Sharks on season-high 6-game win streak

SAN JOSE - Logan Couture scored 39 seconds into overtime to send the San Jose Sharks to their season-high sixth consecutive victory, 2-1 against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night.

Brent Burns also scored and Martin Jones made 24 saves to help the Sharks move within seven points of first-place Vegas with eight games remaining in the regular season. San Jose also opened a four-point lead over third-place Los Angeles in the Pacific Division with a game in hand as the Sharks close in on home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Tomas Tatar scored the lone goal for the Golden Knights, who were kept in the game by a sterling performance by goalie Malcolm Subban. He stopped 42 shots.

After Jones made a big save early in overtime, the Sharks came up with the puck in transition and Couture beat Subban with a backhand for his 31st goal of the season.

The Golden Knights struck first on a pretty passing play early in the first period that ended when Jonathan Marchessault found Tatar cutting through the slot ahead of Justin Braun. Tatar skated past Jones and backhanded the puck into the open net.

Vegas has been dominant when getting off to a lead, posting an NHL-best 31-5-1 record when scoring first heading into this game. But the Sharks dominated the second period, outshooting the Golden Knights 18-4 and getting the equalizer on a blast by Burns from the point after another strong shift by San Jose’s fourth line.

But Vegas managed to keep it tied despite the lopsided shot totals, killing off a four-minute penalty to Colin Miller and another late power play that started late in the second.

The Golden Knights squandered a power-play chance later in the period when Miller was called for cross checking with the man advantage.