Sharks speeding ahead; Parise, Couturier hurt

For three games, the Sharks have had more speed, discipline and depth than the Ducks.

If they can repeat that formula for one more game, the Sharks will move on to the second round.

Joonas Donskoi scored one goal and set up another to start a four-goal barrage in the second period and the Sharks raced past the Ducks for the third straight game, winning 8-1 on Monday night in San Jose, Calif., for a 3-0 series lead.

“We understand there’s a lot of work to do,” captain Joe Pavelski said. “Eliminating teams is always tough. That’s kind of where our mindset shifts, I think. We’ll see a few things that we can do better, and a few things we’re doing well. That commitment from us is going to go a long way to stay with what we’re doing.”

Right now just about everything is working for the Sharks, who had eight goal-scorers in the highestscoring playoff game in franchise history and got a 45-save performance from Martin Jones.

The Sharks will look to complete the sweep in Game 4 at home Wednesday night. Only four NHL teams have lost a best-ofseven series after winning the first three games.

Wild left wing Zach Parise has a broken sternum that will keep him out for multiple weeks, an injury that occurred late in Game 3 of their Western Conference first-round series Sunday against the Jets.

Wild GMChuck Fletcher said before Game 4 on Tuesday that Parise’s status is “week to week.”

Parise scored in each of the first three games of the series. He’s the Wild’s alltime playoffs leader with 14 goals and 31 points. Flyers center Sean Couturier limped off the ice during practice Tuesday with an apparent leg injury after colliding with teammate Radko Gudas, who was moving backward and didn’t see Couturier.

Flyers GM Ron Hextall said Couturier’s status will be updated Wednesday before Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first-round series against the Penguins.

The Flyers trail the twotime defending champion Penguins 2-1.