(Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)

By Pearl Allison Lo

With 4.5 seconds left, Marc-Edouard Vlasic capped a 3-2 win over Winnipeg Monday to take the edge off San Jose’s 7-2 loss Saturday.

Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski both got their second assists. Couture’s first came on the Sharks’ first goal.

It was a more even battle than the previous 3-0 meeting between the teams, in which Vlasic also scored the game winner.

Playing without Joe Thornton for the first time since he was officially placed on injured reserve, San Jose Coach Todd McLellan changed all but one of his usual rotations.

The Sharks started off well. Even without winning the faceoff, in tic-tac-toe formation, Couture saw Patrick Marleau who saw Brent Burns at the point as he fired straightaway to make it 1-0 at 2:53. It happened on a 5-on-3 power play. The first penalty was a double minor for a high stick

The Jets equalized with a power play of their own at 9:17. Andrew Ladd was helped by Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler. Little now has a seven-game point streak and five-game assist streak. Wheeler now has a six-game point streak and four-game assist streak.

San Jose took back the lead at 4:15 of the second, as Melker Karlsson scored his second goal in as many games. Karlsson redirected Pavelski’s shot from alongside the boards after Burns touched the puck. It was Burns’ second assist in as many games.

15 seconds into Winnipeg’s power play in the third, Tomas Hertl took a puck on the bench from Couture as Hertl left the ice with his face buried in a towel. It was later shown that he sustained a cut to his upper lip. The Jets scored with less than 30 seconds left in the play as Jay Harrison was aided by Adam Lowry and Michael Frolik at 4:03. It was the Sharks’ second time in a row giving up two power play goals. It was Harrison’s first goal with Winnipeg.

San Jose struggled on special teams after their first goal, going 0-for-6 and are now 1-for-13 in the last two games.

The Sharks’ Antti Niemi stopped 17 shots, giving up just the two power play goals.

Winnipeg rookie goalie Michael Hutchinson stopped 34 shots in his first game against San Jose.

Game notes: The Jets outhit the Sharks 45-26, Dustin Byfuglien leading with six, teammate Adam Pardy led with six blocked shots and San Jose’s Tommy Wingels led with seven shots. The Sharks’ John Scott played 4:48 in his return from suspension. San Jose plays again Tuesday, facing the Wild at 5pm.