Sharks beat Jets, end two-game losing streak
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Martin Jones made 26 saves for his 22nd victory of the season, and the San Jose Sharks rolled to a 5-2 victory against the Winnipeg Jets at SAP Center on Monday afternoon.
Joel Ward, Timo Meier, Brent Burns, Chris Tierney and Joe Thornton scored for the Sharks (26-16-2), who ended their two-game losing streak.
Jones made 11 of his saves in the first period, turning away a handful of prime chances.
Backup goaltender Michael Hutchinson made his second straight start for the Jets (20-23-4) and allowed four goals on 31 shots. He made 35 saves in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.
Defenseman Josh Morrissey and forward Mark Scheifele scored in the third period for Winnipeg.
The Jets lost their fourth straight game and went 0-2-1 on their three-game road trip.
Ward gave San Jose a 1-0 lead at 11:54 of the first period with a short-handed goal. The goal was Ward's fourth of the season and second short-handed.
Ward won a faceoff in San Jose's defensive zone, and Sharks defenseman Justin Braun rimmed the puck around the boards and past Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien at the blue line. Ward tracked down the puck in the neutral zone then beat Hutchinson from the right circle to the far side.
The Sharks, who were coming off a 4-0 loss to St. Louis on Saturday, scored for the first time since the first period of their 3-2 loss at Calgary on Wednesday, a span of five-plus periods.
The Sharks increased their lead to 2-0 when rookie forward Timo Meier scored his second goal of the season at 2:45 of the second period.
Ward advanced the puck from along the boards in the neutral zone while taking a huge hit from Jets defenseman Mark Stuart. Chris Tierney sent the puck to Meier, who beat Hutchinson with a wrist shot on a breakaway.
Ward went to the locker room with trainers but returned to the bench late in the second period.
Burns made it 3-0 at 7:08 of the second period with a power-play goal, his 18th goal of the season. Burns' point shot went wide left, but the puck hit the boards and bounced back, then ricocheted off of Hutchinson's right skate and into the net.
Tierney scored his fourth goal of the season at 11:41, beating Hutchinson from the left circle.
NOTES: Sharks RW Joonas Donskoi (upper body) missed his second straight game and remains day-to-day. ... San Jose C/LW Tomas Hertl (knee) missed his 27th straight game. He has been skating hard but has yet to be cleared for full contact. "He's easing in," Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said. "We're doing a little bit of physical stuff with him as coaches." ... Jets backup G Michael Hutchinson made his second straight start. ... Winnipeg RW Patrik Laine (concussion) missed his fifth straight game. Laine, who was selected to play in the 2017 NHL All-Star Game, leads the Jets with 21 goals. ... The Jets scratched D Ben Chiarot, D Julian Melchiori and LW Brandon Tanev. ... The Sharks scratched D Tim Heed and C Ryan Carpenter.