• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Sharks take down Canucks in shootout

Jan 3, 2012 - 4:46 AM Vancouver, BC (Sports Network) - Michael Handzus scored the winner in the shootout to lift the San Jose Sharks to a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks.

The final shooter of the shootout, Handzus came in on net and lifted a forehand over Roberto Luongo for the win.

Patrick Marleau and Benn Ferriero each scored for the Sharks, who had lost their previous two. Antti Niemi made 27 saves and stopped all three skaters in the shootout.

Jannik Hansen and Cody Hodgson both scored for the Canucks, who have lost their past two. Luongo made 33 stops in the loss.

A 3-on-1 break by Vancouver saw the team take the early lead as Hansen and Hodgson played catch with the puck and from the left side Hodgson attempted a pass to the right that saw the puck hit off a sliding Shark and go in at the 15:42 mark of the first.

Just 1:34 into the second, San Jose made it a 1-1 game when Ferriero one-timed a shot on net that Luongo stopped, but he was there to put in his own rebound.

Halfway through the second, the Sharks made it a 2-1 game as Justin Braun threw the puck on net from the right boards and Marleau was in front to drive home the rebound.

Skating on the power play, the Canucks tied the game with 8:25 left to play in the third when Hodgson one-timed home a Dan Hamhuis feed in the slot for his ninth goal of the year.

Game Notes

San Jose plays in Anaheim on Wednesday...The Canucks host the Wild on Wednesday...Vancouver had won the previous two games with San Jose this season and took three of four last season...Vancouver was 1-for-6 on the power play while San Jose was 0-for-3.