Sharks score 4 straight to rally past Coyotes 4-2
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Sharks and Coyotes both had stretches playing their best hockey Saturday night. San Jose just kept its run going longer.
Logan Couture scored twice and the Sharks got four unanswered goals to rally past Arizona 4-2 Saturday for their 11th win in 13 games.
Couture bookended San Jose’s comeback, starting it midway through the first period and completing it with an empty-netter. He has five goals and 14 points in his past 10 games.
Dylan Gambrell and Timo Meier also scored for San Jose.
The Sharks extended their NHL record by winning their 45th consecutive game in which they have allowed fewer than three goals. They broke the mark in a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Friday.
“Big resiliency,” San Jose coach Peter DeBoer said. “We settled down and got to our game, and the next 50 minutes probably some of the best hockey we’ve played this year.”
Nick Schmaltz and Derek Stepan scored on the Coyotes’ first two shots, but Martin Jones stymied the Coyotes the rest of the way. Jones made 21 saves while starting on back-to-back days for the first time this season.
“(The) first seven or eight minutes, I think was our best hockey of the year,” Arizona coach Rick Tocchet said. “We had four Grade As (shot chances). Then it just kind of unraveled.”
Gambrell tied it early in the second period on a tricky angle from the right side, and Meier put San Jose ahead with a tip-in at 8:52 of the second.
San Jose, which has the most effective penalty kill in the league, killed off three penalties in the third period while giving up only one shot. The Sharks have given up an NHL-low nine power-play goals.
“It’s won us so many games,” Couture said. “Imagine if our kill was at 85 with all the penalties we’re taking, we would have lost a lot of these games that we’ve been able to win.”
The Coyotes, who had been 6-2-2 in their last 10 games, had scored at least a point in their last nine game against Pacific Division opponents.
Coyotes goaltender Atti Raanta, who missed the previous two games because of illness, made 26 saves.
“We found a way,” Couture said. “Kind of held on at the end there. Would have liked to attack more in the third (period) instead of sitting back like we did, but we’ll take the win right now, division game.”
NOTES: Sharks C Antti Suomela did not play after taking a hard hit in the third period of a victory over Los Angeles on Friday. ... Both teams were playing the second of back-to-back games. ... D Erik Karlsson had an assist for the Sharks and has five points in his last four games. ... The Coyotes acquired minor league D Vili Saarijarvi from Detroit for G Eric Comrie. ... The Coyotes recalled F Michael Chaput from Tucson of the American Hockey League. He was a healthy scratch.
UP NEXT
Sharks: Return home to host Washington on Tuesday before beginning a four-game trip in Carolina on Thursday.
Coyotes: Play at Columbus on Tuesday to start a four-game trip.
