Burns' OT winner lifts Sharks over Coyotes

Brent Burns scored at 3:14 of overtime, and the San Jose Sharks defeated the visiting Arizona Coyotes 3-2 Saturday night as both teams came off the All-Star break and their bye weeks. Kevin Labanc and Joe Pavelski also scored for the Sharks, who were 1-3-0 in their previous four games, surrendering six goals in each. Goaltender Martin Jones stopped 31 shots.

The Sharks improved to 18-4-4 at home and moved within four points of the Pacific Division-leading Calgary Flames. Conor Garland and Josh Archibald scored for the Coyotes, who are 6-2-2 in their past 10 games. Goalie Darcy Kuemper stopped 32 of 35 shots but dropped to 6-0-3 in his past nine starts.

The winning goal came after an Arizona turnover at center ice led to the Sharks breaking into the offensive zone on a three-on-one. That rush was interrupted as Burns had to jump over a Coyotes defenseman in the slot, but Tomas Hertl was able to track down the puck before it crossed the blue line and sent a no-look, backhanded pass to Burns in the left faceoff circle. Burns deked past the Coyotes' Richard Panik and reached the top of the crease, where he put a forehand shot over Kuemper's catching glove and into the top right corner of the net.

Garland opened the scoring with an unassisted goal at 9:56 of the second period, beating Jones from close range after a San Jose turnover deep in its own end. But the Sharks took the lead as Labanc and Pavelski tallied 44 seconds apart later in the period.

Labanc controlled a rebound off a shot from the point and steered the puck to beat Kuemper, who was on the ice. Pavelski followed up a Timo Meier breakaway, corralling the rebound and putting a backhander into the net.

Archibald tied the score, 2-2, at 7:10 of the third period, taking a pass from Mario Kempe in the slot and beating Jones. --Field Level Media

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