SAN JOSE, Calif. — Tomas Hertl scored three goals and Joe Thornton celebrated his 1,000th game for San Jose by adding another that helped the Sharks win their seventh straight game, 5-2 over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night.
Marcus Sorensen also scored and the Sharks improved to 16-3-2 in their past 21 games with a convincing victory over the dangerous Penguins. Martin Jones made 22 saves to tie his career best by winning his eighth straight start.
Kris Letang and Derick Brassard scored for the Penguins, who have lost two in a row following a stretch of 10 wins in 11 games. Matt Murray stopped 24 shots but had his career-high nine-game winning streak snapped.
San Jose Sharks Barclay Goodrow battles for the puck against Pittsburgh Penguins Sidney Crosby. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
Hertl scored twice in the third period to complete his second career hat trick, knocking in a rebound of a point shot from Justin Braun and then adding an empty-netter in the final minute for his 19th goal of the season and 100th of his career.
One game after Brent Burns capped his 1,000th career game with a game-winning goal for San Jose, Thornton made the most of his milestone appearance as well by scoring in the second period. After Sorensen drew a delayed penalty, the Sharks set up in the offensive zone. Joe Pavelski fed Thornton in the slot for a one-timer that beat Murray to give him 18 seasons with at least 10 goals.
That led to another long ovation for Thornton, who got one in the first period when a tribute for his 1,000th game in San Jose was shown on the videoboard.
Brassard scored late for the Penguins after Murray had been pulled, but it wasn’t enough as the Sharks restored their three-goal lead with Hertl’s empty-netter.
The Penguins opened the scoring when Letang finished a brilliant end-to-end rush by skating around Erik Karlsson and beating Jones with a backhand. But the Sharks got most of the chances after that and took control with two quick goals of their own.
They tied the game when Karlsson’s shot from the top of the circle deflected off Sorensen and into the net. San Jose took the lead with a highlight-reel goal from Hertl, who got the puck in the corner and used his backside to knock down Evgeni Malkin. Hertl then skated toward the middle, deked Jack Johnson and beat Murray to the far side.
NOTES: Sharks forward Joonas Donskoi played after missing the final two periods Saturday with an apparent head injury. … San Jose D Marc-Edouard Vlasic missed his sixth straight game with an undisclosed injury.
UP NEXT
Penguins: Visit the Arizona Coyotes on Friday.
Sharks: At the Coyotes on Wednesday.
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Josh Dubow, The Associated Press