For the first time in the month of December the San Jose Sharks won a game on home ice.
Joe Pavelski scored a pair of goals, Joe Thornton and Brent Burns each had a power-play goal, and the Sharks defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2, ending a four-game home losing streak.
The Sharks (18-16-2) moved back into the second spot in the Pacific Division and improved to 5-10 at the SAP Center. I say 'improved' loosely because the five home wins is still the NHL's fewest.
Game Thoughts...
- The captain did what good captains do...Pavelski came up huge when his team needed him most and carried them to a much needed two points. Pavelski scored the game winning goal and added a power play goal to seal the victory.
- Thorton opened the games scoring with a beauty of a PPG midway through the first period and added an assist on Brent Burns' game-tying PPG in the second. The two point effort gives Jumbo Joe 10 points (3g 7a) during his current seven-game point streak.
- Martin Jones made 17 save for the win but had an interesting night. The Flyers tied the game late in the first period off a fluky goal. Claude Giroux fired the puck off a draw and the puck bounced through Jones. Like it literally bounced through him. Like he was a hologram or something. Weird.
Jones played possum on Sean Couturier's go-ahead break away goal.
- The real story of the game was the special teams.
After allowing four power play goals in the loss to Colorado, the Sharks kept the Flyers power play off the score sheet while scoring on 3 of 6 opportunities.
- This was mentioned in the comments section of my last blog but San Jose is 16-1-0 with two ties in its past 19 games against Philadelphia. Fair to say...DOMINATION?
- This was the first complete effort I've witnessed from the Sharks this season. From scoring first, to dominant special teams, to lopsided shot differential, to the best players being the best players, to coming from behind, to adding an empty net goal.
I will curb my enthusiasm though. This his Sharks team is as inconsistent a team as I've ever seen and I've experienced some pretty inconsistent hockey in my lifetime.
What's Next...
The Sharks host the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday and then don't play again until Jan. 7.
Thanks for reading, Steve