AP photo: Ottawa Senators Chris Kelly (22) goes stick side on San Jose Sharks goaltender Martin Jones (31) for a top shelf go ahead goal in the third period in the Sens 4-2 win at SAP Center on Wednesday night

By Matthew T.F. Harrington

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Over the course of an 82-game season, NHL teams will lose a game they should have won and win a game they should not have. For the San Jose Sharks Wednesday night it was the team with a lessor performance walking away with the victory. Despite San Jose out-shooting Ottawa 37-17, the Sharks fell to the Senators 4-2.

“We did everything but find a way to win,” said Sharks coach Peter DeBoer. “At the end of the day moral victories don’t count in the standings.”

Chris Kelly scored the game-winner for the Senators on a bad break for defenseman Justin Braun and Jean Gabriel Pageau scored an empty-netter for the Sens. The Sharks erased a 2-0 first period deficit with Logan Couture and Brent Burns scoring for the home team.

With 1:06 left in regulation and the score tied at 2-2 Braun prepared to handle a routine clear. Instead, the puck bounced over his stick, allowing a fore-checking Kelly to score his 2^nd goal of the season.

“It was bouncing in the neutral zone,” said Braun. “I had a guy coming on me and I’m trying to whack it over to [Joe Thornton]. I missed with my feet, it keeps going. [Marc-Edouard Vlasic] didn’t have time to get back. It’s a play that I have to knock out of the air and get moving forward.”

“It was a bounce of the puck,” added DeBoer. “That happens over 82 games. You’re going to get those once in a while.”

The Sharks appeared destined for overtime thanks to work from two of their top players. Logan Couture, in the lineup after surgery to remove a screw in his repaired ankle, struck on the power play 8:19 into the second period. Joe Pavelski slipped a perfect drop pass to his left side that Couture picked up in the slot for his 9^th goal of the season to put San Jose on the board at 2-1.

“I felt fine,” said Couture. “Just the start of periods it felt a little sore. Once the game got going I felt fine.”

Burns netted his 11^th goal of the season in the 3^rd period after freezing Mike Condon on a shot from just outside the right faceoff dot over the netminder’s glove hand. Paul Martin picked up the lone assist for his 300^th career point.

The goal came with both teams skating four-aside after the Sharks took a penalty while on the man-advantage. They were 1 for 6 on the power play. Ottawa was 1 for 4 with a Shark in the sin bin with Mark Stone scoring 3:42 into the game.

“I thought our power play could have won us the game,” said DeBoer. “It was ok.”

Erik Karlsson, OIttawa’s mobile defenseman and perennial Norris trophy threat, assisted on Stone’s goal. He picked up his 26^th point of the year 7:19 into the 1^st after scoring his 7^th goal of the season. Karlsson leads defensemen in scoring, holding a 3-point advantage over Burns (11g, 12a).

The Sharks will take the ice Friday for a rivalry tilt in Anaheim before facing the Carolina Hurricanes at home Saturday night. It will be the Sharks’ third game in four nights after a small break. San Jose didn’t have a game since last Friday when they topped the visiting Canadiens.