By Matthew T.F. Harrington

AP photo: Nothing but pad as San Jose Sharks goalie Martin Jones stops a shot from the Vancouver Canucks Alex Burrows in Thursday night’s game at SAP Center

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Despite their best efforts at a comeback, the San Jose Sharks fell to Ryan Miller and the visiting Vancouver Canucks 4-2 Thursday night at the SAP Center. San Jose (43-29-6)  fired 34 shots on the Canucks American-born goaltender, but Miller turned aside all but two Sharks bids.

“As a group, we were wreckless in the early part of the game,” said Sharks coach Peter DeBoer. “They made us pay on a couple of them. In this league, it doesn’t matter who you are playing. If you spot somebody two goals it’s going to be a long night.”

Daniel Sedin and Bo Horvat scored to give Vancouver (28-36-7) an early lead, but Patrick Marleau netted a 2^nd period tally and Logan Couture remained red-hot with a goal in the third. Jannick Hansen played the hero though, beating Sharks starter Martin Jones with a rocket with 5:03 left in regulation to hand Vancouver only its second win in the final game of the 5-game season series between both teams.

“We should be able to beat those guys,” said Logan Couture on his team’s efforts just two games after clinching a playoff spot Monday night. “We’re four games away from the playoffs. We need to play a lot better than that.”

The Canucks were the aggressors early, putting a puck into the net 1:09 into the contest on the first shift of the game.  Winger Jannick Hansen fired a shot on Martin Jones from the Sharks netminder’s left that he turn aside with his right pad. The save rebounded out to Daniel Sedin skating down the opposite wing. The Swedish left winger tapped the puck into the net for his 28^th goal of the season. Brother Henrik also assisted on the goal.

Vancouver scored its second goal 13:55 into the frame after second year center Bo Horvat picked Sharks rookie Joonas Donskoi’s pocket on the San Jose blue line. Horvat then walked in alone, pulling the puck to his backhand to beat a sprawling Jones for his 13^th goal of the season.

“You cannot take those back,” said Donskoi on his gaffe. “I always like to think positive things. I had mistakes in the Finnish league too, believe me, and I went forward from them.”

The Sharks pulled within one with just 5:30 left in the period on the power play following a perfect passing sequence by the top power play unit. First Brent Burns took the puck on the point and passed it to Joe Thornton waiting just inside the goal line. Thornton then wheeled the puck from the corner to Patrick Marleau waiting in the slot. Number 12 wouldn’t miss from there, especially thanks to a screen from Logan Couture, beating Ryan Miller stick side for his 22^nd goal of the campaign.

“Guys are doing a better job of running routes and doing different things,” said Marleau of the Sharks power play. Unit. “That’s one thing we can take away from it.”

Thornton’s assist pushed him further up the all-time points list. After notching his 1,335 point with the helper, Jumbo is now tied for 30^th place with Washington Capitals great Mike Gartner. Thornton is now three points back of a pair of all-time greats, Dave Andreychuk and Denis Savard.

In the Sharks last game, a 4-1 in Vancouver Tuesday, Logan Couture netted his first career hattrick. The Sharks pivot scored his fourth goal in two games halfway through the 3^rd. Couture snapped his 14^th goal of the season after Brent Burns flung the puck from the right point to a waiting Couture on the far post.  Donskoi also assisted on the goal.

“It just found me,” said Couture. “I was trying to get lost, there was a d-man on me. I tried to lose him and it was able to find my stick.”

Hansen scored the game-winning goal in the same spot where he produced his rebound, launching a bomb of a shot that beat Jones up high 14:57 into the final period of regulation. Hansen’s unassisted snipe was his 20^th of the season.  Markus Granlund potted an empty net goal with 20 seconds remaining.

“I thought the momentum was on our side,” said Sharks coach Peter DeBoer. “We were pushing to win the game. That happens.”

Compounded with the loss, a Los Angeles Kings victory over Calgary the Sharks are facing the reality of being the  road team for the opening round of the playoffs. The Kings (5 points and Ducks (4 points)  are both more than a win ahead of the Sharks with just 4 games left to play.

“Everyone in this room knows we have a chance, an opportunity for us to get home ice,” said Couture. “At least for the first round or second round as well. We should be playing for our professional lives and we didn’t tonight.”