Jones strong in goal, Sharks score 5 times to top Golden Knights
Martin Jones made 15 saves to lead the Sharks to a 5-2 win over the expansion Vegas Golden Knights in an exhibition game Thursday night in San Jose.
Kevin Labanc, Joe Pavelski, Jannik Hansen and Brenden Dillon scored second-period goals for San Jose, and Tomas Hertl added a goal in the third.
David Perron and Teemu Pulkkinen scored for the Golden Knights. Calvin Pickard played the entire game in net for Vegas, and allowed all five goals on 34 shots.
A golden dragon was held aloft on poles by skaters. Kobe Bryant appeared on video. NHL mascots gave the crowd a primer on what this odd game is all about.
NHL preseason hockey made its debut in China — a 5-2 victory by the Los Angeles Kings over the Vancouver Canucks — in a step by the league to crack an immense market.
The fans in Shanghai got a fast and physical display Thursday: 17 power plays and 57 shots on goal, all met with loud cheers.
“Obviously, you wanted to put on a show for the fans here and they got to see some goals, too,” said Vancouver forward Sven Baertschi, who scored the Canucks’ first goal.
With Beijing to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, the NHL is showcasing two preseason games in a country unfamiliar with hockey. The Kings and Canucks play their second game in Beijing on Saturday.