Letestu gets winner, Blue Jackets beat Sharks 5-4
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) Mark Letestu scored twice, including the game-winner with 21 seconds remaining, and Ryan Johansen also scored two goals as the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the road-weary San Jose Sharks 5-4 on Thursday night.
Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 33 of 37 shots for his 99th NHL win and the Blue Jackets improved to 4-1-1 in their last six games against the Sharks.
Antti Niemi saved 23 of 28 shots for the Sharks, who lost their third straight after just completing an East Coast swing that saw them play five games in eight days.
Joe Pavelski scored twice and Logan Couture and Adam Burish also scored for the Sharks.
Nick Foligno's power-play goal with just under nine minutes to play in regulation tied the game for the Blue Jackets, who were playing for the first time since losing at Ottawa on Saturday. James Wisniewski's shot bounced off Niemi's pads and Scott Hartnell kicked it over to Foligno, who had the open shot.
Couture intercepted a pass from Columbus defender Cody Goloubef right in front of the net and easily beat Bobrovsky to give the Sharks a 4-3 edge with 11:37 remaining.
Pavelski scored his second goal of the contest less than two minutes into the third period, tying it at 3-3. He found a seam from the left side of the crease after taking a pass from Joe Thornton.
Burish scored his first goal of the season, firing it past Bobrovsky from the right circle about five minutes into the first period. Pavelski redirected a shot by Logan Couture for a power-play goal late in the first to make it 2-0.
Johansen opened the second-period flurry with a backhander over Niemi's right shoulder.
Less than four minutes later, Letestu scored a short-handed goal off a nice pass from Artem Anismov.
Johansen scored an unassisted goal 83 seconds later after Hartnell knocked the puck loose in the Sharks' zone.
NOTES: Columbus gave up its first power-play goal of the season, leaving the Detroit Red Wings as the only team with a spotless penalty kill. . The Sharks allowed their second short-handed goal of the year. . Sharks F Patrick Marleau's assist on Pavelski's goal was the 500th of his career. . Blue Jackets F Jack Skille played in his 200th NHL game. . The Sharks have outscored their opponents 10-1 in the first period. . Thornton has 42 points in 37 games against the Blue Jackets.