Author: Matthew Harrington

San Jose Sharks’ Marcus Sorensen (20) eyes the puck next to Vancouver Canucks goalie Ryan Miller during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, March 2, 2017, in San Jose, Calif. San Jose won 3-1. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

By Matthew T.F. Harrington

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Thursday Night against the Vancouver Canucks one San Jose Shark player hit a major career milestone. No, Joe Thornton didn’t collect assist number 1,000 in the Sharks 3-1, but rookie Marcus Sorensen netted the game-winner for his first goal of his National Hockey league career. Logan Couture added a goal and an assist and Mikkel Boedker potted a power play goal to give the Sharks their third straight win. The Canucks received a goal from all-star Bo Horvat.

About the easiest thing Sorensen did on his goal during the shift was push the puck into the net 9:28 into the second period. The Swedish rookie, playing in just his fourth NHL game, kicked the puck to his stick at one point, batted down a puck mid-air with his stick and generally wowed with the kind of stick handling an NHL vet would normally own.

“Speed, skill,” said Couture of Sorensen’s talent. “He skates well. He’s a smaller guy with a lower center of gravity. He’s stronger than he looks. I’ve talked to (Barracuda coach) Roy Sommer, (development coach) Mike Ricci. I took him a little bit to get used to the ice here. They said he’s turned a corner. We see it up here, he’s definitely an NHL player.”

“He’s making a case to stick around,” said Sharks coach Peter DeBoer.

Couture added a goal 4:20 later, taking a pass from Patrick Marleau and ripping it over Canucks goalie Ryan Miller’s glove for a 3-1 lead. Brent Burns also picked up an assist on the insurance marker to add to his now seven game point streak. Couture, the Sharks Player of the Month for February, now has 21 goals on the year.

With Miller pulled in the closing minutes, Joe Thornton went for his 1,000 assist. The forward’s attempts were all turned away though, with Jumbo often turning down a chance to score to get the milestone out of the way.

“I’m sure he’ll get it next game,” said Couture.

Despite the Sharks having 32 shots on goal to Vancouver’s 18, the inexperienced Canucks looked like the better team early on. The Sharks went on the power play 3 minutes into the game, but failed to score. Instead, the visitors scored on the man advantage, with Horvat one-timing his 19^th goal past Aaron Dell for his 19^th of the year and a 1-0 Vancouver lead7:38 into play. Dell would make 17 saves on the night with the expectation that he will be making more starts down the stretch.

“Our plan is to play him,” said DeBoer. “There’s going to be a fine line there with how much we play him, how much we play (Martin Jones). We’ll definitely play him more than we played him earlier in the year.”

The Sharks answered back on Boedker’s 8^th goal of the year after Couture fed him with the perfect cross-crease one-time pass. Paul Martin also assisted on the goal with 4:15 left in the first period.

While the Sharks came away with the win, they didn’t do so unscathed. Defenseman David Schlemko sat out most of the second and all of the third period with an injury. While his status is unknown, Dylan Demelo did take the ice with the team in warm-ups, a sign his close to returning from a broken wrist. DeBoer will have a decision to make on whether Schlemko, Demelo or potential call-up Tim Heed will be the sixth defenseman when the Sharks face the Wild in Minnesota Saturday.

 

 

AP file photo: Former Vancouver Canucks right wing Jannik Hansen (36) fights for control of the puck with San Jose Sharks center Chris Tierney (50) during first-period NHL hockey game action Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Feb 25, 2017. Hansen turned Shark in a deal that sent him to San Jose on Tuesday night (Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press via AP)

By Matthew T.F. Harrington

SAN JOSE–There was a moment Tuesday night where the only good news from the San Jose Sharks was the acquisition of Jannik Hansen from the Vancouver Canucks for Nikolay Goldobin and a conditional draft pick. While the mid-game trade made waves, it was Tomas Hertl’s game-winning goal with 1:24 left in regulation to give the Sharks the lead over the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1. Joe Pavelski would add an empty netter for a final score of 3-1, with Joe Thornton picking up his 999^th career assist in the National Hockey League. Calder trophy favorite for rookie of the year Auston Matthews scored for the Leafs in the loss. Martin Jones made 20 saves to hand Toronto its third loss in a row.

