EDMONTON — Kevin Labanc recorded his first career hat trick as the San Jose Sharks remained red-hot with a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.
Evander Kane and Tomas Hertl also scored for the Sharks (33-16-7), who have won five straight games.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zack Kassian replied for the Oilers (24-26-5), who have lost seven of their last eight overall. Edmonton has also lost five straight at home and is 2-11-0 in its last 13 games at Rogers Place.
The Sharks got a break on the first goal of the game midway through the first period when a Labanc shot caromed off of defender Kevin Gravel and past Oilers starting goalie Cam Talbot.
San Jose added to its lead a couple of minutes later as Kane was left all alone on his path to the front of the net to easily score his 24th goal of the season.
Evander Kane, San Jose Sharks (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
The Sharks made it 3-0 on the power play six minutes into the middle period when Labanc rifled a shot top corner for his second goal of the game.
The Oilers finally got one past Sharks goalie Aaron Dell when Nugent-Hopkins notched a power-play goal 12 minutes into the second.
Labanc recorded his third goal of the game and ninth of the season early in the third period, beating Talbot with a quick wrist shot from the slot.
The Sharks made it 5-1 three minutes later as Hertl went untouched as he dipsy-doodled in front of the net before scoring his 25th.
Kassian batted a puck out of the air and past Dell with six minutes left for the Oilers.
The Sharks close out a four-game road trip in Vancouver on Monday, while the Oilers embark on a three-game trip, beginning in Pittsburgh on Wednesday.
Notes: Sharks veteran Joe Thornton dressed in his 1,540th contest on Saturday, tying Shane Doan and Johnny Bucyk for 15th all-time. The 39-year-old also had a pair of assists in the game against the Oilers to tie Hall of Famer Gordie Howe for ninth place on the all-time NHL list… San Jose defenceman Erik Karlsson missed his seventh straight game with an undisclosed injury… Gravel was inserted on the Oilers blue line in place of Matt Benning, who was nursing a minor injury.
Shane Jones, The Canadian Press
