The Canucks deal a blow to the slim playoff hopes for the Sharks with a 4-3 shootout win

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Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen (32) blocks a shot during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the San Jose Sharks in San Jose, Calif., Saturday, April 11, 2026. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen, right, blocks a shot by San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (71) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Saturday, April 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar) — Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen (32) blocks a shot during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the San Jose Sharks in San Jose, Calif., Saturday, April 11, 2026. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Audio By Carbonatix

1:09 AM on Sunday, April 12

By JOSH DUBOW

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Linus Karlsson scored in the sixth round of the shootout and the Vancouver Canucks put the San Jose Sharks on the brink of playoff elimination with a 4-3 win on Saturday night.

After each team scored only once in the first five rounds, Karlsson ended the game when he beat Yaroslav Askarov to snap Vancouver's four-game losing streak and spoil the final home game of a promising season for San Jose.

After finishing last in the league the past two seasons, the Sharks have jumped 30 points in the standings. But they trail Los Angeles by five points with three games remaining in the race for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Igor Chernyshov scored his second goal of the game to give the Sharks a 3-2 lead with 7:16 left in regulation but Teddy Blueger tied it on the power play with 3:00 left.

Marco Rossi and Jake DeBrusk also scored for the Canucks. Kevin Lankinen made 28 saves.

Macklin Celebrini assisted on both of Chernyshov's goals to give him 110 points on the season, four shy of the franchise record set by Hall of Famer Joe Thornton in 2006-07.

Tyler Toffoli also scored for San Jose and Askarov made 38 saves.

The Sharks opened the scoring late in the first when Celebrini won an offensive draw and got the puck to Chernyshov, who went right to the net and beat Lankinen.

The Canucks tied it in the second when Askarov made a bad read on a dump in that went off the boards to the other side of the net. He tried to knock the net over to block the puck from entering but Rossi still scored.

The teams traded goals later in the second with Toffoli scoring on the rush for San Jose and DeBrusk answering on the power play.

Up next

Canucks: Visit Anaheim on Sunday night.

Sharks: Visit Nashville on Monday night.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl