San Jose had not won since Dec. 16, but the Sharks put that to rest with a hard-fought 6-3 road win over the Vancouver Canucks, taking an early 2-0 lead and hanging on despite Vancouver cutting the deficit down to one goal three different times.

Ryan Reaves opened the scoring for San Jose (18-17-3) with a tap-in of a loose puck at the 6:13 mark of the first period. John Klingberg doubled the lead with a shot from the center of the blue line at 7:55 after a screen from Igor Chernyshov limited the visibility of Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko.

Vancouver (15-19-3) responded with a power-play goal by Linus Karlsson, who tapped in a cross-ice pass from Conor Garland for an easy score to make it 2-1 at 10:04.

The Sharks stretched the lead back to two goals when William Eklund chipped a puck toward the net just outside the crease and it flipped over Demko’s shoulders and into the back of the net.

Vancouver’s Marco Rossi may have made the final contact on the play, but the goal counted just the same.

Rossi scored on another tipped goal very early in the third period, as the puck deflected up over Yaroslav Askarov in the midst of several chips near the crease.

Igor Chernyshov doubled the deficit once more when he scored his first NHL goal five minutes into the third, depositing a power-play shot around Demko’s left pad at the 4:47 mark.

Drew O’Connor brought the Canucks closer one more time with a shorthanded score at the 10:43 mark of the third period.

Macklin Celebrini added another goal for the Sharks at the 16:20 mark of the third with a stunning one-timer from the left circle. It was Celebrini’s second point of the game, giving him 57 this season.

Collin Graf added an empty-netter at 16:55 to seal the bounce-back win for San Jose.

The loss was the first for Demko in 14 games against the Sharks.

Check back for updates to this story.

San Jose was off for three days with the NHL on its holiday break, but given how their last game went, the Sharks are undoubtedly eager to get back onto the ice. 

The Sharks are sniffing the playoffs, chasing two points behind Los Angeles and Utah as they look to secure their first playoff spot since 2019. 

If Tuesday night’s performance against the Golden Knights was any indication, the Sharks are not ready to make the leap to playoff-caliber team this season after finishing last in the NHL the past two seasons. But they’ll have a good chance to right the ship against Vancouver, which is the worst team in the Pacific Division and one of the worst teams in the league.

Despite trading away their best player in defenseman Quinn Hughes, the Canucks have won four of their last five games. 

But make no mistake. Despite coming back cold after a few days off and coming off a pitiful performance against Vegas, this is the kind of game a playoff team should win. 

It would behoove the Sharks to take care of business Saturday night given what’s ahead on their upcoming schedule. San Jose will travel to Pacific Division co-leader Anaheim after Saturday’s game and then face Minnesota, Hughes’ new team, and Tampa Bay. 

Yaroslav Askarov will be in goal again for the Sharks despite being pulled in the first period Tuesday after giving up four goals on 16 shots against the Golden Knights. Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky offered a passionate defense of Askarov Tuesday night, essentially saying that San Jose’s defensive structure – or lack thereof – set him up to fail.

“Those goals aren’t Asky,” Warsofsky said. “We have to pull Asky, I mean, this kid needs to play. We got to get him going. We got to see him. He’s the future of this franchise as a goaltender. It’s unfair to him to have to pull him and take momentum, and it’s disappointing.”

The Sharks have a long travel day Saturday. Analyst Drew Remenda said Saturday that they were up at 6 a.m. to fly to Vancouver. 

San Jose had a morning skate in Vancouver at 11:30 ahead of a 7 p.m. game. They will travel to Anaheim immediately afterward, having to clear customs twice in one day.

Plenty of challenges on and off the ice, to be sure, especially without having practiced as a group since Tuesday. But the Sharks are going to return to the playoffs this year, wins against bottom feeders are a crucial part of that equation.

Three-weight world champion Nakatani also beat Sebastian Hernandez Reyes on points on the card in Saudi Arabia after making his debut in the division.

The two victories set up a much-anticipated clash in 2026 that would be the biggest fight in Japanese boxing history.

“Both of us had a very good win tonight,” Inoue (32-0, 27 KOs) told DAZN. “We will have to wait and see. But for the Japanese fans, you can expect something very good.”