Matthews ever so briefly gave the Leafs a 1-0 lead in their lone visit to the SAP Center this year, beating Martin Jones on the power play 6:41 into the second period for his 31^st goal of the season, the leading total for a rookie this season. The Sharks would answer back though, with Brendon Dillon ripping a rocket past Toronto’s Frederik Andersen, his second goal of the year. Sharks rookie Kevin Labanc and Pavelski assisted on the goal.

The Sharks dominated the third period, peppering Andersen with 15 shots to just 4 in the visitors’ favor, making it a matter of time before San Jose would convert. Despite the shot advantage, Hertl’s shot was anything but a beauty. The forward beat Andersen on his short side over the shoulder after taking a pass from Patrick Marleau. Marleau had fought off three Maple Leaf defenders to feed the trailing Hertl for the game winner with 18:36 gone in the period.

Pavelski added the insurance goal 23 seconds left in regulation after previously being denied by Andersen on a grade-a opportunity in the game. Thornton, with his helper on the goal, now sits on the threshold of 1,000 assists, 16 back of Joe Sakic for 12^th all-time.

It was announced early in the contest that San Jose had dealt their 2014first-round pick (27^th overall) as well as a conditional fourth round draft pick to the Vancouver Canucks for Danish forward Jannik Hansen. Hansen, a 9^th round pick by the Canucks in 2004, has scored 235 points (105 g, 130 a) over 565 games, all with Vancouver. The 30-year-old winger has 13 points in 28 games this year.

SAN JOSE, CA – FEBRUARY 15: Panthers right wing Jaromir Jagr (68) takes the ice before the NHL game between the San Jose Sharks and the Florida Panthers on February 15, 2017, at the SAP Center in San Jose, CA. (Photo by Matt Cohen/Icon Sportswire) (Icon Sportswire via AP Images

By Jerry Feitelberg

SAN JOSE–The Florida Panthers gave Jaromir Jagr a pretty decent 45^th birthday present. The Cats beat the San Jose Sharks 6-5 in overtime Wednesday night, with Jonathan Huberdeau netting the game-winner1:38 into the extra session. Brent Burns scored his team-leading 25^th goal and Joe Pavelski had a four-point night to help erase a 3-1 and 5-3 deficit, giving the Sharks the loser point with an OT loss. Aleksander Barkov and Nick Bjugstad each scored a pair of goals for Florida.

Burns’ rocket of a shot just five minutes into the game helped even the game after Jussi Jokinen put Florida ahead 1-0 4:20 into play. Burns’ goal puts him tied for 2^nd in the NHL in points with 61, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Sharks ahead. Instead, the Panthers scored two goals in the frame for a 3-1 edge.

The Sharks would pull off the rare double deflection to end the period only trailing 3-2 with 4:35 left in the period. A point shot from Burns deflected off Joe Thornton’s stick then connected on Joel Ward’s and went past Florida netminder Roberto Luongo for his 7^th goal of the year and Thornton’s 997^th career assist.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic scored the only goal of the second period to tie the game 3-3, launching a point shot past Luongo 6:27 into the frame. The Panthers would take a 5-3 lead with just seven minutes to play after third period goals from BJugstad and Barkov, both player’s second goals of the night.

Captain clutch came through for the Sharks, with Pavelski tipping a puck in with 3:21 left in regulation, then adding a second goal with the extra attacker. Luongo made the initial save on a scramble, put Pavelski was able to find the rebound and put it home to tie the game with 38 seconds left. Luongo would exit the game with an injury, with former Sharks backup James Reimer taking over.

Reimer would pick up the win in OT after a bout of sustained pressure by the Panthers. With the Sharks failing to clear the zone, Huberdeau was able to easily beat Jones for his third goal of an injury-riddled season.

The Sharks next take on the Boston Bruins at the SAP Center Sunday night.

San Jose Sharks’ Patrick Marleau, center, celebrates a goal which was disallowed with teammates Mikkel Boedker (89) and Justin Braun (61) during an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

By Matthew Harrington

SAN JOSE–It had been a while since Tomas Hertl lit the lamp for the San Jose Sharks. In fact, when he last scored the Oakland Raiders seemed destined to move to Los Angeles, Hilary Clinton was the favorite to win the White House and Northern California was mired in a drought. The Czech forward ended his personal drought, scoring his first goal since October 27^th, the game-winning goal with 2:03 left in San Jose’s 3-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.

