Sharks rally in third to dry up Oilers, 6-4

With the Edmonton Oilers taking a 4-3 lead early in the third period, the San Jose Sharks seemed out of step and on their ay to a loss.

But the Sharks reeled off three straight goals and defeated the Oilers, 6-4.

Joakim Ryan and Joe Pavelski each scored twice to propel the Sharks.

Ryan struck for the game-winner late in the third period.

Aaron Dell made 27 saves to help the Sharks defeat the Oilers, 6-4 Saturday – file photo courtesy of Lewis Bleiman

“The one thing about this group is they don’t get down on themselves. That fourth goal could have been backbreaking to a lot of groups, but there’s a lot of resiliency here,” Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer said after the win.

The two goals were the first for Ryan in his NHL career.

“Forty-five games in you start to think about it a little — is it ever going to happen?” Ryan said. “It’s definitely nice to get that first one, and getting that second was even better.”

Barclay Goodrow and Tomas Hertl also struck for San Jose goals.

“It was kind of a weird game,” the Sharks’ Logan Couture said. “They tried to give it to us in the first and we gave it right back to them in the second. It seemed like no one wanted to win. Way too many mistakes by guys who shouldn’t be making them and they end up in the back of our net.”

Aaron Dell made 27 saves in picking up the win.

“It was a case of trying not to fall behind in the beginning, but we worked our way back in the second and the third only to see us give them the puck in those last minutes of the game, and they scored,” Oilers head coach Todd McLellan said. “It was good that we had some fortitude to come back and push in the game.”

Zack Kassian struck for two goals and Leon Draisaitl and Brandon Davidson added single markers in the loss that dropped the Oilers to 23-27-4.

“This game has been the story of the year,” Kassian said. “We can’t sustain any momentum once we get it for any length of time. We’re not going to give up, but at the same time I’m not happy about clawing back and then watching the team fall back. Everyone is frustrated.”

[WATCH: All Oilers vs. Sharks highlights]

Al Montoya made 24 saves in the loss.

“It’s tough when you start a game and you’re in a hole. We made poor decisions and we didn’t come to play. Once we got our feet going in the second we did OK and we were headed in the right direction. Those couple of mistakes at the end were really disappointing,” the Oilers’ Brandon Davidson said after the loss.