SAN JOSE –- For the third time this week, the Sharks found themselves trailing by a goal after two periods to the Vancouver Canucks.
This time, though, they couldn’t complete the comeback.
Vancouver scored three times on the power play, including the game-winner by Dan Hamhuis at 10:28 of the third period, to down the Sharks at SAP Center on Saturday night, 4-2.
A few minutes after Brent Burns knotted the score at 2-2, Hamhuis easily tapped in a pass through the slot by Bo Horvat with Joonas Donskoi off for tripping.
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The Sharks saw their three-game winning streak snapped, and dropped to six points behind Anaheim, which took over sole possession of first place in the Pacific Division with a win over the Kings earlier in the day. Los Angeles is four points ahead of San Jose.
Vancouver won its fifth straight in San Jose and ninth in the last 12, spoiling James Reimer’s Sharks debut.
The Sharks were facing the Canucks for the third time in seven days. They erased 1-0 and 2-1 deficits in the first two games after 40 minutes to win both in regulation.
Unlike the previous two games, the Sharks scored first. AHL call-up Micheal Haley intercepted a Ben Hutton pass and slipped a wrist shot through Jacob Markstrom at 9:10.
Haley’s double-minor for high-sticking Sven Baertschi a little later in the opening period, though, resulted in the tying goal. Linden Vey found the substantial rebound of a Baertschi’s shot off of Reimer’s pad at 18:28.
Another power play marker put Vancouver ahead in the second. Baertschi’s attempt at the net nicked Daniel Sedin stationed just off the post, and the longtime Canucks forward was credited with his 25th goal.
San Jose found the equalizer in the third, when Burns got free in the circle and whipped in a wrist shot, top shelf, at 4:53 on a setup by Joe Thornton.
Markstrom, usually the backup to Ryan Miller, made two of the best saves of the year witnessed at SAP Center in the third period. He stole a goal from Tomas Hertl early in the frame by quickly shifting left to right and getting his shoulder on Hertl’s look at an open net, and later robbed Patrick Marleau with a glove hand on a delayed penalty with 13:52 to go to keep it a 2-2 tie and allow the Canucks to re-take the lead.
Alex Burrows’ empty net goal at 17:54 capped the scoring.
Vancouver lost captain Henrik Sedin early in the game. The veteran center took a hard hit from Burns along the wall, was slow to get up, and eventually left the bench in the first period with an upper body injury.
The Sharks and Canucks have another home-and-home later this month on March 29 at Rogers Arena and March 31 in San Jose.
Special teams
The Sharks were shorthanded seven times, their most since Dec. 8 at Calgary. They finished 4-for-7, and are just 12-for-19 over the last eight games (63.1 percent).
San Jose was 0-for-3 on the power play, and 4-for-26 over the last 10 games (15.3 percent).
Marc-Edouard Vlasic received a 10-minute misconduct in the final minute.
In goal
Reimer was making his Sharks debut after he was acquired from Toronto on Feb. 27, and allowed three goals on 25 shots. His appearance ended a streak of 10 straight starts for Martin Jones.
Markstrom, who allowed three goals on four shots in his last appearance against the Sharks on March 3, 2015, improved to 10-8-4 with 32 saves.
Lineup
Melker Karlsson missed his second straight game, although it was unclear if he was healthy or not.
Up next
The Sharks conclude the season series with Calgary on Monday at the Saddledome. The teams have spilt the first four meetings, with the Flames winning the most recent game, 6-5 in a shootout on Feb. 11 in Alex Stalock’s last game with San Jose.
