Author: Matthew Harrington

Sharks Shell Ducks 8-1, Look to Sweep Anaheim

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nhl.com photo: The San Jose Sharks left winger Marcus Sorenson (20) gets hugged up from teammates center Eric Fehr (16) and center Melker Karlsson (68) as Sorenson scored against the Anaheim Ducks at SAP Center on Monday night in game three

By Matthew Harrington

SAN JOSE–The San Jose Sharks have been the faster, stronger, more composed team through three games of the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and now they sit just one game away from a sweep of the Anaheim Ducks. San Jose dominated Anaheim 8-1 to win their first home game of the playoffs and put their SoCal rivals on the brink of elimination while setting a franchise record in goals scored in a playoff contest.

Eight different players scored for the Sharks and Martin Jones made and astounding 45 saves in the throttling of the Anaheim Ducks. San Jose used its speed to keep the Ducks on their heels, scoring four of their goals on rushes. Likewise, four goals were scored by San Jose’s power play unit, a group that went four for seven as a whole against an undisciplined Anaheim squad.

Logan Couture opened the scoring 3:44 into the first period after Mikkel Boedker skated the puck up the ice to Gibson’s left. The Dane drew the Ducks defenders to him, allowing for a pass across the crease to Couture. Couture buried the one-timer for his second goal of the series.

Rickard Rakell, the Ducks leading scoring in the regular season, finally found his way onto the score sheet with 6:20 left in the first period to tie the game on the power play.
San Jose ripped off four consecutive goals in the middle frame for the decisive edge. Evander Kane and Joonas Donskoi played give-and-go against the Ducks, with Donskoi finishing off the play to Gibson’s left 1:15 into the frame for his first of the series. Marcus Sorensen scored in a near-mirror image of Couture’s game for a goal and Evander Kane’s first career playoff goal in game 1, outwaiting an impatient Gibson before pulling the puck to the backhand in the crease for a 3-1 lead 3:41 into the second. Sorensen now has two goals in the series.

Eric Fehr scored his first Sharks playoff goal with 6:17 left in the second period after the Ducks took a lax approach to him on the rush. Fehr worked from the left wall in, firing a puck between Francois Beauchemin’s legs and under Gibson’s armpit for a 4-1 lead.

The Ducks showed their identity following the Sharks fourth goal, completing falling apart and trying to initiate extracurriculars following the whistle on a frozen puck by Jones. The Sharks drew a power play out of it, then went up a man after Beauchemin slashed Tomas Hertl on the man-advantage. The Sharks converted up a man, with Hertl beating Gibson for his second goal of the postseason.

San Jose lit the lamp three times in the final frame, with all goals in the final stanza coming on the power play. Joe Pavelski scored his first of the playoffs, Evander Kane kicked the extra point for his third goal in as many career playoff games and 21 year-old Timo Meier scored his first career Stanley Cup playoff goal. Anaheim committed a total of six penalties for 20 minutes in the final 20 minutes.

‘San Jose has a chance to eliminate the Ducks in game four of the series at the SAP Center Wednesday night. Other than Joe Thornton, the team enters the game relatively healthy after escaping Monday night unscathed. They’ll look to continue to receive strong play from netminder Jones who is 3-0 with a .970 save percentage this postseason and just locked down his 18th playoff victory.

Seventh-Inning Rally Helps Mariners to a 7-4 Win Over A’s

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Photo credit: @710ESPNSeattle

By Matthew Harrington

The Seattle Mariners rallied in a five-run seventh inning to beat the Oakland A’s 7-4 and continue a three-game win streak. Matt Chapman hit a solo homer for the green and gold and Khris Davis had a pair of dingers, but Mitch Haniger’s four RBIs and Daniel Vogelbach’s first homer sunk the A’s.

Oakland took a 2-0 lead off Mike Leake after the first on Davis’ third homer of the year, but the M’s rallied in the bottom of the inning to tie the game off starter Andrew Triggs. Matt Chapman continued his Monstrous 2018 by taking Leake deep for his fifth long ball of the year in the top of the sixth inning for a 3-2 lead.

The Mariners broke the tie in the seventh inning after Yusmeiro Pettit picked up a quick two outs to start the frame. Jean Segura singled, chasing Petit in favor of Danny Coulombe. Coulombe walked Robinson Cano, leaving the game for Chris Hatcher. Hatcher coughed up a three-run homer to Mitch Haniger, adding to Haniger’s RBI base hit in the first for a 5-3 lead. Kyle Seager singled and Daniel Vogelbach, DHing for an injured Nelson Cruz, took Hatcher deep for the 7-3 edge.

Khris Davis homered again off Juan Nicasio in the top of the eighth, but Edwin Diaz closed the game out for his fifth save of the year. Couloumbe (0-1, 2.57 ERA) was saddled with the loss, Hatcher with a blown save while Dan Altavilla (1-1, 1.50) picked up the win for his clean top of the seventh inning. Andrew Triggs didn’t factor into the decision, but exited the game in line for the win after the A’s scored in the top of the sixth. He threw five innings of five-hit, two-run ball.

Up Next: The A’s and Mariners meet again Saturday night at 6:10 pm PT.

Sharks Top Ducks 3-0 to Take 1-0 Series Lead; Evander Kane Backs “I Am a Playoff Player” Statement With 2 Goals in Postseason Debut

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Photo credit: @PR_NHL

By Matthew Harrington

Evander Kane waited 574 games before he would make his Stanley Cup Playoff debut, but he felt he would rise to the occasion, saying he believes he is a playoff player but never got a chance. He backed up his point emphatically Thursday night in his postseason debut, scoring twice to help the San Jose Sharks take game 1 over the Anaheim Ducks 3-0.

Martin Jones picked up a 25 save shutout in net for the Sharks and Brent Burns added a goal for San Jose. Captain Joe Pavelski picked up two assists for Team Teal. Appearing in his first game since April 1st, John Gibson made 31 saves in net for the Ducks, but Anaheim finds themselves down 3-0 heading into game two Saturday at the Honda Center.

Despite a 2-1 power play advantage in the first period, the Ducks were outshot 8-4 in the first period. Neither team lit the lamp after 20 minutes though. Instead, it took a 5-3 power play to start the scoring.

Andrew Cogliano slashed Tomas Hertl 6:41 into the period, then Ryan Getzlaf joined him for another stick infraction 16 seconds later. The Sharks scored instantly, with two Ducks skaters getting pulled below the goal line 10 seconds into the 5-on-3. This allowed Kane to sneak into the slot, receiving Pavelski’s slot pass and ripping it glove-side for a 1-0 lead 7:07 into the period.

Kane scored on a classic power forward move, driving the net then finishing on a falling backhand around Gibson for a 2-0 lead with 6:09 left in the period. Burns ripped a point shot through traffic with 4:45 left in the period to beat Gibson for a 3-0 edge.

The Sharks and Jones withstood a 12-9 shot disparity and a pair of Ducks’ power plays to help pick up fifth career playoff shutout. Tempers flared at the end of regulation though, and San Jose’s Brendan Dillon and Anaheim’s Corey Perry were assessed two minute minors after the siren blared. In total the Ducks went to the box 7 times, with San Jose scoring on 1-of-6 power plays.

The Sharks’ power play could get a boost for Game 2, or maybe they couldn’t. Coach Peter DeBoer won’t disclose center Joe Thornton’s status for Game 2, only saying he was out for the series opener. Despite saying that at morning skate, #19 did take the ice for warm ups. Though, he sat out line rushes and his status remains unknown.

Up Next: The Sharks and Ducks meet again for Game 2 this Saturday at 7:30 pm PT.

