SAN JOSE (AP) — Erik Karlsson had three assists, Tomas Hertl scored the go-ahead goal midway through the second period and the surging San Jose Sharks defeated the Los Angeles Kings 3-1 on Monday night.
Joonas Donskoi and Joe Thornton also scored for San Jose. Martin Jones made 22 saves as the Sharks won their fifth in six games.
Anze Kopitar had a goal and Jack Campbell turned back 26 shots for the Kings, who have lost three of four.
Karlsson has at least one assist in 13 consecutive appearances going back to Dec. 7. The two-time Norris Trophy winner has 22 points (one goal, 21 assists) during that stretch. Karlsson has 13 assists in his last six games.
Hertl scored his 15th goal at 9:09 of the second period. He scooped up a pass from Karlsson as he crossed the blue line and drove to the net, slipping a backhand past Campbell.
San Jose led going into the first intermission on Donskoi’s 11th goal with 2:17 left in the first period. It was his fifth in five games.
The Kings evened it at 3:42 of the second on Kopitar’s 11th goal and second in two games, which tied him with Dustin Brown for the team lead.
Thornton added an empty-netter — his seventh goal — with 20 seconds left.
NOTES: Sharks forward Melker Karlsson played in his 300th NHL game. . Sharks D Radim Simek was in the lineup for the first time since suffering a concussion on Dec. 31. . Sharks defensemen Marc-Edouard Vlasic (wrist) and Justin Braun (knee) worked out on the ice after Monday’s skate. Braun is on injured reserve.
UP NEXT
Kings: Host the Ottawa Senators on Thursday.
Sharks: Host the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.
Source: “Los Angeles” – Google News