The Vancouver Canucks were following their first win in 11 games with their best game of the National Hockey League season. Then, suddenly, they weren’t.

Until Jonathan Lekkerimaki followed a risky neutral-zone turnover with his second interference penalty of the game at 6:59 of the third period, the Canucks looked almost comfortable carrying a two-goal lead over the San Jose Sharks.

But Will Smith’s power-play goal sparked a three-goal outburst in just over three minutes as the Sharks exploded to beat the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 in San Jose.

The Canucks pushed for a late tying goal, generating a couple of outstanding scoring chances while skating six-on-four and six-on-five, but were unable to salvage anything in the standings from a game in which they looked for 47 minutes as composed and structured as they have been this season.

The loss followed Vancouver’s improbable 6-5 overtime road win Tuesday against the Anaheim Ducks. The Canucks were far sounder against Macklin Celebrini’s team in San Jose, plugging passing lanes, backchecking consistently and generally keeping the speedy Sharks in front of them after a couple of glaring breakdowns in the opening five minutes.

Analytics site Natural Stat Trick had the Canucks better by a goal at five-on-five, and ahead 7-4 on high-danger scoring chances. But for the second time in just two tries (over 15 games), Vancouver failed to hold a lead they earned through 40 minutes.

The Canucks lost 3-2 in overtime against the Florida Panthers on Oct. 15 after also starting the third period ahead 2-0.

Through Ivar Stenberg’s screen, Smith beat goalie Leevi Merilainen post-and-in from the top of the circle to cut the deficit in half eight minutes into the third period, and then tied the game at 10:39 with a quick conversion of Celebrini’s........

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