Marleau passes Howe for NHL games played record, Sharks lose to Vegas

LAS VEGAS -- Patrick Marleau played his 1,768th game to pass
Gordie Howe
for the most in NHL history when the San Jose Sharks lost 3-2 in a shootout to the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Monday.

Marleau had one shot on goal in 17:21 of ice time. It was the forward's 899th consecutive game; he can reach 900 when the teams play again here Wednesday.
"I didn't know what they had planned or anything like that. It was super special to see all the things they did," Marleau said. "I know there was a lot of work throughout the organization to make this happen. I saw all the patches, the sweaters, T-shirts, nameplates. They didn't miss a thing.
"I thank the Golden Knights organization for giving the family a suite to sit in and enjoy the game tonight. Their fans through all the cheering and support they showed tonight, and a lot of Sharks fans too. Very humbling and very grateful for everything that happened tonight."
The Golden Knights (32-11-2) rallied after trailing 2-0 to win their seventh straight game. Mark Stone scored twice and extended his point streak to five games (five goals, five assists), and Robin Lehner made 29 saves.
"I think in the moment, you don't really understand the magnitude of it," Stone said. "When I get home tonight and really reflect on what just happened, I think I'm going to have a big thing of emotion going through me, to be a part of a huge night for him."
Martin Jones made 38 saves for the Sharks (18-22-5), who have lost six in a row.
"I was extremely pleased," San Jose coach Bob Boughner said. "We know this was the hottest team in the League. There was a lot of emotion in this game and a lot on the line. We wanted to make sure we honored 'Patty' the best way we could. That was by playing hard as a team."
The Golden Knights moved two points ahead of the Colorado Avalanche for first in the eight-team Honda West Division. The Sharks trail the Arizona Coyotes by four points for fourth place. The top four teams will qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Marleau started the game and was honored after the opening whistle. A video message from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman played, congratulating Marleau on the achievement.
"We didn't know they were going to stop play after the first whistle there, and that video and the response by both teams and the crowd, I was tearing up," Sharks captain Logan Couture said. "It's just cool to be a part of, and something every player in this game will remember for the rest of their lives."
Nikolai Knyzhov scored at 9:27 of the first period to give the Sharks a 1-0 lead.

Noah Gregor scored 29 seconds into the second when his wrist shot deflected off Lehner's glove to make it 2-0.
Stone cut it to 2-1 on the power play at 1:22 of the second period, deflecting a shot from Shea Theodore.
He tied it 2-2 with his second power-play goal at 3:29 of the third.
Jones made five saves in overtime. Alex Tuch scored the lone goal of the shootout in the first round after Lehner made a save against Marleau.
"We're trying to find ways to win in different ways," Stone said. "[That's] what the best teams do. … You've got to find ways to win in crunch time, and I think we've done a good job of that in the last stretch."

Vegas coach Peter DeBoer coached Marleau in San Jose from 2015-17 and for 33 games last season before he was fired Dec. 11, 2019. The Sharks reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2016, when they lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.
"Great night for Patrick Marleau and his family. Happy I had a front-row seat for it, happy that we won," DeBoer said. "We won the game and got to be a part of history. Not too many ovations in this building for the Sharks over my years. It just tells you the gravity of the accomplishment."
It was Marleau's 1,596th game with the Sharks, who selected him with the No. 2 pick in the 1997 NHL Draft. He's played in 70.5 percent of regular-season games in their history (2,262), the highest in NHL history.
"I think it's very meaningful. It's huge, having played most of my games here in San Jose, being drafted by them," Marleau said. "It's been a great organization for me and my family. My family's grown up being part of it. it's the right thing that happened, being in a Sharks uniform."
NOTES: If Marleau plays Wednesday, he will join Florida Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle as the only active NHL players to play 900 consecutive games. Arizona Coyotes forward Phil Kessel has played 890 in a row. … Howe held the all-time games played record since Nov. 26, 1961, when he passed
Ted Lindsay
(999) and became the first to reach 1,000 games. … Golden Knights forward Max Pacioretty had two assists and is one point from 600 in the NHL. … Stone has five consecutive multipoint games. … Vegas forward Reilly Smith (undisclosed) did not play. There was no update.