Fighting on the “Night of the Samurai” card in Riyadh, the 32-year-old Inoue won by unanimous decision against Mexican Picasso 120-108, 119-109, 117-111.

It was a dominant performance from the four-division champion dubbed the “Monster”, who is strengthening his claim to the title of the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world. Inoue was congratulated in the ring afterward by undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.

The 27-year-old Nakatani (32-0, 24 KOs) also enhanced his reputation after vacating his two belts at bantamweight to move from 118 lbs to 122 lbs.

He overcame another Mexican in Hernandez Reyes 115-113, 115-113 and 118-110.

Inoue also suggested a possible fight with super flyweight champion Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez “if he can fight at super bantamweight.”

For the last month, the 49ers have been feasting on the NFL’s middle class (at best), stacking five straight wins like poker chips. But beating the Titans or the Colts is like winning a sparring match. Nice for the record, sure, but it doesn’t tell you if you can take a punch.

Sunday night against the also 11-4 Chicago Bears? Now that’s a worthy adversary — the first of two playoff games the 49ers will play before the playoffs officially start.

A win here does more than secure a sixth-straight victory; it sets the table for a blockbuster Week 18 showdown against the Seattle Seahawks for the NFC West crown and the conference’s No. 1 seed.

But to get to that winner-take-all finale, they first have to survive a Chicago team that has found its swagger.

So much swagger. Like, a curious amount of swagger for a team whose marquee win required an onside kick recovery to beat a backup quarterback.

Alas, they have every opportunity to back it up on Sunday.

Can the Niners’ beleaguered defense hold against one of the league’s best tacticians with a headset and talents at quarterback?

Can Brock Purdy and Kyle Shanahan keep the Niners’ offense humming if the irreplaceable George Kittle (didn’t practice all week, officially designated as questionable with an ankle injury) cannot play?

This game has all the makings of a shootout that should make Purdy and Williams (Iowa State and Oklahoma) feel like they’re back in college.

That’s precisely the kind of test this 49ers team needs right now.

Here are three predictions for Sunday night:

The 49ers Don’t Just Win, They Blow the Doors Off: I started the week thinking this might be a high-scoring, back-and-forth type of game, but I’m changing my tune.

I’m done predicting close games for the 49ers. They will play nothing but blowouts — one way or another, the rest of the year.

I think this way is a win.

The 49ers have flaws on top of flaws, but they are a more buttoned-up, lethal offense right now, while the Bears are high on their own supply after stealing a miracle win last week.

I trust Kyle Shanahan and Brock Purdy infinitely more than I trust the erratic brilliance of Caleb Williams or the too-cute-by-half Ben Johnson.

The 49ers are going to turn this into a track meet, and the Bears, a markedly worse third-down team than the Niners, won’t be able to keep pace.

Upton Stout Is the Key: The rookie nickelback is the X-factor in this game. The Bears’ offense lives and dies by tight splits, bunch formations, and confusion — specifically targeting the slot. They’ll destroy you in the run game if you go with base, three-linebacker formations.

If Stout can handle the communication and be a positive factor in the run game (as he was against the Colts), the Bears’ offense can stall. If Stout struggles, the 49ers get gashed.

I’m betting the ascending rookie holds his own.

Caleb Williams Gets Tricked into Mistakes: Williams is undeniably talented, but he plays with questionable feel for the rhythm of the NFL game.

He extends plays unnecessarily and is prone to being baited. The 49ers don’t need to do anything exotic on defense; they just need to be disciplined.

My prediction is that Williams gets bored taking what’s there, tries to play hero ball against a zone coverage he misreads, and gifts the 49ers the turnovers that turn this game into the blowout I’m expecting.

Final Score: 44 – 29 49ers.

Specifically, we mulled the events within the context of the movie Sliding Doors, in which two futures unfold for the character played by Gwyneth Paltrow based on something as seemingly innocuous as whether she makes her scheduled subway or misses it by fractions of a second and is forced to take the next train.

For Utah and Whittingham, the Sliding Doors moment occurred Sept. 7, 2024, when quarterback Cam Rising slammed into a bank of water coolers on the Baylor bench placed unusually close to the playing field.

What if the coolers had been a few feet back, in their standard position?

