Sharks end East Coast swing with loss to Devils

NEWARK, N.J. - Kyle Palmieri scored two goals for the third straight game and the New Jersey Devils rallied from their first deficits of the season to beat the San Jose Sharks 3-2 on Sunday.

Joe Pavelski and Timo Meier scored for the Sharks, who are heading home after a five-game road trip. Martin Jones made 33 saves as San Jose lost to New Jersey for the third time in its last 11 games.

“It’s disappointing because we go into the third with the lead,” said Pavelski, who picked up his 700th NHL point. “This team has the players to get the job done. We have to system. It’s a couple of times pucks are finding a way to go into the net right now. We will get that figured out.”

After a scoreless opening period, the Sharks took a 1-0 lead when Pavelski slammed home the rebound of a Brent Burns shot at 3:51 of the second period.

Palmieri tied the game at 7:06 with shot from the left circle with the Sharks playing two men short.

Meier put San Jose ahead with 4:25 left in the second period with a shot from the left circle on a quick counter attack, but Palmieri tied the game just 37 seconds into the third. Jean-Sebastien Dea scored the winner at 3:25, stuffing home a rebound.

“We have to play harder,” said Sharks forward Logan Couture, who had a shot hit the post shortly after Dea scored. “We have to play a lot better, harder individually. There are a lot of guys that haven’t played well yet this season, or their best. Thankfully, it’s only six games where this is happening.”

Palmieri has six goals in three games, just four behind Toronto’s Auston Matthews, who has 10 in six contests.

“Whatever he’s doing, he’s got to keep doing it. Two goals a game every night,” Devils goalie Keith Kinkaid said of Palmieri after making 37 saves.