National Hockey League
San Jose 3, New Jersey 0
When: 7:00 PM ET, Friday, October 20, 2017
Where: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
Referees: Jean Hebert, Marc Joannette
Linesmen: Jonny Murray, Tim Nowak
Attendance: 14381

NEWARK, N.J.--The visiting San Jose Sharks looked fresh and fast while the host New Jersey Devils appeared tired and a bit sluggish Friday night at the Prudential Center. The result backed that up as the Sharks shut out the Devils 3-0.

The previous evening, the Devils (6-2-0) rallied for a 5-4 overtime victory over the Senators before flying home from Ottawa. The Sharks (3-3-0), meanwhile, were resting in New Jersey, helping to explain Friday's narrative.

"They played a good game, a solid road game," said Devils forward Kyle Palmieri. "Tonight, we just didn't have it, it wasn't our best effort."

Martin Jones stopped all 28 shots he faced for San Jose to earn his 16th career shutout, his first since blanking the Devils last November.

It was also the third straight impressive start for Jones after allowing eight goals in his first two starts of the season.

"It's good to see him rewarded with a shutout for the big saves he did make," Sharks captain Joe Pavelski said of Jones. "We have so much confidence in him. He's earned it. There's no questions there. If anything, his start (to the season) was on us."

As good as he was, Jones was also somewhat lucky Friday as three shot attempts by the Devils struck iron, including a short-handed attempt by Adam Henrique that hit the post 6:20 into the second period when the score was still 2-0.

"I thought (Jones) was great," said Sharks coach Peter DeBoer. "He was our best player tonight."

Jones and Devils goalie Keith Kinkaid both were sharp in an entertaining, back-and-forth first period. Before three minutes elapsed in the game, Kinkaid already denied Mikkel Boedker one-on-one after a defensive breakdown by the Devils, and Jones responded at the other end of the ice with a sharp pad save on a quick one-timer by Marcus Johansson.

Each team recorded 13 shots on goal in the opening period, with the Sharks breaking through at 14:11 on Melker Karlsson's first goal of the season. That came less than four minutes after Devils defenseman Mirco Mueller -- who was acquired from the Sharks over the summer -- hit the crossbar on a shot that knuckled after deflecting off a San Jose stick on the way towards Jones.

The Sharks took control in the second period as the Devils appeared to wear down. Pavelski deflected a Justin Braun shot past Kinkaid at 5:49 and Joonas Donskoi buried his own rebound at 18:50 to provide the visitors a commanding 3-0 lead.

"Early, I thought we were a little sloppy, but as the game went on, I thought we got better" said DeBoer. "Playing with the lead helped."

It could have been worse for the Devils, but they killed off five Sharks power plays, including a four-minute double-minor for high sticking assessed to Miles Wood at 13:59 of the second.

"Penalties were an issue again," said Devils captain Andy Greene. "We have to stay out of the box. We took way too many minor penalties. It's good to see the PK bounce back tonight, so that's one positive; but it's tough, you get into your game and then there's a penalty or two penalties and it just ruins the flow."

The Devils, who had a three-game winning streak snapped Friday, also finished the night 0-for-5 on the power play.

On the other side, the win provided a good start to a five-game East Coast road trip for San Jose, one that continues Saturday in Brooklyn against the New York Islanders.

"It's a business trip, for sure, but we'll have some fun, too," explained Pavelski. "This was a good start, for sure."

NOTES:The Devils placed G Cory Schneider (lower body) on injured reserve prior to the game and recalled G Scott Wedgewood from Binghamton (AHL) to serve as Keith Kinkaid's backup. ... In a quirk of early-season scheduling, the Devils do not play again until next Friday. ... The Devils scratched D Steven Santini, D Dalton Prout and RW Stefan Noesen. ... After starting the season with a five-game homestand, the Sharks played their first road game Friday. By that point, every other NHL team played at least once on the road this season. ... The Sharks scratched RW Joel Ward, D Dylan DeMelo and RW Barclay Goodrow.
Top Game Performances
 
San Jose   New Jersey
Justin Braun 2 Points N/A
Joonas Donskoi 1 Goals N/A
Justin Braun 2 Assists N/A
N/A Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Martin Jones 1.000 Save Percentage Keith Kinkaid .909
Martin Jones 28 Saves Keith Kinkaid 30
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
San Jose 33 3 0-5 5-5 10 38
New Jersey 28 0 0-5 5-5 10 22
Upcoming Games
  • New Jersey will play their next game at home against Ottawa. The Devils have a W/L % of .714 after a win and 1.000 after a loss.
  • San Jose will play their next game on the road against NY Islanders. The Sharks have a W/L % of .333 after a win and .667 after a loss.