Kurashev's 2nd goal of game lifts Sharks past Avalanche in OT

SAN JOSE -- Philipp Kurashev scored twice, including the game-winning goal at 1:48 of overtime, and the San Jose Sharks defeated the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 at SAP Center on Saturday.

Kurashev took a pass from Alexander Wennberg, entered the left face-off circle and sent a wrist shot over the glove of Mackenzie Blackwood to win it.

"Just looked up and tried to hit the spot," Kurashev said. "I did, and I'm happy about that and happy to help us get the win."

Macklin Celebrini also scored to extend his point streak to a career-high seven games, and Yaroslav Askarov made 37 saves for the Sharks (4-6-2), who have won three of four.

"We're getting better,” San Jose coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “We're learning lessons as we go, like I harped on here a little bit lately. I liked our third period a lot."

Martin Necas and Nathan MacKinnon scored for the Avalanche (7-1-5), who won 4-2 at the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday and are 2-1-4 in their past seven games. Blackwood made 20 saves in his season debut; he had been sidelined after sustaining a lower-body injury in the offseason.

"I really liked our first 40 minutes,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “Came out again, really good start. Had a tough time scoring a little bit. I'd say the power plays they got at the start of the third period turned the momentum for them."

Necas gave Colorado a 1-0 lead 30 seconds into the first period. He took a spinning wrist shot from the left face-off dot, and the puck deflected off San Jose defenseman Timothy Liljegren's foot and past Askarov's left pad.

Celebrini tied it 1-1 at 18:21. Tyler Toffoli fed him from the right boards, and Celebrini scored from the top of the slot with a wrist shot to the blocker side.

"That was a great play by Toffoli,” Celebrini said. “He had the eyes in the back of his head there and threw to me right in the slot. I was just walking down the slot, [and just] had to pick a spot."

Celebrini has 13 points (six goals, seven assists) during his point streak.

Kurashev gave the Sharks a 2-1 lead at 4:07 of the second period. Ty Dellandrea sent Kurashev in on a breakaway, and he scored with a wrist shot from the left hash marks to the far side.

"They’ve got a lot of young talent that is pretty dangerous at times,” said Blackwood, who played for the Sharks for two seasons before being traded to the Avalanche on Dec. 9. “They are on the right track, and they are going to be a good team in the future.”

MacKinnon then tied it 2-2 at 9:10 with his 10th goal of the season. He was awarded the goal after a review by the NHL Situation Room confirmed that Sharks forward Jeff Skinner caused the net to be displaced from its moorings prior to the puck crossing the goal line on MacKinnon’s tap-in attempt.

Liljegren left the game late in the first period with an upper-body injury after taking a puck to the face while on the bench.

“We think he’s going to be OK and we’ll get an update this afternoon,” Warsofsky said.

NOTES: Kurashev has six points (four goals, two assists) in a three-game multipoint streak and seven points (four goals, three assists) in a four-game point streak. ... San Jose earned its first victory in 13 games against Colorado since a 3-2 win on May 5, 2021. ... MacKinnon extended his point streak to six games (nine points; four goals, five assists). … Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar extended his season-opening road point streak to eight games (12 points; four goals, eight assists) with an assist on Necas' goal. He also has 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in a seven-game point streak overall. ... Makar's brother, forward Taylor Makar, made his NHL debut after being recalled from Colorado of the American Hockey League, finishing with no shots on goal in 6:07 of ice time. Taylor was selected by the Avalanche in the seventh round (No. 220) of the 2021 NHL Draft. He and Cale became the first set of brothers to dress in the same game with the Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques since Quebec’s Anton and Peter Stastny on April 2, 1989.