Hertl wasn’t the only one netting a goal of significance. Patrick Marleau scored his 499^th career goal, then he didn’t, then he did all over again. Joe Pavelski had a three-point night capped with an empty net goal and Martin Jones made 24 saves to open up the unofficial second half of the season with a win for team teal.

Hertl’s game-winner, his first since returning to the lineup in the game prior to Sunday’s All-star festivities, broke a 1-1 tie late in the third. Pavelski fed Brent Burns at the point, with #88 blasting a rocket that rebounded off the boards. Hertl had positioned himself in front of netminder Corey Crawford, finding himself in perfect position to bang home the rebound for his 5^th goal of the season. Pavelski would add the insurance goal, his 17^th of the year, with 46 seconds remaining.

The Sharks nearly had a 2-0 lead after the second period, but a series of events negated a Patrick Marleau goal. Marleau carried the puck into the offensive zone with just over 11 minutes gone in the middle frame. He took a shot and dug up his own rebound behind the net, slipping the puck past Crawford for a momentary 1-0 lead. After video review, Mikkel Boedker lifted his skate over the blue line, pulling the play offsides and negating the goal.

The hockey gods intervened, rewarding Marleau a few minutes later with no. 499. With Artem Anisimov in the penalty box for tripping, the Sharks first power play unit took advantage. Marleau won the puck along the boards and fed it to Burns at the point. Burns’ blast bounced off Crawford’s pad where Marleau converted on the rebound, netting his 18^th goal of the season with 5:54 left to play in the period. Pavelski and Burns each picked up their first of two assists on the play.

The lead would be short-lived with youngster Dennis Rasmussen going bar down to beat Jones for his 4^th goal of the season with 3:07 left in the 2^nd. The Sharks would hold on though, heading in to Thursday’s match-up with the Vancouver Canucks on a high note. This will be the first trip to Vancouver this season for the Sharks and the first meeting between the two teams.

Edmonton Oilers’ Cam Talbot (33) stops a shot against the San Jose Sharks during the third period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017, in San Jose, Calif. Edmonton won 4-1. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

By Matthew T.F. Harrington

SAN JOSE, Calif. — San Jose Sharks General Manager Doug Wilson joined rarified air Thursday night, joining the elite club of former plays to appear in 1,000 NHL games and serve as general manager for another 1,000. While the feat is a nice accomplishment for Wilson, he’d surely have preferred a better outcome, with the Sharks seeing a 6-game win streak snapped with an 4-1  loss to the visiting Edmonton Oilers. Edmonton (28-15-8) pulled even with the Pacific Division leaders San Jose (31-17-2) but the Sharks hold the advantage with a game in hand and 29 regulation and overtime wins to Edmonton’s 24.
“It’s tough after a game like this to feel good,” said Sharks coach Peter DeBoer. “But it’s been a hell of a month. I’m really proud of the group and how we’ve dug in and handled the adversity of injuries and travel and schedule.”

Cam Talbot made 32 saves in net for the Oilers, while Logan Couture scored his second goal in as many games in the final game before Sunday’s NHL All-Star game. Tomas Hertl returned to the lineup for the first time since reinjuring his knee November 17^th. The winger had no shots on goal or points, registered 4 hits and was a -1.

“It was different,” said Hertl. “The last couple months I was practicing by myself. I think it wasn’t bad but I need to keep working.”

Couture remains red hot for the Sharks, picking up his 7^th point in 5 games after beating Talbot for his 17^th goal of the season 4:05 into the game. The 1-0 goal was a display of passing that would make the Golden State Warriors proud with Patrick Marleau and Mikkel Boedker both passing up good shots from opposite wings to give Couture the dead-to-rights snipe from the low slot.

Much like Winnipeg Tuesday night, the Oilers had a late-period answer, scoring with 5.6 seconds left in the period. After sustained possession in the offensive zoned, defenseman Andrej Sekera potted his 6^th goal of the season. The Czech used a screen from Patrick Maroon to slip the puck past Jones and tie the game 1-1. Connor McDavid picked up an assist on the goal, good for his league-leading 58^th point.

