Pavelski, Burns get 4 points each as Sharks beat Avs 5-4
DENVER (AP) — It was an All-Star night for Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns.
Pavelski and Burns each had a goal and three assists, Martin Jones made 31 saves and the San Jose Sharks held off the slumping Colorado Avalanche 5-4 on Wednesday.
The four-point games by the San Jose stars came hours after they were chosen for the Pacific Division squad in the All-Star Game to be played at the Sharks' arena on Jan. 26.
"It'll be different in our hometown," Pavelski said. "Just excited to be a part of it."
Pavelski is an All-Star for the third time in his career, and this is the fifth time for Burns. They will be joined by teammate Erik Karlsson, who is making his sixth appearance and first since coming to San Jose in an offseason trade.
"It's always special to play in them. Being at home, in front of our own fans, represent the team and the city makes it extra special," Burns said.
Evander Kane, Joonas Donskoi and Lukas Radil also scored for the Sharks, who extended Colorado's recent slide after a 9-0-2 stretch lifted the Avalanche into first place in the Central Division in early December. They are 3-8-3 since Dec. 4.
"We've got to find a way to stop the bleeding here and make sure we talk about it," captain Gabriel Landeskog said. "We try to come out with the lead and things just for whatever reason don't go our way. Instead of stopping the bleeding at one or two goals, we let them get five tonight. That's tough."
Tyson Jost had two goals and Matt Calvert and Tyson Barrie both scored for Colorado, which has dropped six in a row, two in overtime.
But the Sharks didn't need extra time to win their third in four games.
San Jose led 2-1 after the first period on power-play goals by Pavelski and Burns.
Burns' goal on a 5-on-3 advantage gave the Sharks a lead they quickly expanded in the second.
Kane scored his 12th of the season 4:15 into the period when he stole the puck from Barrie and beat goalie Philipp Grubauer high. Donskoi made it 4-1 when he stuffed the puck inside the post on a wraparound 2:15 after Kane's goal.
Pavel Francouz took over for Grubauer, who finished with 10 saves. Francouz made 12.
Radil scored on Francouz to make it 5-1 at 16:33 of the second. Jost answered 16 seconds later to get Colorado back within three. Barrie made it a two-goal game with his fifth at 12:12 of the third, and Jost's redirect at 16:36 got the Avalanche within a goal.
Colorado pulled Francouz for an extra skater at 18:16 but couldn't get one past Jones despite a flurry of chances.
The Sharks were down a defenseman after Justin Braun hurt his knee in the first period and then lost another blueliner when Marc-Edouard Vlasic didn't play for the last 10 minutes of the third.
"We were down to five for most of the game, we got down to four and we got down to three in the last 10 minutes. That's probably an explanation why it looked like it did a little bit in the third," San Jose coach Peter DeBoer said. "Pickles (Vlasic) didn't finish, and Justin Braun didn't finish and we had Brenden Dillon in the penalty box."
Braun played one shift in the second period but sat the rest of the night. He was walking on his own after the game.
"Hopefully it's just a couple-day thing. I'm walking," Braun said. "I didn't think I would be useful out there. Thought I'd do more harm than good."
NOTES: Avalanche G Semyon Varlamov was out with a lower-body injury. ... Barrie's goal was the 275th point of his career, tying John-Michael Liles for most by an Avalanche defenseman. ... This is the first time since 2010 the Sharks have had multiple players get four points in one game. ... Colorado RW Mikko Rantanen was selected an All-Star. ... Kane has three goals in his last three games against Grubauer.
UP NEXT
Sharks: Home against Tampa Bay on Saturday.
Avalanche: Host the New York Rangers on Friday night.
