CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Logan Couture’s third-period goal proved to be the winner and the San Jose Sharks beat the Calgary Flames 4-1 Tuesday night.
Tomas Hertl and Jonathan Dahlen added empty-net goals and Alexander Barabanov also scored for San Jose. Brent Burns had two assists.
Sharks goalie Adin Hill, who played minor and Junior A hockey in Calgary, stopped 37 shots.
Calgary’s streak of earning at least a point was stopped at 10 games. The Flames lost in regulation for the first time since their season-opener.
Milan Lucic scored for Calgary (7-2-3). Jacob Markstrom made 22 saves in the loss.
San Jose was without head coach Bob Boughner for a fifth straight game because he’s in COVID-19 protocol.
Seven regulars, including star defenseman Erik Karlsson, are also in their second week of protocol. As a result, several players were called up from the AHL’s Barracuda.
The Sharks have stated all players and staff are fully vaccinated against the virus. Assistant coach John MacLean is filling in for Boughner.
San Jose is 3-1-1 since Boughner and the players entered protocol.
“Even though we’ve got a ton of different guys in the lineup right now, they were in camp. They know how our coaching staff wants us to play, how we’re going to win games,” Couture said.
“Everyone’s bought in in this group. Tonight certainly wasn’t a masterpiece, but we defended hard. We did the right things. We found a way to get two goals and kept them to one.
“Extremely proud of the guys that have come up and guys that are battling through. You see a ton a blocked shots for guys and those don’t feel too great, but willing to sacrifice to win hockey games right now.”
The Flames didn’t score on three power-play chances. The Sharks failed to score twice with a man advantage.
Couture gave the Sharks a 2-1 lead at 4:18 of the third period. When the captain’s wrist shot nicked the stick of Flames defenseman Nikita Zadarov, the puck’s change of speed caught Markstrom sliding too far to his right to glove it.
Calgary twice hit the post in the second period that ended 1-1.
Andrew Mangiapane’s wrister deflected off the high post in the final seconds, and Matthew Tkachuk’s re-direct of a Noah Hanifin shot midway through the period also hit iron.
But Lucic scored in a crease scramble 1:17 into the period, pulling Calgary even at 1-all. The goal was upheld upon review and also withstood MacLean’s subsequent challenge for goaltender interference.
“We found ways this year to beat goalies and get ourselves leads and bury our chances and we weren’t able to do it tonight,” Lucic said.
San Jose’s Barabanov scored his first goal of the season 47 seconds into the second period. From behind San Jose’s goal line, Burns whipped the puck up ice to Barabanov on the move at the blue line. The Russian snapped a low shot by Markstrom. Burns extended his points streak to five games with a goal and six assists in that span.
Calgary outshot San Jose 8-4 in the first period.
“I thought we had the better of them than second,” Flames head coach Darryl Sutter said. “I’m sure we thought we could continue that and they came out with a little more jump. Who scored the winner there? Was it Couture? Logan, those guys played a lot and they were probably better than our top guys tonight.”
UP NEXT
San Jose: At Winnipeg Jets on Thursday in the second game of a five-game trip.
Calgary: At Montreal Canadiens on Thursday for the start of a seven-game trip.
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