San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture may bear in mind Friday’s recreation towards the Dallas Stars for a very long time.
In any case, in his 14th NHL season, Couture earned his first profession Gordie Howe hat trick, gathering a purpose, an help, and a battle — all earlier than the beginning of the third interval.
“The primary, and doubtless the final,” Couture mentioned of the feat named after Howe, one of the crucial dominant and feared gamers in NHL historical past.
What Couture will cherish extra, although, is his crew snapping a five-game dropping streak, as Tomas Hertl and Timo Meier additionally had a purpose and an help and James Reimer made 25 saves to assist the Sharks beat the Stars 5-4.
Alexander Barabanov and Evgeny Svechnikov additionally scored for the Sharks (4-9-3), who earned their first win since Oct. 27 regardless of a Stars rally late within the third interval. It was additionally San Jose’s first win at American Airways Middle since Feb. 19, 2015, breaking a streak of seven straight losses in Dallas.
“I actually preferred a number of our recreation tonight,” Sharks coach David Quinn mentioned. “Our breakouts have been clear, we prompted a number of turnovers, went to the web arduous within the O-zone.”
San Jose had gone 0-2-3 since beating the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in additional time at SAP Middle and entered Friday with a .300 factors proportion, final within the NHL, after Thursday’s 5-3 loss to the St. Louis Blues.
“It feels good to win a recreation,” Meier mentioned. “We’ve been shut a number of instances, misplaced a number of shut video games. We weren’t capable of shut them out. In the present day, we received the job finished. I feel that positively helps your confidence and we’ll positively take that feeling.
“All of us love successful and it’s irritating while you lose that many video games like we've. We wish to get extra of that successful feeling, and we’ve received to proceed like that.”
The Sharks proceed their street journey Sunday afternoon in Minnesota towards the Wild.
“There have been a number of good issues in our recreation and we took a step ahead and learn to win once more,” Quinn mentioned. “It’s going to take some time, we’re nonetheless fragile from the final two weeks from the dropping we’ve finished and the way in which we’ve finished it, however we took a step ahead.”
With the sport tied 2-2 initially of the second interval, Meier and Couture scored even-strength targets 36 seconds aside to assist the Sharks take a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Hertl then scored simply 29 seconds into the third interval after a pleasant go from Meier, as he beat Stars goalie Jake Oettinger from in shut to provide the Sharks a 5-2 lead.
The Sharks had a mixed seven photographs on internet within the second and third durations and scored on three of them.
The Stars roared again with targets from Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski to chop the Sharks’ result in 5-4. Pavelski’s purpose, his seventh of the season, got here with 7:54 left within the third interval and narrowed San Jose’s benefit to at least one.
Reimer, although, made 4 saves within the ultimate seven minutes to enhance to 3-5-2 on the season.
“(The Stars) upped their ante as a result of they have been down by two and we get a bit bit secure,” Quinn mentioned. “I feel that’s a part of our mentality as a result of we haven’t had a number of success these days. You’re up 4-2 and I feel our mindset modifications a bit bit and we get conservative.
“We’ll study, although.Acquired two factors tonight, which we sorely wanted.”
After offense had been such a difficulty by way of the primary three weeks of the common season, the Sharks have now scored three or extra targets in seven straight video games. Meier now has targets in 5 straight as he additionally prolonged his level streak to seven video games.
Couture fought his counterpart, Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn, within the second interval after he leveled Ty Dellandrea with successful close to the Sharks’ blue line. The battle was temporary and never many punches have been thrown.
“It’s one thing that simply occurred. I made successful and (Benn) came visiting and requested me to go, so I assumed I’d give it a attempt,” Couture instructed NBC Sports activities California after the sport. “Folks again house are going to be texting me,(asking) me what the hell was I doing?”
The Sharks outplayed the Stars for many of the first interval, however the two groups have been tied 2-2 after Benn scored his second of the sport with 21 seconds left earlier than intermission.
Benn carried the puck into the Sharks’ zone and handed it towards the center of the ice. Karlsson briefly had the puck however had it knocked away by Dellandrea earlier than Benn scooped it up and beat Reimer for his sixth purpose of the season.