VANCOUVER – Matt Nieto scored two goals and an assist as the San Jose Sharks won their second straight with a 6-2 victory against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night.
Chris Tierney, Melker Karlsson, Logan Couture, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic also scored for San Jose (32-25-8), which was coming off a 4-0 win Monday at home to Montreal. The Sharks continue to dominate in Vancouver, having won seven straight here, including the post-season.
Antti Niemi made 26 saves for the Sharks.
Henrik Sedin had both goals for Vancouver (36-24-3), which despite the loss still sits second in the Pacific Division, three points ahead of San Jose, L.A., and Calgary.
Goalie Jacob Markstrom, making his season debut with starter Ryan Miller injured and backup Eddie Lack resting after giving up a combined 10 goals over his last two games, had a rough NHL re-entry. Markstrom allowed three goals on four shots before getting yanked in the first.
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On the Sharks’ first shot, just over three minutes in, Tierney recovered a Canucks turnover in the Vancouver zone and fired it over Markstrom’s shoulder.
Karlsson scored on San Jose’s second shot of the game when he backhanded in the puck while on his stomach during a goal-mouth scramble at 7:18.
Couture, on a give and go with Nieto, put in a rebound 27 seconds later to end Markstrom’s night and bring in Lack, who finished with 23 saves on 24 shots.
The Canucks got on the board just a minute into the second, while on the power play, as Daniel Sedin backhanded a pass to brother Henrik Sedin, who potted his 14th of the year and 900th career NHL point.
The Sedins connected again at 9:12 of the second as Daniel found Henrik with a beautiful pass and the Vancouver captain buried his second of the game to cut the lead to 3-2.
The Sharks restored the two-goal advantage at 11:45, as Patrick Marleau stripped Daniel Sedin and dished to the slot where Nieto rocketed the puck past Lack.
Vancouver finished the period with an extended 5-on-3 man advantage, but couldn’t capitalize.
Nieto and Vlasic both scored empty-net goals in the final three minutes to seal the win.
Notes: Zack Kassian did not dress because of the flu. … Victoria-raised NBAer Steve Nash dropped the ceremonial puck.
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