In Denver, Philipp Grubauer made 27 saves as the Colorado Avalanche shut out the San Jose Sharks, 4-0 on Thursday night.
“Feels good,” Grubauer said. “I think everybody can be proud of themselves, how they played today. As a team, everybody did the right stuff. We have to build on that. This game was the most complete I’ve seen. We have to make sure we get consistency and move on.”
Matt Calvert had a shorthanded goal in the win.
“We didn’t skate tonight, and they are a skating team,” San Jose forward Evander Kane said. “And if you’re not ready to skate, it’s going to be tough to beat these guys because they like to break out quick and get the puck in their forwards’ hands.”
Valeri Nichushkun and Cale Makar staked the Avs to a 2-0 lead.
“It was tough losing so many different ways, but at the end of the day, we’re just touching up things,” Makar said. “Wins right now matter, but it’s the next half that’s going to propel us into the [Stanley Cup] Playoffs. At the end of the day, it’s good to get the win.”
Ryan Graves also scored for Colorado.
“It came straight back, and it sat in a perfect spot for me,” Graves said. “It was kind of lucky and a nice win by him and fortunate for me. We played well all night, and if you’re playing the right way, sometimes the bounces go your way.”
[WATCH:Â All Sharks vs. Avalanche highlights]
Martin Jones made 34 saves in the loss.
“There were spurts, but it was another game where it wasn’t a very good start,” Sharks coach Bob Boughner said. “We gave up a goal early, we got burned on the outside. You give one up in the first two minutes, you give one up in the last 10 seconds. That’s a recipe for disaster against a team like this. You’ve got to play from behind, and they can play a little more conservative.”
You must be logged in to post a comment.