What if Rising’s body position had been altered slightly, so the collision occurred with his shoulder or forearm?

What if he hadn’t sustained a severe hand injury that would kneecap the Utes and lead to Whittingham’s worst season in more than a decade?

If Rising remains healthy and the Utes are as good as projected in their inaugural season in the Big 12, then Whittingham likely does exactly what the university expected months earlier when it named defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley the coach-in-waiting: He retires.

In that scenario, Whittingham isn’t available for Michigan — or isn’t as viable a candidate after being out of the game for a year — and the Wolverines are forced to turn elsewhere for a savior.

Instead, Rising’s hand slammed into the misplaced water cooler, Utah crashed and burned, Whittingham took nine days to ponder retirement, determined he could not leave on the lowest of notes, orchestrated a 10-win season and stepped down with energy left just two days after the Michigan job unexpectedly opened.

“It just didn’t sit right with anybody (in 2024), particularly me, and so I came back,” he explained earlier this month. “Fortunately, we were able to get the ship righted and everything’s on track. The program, like I said, is in a good spot … So now is the time.”

But the elapsed time carried consequences for Scalley and Utah’s administration. At risk of losing their chosen successor if Whittingham returned (again), the Utes, with president Taylor Randall heavily involved, ever-so-slightly nudged Whittingham toward the door.

Being a company man — a Utah Man — Whittingham recognized the moment.

“I didn’t want to be that hanger-on that just kept — people just got sick of,” he said.

Other thoughts on the thunderous news from Ann Arbor:

— Whittingham’s five-year deal with the Wolverines wasn’t yet official Friday when the critics emerged on social media and roasted Utah for not doing everything possible to retain Whittingham for as long as possible, even if it meant losing Scalley to another school.

Whittingham is good enough for one of the most storied programs in college football but not good enough for the Utes?

The optics are awful, but the logic is sound.

The Utes didn’t blow it. Quite the opposite, in fact.

This is a win-win-win situation: The right time for a change in Salt Lake City; a great opportunity for Whittingham; and a masterstroke for Michigan.

Had the 66-year-old Whittingham stuck around, the Utes would have risked more than Scalley’s allegiance. They could have descended into an untenable, inescapable situation for years to come.

Imagine Whittingham being either energized by good seasons or motivated by bad ones, year after year after year, until the school and its coach become locked in a state of codependency into the 2030s.

That would have been far worse than an amicable separation unfolding with the program on solid ground, with Scalley ready to take charge and with Whittingham off to a terrific opportunity in Ann Arbor.

— In his 2024 decision to return and his 2025 decision to step down, Whittingham said he was prioritizing what was best for the football program, not for him personally. But what happens next will shape his legacy.

Will Whittingham don the cape of a hypocrite and use Michigan’s immense wealth to raid Utah’s coaching staff and roster?

At this moment, he’s a Utah legend, squarely on the right side of history with the respect of the entire university community.

But if he plunders the program and leaves Scalley with a barren roster, that changes: Whittingham would instantly become persona non grata in Salt Lake City, his legacy tarnished forever.

Nothing would turn Utah fans against their icon like roster poaching.

Does leaving the program “in a good spot” matter to Whittingham? Or was it the cheapest of talk?

— In all regards except for his close ties with former Ohio State coach (and lifelong Michigan antagonist) Urban Meyer, Whittingham is the ideal choice for the job in Ann Arbor.

His age isn’t an issue. He has more than enough energy and passion to last four or five years, which is more than enough time to leave his mark.

This isn’t intended to be a forever hire for the Wolverines. After five years of scandals and embarrassment, Michigan needs a proven winner whose character is above reproach.

No personal transgressions.

No NCAA compliance issues.

Just an old-fashioned philosophy tweaked to fit the sport’s post-modern landscape.

Whittingham’s coaching style, rooted in punishing play at the line of scrimmage, suits the Michigan approach dating back to the Bo Schembechler era.

He is more of a Michigan Man than many of the men employed by Michigan in recent years.

The Wolverines have been an embarrassment for years, from Jim Harbaugh’s excesses to the Connor Stalions sign-stealing scandal to Sherrone Moore’s tragic missteps.

