Jones stops 33 shots as Sharks beat Blackhawks
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The San Jose Sharks scored two first-period goals and rode the hot goaltending of Martin Jones again for a 2-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday at SAP Center.
Jones stopped 33 of 34 shots to deny the best team in the Western Conference, who lost their captain Jonathan Toews for the second half of the game with an undisclosed injury.
The Sharks (11-8-1) earned a second consecutive win to start a five-game homestand. Logan Couture and Joel Ward collected San Jose's goals.
The Blackhawks (13-6-2) scored the only goal of the second period to trim San Jose's advantage to one during a middle session that was as action packed and energy-filled as the first.
Jones was on top of his game coming off a 26-save shutout Monday, but he could do nothing about an Artemi Panarin one-timer from the top of the left circle at 12:11. Panarin's eight goal of the season came following a cross-ice pass from Artem Anisimov.
Jones, whose streak of 45 straight saves over two games was snapped, make a save on a similar set-up for Chicago's Ryan Hartman less than a minute later.
The Sharks failed to take advantage of 1:41 of 5-on-3 power-play time late in the period. Patrick Marleau was denied on a slap shot from the mid-slot and captain Joe Pavelski was too patient while holding and not shooting to the right of Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford (33 saves).
The Sharks escaped with a 2-0 lead on a pair of special teams goals during an up-tempo opening 20 minutes that were as entertaining as any period at home this season. The teams combined for 47 shot attempts (30-17 Chicago).
Visiting Chicago pushed hard during the first seven minutes, doubling San Jose's efforts toward the net, but Jones was equal to the task. When Anisimov hooked Pavelski at 11:20, the hosts broke through.
It took only 12 seconds for Couture to one-time a feed from Pavelski past Crawford. Couture's power-play strike was his sixth of the season and came during a four-on-three advantage.
Jones came up big again with stops on Blackhawk forwards Tyler Motte and Ryan Hartman in rapid succession before Marc-Edouard Vlasic was sent to the box at 14:16 for a trip on Toews, a call the San Jose defenseman visibly didn't like.
Chicago's first power play turned into San Jose's advantage, however, when Ward scored his second goal of the season short-handed at 14:42. Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook lost a gamble when he dove to try and keep a clearing attempt by San Jose's Chris Tierney in the Sharks' zone. Ward won a footrace to the puck, deked Crawford with a fake slapper and slid the puck along the ice past the committed netminder.
NOTES: San Jose D Brent Burns played his first game after signing an eight-year, $64 million contract extension on Tuesday, the longest and richest deal awarded in team history. ... Chicago superstars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane were split up Wednesday with RW Marian Hossa joining the top line and Kane moving to right wing on the second line. ... C Danny O'Regan was returned to the AHL San Jose Barracuda after his NHL debut Monday. ... San Jose F Tomas Hertl (right knee) had a minor procedure Tuesday and is week-to-week. ... Sharks LW Melker Karlsson, out five straight games with a lower-body injury, remains day-to-day. ... San Jose D Dylan DeMelo made his season debut as D David Schlemko did not dress. It marked the first time in 20 games the Sharks have made a change on the blue line. ... The Blackhawks were without D Trevor van Riemsdyk (upper body) and scratched C Andrew Desjardins, RW Jordin Tootoo and D Michal Kempny.