DeBoer will stick with Jones despite struggles in Game 2
SAN JOSE » Goalie Martin Jones has started every Sharks playoff game since he came to San Jose nearly four years ago, and coach Pete DeBoer said Saturday that Jones will be back in the net for Game 3 of their firstround series against the Vegas Golden Knights today at T-Mobile Arena.
Jones was pulled from Friday’s game at SAP Center after he allowed goals by Cody Eakin, Colin Miller and Max Pacioretty on just seven Golden Knights’ shots in the first 6:11 of the first period. Aaron Dell later came on in relief and stopped 14 of 16 shots in what became a 5-3 Sharks loss.
The second and third goals allowed by Jones came on shots to the blocker side. Jones got a piece of Miller’s shot, which came on a 2-on-1 rush after an Erik Karlsson giveaway in the Vegas end.
Jones appeared to be slightly off his angle for the goal by Pacioretty, who skated down the right side and found the net on the far side past Jones’ blocker.
In the first two games of the series, Jones has an .848 save percentage and a 4.53 goals against average, and he’s now been pulled five times in 15 career games — regular season and playoffs — against the Golden Knights.
Still, DeBoer wasn’t putting the disastrous start to Game 2 all on his number one goalie’s shoulders.
“Third one, seeing-eye shot, post and in, by a pretty good shooter,” DeBoer said of the Pacioretty goal. “I’m not hanging that on (Jones). We have to be better. I didn’t like our first 10 minutes, obviously, and as a group we have to be better.”
Jones was pulled twice in last year’s playoff series against the Golden Knights, but bounced back with solid outings in each of the following two games.
Jones was yanked after he allowed five goals on 13 shots in Game 1, a 7-0 Sharks loss, but came back to stop 26 of 29 shots in Game 2, a 4-3 San Jose win in double overtime.
Jones was again pulled in Game 5 of that series after Vegas took a four-goal lead in the third period of what became a 5-3 Sharks loss. The following game, he stopped 30 of 32 shots, although the Sharks still lost 3-0 in what was a series-clinching victory for Vegas in Game 6.
Jones will be making his 43rd straight playoff start for the Sharks on Sunday. In 42 playoffs games with San Jose, Jones has a .923 save percentage and a 2.18 goals against average.
Only twice in 42 starts has Jones lost back-to-back games in regulation time -- in games 5 and 6 against the Golden Knights last season, and in games 2 and 3 against Edmonton in 2017. Jones stopped 55 of 58 shots in those first round losses to the Oilers.
“Everyone’s got each other’s back and (Jones) is a guy that takes a lot of pride in how he plays and has been in the league a long time,” Sharks defenseman Brenden Dillon said. “For those guys, they know what they’re doing when they’re playing well and they know what they can work on.
“For (Jones), we have no doubt that he’s going to come out and have a great game.”
DeBoer said he hasn’t made any other decisions about his lineup, saying, “I haven’t even thought about that yet. We’re getting through today, reviewing the game, and talk about a lineup tomorrow.”
• DeBoer said he was in communication with the NHL on Saturday regarding the controversial interference call given to Logan Couture early in the second period of Game 2, negating Brent Burns’ goal that would have given the Sharks a 4-3 lead.
“Clarification? I wouldn’t use that word,” DeBoer said with a smile. “I don’t have a word.”
• The Sharks have received a league-high 13 power plays through the first three days of the NHL playoffs, but have converted only twice.
“They had 12 shots on the man advantage Friday and went 1-for-8. But the Sharks also had 14 of their shots blocked when they were up a man -- 13 on the power play and one in the final minute of the third period when DeBoer pulled Dell for an extra attacker. Vegas had a total of 26 blocks for the game.