They emerged with a better outcome than they had any right to imagine.

The same is true, in many regards, for Whittingham. And it might have all been different had those water coolers been placed a few feet farther back.

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This season, the Bears have parlayed six fourth-quarter comebacks into serious contention for Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium on Feb. 8.

But first at that venue Sunday night comes a Bears-49ers matchup that could dictate if either snags the NFC’s No. 1 seed and easiest path to the Lombardi Trophy. Both teams sport 11-4 records entering the penultimate game of the regular season, both are eying division titles.

“It is a really good feeling to have home-field advantage,” left tackle Trent Williams said. “Everybody that was here in ’23, I know they can remember the roar of the crowd and how just the atmosphere of playoff football here is different.”

The Bears, currently the No. 2 seed behind the Seattle Seahawks, will clinch the NFC North by beating the 49ers, so long as they didn’t already secure that title via a Packers’ loss Saturday night to Baltimore.

The 49ers, currently the No. 5 seed, could seize the No. 1 seed and the NFC West if they hold serve against the Bears and then knock off Seattle (12-3) in next weekend’s regular-season finale. (The Seahawks can make that matchup moot if they lock up the No. 1 seed Sunday by absurdly combining a 49ers-Bears tie with a Seattle win at Carolina and a Los Angeles Rams’ loss or tie Monday night at Atlanta.)

Here are five keys to a 49ers victory over the Bears, who are seeking only their third division title since their 2006 team lost in the Super Bowl:

1. WIN TURNOVER BATTLE

The Bears are the NFL’s best at winning the turnover battle. Their plus-21 mark (31 takeaways, 10 turnovers) is six better than the NFL’s next team (Houston), and it’s a glaring reminder how deficient the 49ers are (16 takeaways, 20 turnovers).

Brock Purdy is coming off Monday night’s five-touchdown masterpiece, slightly tainted by a fourth-quarter interception off Kendrick Bourne’s hands. That is the lone interception off Purdy in his past 3 ½ games and 112 passes, since a three-interception fiasco before halftime of the 49ers’ Nov. 24 win over Carolina.

The Bears’ best interceptors, so to speak, are all battling health issues: Kevin Byard (six interceptions), Nahshon Wright (five), and Tremaine Edumonds (four). Wright also has three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles; the James Logan High and Laney College product gae inspiring tributes after John Beam’s slaying last month at Laney.

Christian McCaffrey didn’t lose either of his fumbles (vs. Jacksonville and Carolina) among his NFL-leading 372 touches.

2. STAY ALERT FOR CALEB

Caleb Williams, last year’s No. 1 overall draft pick, is humming along with 3,400 passing yards, 369 rushing yards and a 57.8% completion mark. He’s thrown 23 touchdown passes against six interceptions, but five of those interceptions have come on the road (with 10 touchdown passes).

Williams won’t have Rome Odunze for a fourth straight game, so the 49ers can focus their coverage on D.J. Moore (664 yards, six touchdowns) and tight end Colstand Loveland (528, four).

Williams got sacked a NFL-high 68 times last season, but he’s lowered that to 23 times this season, including 10 in the fourth quarter.

“It feels like when he starts scrambling, he gets more accurate. He is really, really dangerous when he leaves the pocket and he’s on the run,” defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said. “… He’s improved tremendously from a year ago.”

In the Bears’ 38-13 loss last December at Levi’s Stadium, Williams passed for just 134 yards, but he threw for two touchdowns with no turnovers.

3. RUN DEFENSE

The 49ers must prove that their run defense’s improvement was more than a mirage Monday at Indianapolis, where Jonathan Taylor fell out of the NFL rushing lead and gained just 46 yards on 16 carries.

The Bears boast the NFL’s second-best rushing average (152.1 per game; Buffalo is at 158.9 ypg). They’re dividing and conquering behind D’Andre Swift (993 yards, seven touchdowns, 204 carries) and seventh-round rookie Kyle Monangi (731 yards, three touchdowns, 155 carries).

Linebacker Tatum Bethune, despite aggravating an ankle injury Monday, should be OK directing the 49ers’ run defense. That push really starts up front with interior linemen Jordan Elliott, Kalia Davis, Alfred Collins and C.J. West.

