Sharks' Couture bounces back to score winner vs. Bolts
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Sick one night, Sharks' savior the next.
An ill Logan Couture was left home when San Jose beat the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday, but on Thursday the alternate captain scored a tie-breaking goal early in the third period to lead the hosts to a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Couture scored his 15th goal of the season 22 seconds into the final period and propel San Jose, which found its legs after a slow start, to a third straight win in front of a sellout crowd at SAP Center.
Couture's sweeping shot from the bottom of the right circle slipped under the pads of Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy after Sharks teammate Kevin Labanc won a battle on the end boards and punched a short pass to Couture.
Back-up goalie Aaron Dell was again the beneficiary of a solid defensive effort. Dell was strong when he needed to be, stopping 24 of 25 Lightning shots, to record his fifth win in seven decisions this season.
Sharks recent call-up Ryan Carpenter broke a scoreless tie 5:01 into the second period by scoring his second goal in his fifth game this season.
San Jose defenseman Paul Martin fed the rookie center with a short pass along the boards, and Carpenter let go with a one-timer from the top of the right circle that deflected off the right leg of Tampa Bay defenseman Nikita Nesterov and past goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy on the hosts' 12th shot of the game.
The lead was short-lived, however, as the Lightning managed to convert on their first power play of the game after San Jose defenseman Brenden Dillon tripped Tampa Bay's Brian Boyle at 5:37.
Slick-skating forward Jonathan Drouin wound up at center, blew right around the usually unflappable Marc-Edouard Vlasic, and went backhand-to-forehand to tuck his 14th goal of the season around San Jose goalie Aaron Dell 1:13 into the man-advantage.
The Lightning had a chance to break on top after San Jose defenseman Justin Braun held Tyler Johnson at 13:39. But the Lightning could not solve Dell with either on their two shots on the resulting power play.
Dell came up big again in the final two minutes with a right-pad save on Tampa Bay center Vladislav Namestnikov, who had a point-blank screened shot from the slot.
NOTES: Tampa Bay D Victor Hedman (illness) missed his third straight game. He remains a "game-by-game" decision, coach John Cooper said. ... After G Ben Bishop started three of the last four games, the Lightning started G Andrei Vasilevskiy, who had lost five straight starts while allowing 22 goals in that stretch entering Thursday. ... San Jose LW Joonas Donskoi was activated off injured reserve and rejoined the lineup for the first time since Jan. 11. C Micheal Haley (upper-body injury) went on IR. ... Tampa Bay was also without C Steven Stamkos (knee), C Brayden Point (upper body), RW J.T. Brown (upper body), and RW Ryan Callahan (lower body). ... The Lightning continue a six-game trip Saturday at the Arizona Coyotes. ... The Sharks host the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday. ... RW Timo Meier, RW Barclay Goodrow and D Tim Heed were healthy scratches for San Jose while D Jake Dotchin did not dress for Tampa Bay along with RW Erik Condra and Hedman.