Chapman Error, Five-Run Seventh Inning Helps Angels Stun A’s 13-9

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Matthew Harrington

The Oakland A’s bullpen surrendered eight runs, turning a 6-1 lead into a 13-9 loss Friday night to the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium The A’s mashed five homers, but Daniel Gossett couldn’t escape the fourth inning after allowing five runs. A’s manager Bob Melvin’s bullpen struggled to close out the contest over their 4 2/3 innings. Shohei Ohtani hit his third homer of the season and Justin Upton launched a three-run shot for the Halos. Los Angeles starter Parker Bridwell didn’t escape the second inning.

Oakland carried a 9-7 lead heading into the seventh inning, but the Angels scored five to take the lead. Andrelton Simmons singled and Jefry Marte doubled off reliever Ryan Buchter to put two runners in scoring position with no out. Ohtani grounded out without plating a run, then Matt Chapman made a sensational snare of a Martin Maldonado liner to the third baseman’s right to keep both runners from advancing.

Melvin went to his bullpen, calling on closer Blake Treinen and his blazing fastball to close out the Angels’ threat. The new school method of bringing your closer in at a moment of high leverage, despite the inning blew up in the A’s face when Matt Champman’s throw on a Zack Cozart grounder went errant, allowing Simmons and Marte to score and tie the game. Treinen issued a free pass to perennial threat Mike Trout to put runners on first and second, but Justin Upton golfed a 96 mph 3-2 sinker to deep center field for a three-run jack and a 12-9 Angels lead.

Treinen (0-1, 0.00 ERA) would be tagged with the loss, but all runs in the seventh were unearned, thanks to the Chapman error. Santiago Casilla would allow another run in the bottom of the eighth on a wild pitch.

Parker Bridwell was on his way to a lopsided loss before the rally. Jed Lowrie hit a solo homer in the top of the first for a 1-0 edge. Matt Chapman scored on a wild pitch in the second, then Stephen Piscotty scored on a sacrifice fly. Matt Joyce hit a two-run homer, while Marcus Semien went back-to-back for the 6-0 lead.

The Angels got a run back in the bottom of the second, thanks to their two-way phenom Ohtani. The DH took a fastball from Gossett deep for his third homer of the season. Ohtani will also pitch on Sunday.

The Angels rallied for four more runs off Gossett in the bottom of the fourth on RBI hits by Simmons, Valbuena and Maldonado. Matt Chapman took Cam Bedrosian deep in the top of the fifth inning with Matt Olson on base to give Oakland back an 8-5 lead, but Simmons would knock in another run off Yusmeiro Petit in the bottom of the fifth and Liam Hendriks would walk Ohtani with the bases loaded for a 8-7 A’s lead.

Matt Olson took former A’s closer Jim Johnson deep in the top of the fateful seventh inning, hitting his second homer of the season to give the A’s the 9-7 edge before the collapse by the pen in the bottom of the inning. Johnson (1-0, 1.42) vultured the win by pitching in the inning before the breakout.

Game Notes: The A’s get some reinforcements Saturday, with recent waiver claim Trayce Thompson, brother of hoopster Klay, expected to join the team.

Gossett is expected to be sent down in a corresponding move with the A’s not needing a fifth starter in the rotation due to three off days in two upcoming weeks.

They’ll send Andrew Triggs to the mound for Saturday night’s tilt in Southern California. The right-hander is 0-0 with a 1.80 ERA and 7 K’s from his April 2nd start against Texas. The A’s won that game 3-1.

The Angels send JC Ramirez and his seven-plus ERA to the hill.

Up Next: The A’s and Angels meet again Saturday night at 6:07 pm PT.

Sharks Hit 100-Point Mark With 4-2 Win Over Avs

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Photo credit: nhl.com/sharks

By Matthew Harrington

The San Jose Sharks chose the perfect time to pull out of a four-game losing skid, winning game No. 81 Thursday night at the SAP Center to keep Southern California foes Los Angeles and Anaheim at bay. San Jose topped the visiting Colorado Avalanche, a team clinging to the final Western Conference playoff spot by a point, 4-2 to stay two points ahead of the Kings for second place in the Pacific Division with just one game left to play in the regular season.

