Devils 3, Sharks 0
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The San Jose Sharks dropped to 1-7-1 during a return from road trips of two more games with an uninspiring 3-0 decision to the faltering New Jersey Devils at SAP Center on Thursday.
Devils goalie Keith Kinkaid stopped 30 shots for his second career shutout.
The Sharks, who possess the best road record in the league, dropped to a pedestrian 12-15-3 as hosts. Not only that, but their latest loss on home ice wasted an opportunity to gain ground on idle Anaheim and Los Angeles -- San Jose's two Pacific Division rivals ahead of them in the closely contested standings.
Travis Zajac scored twice and Devante Smith-Pelly once for the Devils.
New Jersey broke through at 3:14 of the second period for the only goal during the first two periods.
Smith-Pelly drove the left side, pulled up and fired a shot across his body that beat Sharks goaltender Martin Jones, who appeared to be screened.
Smith-Pelly's ninth goal of the season went through Sharks defenseman Roman Polak. Jones may have been screened, too, by teammate and ex-Devil Dainius Zubrus, who was locked up skating through the slot with New Jersey's Stephen Gionta.
New Jersey's 10th shot, resulting in the goal, was the last it managed in the period.
Losers of two straight, five of six and eight of 10 coming in, New Jersey earned some breathing room when Zajac scored an unassisted goal at 1:37 of the third period. He added an empty-netter late.
Zajac walked out front with a turnover and shot on Jones. The puck squirted over the San Jose goalie where defenseman Brent Burns reached behind and swatted the puck along the goal line until it struck the near post. The puck got on its end and literally twirled over the line by inches before Jones could locate it.
San Jose defenseman Paul Martin and Zubrus got tangled behind the net and combined to turn the puck over. Zajac's 11th goal snapped a stretch of 18:23 without a New Jersey shot in the contest.
NOTES: D Roman Polak played Thursday despite sustaining a broken nose as a result of getting jumped by Edmonton D Darnell Nurse late in Tuesday's game. Nurse received a three-game suspension for his actions. ... New Jersey LW Tyler Kennedy struggled to even get in the lineup during his two recent seasons in San Jose, but he started on Thursday on the Devils' top line. ... Back-up G Keith Kinkaid made his second straight start for New Jersey, who will be without G Cory Schneider for at least two weeks. Schneider has a sprained MCL, which will be evaluated in a couple weeks. ... Injured Sharks RW Tommy Wingels hopes to return next week. Wingels missed his 11th straight game with an upper-body injury. ... D Dylan DeMelo and D Matt Tennyson were San Jose's healthy scratches while D Jon Merrill, LW Tuomo Ruutu, C Jacob Josefson and D Damon Severson did not dress for New Jersey.