Couture Leads Sharks Past Slumping Senators, 5-0
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Logan Couture had a goal and two assists to eclipse 400 career points, and Aaron Dell made 25 saves to hand Ottawa its third shutout over four games in the Sharks' 5-0 victory against the Senators on Saturday night.
Tomas Hertl, Joe Pavelski, Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Melker Karlsson also scored as the Sharks picked up where they left off, earning a convincing win over a struggling team following a comeback victory from three goals down against Carolina on Thursday night.
The Senators took more than 12 minutes to get a shot on goal and were thoroughly outplayed during their 11th loss in 12 games. After showing some grit in an overtime loss at Los Angeles on Thursday, Ottawa reverted back to its poor form in back-to-back shutout losses against Winnipeg and Anaheim.
Craig Anderson made 45 saves in his seventh straight defeat but got little help from his teammates.
Dell was barely tested in the first two periods, and his second shutout of the season was preserved when Vlasic knocked a puck off the goal line during a power play in the third period.
The Sharks had broken the game open by then with two goals in the second. Vlasic beat Anderson from the point just seconds after a San Jose power play ended early in the period for his third of the season.
Joe Thornton and Pavelski then wore down Ottawa on a shift late in the period. Pavelski set up Karlsson, who was left alone in front for his fifth goal of the season to make it 3-0.
Pavelski and Hertl scored on power plays in the third. Couture assisted on both goals to give him 401 career points.
The Sharks got the first 10 shots on goal but were kept off the scoreboard thanks to a couple of big saves by Anderson. Pavelski hit the crossbar, too.
San Jose finally broke through shortly after Ottawa got its first shot when Couture beat Anderson between the pads off a give-and-go with Kevin Labanc for his team-leading 15th goal of the season.
NOTES: Ottawa's Ryan Dzingel fought Marcus Sorensen early in the third period. Alexandre Burrows was given a fighting major and game misconduct later in the period after going at Dylan DeMelo. ... Sharks D Paul Martin (ankle) was sent to the AHL on a conditioning assignment. Martin played Thursday in his first game since Oct. 7. ... San Jose D Tim Heed returned to the lineup after missing five games with an upper-body injury.
UP NEXT
Senators: Visit the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night.
Sharks: Host the Minnesota Wild on Sunday night.
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