New Jersey’s youth movement hit a wall named Martin Jones tonight. Jones made 28 saves for his first shutout of the season. He was phenomenal in the crease, making a number of key saves against Devils rookie Nico Hischier and his linemates.
Both teams came out in the first period firing. Jones stopped all 13 shots he faced, including this one:
1 of 13 saves by Martin Jones in the 1st period, Sharks lead 1-0 at the end of one. #sjsharks pic.twitter.com/iFt0Ds3yiU
— NBCS Sharks News (@NBCSSharks) October 20, 2017
Jones’ counterpart, Keith Kinkaid only managed to stop 12 of 13. The one he let in was Melker Karlsson’s first goal of the season. Tim Heed started the play with a shot from the point. It ricocheted behind the net, where Tomas Hertl picked it up and fed it out front to Karlsson. Karlsson shot it far side and the Sharks were up 1-0.
The Melk Man makes his first delivery of the year, 1-0 Sharks. #sjsharks pic.twitter.com/NANljbMRw0
— NBCS Sharks News (@NBCSSharks) October 20, 2017
There was a brief scare following the goal. Logan Couture was helped to the locker room, looking to have taken a puck to the leg. He missed the rest of the period, but was back on the bench for the start of the second.
That means he got a front row seat to another chapter in Joe Thornton’s march to the Hall of Fame. Thornton got the secondary assist on Joe Pavelski’s second period goal. Pavelski tipped Justin Braun’s shot right between the legs of Kinkaid and put the Sharks up 2-0. The assist gives Thornton 1,395 career points, one more than Luc Robitaille. Thornton is now in sole possession of 21st on the career points list.
Pavelski…Tip game strong! Captain America makes it 2-0 San Jose. #sjsharks pic.twitter.com/iijoQw80ho
— NBCS Sharks News (@NBCSSharks) October 21, 2017
Just before the end of the second, Joonas Donskoi got in on the scoring. Don-score brought the puck down the boards and drove straight to the net. Kinkaid managed to stop the first shot. That’s when Donskoi beat former Shark Mirco Mueller to the rebound, brought the puck to his backhand and put it into the back of the net. Braun was credited with the assist, his second of the game.
Pretty sure Donskoi used the goalie to pass the puck to himself. #SJSharks pic.twitter.com/Qym4Lr2hKj
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) October 21, 2017
The Sharks held on to the 3-0 lead through the third period.
The Sharks will be back on the ice in less than 24 hours. They’re headed to NYC to pay a visit to the New York Islanders. Game time is 4:00 PST.
Notes
- This was Sharks rookie defenseman Joakim Ryan’s first game in his home state of New Jersey. Ryan had about 50 family members in the crowd including his mom, Catarina Lindqvist. She’s a former professional woman’s singles tennis player and was once ranked #10 in the world.
- Thornton (1,395 points) is now all alone at 21st on the NHL career points list. He passed Luc Robitaille (1,394 points) and is now chasing Jari Kurri (1,398 points).
- Jones received a lot of help from the posts tonight. I counted three of them, including one in the second period that banked off the post and trickled slowly into the crease until it was safely moved by a Sharks defenseman.
- Former Shark Ryane Clowe was behind the bench for the Devils. It’s his second season as a Devils Assistant Coach.
- This was the first game of a five-game Eastern Conference swing./
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