~ Photo: (Trevor Hagan/The Canadian Press via AP)

~ By Pearl Allison Lo

~ San Jose’s Joe Thornton became the 13th NHL player to reach 1000 assists, as they prevailed over the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 Monday.

In Thornton’s 900th game, he had the secondary assist as Joe Pavelski put his second goal of the game in from the blue line. Mikkel Boedker commented postgame on Thornton, “He’s a giver.”

Nikolaj Ehlers slammed his stick against the post in frustration after the goal came at 19:34. Its’ significance grew larger when the Jets’ 5-4 advantage became 6-4 after Dylan DeMelo committed a delay of game penalty and Mark Scheifele made it 3-2 with seven seconds left.

Instead of Winnipeg’s third straight win, it was Aaron Dell’s. The Jets were 0-for-3 on the power play and playing with an extra man with 2:06 left in the game. Playing his second game in five days, Dell was always there at the right time.

Pavelski opened the scoring at 9:45 of the first with a straightaway slot shot. This came after Melker Karlsson had a short side shot right before.

Josh Morrissey then singlehandedly equalized the playing ice less than two minutes later.

Period two saw no goals but a 16-9 shot advantage for the Sharks.

Boedker broke the deadlock at 7:26 of the third period on a breakaway. It was his first ever shorthanded goal and the third shorthanded San Jose goal out of three games against Winnipeg this season.

Game notes: Rest after the Sharks’ second of back-to-back games, will precede the first of a four game homestand, starting with the best team in the NHL, the Washington Capitals, Thursday at 7:30pm.