four points.
“We pushed,” San Jose coach Peter DeBoer said. “We were playing to win down the stretch. It would be easy to say we should have been a little more conservative, maybe not gone in there. But we had battled back and the momentum was on our side a little. We were pushing to win the game. That happens.”
In Dallas, Jamie Benn led the Stars with his 40th goal of the season in a 4-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes.
“It means I’ve got good linemates and good teammates,” Benn said. “They’re setting me up 40 times, I guess.”
Antti Niemi made 31 saves for the Dallas win.
“It’s a tough mark to get to in today’s game,” Stars coach Lindy Ruff said of the 40 goals. “There’s not many players going to get there, so it’s pretty special and it’s a heck of a year so far for him.”
Patrick Eaves, Radek Faksa and Patrick Sharp also scored for the Stars who have 1-3 points atop the Central Division.
Martin Hanzal scored for the Coyotes who fell hard and fast after a terrific starts to the season.
“Well, it’s mathematically [official that we’re eliminated], but it’s something that’s been hovering around us for a while, so it’s not as if it’s a shock,” Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said. “It’s unfortunate. We came into this season with our goal of making the playoffs. We knew we were going to be a very young team, and it was going to be an uphill battle, but we said at the start of the year this team has to grow this year. From where we were last year, we’ve got growth started, so we’re moving in the right direction.”
In Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes dropped the New York Rangers, 4-3.
And we will put as much energy in that game report as the Rangers did.
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