Quinn gets his first win as Sharks coach, defeating Rangers in Garden Return

NEW YORK — Eric Karlson scored 49 seconds after overtime, and David Quinn won his first game as San Jose Sharks coach Thursday 3-2 over his former team, the New York Rangers, at Madison Square Garden.

The Sharks (1-5-0) started the season with five straight losses, including two at the 2022 NHL Global Series in Prague.

Quinn coached the Rangers for three seasons from 2018-21. He was hired on July 26 to coach the Sharks.

“I can’t go to CVS and buy confidence pills,” Quinn said. “You get it by playing right and doing the right thing and watching your teammates do the right thing. At some point you have to say enough is enough and I thought that’s what they did after the second period. They’re just fed up with it to lose and I thought they understood what it takes for us to win.”

Karlsson from below on the right circle throws off a pass Timo Meier, who was behind the goal line. Karlsson kept the puck moving despite tripping and falling. He got up and Meier found him wide open.

“I get into a situation where I think they’re going to award a penalty and when I realize they’re not doing it, it’s either what happened or they’re going to go 2-on-0 in the have another direction,” Karlsson said. “I found my balance well and felt like I was in control of the puck, even if it didn’t seem like it. Timo did a great job, was patient and found me for an easy goal.”

Video: SJS@NYR: Karlsson crowns wild game with overtime winner

Logan Couture and Radim Simek also scored for the Sharks, who went 5-on-5 on penalties to improve to 20-on-20 this season. Jacob Reimer Made 21 saves.

Artemi Panarin and Philip Chytil scored for the Rangers (3-1-1). Igor Shesterkin made 24 saves, including 16 with just as many shots in the third period.

Rangers had two shots in the third, none for a 13:50 stretch.

“To be honest, I was pretty happy with the first two periods,” said New York coach Gerard Gallant. “We didn’t play as well as we normally do on the power play and we were a bit frustrated, but we still dominated the game pretty well. I think they had nine shots after two. So we were in good form, we played well, but that third period, I have no idea where that came from. It was just a total breakdown. It was actually embarrassing.

Video: SJS@NYR: Panarin hammers Fox’s bowl into the string

San Jose converted two penalties before Couture scored on the power play at 6:02 of the first period to give them a 1-0 lead.

Rangers’ power play struggles continued later in the first; they were 0-for-4.

“To give this team four power plays in the first half and still survive and come out 1-0 was an incredible feat,” said Quinn.

But Chytil even put New York 1-1 at 1:50 of the second by stealing the puck Luke Kunin in the neutral zone and hit Reimer 5-Hole with a low wrist shot from the left faceoff circle.

Panarin gave New York a 2-1 lead at 9:05 a.m. He completed a give-and-go with Adam Fox with a short side high one-timer from low in the left circle.

Simek scored 4:05 and later equalized with 2:2 at 13:10. He came off the point through the right circle, got the pass Matt NietoHe went backhand-forehand and shot past between Fox and Shesterkin.

In the third period, the Sharks took control of the game.

“Just a little too sloppy in transition, pucks breaking out, passes weren’t as crisp as they should be, but that happens,” Rangers defended Jacob Trouba said. “You won’t be there every night, but you have to know how to play your game and adjust your game if you don’t have it. You have to simplify a bit. I don’t think we did. I think we tried to force a little too much.

Rangers won the opening game in overtime but never got the puck out of their defensive zone. A turnover gave the Sharks a chance to score and a save from Shesterkin. San Jose won the faceoff on Shesterkin’s left, never gave up the puck and scored a goal.

“It felt like we played to win today and that’s how we have to try to play,” said Karlsson. “We won’t win every game but we can’t be afraid of making mistakes or sitting on our heels and pray that our goalkeepers will save us and that somehow we’ll have it easy. I think that was a good step for us and it’s about doing it consistently.”

REMARKS: Panarin’s goal extended his points streak to five games (11 points; three goals, eight assists), the longest points streak by a Rangers player early in the season since Brad Richards (five) in 2011-12. … Quinn’s first win as Sharks manager mirrored his first win as Rangers manager. It came on October 11, 2018 and it was 3-2 in overtime against San Jose. … It was also the first win as NHL general manager for the Sharks’ Mike Grier, who was hired on July 5. … Meier was playing his 400th NHL game, all with the Sharks.