The Bears favor running to their right, although it’s center Drew Dalman and left guard Joe Thuney who earned Pro Bowl honors while right tackle Darnell Wright got snubbed along with Nahshon Wright.

4. KITTLE CONUNDRUM

Tight end George Kittle attempted to play through a low-ankle sprain Monday night before getting sidelined through the fourth quarter – and possibly through this game against his childhood team after not practicing all week.

The 49ers are 10-14 without Kittle since 2017, but they went 3-2 this season after his Week 1 hamstring injury. Fellow tight ends Jake Tonges and Luke Farrell could get more run, but the 49ers also have fullback Kyle Juszczyk ready to fill some of Kittle’s multiple roles.

If Ricky Pearsall can return and push through a right-knee injury, then Purdy won’t so predictable in targeting Jauan Jennings and McCaffrey.

5. FINISH. FINISH. FINISH.

The Bears are producing fourth-quarter comebacks in historic fashion: They’re the first team to win six games after trailing in the final two minutes of regulation. Last week, they erased a 10-point deficit to the Green Bay Packers and won 22-16 in overtime to clinch their first playoff berth since 2020.

Over the past eight weeks, the Bears have scored a NFL-high 83 points in the fourth quarter and overtime.

The 49ers are 10-0 in games they’ve led at halftime, though they did rally after surrendering fourth-quarter leads in wins against Arizona (Week 3) and Los Angeles (Week 5).

On the flip side, the Bears have not allowed an opening-drive score in their past seven games and yielded just 10 opening-drive points all season, fewest in the league.

It’s a must-win game for the 49ers on the road to capturing the NFC West crown and No. 1 seed in the playoffs. They may be without star tight end George Kittle and receiver Ricky Pearsall, who are battling injuries.

The 49ers also have two games to prepare a playoff-inexperienced defense without injured leaders Fred Warner and Nick Bosa for the postseason stage. Warner suffered a fractured and dislocated ankle in October but the 49ers are not ruling out a potential return if they make a deep playoff run.

How to watch on local TV

NBC is broadcasting the game nationally; in the Bay Area, tune in to KNTV-TV (channel 11) with an antenna or a cable TV provider. You can also log in to the NBC Sports app or website with your cable TV subscription credentials.

How to stream

DirecTV Stream includes NBC in its local channel lineup. Subscriptions currently start at $29.99 per month.

FuboTV offers a free trial and $10 off the first month; after that, it is $55.99 per month.

Hulu+Live TV is a premium service with all the local channels and is $89.99 per month.

NFL+ is an app that streams all local and prime-time games. Plans start at $6.99 per month.

Peacock is a streaming service from NBCUniversal and starts at $7.99 a month.

YouTube TV costs $82.99 per month, but it’s currently on sale for $72.99 per month for the first three months.

Hutchings has been the Vikings’ safeties coach the past two seasons and has eight years of coaching experience since finishing his college playing career at USC in 2016. Minnesota’s pass defense has allowed the fifth-fewest yards per game (292.7) in the NFL this season.

He also coached at USC (2018-20), Oregon (2021) and Western Kentucky (2022) before joining the Vikings. At USC, Hutchings coached former 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga.

Meanwhile, Cal also hired Da’Von Brown from Western Kentucky to serve as the Bears’ defensive backs coach and co-defensive coordinator alongside Hutchings. Brown was the Hilltoppers’ co-defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach this season.

Brown coached multiple All-Conference USA players at Western Kentucky in 2024, including current 49ers rookie Upton Stout.

Kittle, along with wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, is questionable for when the 49ers (11-4) host the NFC North-leading Bears (11-4). Official moves are not due until 90 minutes before the 5:20 p.m. kickoff at Levi’s Stadium.

“George told me he’d have a much better idea (Saturday). Hopefully we’ll know then,” coach Kyle Shanahan said after Friday’s practice.

Normally one of the most cooperative and enthusiastic interview subjects, Kittle was not available to the media this week. Pearsall said he was scheduled for treatment.

Kittle battled through pain and gathered seven receptions for 115 yards before watching the 49ers wrap up a 48-27 win over the Indianapolis Colts. He produced 151 yards on six catches last December when the 49ers beat the visiting Bears 38-13.

