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SAN JOSE — Pete DeBoer anticipated a low-energy game and that’s what he got.
With several of his players battling the flu this week, DeBoer sensed that the Sharks might need to fight through an ugly game to earn two points on Thursday. Fortunately, the Sharks drew the Montreal Canadiens as an opponent, extending the Habs losing streak at SAP Center to 12 games with a 5-2 win.
The Canadiens haven’t picked up a win in San Jose since Nov. 23, 1999.
With the win, the Sharks improved to 3-0 on their current homestand and moved to within a single point of the Calgary Flames for first place in the Pacific Division. Erik Karlsson and Evander Kane missed their third straight games with injuries.
The Sharks also caught a break facing Antti Niemi, the team’s starting goalie from 2010 to 2015, who ranks second in franchise history in wins. As a result, the Sharks avoided a showdown with former-Vezina Trophy winner Carey Price. They capitalized, scoring two soft goals off Niemi in the first.
Tomas Hertl opened the scoring at 6:55, reaching the 30-goal mark for the first time in his career by banking the puck in off Habs defenseman Jeff Petry’s stick on a wraparound attempt.
The Sharks went up 2-0 in the middle of the frame when Marcus Sorensen scored his fourth goal in three games since returning from injury. Sorensen recorded his 15th of the season by sneaking the puck in between the left post and former-Sharks goalie Niemi’s right pad.
The Habs eventually got on the board with 2:04 left in the frame. Martin Jones gave the Canadiens a freebie by letting Artturi Lehkonen’s seven-foot shot from the left circle slip through his five hole.
The Sharks went into the second intermission leading 3-2, trading goals with Montreal in the second. Joe Thornton scored his 14th at 7:46, deflecting a pass intended for Sorensen into the net off Philip Danault’s stick. Thornton flipped a behind-the-back pass toward the net after he carried the puck out from below the goal line, using his size to protect it from Brett Kulak.
The Canadiens answered at 15:18 when Paul Byron’s shot from the high-slot pinballed its way into the net, hitting Andrew Shaw in the high slot and Joe Pavelski in front.
Timo Meier scored an insurance goal at 6:08 of the third, burying a pass from Joonas Donskoi, who earned his third point in two games with the primary assist. Gus Nyquist iced the game at 19:55 of the third, scoring his first goal with the Sharks into an empty net.
Thornton moved into 14th place on the NHL’s all-time games played list, passing Alex Delvecchio by suiting up for his 1,551st career game.
Martin Jones made 37 saves to earn the win.
The Sharks will return to action on Saturday, completing a four-game homestand with a matinee against the St. Louis Blues.
