Vancouver Canucks forward Bo Horvat (53) celebrates scoring against San Jose Sharks goaltender Alex Stalock (not pictured) during the third period at Rogers Arena.
Former first-round pick Bo Horvat scored the winner in the third period Tuesday as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the San Jose Sharks 4-2 in a split-squad game that kicked off the preseason for both clubs.
Hunter Shinkaruk added a goal and an assist for Vancouver, while Jordan Subban also scored. Linden Vey chipped in with an empty-net goal and two assists.
Patrick Marleau replied with a goal and an assist for San Jose, while Brent Burns also scored.
Selected ninth overall by Vancouver with the pick acquired in the Cory Schneider trade with the New Jersey Devils, Horvat fired a loose puck home at 11:33 of the final period to give Vancouver its third lead of the night.
The 19-year-old is in a training camp battle to make the Canucks and went largely unnoticed until his breakthrough.
Vey scored in the final minute to ice it.
Eddie Lack started for Vancouver and stopped all 16 shots he faced before being replaced midway through the second by Joe Cannata, who also finished with 16 saves.
Alex Stalock made 16 stops for San Jose.
Canucks head coach Willie Desjardins was not in Vancouver for Tuesday's game and instead travelled to Stockton, Calif., for the other split-squad game between the two clubs.
The 6 p.m. local time start meant that Rogers Arena looked about half empty at puck drop, but many fans also appear to be taking a wait-and-see approach with the team under new president Trevor Linden as the Canucks look to rebound in 2014-15 after missing the playoffs for the first time in six years.
The Sharks, meanwhile, are coming off a disappointing finish to last season that saw them blow a 3-0 series lead to the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the playoffs.
Trailing 1-0 after the first period on Tuesday, San Jose tied the score at 16:07 of the second when Burns ripped a shot past Cannata on the power play off a Marleau feed.
Shinkaruk, the 24th overall back in 2013, restored the Vancouver advantage just 50 seconds later by going to the net hard off the rush and banging home a loose puck in front.
But the Sharks got right back on even terms 1:03 after that when Canucks forward Derek Dorsett turned the puck over in the neutral zone to Marleau, who moved in alone and beat Cannata. San Jose led 27-10 on the shot clock through two periods.
Vancouver opened the scoring at 7:51 of the first period when Subban fired a shot from the point that beat Sharks goalie Stalock through a screen off a set up from and Vey.
Like Horvat, both Shinkaruk and Vey are vying for a forward spot with the big club as opposed to being sent to the AHL's Utica Comets, while defenceman Jordan Subban will in all likelihood spend another year with the OHL's Belleville Bulls.
The 19-year-old Shinkaruk is coming off a difficult 2013-14 campaign that saw him undergo season-ending hip surgery, while Vey — who was acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings in June — registered five assists in 18 NHL games last season. The 23-year-old winger got time on the first power-play unit in the first period with Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin, Radim Vrbata and Dan Hamhuis.
Notes: Canucks assistants Glen Gulutzan and Doug Lidster ran the bench in Desjardins' absence. ... If Horvat doesn't make the Canucks he will have to go back to the OHL's London Knights. ... The Canucks visit the Calgary Flames on Thursday before the two teams meet again on Friday at Rogers Arena. ... Canucks defenceman Alexandre Edler left the game in the first period after taking a puck in the face.