Sharks 5, Flames 4
CALGARY, Alberta -- Defenseman Brent Burns scored a power-play goal early in the third and then assisted on the game winner by right winger Joel Ward to lead the San Jose Sharks to a 5-4 win over the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Monday.
Burns one-timed a pass from center Patrick Marleau past Flames goaltender Karri Ramo at 5:12 of the third and then set up Ward's 12th goal of the season to give the Sharks (20-18-2) a two-goal lead.
Left winger Micheal Ferland scored Calgary's third power-play goal of the game with 3:41 to play in regulation, but the Flames (19-20-2) weren't able to notch the equalizer.
Center Joe Thornton had a goal and an assist, while right winger Joonas Donskoi and center Logan Couture also scored for the Sharks.
Centers Sean Monahan and Sam Bennett and defenseman Dennis Wideman also scored for the Flames (19-20-2), while right winger Johnny Gaudreau and center Mikael Backlund had two assists each.
Making his eighth consecutive start in net for the Sharks, goalie Martin Jones made 31 saves to improve his record to 18-13-2. Ramo finished with 13 saves at the other end of the ice.
Thornton opened the scoring at 5:07 of the first period when he took a pass from center Joe Pavelski and made a quick move before tucking a backhand shot into the net through Ramo's legs.
Although the Flames held an early 9-5 advantage in shots, it was the Sharks who did the damage on the scoreboard as Donskoi tipped a point shot by defenseman Brenden Dillon past Ramo at 9:27 of the first.
The Flames cut the deficit to one goal just over four minutes later when Monahan picked up a bouncing puck off the skate of Ferland and snapped a quick shot past Jones.
Couture gave the Sharks a 3-1 lead early in the second period when skated out from behind the Calgary net before turning and firing a shot that deflected off Flames defenseman Dougie Hamilton and past Ramo.
The Flames then capitalized on a two-man advantage at 11:12 of the middle frame when Wideman wired a shot into the top corner over Jones' blocker.
Only 15 seconds later with the Flames still on the power play, Bennett snapped an 18-game goal-less drought when his wrist shot beat Jones high to the glove side.
NOTES: Although Flames G Karri Ramo was hit in the throat by a shot from LW Mason Raymond during a practice Sunday, he made his 12th consecutive start in net Monday. ... LW Brandon Bollig made his return to the Flames' lineup in place of Raymond, who was a healthy scratch. D Ladislav Smid also was a healthy scratch, while RW Jiri Hudler is out with a lower-body injury. ... San Jose's healthy scratches were D Matt Tennyson and RW Ben Smith, while C Dainius Zubrus sat out with an upper-body injury. ... Veteran Sharks C Patrick Marleau suited up for his 500th consecutive game. ... The Flames welcomed back D Robyn Regehr at a news conference Monday morning to officially announce his retirement. Regehr spent his first 11 seasons and 826 seasons with the Flames before going on to play for the Buffalo Sabres and Los Angeles Kings, with whom he won a Stanley Cup in 2013.