Instant Replay: Sharks edge Stars on Hertl's OT score

BOX SCORE

SAN JOSE -– Tomas Hertl scored in overtime giving the Sharks their fifth straight win, 4-3 over Dallas on Saturday at SAP Center.

Hertl’s score came with 3:48 left in the extra session, when his shot snuck through Antti Niemi during three-on-three play.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic’s first career two-goal game paced the Sharks offense.

The Stars trailed 2-1 to start the third, but tied it up on Tyler Seguin’s 25th goal. A pair of defensive-zone miscues by Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton left Seguin wide open with the puck in the high slot, and the elite sniper whirred in a wrist shot just 33 seconds into the period.

Dallas kept pushing, recording the first 11 shots on goal in the period, but the Sharks got a break when Jamie Benn went off for tripping Pavelski deep in the Stars’ offensive zone. San Jose capitalized on a Vlasic blast that beat Niemi’s glove side at 7:51 with Hertl setting a screen.

The Stars came right back to re-tie it. Jason Spezza’s turnaround wrist shot from the top of the circle breezed by Martin Jones’ far shoulder just 12 seconds after Vlasic’s score, and the game proceeded to overtime.

The Sharks have now won three-straight home games for the first time since Jan. 21-31, 2015. They improved to 8-1-1 in their last 10 home games against Dallas.

Dallas got on the board with the only goal of the first period. The Sharks failed to cleanly break out of their own zone, and the puck deflected to Ales Hemsky in front of the net. The Stars forward slipped it between Jones’ pads at 11:15.

The Sharks had a plethora of prime scoring chances in the first period, but couldn’t squeeze one through Niemi. Melker Karlsson flew in all alone in the game's third minute but was stopped by Niemi, and the former Sharks goalie made key saves later in the period on Logan Couture and Tommy Wingels. Paul Martin and Brenden Dillon each had shots bang off of the post.

The Sharks scored the only two goals of the second period, though, to take a 2-1 lead.

Vlasic’s first of the night tied it. Hertl’s work along the boards allowed it to happen, when he controlled the disc and found Thornton with plenty of room to operate. Thornton pushed it to a charging Vlasic, who buzzed it in at 3:54.

A power play marker gave San Jose its first lead. Late into Alex Goligoski’s interference minor, Chris Tierney managed to whack home the rebound of a Wingels shot at 11:07 after most of the Sharks' man advantage had been ineffective.

The Sharks and Stars play the third and final game of their season series on March 26 at SAP Center. Dallas took the first at home on Oct. 31, 5-3.

Special teams

The Sharks were a perfect 2-for-2 on the power play, snapping out of an 0-for-11 funk in their last three games at home.

San Jose’s penalty kill got back on track, going 2-for-2. The Sharks entered the game just 16-for-25 over their last eight games (64.0 percent).

In goal

Jones started for the 11th time in the last 12, and made 32 saves. It was his first career victory against Dallas (1-2-0).

Niemi was making his first start in San Jose as a visitor since the 2010 Western Conference finals. He took the loss with four goals allowed on 39 shots.

Lineup

The Sharks healthy scratches remained Ben Smith, who has sat for the last nine games, and Matt Tennyson, who has been out for 16 straight.

Raffi Torres (right knee) played his second game in as many nights for the AHL Barracuda on a conditioning assignment.

Dylan DeMelo assisted on Vlasic’s second goal for his first career NHL point.

Thornton has at least one point in 13 of his last 14 games (5g, 13a).

Up next

The Sharks close out a three-game homestand with Ottawa on Monday. The Senators won 4-2 at the Canadian Tire Center on Dec 18.