The Daily Chum: Logan Couture scores on Drew Doughty, declines to gloat

With time winding down, Logan Couture smacked the puck out of the Sharks defensive zone, just hoping to clear it as San Jose led 3-1 against its archrival. He did better than that. The puck sailed all the way down the end, and despite Drew Doughty’s best efforts, found its way into the back of the net.

“I saw the blue line and saw the d-man was standing at the blue line and I just tried to lift it over him,” said Couture. “I didn’t even know I hit it hard enough to go in, so, I got lucky.

That was Couture’s second goal of the night and made the score 4-1 San Jose. Did it make it any sweeter that it came against the man who may or may not be friends with Couture?

“No, no, no. He’s a special player and a guy I see all the time in the summer,” said Couture. “It’s always fun when you play against the best players in the world and getting to play him all the time. Like I said he’s a special player, one of the best defenseman in the world.”

So Couture declined giving us the beef we deeply craved. Fine, classy guy that he is. He did at least admit enjoying it a little bit, though.

“I saw the replay and got a little chuckle out of it.”

A little chuckle is muted compared to what Sharks fans were feeling as the center iced the game. It’s back-to-back wins for the Sharks, sure, but it’s also the fourth-straight win against the Kings if you include the playoffs (and I do, duh).

Couture scored twice, his 22nd multi-goal game of his NHL career and his first of the season. He now has nine on the season and his .375 goals per game is the highest rate of his career since the 2012-13 season. Couture took a little time to get back to normal after his injury last season, but his postseason play proved he was back to 100 percent.

Now the Sharks sit in first place in the Pacific Division, have won five of their last six and have a chance to make it six of seven against the Canadiens on Friday before getting a five-day break. Expect Couture to be a factor in that game, too. He’s been a huge reason the Sharks are in the position they’re in this season already.