The Sharks held the Oilers without a shot over the first 15 minutes of the second period but couldn’t capitalize on a power play advantage.

“Historically with where this group has had this power play,” said DeBoer when asked if the struggling power play was of concern heading into the break. “With what a weapon it has been. And it hasn’t been. We have to find a way.”

The Oilers would seize their chance after Brent Burns was sent to the box for slashing with 3:40 left in the period. Sekera, not known for his proclivity to light the lamp, proved otherwise Thursday night. After tying the game in the first period, Sekera would hand the Oilers a 2-1 lead with a point shot throw a crowd of skaters. The shot would miss Milan Lucic and find its way into the back of the goal with 2:51 in the period. It was the second two-goal game of Sekera’s career and his first since November of 2013.

The Sharks fell victim to a similar fate in the 3^rd period. Despite earning a four-minute power play on Adam Larsson’s hi-sticking double minor on Joe Thornton just 56 seconds into the period, San Jose would cede the next goal. Drake Caggiula would put Edmonton up 3-1 with 8:29 left in regulation on just Edmonton’s second shot of the period and first since the 9:56 mark of the period. Caggiula would block Joe Pavelski’s shot in the defensive end then take the puck on a breakaway. The forward would fire a snap shot over Jones’ glove-side for his 4^th goal of the season.

“Their first two goals were weird bounces,” said Sharks defenseman Brent Burns. “The third goal was another close little bounce. We’ve been on the other end of those the last 5 or 6. That’s usual the difference in hockey. It’s pretty small.”

Captain Connor McDavid would pick up his second point of the game on an empty-netter with 1:52 left in regulation, his 17^th goal of the year.

“It wasn’t the defense that lost us this game,” said DeBoer. “It was not scoring.”

The Sharks will send 4 representatives to Sunday’s All-Star festivities in Los Angeles. Defenseman Brent Burns, Captain Joe Pavelski and goalie Martin Jones all earned honors. Behind the bench for the Pacific Division squad will be Sharks coach Peter DeBoer. After the lights dim in Hollywood, it’s back to work for San Jose. The Sharks take on Chicago at home Tuesday night.

“It’s good, you get a little break here,” said Burns. “Then you come back, get your game back quick then get a nice break again to look forward to. Then you rest up and look forward to the final push.”

San Jose Sharks left wing Patrick Marleau, second from left, is congratulated by defensemen David Schlemko, from left, Paul Martin and center Joe Pavelski as hats shower on to the ice after Marleau scored his third goal against the Colorado Avalanche in the third period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, in Denver. The Sharks won 5-2. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

By Matthew T.F. Harrington

The San Jose Sharks didn’t need four third period goals from Patrick Marleau, they just needed the one game-winner to beat the Winnipeg Jets 4-3 Tuesday night at the MTS Centre. Brent Burns and Logan Couture lit the lamp for the Sharks while Melker Karlsson scored just the second short-handed penalty shot goal in franchise history for the team’s sixth-straight win and a Division-leading 64 points.

Aaron Dell 31 saves, starting the game in place of number one goaltender Martin Jones who picked up a win against Colorado Monday night. The Jets received goals from Bryan Little (2) and Andrew Copp but surrendered a 3-2 third period lead for the loss.

Marleau’s game-winner game came with 4:33 left in regulation on a perfect feed from rookie Ryan Carpenter. Carpenter wheeled the puck  across the slot from deep in the corner just past the goal line, threading the needle to Marleau on the opposite post for the easy tap-in. Brenden Dillon also picked up an assist on Marleau’s 17th goal and fifth in two games.

Karlsson put Marleau in position for his 97th career game-winning goal, sixth-most in NHL history, by converting on a short-handed bid. With Kevin Labanc in the box for tripping, Karlsson found himself on a breakaway with only goalie Ondrej Pavelec in the way. Defenseman Jacob Trouba tried to chase down Karlsson but couldn’t close the gap, hooking the forward to stop him from converting the breakaway 9:37 into the third.