Justin Braun, Logan Couture, Joonas Donskoi and Tomas Hertl scored for San Jose and Martin Jones made 23 saves for his 30th win of the season. Mikko Rantanen and Blake Comeau scored for the Avs.

Braun opened the scoring in the first with a point shot that beat netminder Jonathan Bernier for a 1-0 lead 2:58 into the game. Braun’s fifth goal of the season, a career-high, would be the only action from either team until the third period.

The two teams traded power play goals, with Rantanen (4:43) and Couture (6:00) scoring on cross passes that resulted in open nets. Couture leads the Sharks with a career-best 34 goals.

Donskoi would add the game-winning goal 10:14 into the period after picking up a Dylan Demelo point shot rebound and backhanding it in the crease past Bernier. Comeau would score to pull Colorado within one with just under seven minutes left, but Tomas Hertl’s empty netter with two seconds left iced the game.

Game Notes: With a Kings overtime win Thursday, San Jose sits two points ahead of the Kings with one game to play. The Kings hold the tie-breaker with 43 regulation or overtime wins to San Jose’s 40. Anaheim (97 points) is three points behind San Jose, but has two games in hand and will face the Dallas Stars and Arizona Coyotes.

Los Angeles also draws the Stars who will wind up being one of the first teams out of the playoff race with only 90 points. The California team with the most points will host the first round, while the last place team will likely face division winning Vegas in the first round.

If San Jose wins Saturday night against Minnesota, they will host a first round match up.

Up Next: The Sharks host the Minnesota Wild this Saturday, April 7th at 7:30 pm PT.

Stars Score Four Unanswered, Stun Sharks 4-2

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Photo credit: @SanJoseSharks

By Jerry Feitelberg

Through two periods Tuesday night, the San Jose Sharks were a juggernaut. Unfortunately, there are three in a game, and a three-goal third period by the Dallas Stars sent the stunned Sharks down with a 4-2 loss at the SAP Center.

Dallas trailed 2-0 up until the final half minute of the second period and were being outshot 30-11 then the Stars reeled off four unanswered goals.

Jamie Benn potted a hat trick for Dallas, Mike McKenna subbed in for Kari Lehtonen midgame and picked up the win and John Klingberg picked up his 57th assist. Brent Burns tied Klingberg for second in defenseman scoring on a pair of assists (65 points apiece). Logan Couture scored his career-high 33rd goal of the year and Timo Meier scored his 20th of the year but the Sharks failed to put space between themselves and the Los Angeles Kings in the race for home-ice advantage to open the playoffs.
One game after an abysmal showing by the power play, the man advantage proved a benefit. Logan Couture used a perfect screen from Tomas Hertl to beat Lehtonen 9:21 into play for his 33rd goal of the year. Timo Meier added to the lead 2-0 with 4:44 left in the first after he drove to the net on a Burns point shot, scooped up a rebound and beat Lehtonen from the sharp angle for his 20th goal of the season.
The Sharks would continue to bombard Lehtonen until he exited the game 15:54 into the second period on a stinging shot. In stepped Mike McKenna, Dallas’ third string goalie dressed thanks to a Ben Bishop injury. McKenna hadn’t played in the NHL since his lone appearance in the 2014-15 season, a 5-2 loss as a member of the Arizona Coyotes against the Colorado Avalanche on February 16th, 2015. McKenna was perfect in his return to the show Tuesday, stopping 17 Sharks shots for his first win since December 23rd, 2013.
The Stars, out of the playoffs in a disappointing finish to a season they thought they were all in on, rallied back after the appearance by McKenna. Klingberg fired a perfect shot-pass from the point to Benn who was crashing the Sharks net on the far post. All Benn had to do was redirect the puck past Sharks goalie Martin Jones, something the former Hart Trophy candidate did with ease with just 31 seconds left in the second period.
Gemel Smith scored Dallas’ second goal of the game with 5:18 left in the third after Devin Shore lost the puck while driving to the net and trying to place the puck on his backhand. The puck slid out to Smith waiting on the halo for the faceoff dot. Smith hammered the puck past Jones before he could recover from Shore’s attempt to tie the game.
It didn’t take long for Dallas to break the Sharks down. Benn scored his second goal of the game after Tomas Hertl turned the puck over at the Sharks blue line. Hertl was skating out with the puck, but Benn managed to poke the puck off his stick then finish off the breakaway with a backhander to beat Jones. Benn finished off the hattrick on a empty-netter from the boards in his own end to pick up his 32nd goal of the year.
Though the Sharks clinched a playoff berth while in active Monday night, San Jose now sits just two points ahead of the Kings with two games remaining on the schedule for both teams. The winner of the standings race would get home ice in the probable first round playoff meeting.

