COLUMBUS, Ohio — The elusive first win without Joe Thornton is in the bank.
The Sharks (27-16-8) finally got rewarded for their strong play without their emotional leader Friday, ending a season-high four-game losing streak by beating the Columbus Blue Jackets (27-20-4) 3-1 at Nationwide Arena.
The win allowed the Sharks to break a tie with the Anaheim Ducks and move into sole possession of second place in the Pacific Division with 62 points.
Before Friday’s win, the Sharks had lost three-consecutive games since Thornton suffered a right-knee injury on Jan. 23. They lost in a seven-round shootout Wednesday, spoiled a 42-shot performance against the Pittsburgh Penguins Tuesday and came out on the wrong end of a 6-5 shootout with the New York Rangers on Jan.