San Jose takes big lead, then holds on
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Adin Hill made 37 saves, Tomas Hertl had a goal and an assist, and the Sharks ended a two-game skid with a 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night.
Matt Nieto and Timo Meier also scored for San Jose, playing the third game of a four-game trip. The Sharks turned in a strong defensive performance after allowing a total of 14 goals in consecutive losses and 28 in five games.
“We came together,” coach Bob Boughner said. “And I thought we battled hard.”
With captain Logan Couture missing his second game after being placed on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocols list, the Sharks were also without injured defensemen Erik Karlsson and Jacob Middleton, as well as goalie James Reimer.
“We’re playing short-handed right now, and we’re finding ways,” Boughner said. “We’re going through some injuries. We’re going through COVID, like everybody else. We haven’t had the luxury like a lot of teams of getting any postponed games, and waiting to get a free and healthy lineup.”
The Sharks raced to a 3-0 lead in the opening period, scoring all of their goals in a span of 5:03.
“We were ready to play,” Boughner said. “And we played one of our better first periods in a long time.”
Nieto scored his third of the season at 12:27 of the first, finishing a feed across the crease from Andrew Cogliano after Nick Bonino won a puck battle along the boards.
“It just started from a great forecheck,” Nieto said. “Bones wins a battle there, gets it to Cogs at the net-front, and he makes a really good pass to me in the slot.”
Meier snapped a long shot in off the far post 1:17 later for his 14th, and San Jose’s top line struck again when Hertl scored his team-leading 17th off the rush with 2:36 remaining in the period.
Jeff Skinner and Zemgus Girgensons scored for the Sabres, who fell to 2-8-4 in their lpst 14 games. Buffalo has lost six straight at home.
“I just think we need more urgency,” Skinner said. “We were sort of waiting for plays to develop, and as a result, we were kind of on our heels for a bit there.”
Skinner put the Sabres on the board 7:56 into the second period, scoring his 11th on a wrist shot from the right circle. Girgensons got his seventh off a rebound on a power play with 1:45 left in the game.
Hill stopped 21 shots in the third period, one with a sprawling save in the closing seconds.
“You could tell that he was zoned in and he had that swagger,” Boughner said. “And we fed off that.”