Fourth Line Leads Way in Sharks’ 6-2 Win Over Devils

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Photo credit: @SanJoseSharks

By Matthew Harrington

Tuesday night was a feel-good night for the San Jose Sharks all around. Sure, the Sharks won 6-2 over the visiting New Jersey Devils to run their win streak to five, but how they did it was far more exciting than what they did.

The Sharks’ fourth line members each scored a goal apiece, Jannik Hansen lit the lamp for the first time this season and Paul Martin picked up his first NHL point of the 2017-18 season. Logan Couture scored his 30th goal, crossing the triple-decade club for the third time in his career and first since 2012. The power play scored not once, but twice in a game, and to cap it all off, coach Peter DeBoer picked up his 350th win.

That Joe Thornton was spotted skating earlier in the morning, or that the Los Angeles Kings lost in overtime earlier in the night to fall back four points behind team teal for second in the Pacific Division were just icing on the cake.

New Jersey came into the contest on an impressive run, having beaten Vegas, Nashville and Los Angeles before falling to the Ducks in the previous quartet of games. San Jose put the Devils on their heels early though, thanks to fourth liner Eric Fehr’s third goal of the year 5:32 into the game.

Brent Burns fed Paul Martin, up with the big club and playing largely thanks to injuries to a number of blueliners with Tuesday’s victim being Joakim Ryan, who then teed up a point shot. The shot whistled wide of the net to keeper Corey Schneider’s right but ricocheted off the back wall to Fehr on the opposite post. Fehr went top corner of Schneider’s shoulder for the 1-0 lead.

Hart Trophy candidate Taylor Hall breathed life into the Devils devils at the 11:19 mark after Justin Braun failed to clear up an aerial pass. No. 9 scooped the puck up on a hop and scored easily on the breakaway for his 32nd goal of the season.

Joe Pavelski scored the most Joe Pavelski-like goal just over a minute later on the power play, tipping a Kevin Labanc shot past Schneider for his 19th goal of the year and a 2-1 lead.

Jannik Hansen, the “beneficiary” inserted onto the fourth line due to injuries to Joel Ward and Joonas Donskoi, used his speed to get a breakaway on former Vancouver Canucks teammate Schneider, scoring his first goal of the year with 4:46 left in the first period.

The final member of the fourth line to Barclay Goodrow chased Schneider from the game after scoring his career-best seventh goal of the season 10:38 into the second period.

Logan Couture then put the Sharks up 5-1, beating relief netminder Keith Kinkaid on the first shot he faced with 8:42 left in the period. Brendan Dillon assisted on both goals.

The Sharks would take advantage of another power play opportunity, with Mikkel Boedker scoring his 14th goal of the year with 1:40 left in the second. Brent Burns assisted on the goal for his third point, all assists, of the game. In total, San Jose was a perfect 2-for-2 on the man-advantage.

New Jersey would beat goalie Martin Jones just once more over the duration of play, with Blake Coleman scoring an even strength goal with 1:36 left in regulation for the final score of 6-2. Jones made 26 saves.

San Jose now sits four points ahead of LA and five ahead of second wild card team Anaheim. They sit behind the Vegas Golden Knights for the division lead though, eight points back with nine to play. If San Jose hopes to gain ground, they’ll need a victory over the expansion team when they visit the Shark Tank Thursday night.