Karlsson was awarded his first penalty shot of his career, joining Jonathan Cheecho as the only Sharks to earn the penalty shot with a teammate in the box. Karlsson skated in on Pavelec, opened up and fired the shot over Pavelec’s glove for his 6th goal of the year and a  3-3 tie.

Before the Sharks could come back, the Jets would erase a 1-0 and 2-1 lead. Brent Burns wasted no time in opening the scoring, scoring a power play goal on a one-timer in the high slot for his 21st of the year. Logan Couture assisted on the goal 3:59 into the game for his first of two points on the night. Thornton also assisted.

Bryan Little potted his first goal with 8:02 left in the first after beating Dell on a backhand slipped under the pads. Logan Couture would answer back with his 16th goal of the year just 28 seconds into the second period after Mikkel Boedker hit him with a pass similar to Carpenter’s game-winning assist for a 2-1 lead.

While the Sharks would score early, the Jets would answer late with Andrew Copp scoring from just off the right boards on a rising shot that ate Dell up with 1:59 left in the period. Little would push Winnipeg ahead 3-2 four minutes into the third on his 12th goal of the year.

The Jets nearly scored in the waning minutes of the game after a scramble in the Sharks net. With Dell lying on his back, Dustin Byfuglien pushed the puck into the net after it appeared Dell had smothered the puck. The referee judged that Dell had in fact covered the puck and the Jets defenseman had pushed the puck in well after the whistle to preserve the 4-3 lead.

The Sharks return home Thursday looking for a seventh-straight win against the Edmonton Oilers. They’ll wrap up play before the All-Star break with a game against the Blackhawks at home Tuesday.

Post game notes: Forward Tommy Wingels was dealt to the Ottawa Senators as announced right after the Sharks visit in Edmonton on Tuesday night. According to Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorian the team was looking for depth and that’s what Dorian saw in Wingels. The Senators wanted to fill the void as the Sens lost winger Clarke MacArthur to post concussion syndrome.

The Sharks will get the Senators seventh round draft pick and forwards Zach Stortini and Buddy Robinson. The Sharks will pay 30% of Wingels contract as the Senators will pick up the balance of the $2.475 million salary. Wingels has 51 career goals in 337 games.

“We feel that Tommy brings experience. Someone that was part of a team last year that went to the Stanley Cup final,” said Dorion on a conference call. “He’s a quality role player, someone that can play on the penalty killing.

“The attributes that we were really interested (in) are someone who has really good speed, tenacious. He gets on the forecheck and a lot of the qualities that (coach) Guy (Boucher) seems to enjoy for his role players. Adding a player of Tommy’s calibre is something we’ve been looking to do for awhile.”

San Jose Sharks goalie Aaron Dell deflects a shot on goal by the Tampa Bay Lightning during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The San Jose Sharks picked up their fourth point in half as many days Thursday night, beating the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 at home after topping the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 in Southern California on Wednesday. Aaron Dell earned First Star honors after making 24 saves while Ryan Carpenter and Logan Couture scored for San Jose. Jonathan Drouin netted the Bolts lone tally.

The Sharks looked jetlagged in the first, throwing just 7 shots on Tampa netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy, but Ryan Carpenter changed the Sharks fortunes in the 2^nd period. The rookie, playing in his second game since a call-up last week, beat Vasilevskiy after his wrist shot deflect off Vladislav Namestnikov’s shin pad 5:01 into the period. Paul Martin and Brent Burns picked up the assists on Carpenter’s second goal of the season.

Tampa Bay would answer back after Jonathan Drouin’s individual effort on the power play 1:50 later into the period. Drouin took the loose puck in the neutral zone, slid it to his backhand and worked his way around Mikkel Boedker into the Sharks zone. From there he work down the right wing, driving the net before pulling the puck back to his forehand while crossing the crease. From there, it was an easy tap in for the 14^th goal of Drouin’s season and a 1-1 tie.

Logan Couture, absent from the lineup Wednesday in LA with an illness, made an impact in his return to the ice. The Sharks center scored the game-winning goal just 22 seconds into the third period, pulling out of a scrum along the boards to find the puck in the slot, beating Vasilevskiy five-hole for his 15^th goal of the season. Joonas Donskoi, returning to the ice after missing the previous 4 games with an upper body injury, picked up an assist in his first game back. Rookie Kevin Labanc also collected a helper on the play.

