May the force be with you, Martin Jones. On Star Wars night at the Shark Tank, Martin Jones’ 31 saves were the difference in a 2-1 win for the Sharks (15-9-1) over the Montreal Canadiens (16-6-2).

The Sharks would waste little time in scoring their first goal. On their first power play of the night, Brent Burns’ bullet slap shot was more than enough to get past Carey Price.

Wookiee gets his hands on a saber. #SJSharks #StarWarsNight pic.twitter.com/uQceH7cAjx

— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) December 3, 2016

They would continue to dominate throughout the first period, and would add to their lead in the final minute. Carrying the puck down the left wing, Thornton found an eager Joe Pavelski in front of the net. He tapped it in to make it a comfortable 2-0 Sharks lead.

The Sharks slowed their pace in the second, and were out shot 10-7. They did have a few opportunities at the other end, but Carey Price and Martin Jones were locked into a goaltending duel.

In the final minutes of the third period, the Sharks lead 2-0. But the Canadiens had other plans. With just under 90 seconds to go, Arrturi Lehkonen slid a puck through the five hole of Martin Jones, ending his shutout bid. The Sharks would manage to hold the Canadiens off in the final seconds and escape with a 2-1 win.

Notes

• Joe Thornton continues to add to his Hall of Fame resume. He has passed Brendan Shanahan for 25th all-time points in NHL history with 1,355 career points.
• Martin Jones’ 2nd period performance was a crucial reason why the Sharks won this game. Jones seemed calm and poised, having great positioning on all of Montreal’s scoring opportunities.
• What a turn of events for this team. In early November, the Sharks were crushed by the Penguins on home ice, 5-0. Nearly a month later, they’re red hot and have won 6 out of their past 7 games.
• The Sharks continue to dominate the Canadiens. They haven’t won here in over 17 years. /

Fear The Fin Three Stars

1. Martin Jones
2. Joe Thornton
3. Joe Pavelski

Honorable mention: Carey Price

After playing 10 games in 18 nights, the Sharks get a much needed 4 day rest before hosting the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night.