Tierney nets winner as Sharks defeat Panthers
SUNRISE, Fla. -- Chris Tierney scored a tiebreaking goal with 12:45 left in the third period as the San Jose Sharks defeated the Florida Panthers 2-1 on Friday night at the BB&T Center.
Tierney scored on a sharp-angle rebound off his backhand for his seventh goal of the season.
The game's other goals were scored by Florida's Derek MacKenzie and San Jose's Joe Pavelski.
Backup Sharks goalie Aaron Dell made 38 saves for his second straight win this week. He is 15-9-2 in his two years in the NHL, and this was the 17th time this season the Sharks allowed two goals or less.
The Sharks (14-8-2) are 4-0-1 in their past five games, four of which were on the road. Overall this season, the Sharks are 7-2-1 on the road.
Florida (10-13-2) had its two-game win streak snapped. The Panthers, who are just 5-5-2 at home this season, got 30 saves from Roberto Luongo.
Bob Boughner, Florida's rookie head coach, couldn't find the answer to beating San Jose, where he served as an assistant the past two years.
Florida opened the scoring with 1:49 left in the first period, pressuring Dell for 11 seconds following a face-off win by MacKenzie. Dell made at least two stops before MacKenzie shoved in a rebound, with assists from Colton Sceviour and Alex Petrovic.
San Jose tied the score with 8:40 left in the second period. Pavelski picked up a loose puck and tapped it in from the doorstep. The goal was challenged by Florida, which claimed goaltender interference, but the call on the ice was upheld.
The Sharks took a 2-1 lead on Tierney's goal. Melker Karlsson and Brent Burns earned assists on a Tierney shot that crossed the goal line by mere inches.
San Jose held on from there as Florida could not get the equalizer.
NOTES: Panthers RW Radim Vrbata, who got hit with a puck to the face against the Los Angeles Kings, returned after missing five games. ... When Panthers RW Denis Malgin had the winning goal against the New York Rangers on Tuesday, it was his fourth game in five days, including two in the American Hockey League. Malgin has been elevated to the top line since the shoulder injury to Evgenii Dadonov, who is out at least four weeks. ... Sharks D Brent Burns, who won the Norris Trophy last season, has just one goal. At this point last season, he had nine goals. ... Sharks D Paul Martin (ankle) is on injured reserve. ... Sharks G Martin Jones and LW Joonas Donskoi sat out due to lower-body injuries. ... San Jose's four-game trip ends with matchups against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday and the Washington Capitals on Monday. ... Florida plays at the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday.