Brent Burns scores twice, Sharks end four-game skid

NEWARK, N.J.-- Defenseman Brent Burns scored two goals to help the San Jose Sharks end a four-game losing streak with a 4-1 win against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on Sunday.
Burns, who leads the NHL with 228 shots on goal, is two points behind Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid for the NHL scoring lead. Burns has 24 goals and 59 points in 57 games; McDavid has 18 goals and 61 points in 56 games.
"[Burns] is the best player on the ice every night; it doesn't matter who we play," Sharks center Joe Thornton said. "He does it night in, night out and it's very impressive to watch."

WATCH: All Sharks vs. Devils highlights
Burns was asked after the game if he hopes to catch McDavid for the scoring lead.
"No, not really," he said. "I think you look at everything; how other guys on the team you're playing are doing. But we hear enough about stats from [media] guys. You're aware of it."

Thornton and Tomas Hertl scored, and Martin Jones made 21 saves for the Sharks (34-18-5), who concluded their four-game Eastern Conference road trip 1-1-2.
"I thought we managed the puck well, we didn't turn it over or give up the odd-man rushes especially in the third period," Jones said.
PA Parenteau scored and Cory Schneider made 34 saves for the Devils (23-22-10), who had won two in a row prior to a five-day break.
The Sharks scored three goals on seven shots in the second period after having no goals on 19 shots in the first. The Devils took four minor penalties in the first.
"The shot totals were skewed because of the power plays," Devils coach John Hynes said. "We battled and survived in the first period but that wasn't what we wanted."
Burns scored on two straight shots from the point to give the Sharks a 2-1 lead, marking his first multigoal game since scoring twice in a 7-4 loss at the New York Rangers on Oct. 17, 2016.
His first came off a wrist shot 2:27 into the second, and the second came off another wrist shot at 7:46.
"The biggest thing was getting traffic in front of Schneider," Jones said. "You need bodies in front in order for pucks to go in from that distance."

Thornton made it 3-1 on a shot from the slot that beat Schneider inside the left post at 11:22.
Parenteau gave the Devils a 1-0 lead on their first shot of the game off a rebound at 11:42 of the first period. New Jersey denied the Sharks on a 5-on-3 power play for 1:43 with Joseph Blandisi (holding) and Ben Lovejoy (high-sticking) in the penalty box. Schneider made four saves during the Sharks 2-man advantage.
Hertl scored into an empty net with 1:24 left in the third period.

Goal of the game

Burns scored his first goal of the game after controlling the puck along the Devils blue line and beating Schneider just under the crossbar.

Save of the game

Jones made a stop against Stefan Noesen off a deflection in the slot with 1:09 left in the second period and the Sharks holding a 3-1 lead.

Highlight of the game

Burns scored his second of the game off an assist from forward Kevin Labanc. His shot beat Schneider inside the left post to give the Sharks their first lead.

Unsung performance of the game

Devils forwards Travis Zajac and Adam Henrique, defenseman Andy Greene and Schneider did a great job denying the Sharks on their two-man advantage.

They said it

"Schneider was spectacular early; he made some great stops. But we kept throwing pucks at him and screening him, and eventually they went in." -- Sharks center Joe Thornton

"There's not many like [Burns], especially from the back end, who can change the course of a game. He can join the rush, stickhandle through the whole team. There are point shots he can make that very few, if any defenseman in the League, can make. We wanted to key on him and make sure he didn't have an impact on the game. But he did." -- Devils goaltender Cory Schneider

Need to know

Burns tied his game-high total this season of 11 shots; he scored no goals on 11 shots in a 3-2 loss against the Arizona Coyotes on Nov. 1, 2016. ... Sharks center Logan Couture returned to the lineup after missing a 2-1 overtime loss at the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday with an upper-body injury. ... Labanc had two assists and was plus-2 in 12:47. ... Devils defenseman John Moore returned to the lineup after missing 17 games with a concussion. He had one shot in 16:14.

What's next

Sharks: Host the Florida Panthers on Wednesday (10:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, NHL.TV)
Devils: Host the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; MSG, ALT, NHL.TV)