Dan LaCosta makes the save for Columbus in his first NHL start as Joe Thornton looks for a rebound for San Jose. Dan LaCosta makes the save for Columbus in his first NHL start as Joe Thornton looks for a rebound for San Jose. (Jay LaPrete/Associated Press)

Dan LaCosta made 28 saves in his first NHL start to help the Columbus Blue Jackets snap a three-game losing streak with a 3-2 overtime victory over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night.

LaCosta, recalled Friday on an emergency basis, found out after the morning skate that he would start against the Western Conference-leading Sharks.

"I'm just happy," LaCosta said. "It couldn't have went any better tonight. That's one of the best teams in the league. We did a good job showing a lot of character in overtime."

Starter Steve Mason is sidelined by mononucleosis, and recently acquired backup Wade Dubielewicz sat out with the flu after losing 4-1 at Pittsburgh on Friday night

Born in Labrador City, N.L., LaCosta's only NHL previous game action totalled about 50 minutes in two relief appearances.

LaCosta made the key stops, including one off his facemask on a close-range shot by Joe Thornton in overtime before Christian Backman scored.

"We had them on their heels," said Sharks coach Todd McLellan. "We knew they played the night before and we wanted to go after them."

Jason Williams and Rick Nash scored to put the Blue Jackets ahead 2-0.

Devin Setoguchi and Christian Ehrhoff replied to tie the game, but San Jose has now lost a season-high three straight games.

With the victory, Columbus moved into an eighth-place tie with Minnesota and Edmonton.

Hurricanes up, Panthers down

The Carolina Hurricanes moved back into eighth place in the Eastern Conference race with a 7-2 rout of Phoenix, coupled with Florida's 3-1 loss to Washington.

Tuomo Ruutu scored twice, and Sergei Samsonov added a goal and three assists for Carolina.

Eric Staal, Matt Cullen, Chad LaRose and Patrick Eaves also scored for Carolina. Staal had left the team's previous game with a lower-body injury and his status was up in the air until shortly before game time.

Jussi Jokinen, picked up on waivers from Tampa Bay, drew an assist, while Cam Ward made 30 saves in net.

It was Carolina's sixth win in eight games since dropping five straight.

Steven Goertzen scored his first career goal, and Shane Doan also scored for the Coyotes, his 600th career point.

Phoenix have lost six straight games to fall below the Western playoff line. Tied for sixth just 10 days ago, they are now in a 12th-place tie with Nashville.

Cullen snapped a 2-2 tie at 15:10 of the second period when he was left alone between the circles and one-timed Samsonov's pass from the left wing past Ilya Bryzgalov

Ruutu's second goal, a redirection, gave Carolina a 4-2 lead with 53 seconds left in the second, and they poured it on in the third.

Green deadly

Florida was burned courtesy of Washington defenceman Mike Green.

Green scored twice in the third period and helped kill off a five-minute penalty that expired with a second left in regulation. He has scored in six consecutive games, a record for a Washington defenceman.

The second goal game into an empty net and gave him career-high and league-leading 19 goals to go along with 27 assists.

Jose Théodore made 21 saves for the Capitals, who went up 33 seconds into the game on Eric Fehr's goal.

Keith Ballard replied later in the first for Florida, who received a strong effort from Tomas Vokoun. The goalie finished with 36 saves.

Capitals defenceman Shaone Morrisonn took a five-minute penalty for checking from behind late in the game, and Florida pulled Vokoun, but could not score.