Sharks fall to Golden Knights 5-3

SAN JOSE - James Neal and Jonathan Marchessault scored in a 3½-minute span in the third period, helping the Vegas Golden Knights beat the San Jose Sharks 5-3 on Thursday night.

Brayden McNabb, William Karlsson and Erik Haula also scored for the Golden Knights, who closed out a 4-2 road trip. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 35 shots.

Joe Pavelski scored twice for the Sharks, who lost their second in a row. Timo Meier also scored, and Martin Jones made 28 saves.

Pavelski put San Jose in front 4:40 into the game. He redirected a hard shot from Brent Burns into the net.

Haula tied it with six minutes left in the first, slapping a rebound past Jones. It was Haula’s sixth goal in eight games and ?No. 21 on the season.

Karlsson scored 37 seconds into the second period after a Sharks clearing pass hit Logan Couture, resulting in a turnover.

Jones nearly made a spectacular save, getting his glove on the puck. He wasn’t able to hang onto it as he lost his balance, giving Karlsson an easy tip-in.

Meier tied it again midway through the second after knocking in a puck that bounced off Fleury’s shoulder pads from a Burns shot.

Pavelski gave the Sharks a 3-2 advantage midway through the third, but McNabb evened things two minutes later. Neal scored the go-ahead goal at 15:10.

NOTES

The Sharks recalled D Tim Heed from the minors before the game. ... Jones appeared in his 200th NHL game. ... Golden Knights F David Perron played in his 700th game. ... Pavelski recorded his first multigoal game of the season. ... Burns matched his season high with three assists.

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Sharks: Host the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.