Sharks Wrap Up Homestand With 5-3 Win Over Scuffling Red Wings

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sjsharks.com photo: Sharks players celebrate one of five goals against the Detroit Red Wings on Monday night at SAP Center in San Jose

By Matthew Harrington

SAN JOSE — The San Jose Sharks had a great opportunity in front of them Monday night and they took advantage. With the Detroit Red Wings, owners of a 26-32-11 record and no hope for the playoffs, visiting the SAP Center, the Sharks turned the paper win into an actual 5-3 win.

The Sharks wrapped up a six-game, eight-point homestand, pushing Anaheim back three points courtesy of a Ducks loss to the St. Louis Blues. The Los Angeles Kings shutout the Canucks Monday to stay two points back of San Jose for second place in the division with 13 games remaining for each team.

Detroit scored the first goal, but San Jose responded with three straight, then three times built two-goal leads to pick up the win over the former Western Conference foe turned Eastern Conference doormat. Joonas Donskoi accounted for the lone Sharks goal from the top line while depth pieces Eric Fehr, Timo Meier, Kevin Labanc and Chris Tierney all also lit the lamp for team teal.

Trevor Daley, a member of the 2016 Stanley Cup champion Pittsburg Penguins, lit the lamp for Detroit 5:01 into the 1st period, but San Jose’s response was swift and resounding. First Donskoi scored his 13th goal of the year with 9:05 left in the period, then Eric Fehr tipped home his first goal as a member of the sharks 1:44 later for a 2-1 lead.

Kevin Labanc made sure his March continues to be better than his February, scoring his second goal in five March games after scoring only one in 14 games in the previous month. The rookie winger crashed the net on a Chris Tierney shot, poking a loose puck through Jimmy Howard’s pads for a 3-1 edge 1:39 into the second. Gustav Nyquist responded 5:05 into the middle frame to cut into San Jose’s lead 3-2.

Timo Meier continued his breakout season, extending the lead on a power play goal 5:12 into the 3rd period. Detroit Stalwart Henrik Zetterberg pulled the Winged Wheelers back to within a goal just 41 seconds later, but Chris Tierney’s empty net goal sealed the 5-3 win.

The Sharks leave the friendly confines of home for the dreaded Western Canada road swing. First is a Wednesday tilt in Edmonton then a Friday-Saturday back-to-back against Calgary and Vancouver.

Sharks’ Power Play Slump Snaps After 30 Attempts as They Blank Blues 2-0

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Photo credit: @SanJoseSharks

By Jerry Feitelberg

The San Jose Sharks finally snapped their power play drought, and it came at the most opportune time. Mikkel Boedker broke a scoreless tie with 7:48 left in regulation, scoring on the man-advantage for San Jose’s first extra strength goal in 13 games. Tomas Hertl added an empty-net goal and San Jose limited the St. Louis Blues to a season-low 16 shots on goal in a 2-0 win. Martin Jones picked up the shutout, helping San Jose leapfrog the Anaheim Ducks into second place in the Pacific Division with a game in hand.

The Sharks entered the game on an 0-28 power play skid, the absence of prolific passer Joe Thornton (out with a knee injury) evident in every missed opportunity.  A second period Blues penalty didn’t yield better results. It wasn’t until Kyle Brodziak picked up a holding the stick infraction with 9:30 left in the final frame to put San Jose up a man.

Joonas Donskoi went to work, dangling along the boards before working the puck to Dylan Demelo on the blue line. Demelo tapped the puck right back to Donskoi who worked his way up the boards to the faceoff dots. From there he fed a pass to Boedker who was cocked in the slot. Boedker’s quick-release snapshot beat Blues goalie Jake Allen over his blocker shoulder for the Dane’s 13th goal of the season. Demelo picked up the second assist on the goal, notching his fifth point in three March games.

Allen played an otherwise spectacular game, making 34 saves to keep the Blues in the game despite being greatly outshot. It was a performance made all the more impressive by the fact that Allen wasn’t expected to start. As early as morning skate, backup goalie Carter Hutton was expected to get the nod against his former team. An injury forced Allen into net, giving Palo Alto native Ben Wexler the chance to suit up as emergency backup goaltender. Wexler’s highest level of play before tonight was club hockey at the University of Illinois.

