Jones, Ward Lead Sharks Over Blackhawks 2-1
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Joe Pavelski figured if the extra goal wasn't going to come, then the Sharks needed extra defense. Martin Jones happily obliged.
Logan Couture and Joel Ward scored in the first period and San Jose gave the Chicago Blackhawks their second straight loss with a 2-1 victory on Wednesday night.
"Guys are competing," Pavelski said. "We're coming back, we're doing a lot of good things in the D zone. You just keep playing. It will break a little bit but if it doesn't break we'll keep trying to win like this."
Artemi Panarin scored for the Blackhawks, who have back-to-back losses for the first time since opening the season 0-2. They also fell to the Oilers 5-0 on Monday night.
Jones, who had his 15th career shutout Monday, stopped 33 shots for his 10th win of the year.
"It was great. That's a tough team to play against defensively, and we did a great job," Jones said. "Limiting them to what we did tonight was pretty impressive and especially the last two minutes, just not even letting them set up in the zone. That was a great job by everybody."
Corey Crawford saved 33 shots for the Blackhawks, who entered with points in 10 of their last 12 games against San Jose.
"Both goalies were excellent," Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said. "A lot of skill, a lot of speed, a lot of plays being made, a lot of great players. It was a good hockey game. I thought we had some opportunities to maybe extend the lead and put them away and Crawford made some saves. But it was a great hockey game."
Chicago captain Jonathan Toews left with an unspecified injury following the second period. He leads the league with 292 faceoff wins and had a game-high eight after two periods.
"It's tough when guys go down, especially in the middle of the game," Blackhawks' Brent Seabrook said. "It's like you're playing short-handed. He's a big part of this team. He plays in every aspect of the game."
The Sharks scored twice in the first period for the second consecutive game, getting a power-play goal from Couture at 11:32 and a short-handed goal from Ward three minutes later.
Couture, who scored for the third time in four games after netting three goals over his first 16, beat Crawford to the glove side after taking a sharp pass from Pavelski.
Chris Tierney, from behind the net, threw the puck down the center of the ice and Ward got the jump on Seabrook, who slipped going after the puck. Ward patiently worked the puck deep and got Crawford on the ice for an easy tap in.
"I made a huge error on that one by not coming out," Crawford said. "I was a little flat-footed and I didn't read it well. I should have played the puck. I wasn't patient enough on that one."
The Blackhawks responded with a goal in the second period. Niklas Hjalmarsson dug out the puck from along the boards and flipped a pass to a streaking Artem Anisimov, who found Panarin. The second-year wing clanked the puck off the right side post and into the net.
Crawford, who has allowed 13 goals in his last four games, was a rock over the final 45 minutes, though Jones was also up to the task.
NOTES: Pavelski has points in each of his last four games. ... The Sharks have recorded a short-handed goal in two straight. ... Hjalmarsson recorded his 12th point in 26 games against the Sharks. ... Anisimov claimed his second point over his last seven games after scoring in each of his previous 11.
UP NEXT
Blackhawks: Complete their seven-game trip with back-to-back games at the Anaheim Ducks on Friday and Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.
Sharks: Continue their homestand with a game against the New York Islanders on Friday.