Dell sealed the deal, turning aside a bid by Valterri Filpula that was labeled for the back of the net. The Sharks D corps also stood tall in the third period, allowing only five shots to the visitors in their lone visit to Northern California.

The Sharks welcome Matt Nieto and the Colorado Avalanche to the Shark Tank Saturday night. The last-place Avs lost in Anaheim after appearing on the verge of an upset following a 4-shot first period. The Ducks scored two goals in the third period to add to Colorado’s struggles.

 

San Jose Sharks’ Timo Meier (28) celebrates his goal against the Winnipeg Jets during the second period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Jan. 16, 2017, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

By Matthew T.F Harrington

SAN JOSE–The goal for the San Jose Sharks heading into the offseason was to find a way to match the team that eliminated them in the Stanley Cup Final. In an attempt to replicate the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Sharks looked to make a deep roster that could have every line contribute. Monday afternoon at the SAP Center, the blueprint was actualized, with five different Sharks scoring and nine different skaters collecting points in a 5-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets.

Chris Tierney, Joel Ward and Timo Meier each had a goal and an assist and Brent Burns and Joe Thornton also scored for the home team. Mark Scheifele and Josh Morissey were the only two Jets to beat Sharks net minder Martin Jones in a 26-save performance.

Ward opened the scoring with 8:06 remaining in the first period. Ward skated down the ring wing, going opposite corner to beat Jets goaltender Michael Hutchinson for his 4th goal of the season. Justin Braun grabbed the lone helper on the goal.

Ward started the next Sharks goal in the second period, taking a hit in the defensive zone to move the puck up the boards to Tierney. Tierney then spun a backhander to Meier breaking out over the center ice logo for a breakaway. The Swiss Rookie converted for his second goal of his career and a 2-0 lead just under three minutes into the second.

Despite being the Sharks goal-scorer with the most goals of the five, Brent Burns’ power play tally 7:08 into the period was anything but picturesque. Burns’ point shot went wide of the net, bouncing off the boards off Hutchinson’s backside for a 3-0 lead. Joe Pavelski and Patrick Marlene assisted on the goal.

The Meier-Tierney-Ward line got a goal from its center 11:41 into the third putting the game out of reach after Tierney picked up a Meier rebound for his fifth strike of the season.

Jones would be denied the shutout with 2:36 left in regulation after Morissey beat the All-star for his 2nd goal of the year after a number of players gathered by the net front.

If there was nothing Jones could do on the Jets first goal, the opposite could be said of their second. After coach Paul Maurice emptied the Winnipeg net in favor of an extra attacker, Jones saw an opportunity to fire a puck on the vacant cage and join the few goalies with an NHL goal. Scheifele had other ideas, blocking the shot and sending it into the sharks goal for a two-goal deficit with 19 seconds left.

Joe Thornton would continue his goal to not score on a goalie this year, instead putting his third empty net goal into the net with ten seconds left for a 5-2 win.

The Sharks travel to Southern California to face the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night for Rivalry Night before returning home Thursday night to face the Tampa Bay Lightning.

San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton (19) is escorted off the ice after being ejected for a game misconduct penalty during the second period of the team’s NHL hockey game against the St. Louis Blues in San Jose, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017. The Blues won 4-0. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

By Matthew T.F. Harrington

It was a highly-anticipated rematch of the 2016 Western Conference Final Saturday night at the SAP Center but the St. Louis Blues would get their revenge. The Blues shut out the San Jose Sharks 4-0 behind goaltender Carter Hutton (23 saves). Joe Thornton was assessed a game misconduct for spearing in the second period of a physical, heated contest.

Neither team scored in the first period, but the Sharks appeared poised to convert after drawing two penalties 19 seconds apart just 3 minutes into the middle period. Instead the Blues would be the beneficiaries after killing off one penalty then having the second one washed out on a Joe Pavelski interference call with 45 seconds remaining.

After the 4-on-4 proved fruitless for both sides, St. Louis made the most of its short man-advantage. Defenseman Colton Parayko ripped a point shot past Sharks netminder 5:27 into the period.