Tomas Hertl punched in an empty-netter with 15 seconds left, with Brent Burns picking up an assist on the Czech’s 16th goal of the year. San Jose pulled ahead of the Ducks, losers 4-2 in Nashville, but couldn’t gain ground of Los Angeles. The Kings beat the Washington Capitals 3-1 at home Thursday.

Up Next: The Sharks host the Washington Capitals on Friday afternoon at 1:00 pm PT.

Sharks Score a Touchdown, Shellac Hawks 7-2

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Photo credit: @SanJoseSharks

By Jerry Feitelberg

SAN JOSE — For San Jose Sharks fans, Thursday night felt great, better than the average win. The Sharks destroyed the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks, longtime playoff foes and once-perennial Cup contenders by a score of 7-2. Joe Pavelski scored twice. Five other Sharks scored and Dylan Demelo and Joonas Donskoi each had multi-assist games with three and two, respectively. Logan Couture tied Owen Nolan for fourth on the franchise all-time goals scored with 206.

Martin Jones made 32 saves in net, including surviving a penalty shot from Anthony Duclair in the third period. The Sharks goalie has now allowed two goals or fewer in 11 of his last 13 starts. The win for Jones and co. kept the Sharks two points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings for second place in the Pacific Division.

For a moment, the Blackhawks looked like they we’re going to do something they haven’t done often enough all season; be competitive. Looking up at Anaheim 12 points back of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, Chicago took much-needed momentum by scoring first. Artem Anisimov scored his 18th goal of the season 2:12 into the game.

From there, it was an all-out assault on J.F. Berube and the Blackhawks. Pavelski finished off a perfect cross-ice pass from Brent Burns with 9:38 left in the period, beating Berube on the post-to-post desperation slide to tie the game. In a theme for the night, Donskoi also picked up an assist on a crisp pass up to Burns, one of many perfect feeds of the night.

Couture picked up his team-leading 27th goal with 5:46 left in the first after Tomas Hertl’s dogged effort in the high slot. Hertl shook a Hawks defender, spinning on his backhand to dish to Mikkel Boedker on the right post. Boedker swung the puck to Couture, waiting on the opposite post for the easy redirect past Berube and a 2-1 lead.

2:13 into the second, another thread of a cross-crease pass by Chris Tierney gave Kevin Lebanc an gaping open net to bury his eighth goal of the season. Timo Meier broke up the string of finishes off passes, instead tipping a Brendan Dillon point shot between the pads of Berube for his 17th goal of the year and a 4-1 Sharks lead just over five minutes into the second.

The Captain picked up his second goal of the night with 7:46 left in the middle frame when, you guessed it, he received a textbook dish from Donskoi. Pavelski now had 18 goals on the season, collecting 16 points over his last 12 games. Evander Kane assisted for his third point–all assists–in his second game since join the Sharks at Monday’s trade deadline.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic sent Berube to the showers early, continuing his career year by potting his 10th goal of the year with just under 2 seconds left in the 2nd. Berube caught a Shark shot without needing to drop into the butterfly then flung it to his left to keep the play alive. His defenseman wasn’t ready, kicking the puck to Vlasic waiting at the opposite post with an open net. Sharks had a 6-1 advantage.

With Berube chased, the Sharks greeted his replacement Anton Forsberg to more of the same. Barclay Goodrow kicked the extra point for San Jose 2:32 into the third, scoring his sixth goal of the year while sliding to center for the injured Eric Fehr on the fourth line. Nick Schmaltz scored in garbage time for Chicago’s second goal.

San Jose continues its six-game homestand with a chance at revenge. The Columbus Blue Jackets head to the Tank Sunday after blowing a 2-0 firsst period lead against the Kings Thursday night. San Jose is currently 2-0 on the homestand after beating Edmonton Tuesday night at home,