The 49ers went 3-2 without Kittle after his hamstring tear in the season opener at Seattle. Since Kittle was a rookie in Shanahan’s first season in 2017, the 49ers are 10-14 when Kittle doesn’t play (.416 winning percentage) and 71-52 when he does (.577).

Chicago has been preparing as if Kittle will be good to go.

Bears coach Ben Johnson said the 49ers are unique in that so much of their passing offense runs through Kittle (52 catches, 599 yards, seven touchdowns) and running back Christian McCaffrey (92 receptions, 849 yards, seven touchdowns).

“It’s kind of unorthodox that you’ve got the tight end and the running back as the guys that concern you the most and (Brock) Purdy does a great job finding receivers,” Johnson said.

When Kittle missed five games after tearing a hamstring muscle in Week 2, Jake Tonges became the No. 1 receiving tight end (25 receptions, 233 yards, four touchdowns) with Luke Farrell being primarily a blocking tight end (11 receptions, 85 yards, two touchdowns).

PEARSALL RETURN?

Pearsall was limited in practice after missing Monday night’s game because of a right-knee injury. He originally got hurt in a Sept. 28 loss to Jacksonville, missed the next six games, then aggravated his knee late in a Dec. 14 against Tennessee.

In the eight games he’s played, Pearsall have averaged 14.3 yards per catch, totaling 31 receptions for 443 yards and no touchdowns. He had 31 catches for 400 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games last season.

WILLIAMS’ PRO BOWL JOY

Left tackle Trent Williams celebrated his 12th Pro Bowl selection this week, noting how that’s been a goal for the past six or seven years to break a four-way tie with fellow offensive tackles Willie Roaf, Jonathan Ogden and Anthony Munoz for the most behind Bruce Matthews’ 14. “I definitely want to be at the top of the offensive tackle rankings,” Williams said. “But catching Bruce Matthews … I don’t know if I’ve got that in me but I’ll try.”

When it came to watching former 49ers teammate Deebo Samuel dislodge a Dallas Cowboys’ helmet in Washington’s game Thursday, Williams said: “That was the joy of my day. I was probably the first to call him after the game.”

DEFENSIVE HEALTH

Cornerback Renardo Green (neck) is improving but out a second straight game, likely leading to another start for Darrell Luter Jr.

Cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. will start his second straight game. He had two pass interference penalties against Indianapolis, although one was dubious, and according to Shanahan and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, he made a big difference in slowing the Indianapolis running game.

“I disagreed with one of them, thought it was pretty good coverage,” Shanahan said of the PI call. “He had two runs that got to the corner that if they got past him, they probably have two more carries for about 55 yards and that changes the whole game.”

The 49ers’ defense is tracking toward better health to face the NFL’s second-best rushing attack. Linebacker Tatum Bethune (ankle) and defensive linemen Sam Okuayinonu (ankle) and Yetur Gross-Matos (hamstring) all were limited in practice.

JENNINGS’ FUN FINISH

Five of Jauan Jennings’ 17 receptions have gone for touchdowns over the past four games. “It’s been fun. Very fun. Very, very, very fun,” Jennings said.

As for finishing the regular season with home games against Chicago and Seattle, Jennings added: “That’s fun as well. No plane ride. That’s awesome.”

BEARS ILL

Chicago is dealing with a bout of illnesses ahead of their visit.

Cornerback Nick McCloud was ruled out for Chicago with an illness, as was wide receive Rome Odunze (foot). Cornerbacks Nahshon Wright and Josh Blackwell are questionable. Wright, who went to James Logan High and Laney College, also has a hamstring injury, while Blackwell missed the last two days of practice.

Linebacker D’Marco Jackson was ill but came off the injury report entirely, as did Duvernay.

“It’s this time of year,” Johnson told said. “I doubt we’re the only team dealing with it. We’re washing our hands, we’re very diligent. Guys have masks on. You do what you can. Whoever is available on game day we’ll look to win with. If a guy can’t go, we’ll be ready.”

Listed as questionable for the Bears are linebacker T.J. Edwards (glute) and cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson (knee). Wide receiver Luther Burden was cleared after playing last week with an ankle injury.