San Jose, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Jacob Josefson scored a short-handed goal and an assist as the New Jersey Devils closed out their California trip on a positive note with a 5-2 win over the San Jose Sharks on Monday.
Cory Schneider made 34 saves and Steve Bernier, Travis Zajac, Jordin Tootoo and Mike Cammalleri all lit the lamp for the Devils, who bounced back from a 5-1 loss to Anaheim on Friday to finish 2-1-0 on their cross-country excursion.
"I thought everyone stepped up," said Schneider. "We played unselfishly, we played together."
Joe Pavelski and Matt Nieto each scored for the Sharks, who have dropped their last two games. Alex Stalock gave up all five goals on 34 shots in his first start since Jan. 6.
"It's not the result we wanted," said Pavelski. "Where we're at right now, we want to start trending upwards."
New Jersey ended a four-game losing streak to the Sharks, beating them for the first time since Feb. 11, 2011.
After Sharks defenseman Brent Burns took his third penalty of the night, Cammalleri fired a shot from the edge of the right circle for a 3-2 lead with 5:15 to play in the middle stanza.
Zajac provided the Devils with some insurance after he powered his way across the top of the crease and backhanded a loose puck past Stalock for a 4-2 game with 8:48 remaining.
Less than three minutes later, Adam Henrique poked the puck past a Sharks defender on the penalty kill, raced up into the offensive zone and sent a cross-ice pass to Josefson, who finished off the 2-on-1 with a quick wrister to account for the final score.
San Jose started the scoring 3:59 into the contest as Pavelski beat Schneider with a quick wrister from the right circle.
The Devils went ahead with two goals in 35 seconds late in the first period.
Tootoo tied the game after his second whack at the rebound of Tim Sestito's failed wrap-around attempt with 4:31 left.
Scott Gomez stripped Burns of the puck behind the cage and sent it to the slot, where Bernier deposited his own rebound into the net with 3:56 to go before the first intermission.
Nieto charged into the slot and one-timed Tyler Kennedy's pass to tie the game at 2-2 four minutes into the second.
Game Notes
Thornton tied former Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom for 21st on the NHL's all-time assists list with 878 ... Henrique and Gomez each tallied two assists ... Sharks defenseman Justin Braun left the game in the second period after blocking a shot ... New Jersey will return to the ice on Jan. 28 to host Toronto, while San Jose will face Los Angeles at home on Wednesday.
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