SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Matt Duchene scored twice and the Dallas Stars routed San Jose 8-3 on Saturday night after falling behind when the Sharks scored on their first two shots.
Jason Robertson, Mason Marchment, Mavrik Borque, Wyatt Johnston, Thomas Harley and Jamie Benn also scored to help the Stars rebound from a 5-4 shootout loss in Los Angeles the night before. Casey DeSmith made 23 saves.
William Eklund and Fabian Zetterlund gave the Sharks a 2-0 lead 2:46 into the game, but Duchene, Robertson and Marchment in the period to give the Stars a 3-2 lead. In the second, Duchene scored on a power play and Bourque added a goal.
Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci returned to San Jose just a week after the Sharks traded them to the Stars. Granlund, had two assists.
Takeaways
Stars: The 4 Nations break comes at a good time for the injury-riddled Stars, with Ilya Lyubushkin expected to heal during the break and Miro Heiskanen listed as month-to-month after undergoing knee surgery.
Sharks: San Jose has lost 10 of 11, unable to maintain the momentum from an early 2-0 lead against a Stanley Cup-contending team.
Key moment
The Stars were down two goals less than three minutes into the game to the NHL-worst Sharks. But Dallas ended up outshooting San Jose 16-5 in the first period, and took a firm grasp of the game after 20 minutes.
Key stat
Macklin Celebrini reached 40 points with an assist on the Sharks’ first goal, becoming the fifth rookie in team history and first rookie since Logan Couture in 2010-11 to reach that mark.
Up next
With the NHL off for the 4 Nations Face-off, the Stars resume play Feb. 22 at New Jersey, and the Sharks are at Calgary on Feb. 23.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Eric He, The Associated Press