SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — On a night when they didn't necessarily play their best game, the San Jose Sharks found a way to rise to the occasion.
Timo Meier scored two goals, Logan Couture had two assists and San Jose defeated the Dallas Stars 3-2 Thursday.
After totaling 10 goals in their previous two games, the Sharks were scoreless for the first 36:20.
"I didn't think we started great," coach Pete DeBoer said. "You have to give (the Stars) some credit. I thought they played a very good game for back-to-back games. I thought they were tight and didn't give us a lot of room.
"I think as the season goes on and you travel, some nights you feel better than others, and tonight was a night where I thought we were off a little, but we battled and found a way to win."
Meier's 17th and 18th goals sent the Sharks to their third straight win and fifth in six games. Meier has four goals in his last two games and 10 points (five goals, five assists) in his past six contests.
Joe Thornton also scored and Martin Jones made 20 saves for the Sharks.
A fortuitous bounce figured prominently in Thornton's goal, with the puck caroming off a shin pad in front.
"Yeah, just one of those where it just pops out and there was an open net," Thornton said. "Just good fortune, I guess."
San Jose prevented a three-game season series sweep by Dallas, which had won three straight and six of seven against the Sharks. Dallas has lost three in a row overall after winning its previous four.
"I thought tonight we played a really hard game," Stars forward Blake Comeau said. "We played in a tough building against a really good team on a back-to-back . but it's a results-based league. It's disappointing we didn't get the win, but that being said, I thought we did a lot better job tonight than we did in Anaheim and that's a good step moving forward."
Meier scored at 2:50 of the third period to break a 1-all tie. Just more than five minutes later, the Sharks made it 3-1 on Thornton's fifth goal of the season.
Miro Heiskanen scored his seventh for Dallas with 7:36 left to make it 3-2.
Radek Faksa scored at 3:35 of the second to give the Stars a 1-0 lead. Faksa jumped on the rebound of Julius Honka's shot in front and put the puck past Jones for his fifth goal.
Meier tied it at 16:20 of the second, firing a shot from 5 feet inside the blue line through a crowd of players off a faceoff.
Stars goalie Anton Khudobin turned back 21 shots after going 5-1 with a 1.32 goals-against average in his previous six games against San Jose.
"I thought our effort was pretty good tonight," Stars coach Jim Montgomery said. "The chances were almost even, the shots were almost even. They get that shot off a shin pad that goes to Thornton on a back door . we didn't get that bounce."
NOTES: Thornton was in the lineup after missing Wednesday's practice and Thursday's optional skate with an undisclosed injury. ... Couture has 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in his last nine games. ... Stars D Gavin Bayreuther was a healthy scratch. ... Stars C Martin Hanzal was a scratch after playing three straight games, his first action since undergoing spinal fusion surgery in April. ... Dallas didn't hold a morning skate after playing in Anaheim on Wednesday night. ... The Sharks had five shots on goal and the Stars three in the first period.
UP NEXT
Stars: Wrap up four-game road trip Saturday in Colorado.
Sharks: Play at Chicago on Sunday.
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