Dell, Sharks shut out Flyers
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Aaron Dell posted his first career shutout as the San Jose Sharks continued their mastery of the Philadelphia Flyers with a 2-0 win at SAP Center on Friday.
The 27-year-old back-up goalie stopped 21 shots to improve his record to 4-1 during only his fifth start and sixth appearance of the season.
Patrick Marleau scored a first-period power-play goal and defenseman Justin Braun added insurance late in the third to provide Dell with his offensive support.
The Sharks, who face the Kings in Los Angeles on Saturday, won their fourth straight and eighth in nine games. The Flyers have beaten the Sharks only once in their last 20 head-to-head meetings.
Nursing a 1-0 lead late, Braun pinched, took a cross-ice feed from captain Joe Pavelski and wired his second goal of the season at 15:23. Marleau collected his second point of the game with the second assist.
Solid if not spectacular all night, Dell was fortunate, too, when Claude Giroux's drive with 5:44 left in the game drew iron.
Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic needed assistance off the ice with 29.9 seconds left after getting struck in the head by a slap shot by Philadelphia's Shayne Gostisbehere.
The Sharks cashed in on the only score of the opening period as Marleau ascended another notch on the NHL's all-time goal-scoring list in the process.
Marleau swooped in to put a loose puck on the power play past Flyers goalie Steve Mason at 16:29 for his 10th goal of the season and No. 491 of his career. That moved Marleau into a tie for 46th place on the all-time list with Jean Ratelle.
The Sharks struck 1:36 into their second power play of the period, this one courtesy of Philadelphia defenseman Ivan Provorov for a trip of rookie right wing Kevin Labanc.
The Flyers replaced Mason with rookie Anthony Stolarz to start the second period. Mason appeared to sustain an injury to his left hand during San Jose's late first-period power play.
Mason's stick got tangled with Joe Thornton as the San Jose center circled in front from behind the Philadelphia goal. Mason shook off the injury at the time to finish the period.
NOTES: San Jose backup G Aaron Dell's fifth start of the season on Friday came against his former college coach at the University of North Dakota -- Philadelphia's Dave Hakstol. Dell was 49-20-5 with a 2.15 goals-against average and .912 save percentage at North Dakota from 2009-12. ... Without a goal in 22 games, Flyers LW Travis Konecny was a healthy scratch on Friday. Michael Raffl stepped in for Konecny on the top line while RW Boyd Gordon replaced RW Roman Lyubimov on the fourth line for Philadelphia. ... Sharks D David Schlemko returned to the lineup after three straight healthy scratches. He played in place of a healthy Dylan DeMelo. ... The Flyers continue to play without injured D Radko Gudas (lower body), G Michal Neuvirth (sprained knee), RW Matt Reed (oblique) and D Mark Streit (shoulder). Experiencing back pain, Gudas expects to be available on Sunday when the three-game trip concludes at Anaheim. ... San Jose is back in action Saturday night at Los Angeles.