“The first half of the game it was going pretty good,” said Sharks captain Joe Pavelski. “They’ve had some chances and we’ve had some chances. A lot of the momentum shifted when we couldn’t get a goal on 5-on-3 and I miss an open net. We take a penalty and they get a quick one. We should have been up 1-0.”

The Blues doubled up just a second over the half-way point of the game after Jones failed to seal off the post. David Perron took advantage, flicking the puck through the opening for his 11^th goal of the season.

The goal, along with the physical play on both sides, forced the Sharks to a boiling point, with Joe Thornton and Paul Stastny trading blows. Thornton was the one who received the eyre of the officiating crew, receiving a 5 minute major and game misconduct for jabbing his stick blade into Stastny’s chest.

“The game declined from that point on,” Logan Couture said Sharks forward Logan Coutuer. “For guys like [Joe Pavelski], myself, [Patrick Marleau], we want to elevate our games at that point. The younger guys should try to elevate their games with the opportunity. It didn’t happen tonight.”

The Sharks would not fare any better in the third period after Jori Lehtera tipped home a point shot past Jones for a 3-0 lead 9:16 into the third. Alexander Steen added the empty net goal with 5:23 left in regulation. Kevin Shattenkirk picked up an assist on the goal, his second of the game to join Parayko (1g, 1a) in the two-point club Saturday.

The Sharks will look to snap their two game skid in a Monday matinee against the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets boast a scoring sensation in rookie Patrick Laine, the third-leading scorer in the NHL with 21 goals. The Sharks will then face another top scorer in a Wednesday night rivalry tilt against Jeff Carter (23 goals) and the Los Angeles Kings. Following the contest the Sharks return home to complete the back-to-back, facing the Tampa Bay Lightning in their sole visit to SAP this year.

 

 

 

 

Calgary Flames’ Dougie Hamilton, center right, celebrates his goal with teammates during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017, in Calgary, Alberta. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

By Matthew T.F. Harrington

The San Jose Sharks scored twice in the first period Wednesday night at Calgary, looking on the verge of scoring five goals in a third-straight game. Goaltender Chad Johnson and the Calgary Flames shut out the Sharks for the final 40 minutes though and tied the game in the 2^nd period before netting a goal in the final 2:19 of regulation to win the contest. Brent Burns and Logan Couture scored for San Jose, with Burns also picking up an assist. Joe Pavelski, Mikkel Boedker and Melker Karlsson also collected points.

Couture netted his 14^th goal of the season with the Sharks on the power play 9:40 into the game. San Jose cycled the puck to Burns at the point with the defenseman ripping a trademark wrist shot. Couture, planted in the high slot, redirected the puck on net past Johnson for a 1-0 lead.

Michael Frolik pulled Calgary even on his 11^th goal of the season after Deryk Engelland’s shot produced a juicy rebound the winger could tap home. Matthew Tkachuk assisted on the goal 11:22 into the period.

Burns put the Sharks ahead once again with 3:54 left in the first, ripping a physics-defying shot that appeared to curve around Melker Karlsson’s screen and bac akround Johnson for goal no. 17 for the bearded one. Karlsson and Boedker assisted on the goal.

Tkachuk, a 19-year-old rookie, continued to torment the Sharks. The forward scored the tying goal on the Flames man-advantage with 32 seconds left in the second. Tkachuk now has four points in three games against the Sharks this season.

The Flames struck late again in the third period after beleaguered defenseman Doug Hamilton banked a puck along from just off the wall off the pipe and in past Aaron Dell for his 7^th goal of the season. Despite giving up the goal, Dell 25 saves.

The Sharks played the majority of the game with only five defenseman after the Flames coaching staff pointed out a descepency between the pregame roster submitted and players on the ice. After taking warm-ups, Paul Martin was scratched for Mirco Mueller, however the official lineup did not reflect the scratch, forcing Mueller out of the game. The Sharks were down another d-man after Dylan DeMelo was injured in the 5-3 win over Edmonton Tuesday. Tim Heed made his NHL debut in Demelo’s place.

After battling a pair of Western Canadian foes, the Sharks return home for a pair of games against Central division opponents. Up first is a Saturday match-up against the team the Sharks eliminated from the Western Conference Final, St. Louis. Next is a Monday matinee contest against the Winnipeg Jets.