National Hockey League
San Jose 3, New Jersey 2
When: 10:30 PM ET, Thursday, February 27, 2020
Where: SAP Center at San Jose, San Jose, California
Referees: Garrett Rank, Kyle Rehman
Linesmen: Kiel Murchison, Jonny Murray
Attendance: 16913

Logan Couture scored the overtime game-winner in his second game back from an injury to lift the San Jose Sharks to a 3-2 win over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday.

Couture, who returned Tuesday from a broken ankle suffered Jan. 7, helped his team snap a five-game losing streak. The Sharks' losing streak included a 2-1 loss to the Devils on Feb. 20.

Evander Kane, who got the puck to Couture in overtime, had two assists, while rookie Mario Ferraro and Marcus Sorensen each scored once for the Sharks. Travis Zajac and Nikita Gusev had the goals for the Devils, who saw their win streak end at three games.

The Sharks didn't start well, giving the Devils an easy goal in the first period. At 11:09 during a goalmouth scramble, defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic tried sweeping the puck out of danger behind goalie Martin Jones. Vlasic instead knocked it behind the goal-line, and Zajac was credited with the goal.

The Devils went up 2-0 when Gusev pickpocketed Sharks defender Jacob Middleton in front of the net and deftly slid the puck through Jones' open pads.

The Sharks got both goals back in the second, however. Kane was hauled down in the corner but got back up to give Ferraro's point shot a perfect screen in front of Devils netminder Cory Schneider at the 2:20 mark.

With Kane in the penalty box for hooking, Joel Kellman skated up the ice and sent the puck past a falling Damon Severson to Sorensen, who tied the game at 2-2 with the short-handed marker.

Schneider, making consecutive starts for the Devils for the first time since October, withstood two consecutive power plays for the Sharks in the third to give his team a chance. The Devils couldn't respond, even on a man-advantage of their own late in the third.

Just 38 seconds into the extra period, Couture won the faceoff in the Devils' end and wrapped the puck around the corner. Kane won the puck battle in the slot and got the puck back to Couture, who had an open net on Schneider's glove side.

The win kicked off a six-game homestand for the Sharks, who outshot the Devils 30-24.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
New Jersey   San Jose
Nikita Gusev 1 Points Evander Kane 2
Nikita Gusev 1 Goals Logan Couture 1
Nikita Gusev 0 Assists Evander Kane 2
N/A Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals Marcus Sorensen 1
Cory Schneider .900 Save Percentage Martin Jones .913
Cory Schneider 27 Saves Martin Jones 21
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
New Jersey 23 2 0-4 3-3 8 27
San Jose 30 3 0-3 4-4 10 22
Upcoming Games
  • San Jose will play their next game at home against Pittsburgh. The Sharks have a W/L % of .538 after a win and .342 after a loss.
  • New Jersey will play their next game on the road against Los Angeles. The Devils have a W/L % of .385 after a win and .405 after a loss.