Thomas Hurtle and Logan Couture scored objectives within the third interval, and goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen scored a superb penalty because the San Jose Sharks opened Tuesday’s four-game highway journey with a 4-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens on the Bell Centre.
The Sharks worn out all six of the Canadiens’ energy video games, together with a two-man lead that expired early within the third interval once they took their seventh straight win in Montreal for the reason that 2015–16 season.
Kahkonen completed with 28 saves, together with 4 when the Sharks have been shorthanded as he earned the third shutout of his profession and his first in San Jose.
“It is nice, but it surely additionally says quite a bit about how we performed as a group right this moment,” Kahkonen instructed NBC Sports activities California of his first shutout with the Sharks. “Big blocks, big kills, good sticks at (penalty), eradicating seams and boxing guys so I can see the pucks.”
Simply 31 seconds after Jacob Megna held up a penalty within the recreation, assisted by defenseman Matt Benning’s highly effective shot to Canadiens ahead Cole Cofield, Hurtle scored at 2:29 within the third interval to guide the Sharks by 2. : 0. Hurtle diverted Kevin Labanca’s go previous Canadiens goaltender Jake Allen for his sixth objective of the season.
Couture scored his group’s thirteenth objective of the season in a 3:34 win over the Sharks and now has seven objectives in his final eight video games. His 9 objectives this month match his profession file for a single calendar month, set in December 2011.
Hurtle scored an empty objective with 2:14 left within the third interval, and Matt Nieto scored within the first interval because the Sharks (8-13-4) received simply the second time of their seven video games.
“We wanted it,” Sharks coach David Quinn stated of the win. “After all it was a enjoyable recreation. We have not had a recreation like this in a very long time, so the particular groups have been big and our penalties have been big. That kill initially of the third interval and Benning’s highly effective block gave us some energy and we scored proper after it.”
Nonetheless, that night belonged to Kahkonen, who earned his first shutout since March 16, 2021, when he made 31 saves within the Minnesota Wild’s 3-0 win over the Arizona Coyotes.
The Sharks additionally saved Kahkonen with 28 blocked pictures. Nick Bonino had 5 blocks, Mark-Eduard Vlasic had 4, and Benning had three.
“I feel he is coming again to the place all of us anticipate him to be and I feel that was his greatest recreation of the 12 months,” Quinn stated of Kahkonen. “He actually regarded snug within the web.”
Nieto’s objective, his fifth of the season, got here simply 1:33 into the primary interval, when he obtained sufficient of the puck unfastened after Alexander Barabanov’s try to get it over the objective line and lead the Sharks 1-0.
Kahkonen needed to do his greatest to maintain the Sharks within the lead as he saved 14 pictures in two durations, with three saves made in 5 video games in Montreal’s powerplay. The Sharks entered Tuesday with 90.2 % of No. 1 penalty kills.
The Sharks’ journey continues with video games in Toronto on Wednesday, Ottawa on Saturday and Buffalo on Sunday. The Sharks are 6-5-0 on the highway this season.
Quinn stated on Tuesday he has not but determined who might be his goaltender towards the mighty Maple Leafs because the Sharks even have Aaron Dell on the roster. James Reimer is on the highway however is on standby with accidents and an undisclosed sickness.
Within the earlier 5 video games this month, Kahkonen was 1-2-2, taking pictures .869% and averaging 4.19 objectives, together with 37 pictures on Nov. 21 at house towards the Senators.
“I am so glad for him. He was nice,” Hurtle stated of Kahkonen. “That is what he wants. He seems to be assured and performed effectively on PC, and it was not simple as a result of we missed a couple of moments. However actually, a really sturdy recreation from him.”
