Burns nets two goals, backup goalie Dell has career-high 36 saves as Sharks down Coyotes 4-1.
San Jose beats last-place Arizona for the first time in regulation this season; Dell stops career-high 36 shots
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Brent Burns is one goal away from a single-season high, and he’s got plenty of games left to get it.
The bearded big man notched Nos. 26 and 27 in the Sharks’ 4-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday night, the 27th goal tying his own franchise record for goals by a defenseman, which he set last season.
The Sharks, in their last meeting of the season with the young Coyotes, got their first win in regulation time against Arizona this season. They had an overtime win, a loss in regulation and two overtime losses in four earlier meetings.
“There’s a lot of things that have to go right for a goal to go in,” Burns said. “Still a long way to go.”
Melker Karlsson added a goal and assisted on two others, and Micheal Haley contributed his first goal of the season and an assist. Aaron Dell, appearing in goal for the third time in five games, stopped a career-high 36 shots.
The Pacific Division-leading Sharks remained four points ahead of second place Edmonton after the Oilers’ victory Saturday night.
Coyotes goalie Mike Smith
had a .944 save percentage and had allowed 2.08 goals per game to the Sharks in 23 career games against them. Two of Smith’s 12 wins came earlier this season, but San Jose got to him often enough for the win.
“It was critical for us to get some goals on Smith,” Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said. “He’s had our number this year. Especially some early goals.”
The Coyotes are the only NHL team to beat the Sharks three times this season, but San Jose made sure there wouldn’t be a fourth. Burns skated across the ice in the Coyotes zone without anyone on him and fired in a goal at 9:01 of the first period to open the scoring.
Karlsson made it 2-0 at 14:26, taking advantage of Arizona defender Luke Schenn falling down and giving him a clear look for his eighth goal of the season. Brenden Dillon began the rush, passing ahead to Haley, who got the primary assist on Karlsson’s goal.
The Sharks (35-18-6) never trailed and now have 12 points from their last nine games. Four of those are wins.
Dell earned his seventh win in goal, limiting the Coyotes with several difficult saves.
“That was one of the more solid games that we’ve put together in the last little while,” Dell said. A big part of it was paying the price to win. We blocked a lot of shots . ... We didn’t take them lightly this time.”
Haley scored at 2:34 of the second period, his onetimer eluding Smith after a pass from Paul Martin. Thornton’s 998th career assist helped Burns get his second goal, which came on a power play late in the third period.
“In my mind right now, he’s the best player in the league,” DeBoer said of Burns.
Arizona made it 3-1 27 seconds into the third period when Martin Hanzal put in a deflection off Dell’s body. Alex Goligoski’s shot bounced off Dell to Hanzal in front for a backhand flip.
San Jose spoiled the Coyotes’ 20th anniversary celebration. A ceremony honoring original Coyotes from the 1996-97 season and the six players voted the organization’s all-time best over the first 20 years delayed the start of the game by a few minutes.
Nikolay Goldobin appeared n in his first game since November 2015. He was brought up from the San Jose Barracuda on Wednesday and played on the third line with Tomas Hertl and Joel Ward.
The Sharks recalled n forward Marcus Sorensen and defenseman Mirco Mueller from the Barracuda in time for Saturday’s game, but both were healthy scratches.