SAN JOSE, Calif – Coming off a tough loss to Arizona on New Year’s Eve, the Jets were looking to snap a six-game road losing streak against a Sharks team that was struggling at home. The Jets played a solid road game and also won the special teams game and that was the difference as the Jets pulled out a big 4-1 road win in the Shark Tank.
“It’s a great feeling,” Mathieu Perreault said. “We finally pulled it off. We’ve been playing well and getting close to getting there. Tonight was a great battle through 60 minutes and I’m very happy with that win.”
Connor Hellebuyck was in the pipes and he stopped 27 of 28 shots. He never really has to make many flashy saves as he is always in the right spots and doesn’t give up many rebounds. He improves his record to 8-4 on the season and has to have the Jets thinking as Ondrej Pavelec is close to returning from injury.
The Jets have been their own worst enemy lately as they have been taking a lot of bad penalties that have been costly in the results of a few of their games. Saturday night they had a couple of tough calls but they did show a lot more discipline something they are trying to work on.
“We played a heck of a hockey game,” Jets coach Paul Maurice said. “Our energy level was good, our compete was real good. When things broke down our goalie made the save, but we skated real hard and played real hard.
“The focus was there. There are nights you’re going to take some penalties, but I didn’t have a problem with what we were doing out there. They were all through effort. I liked the effort from the start right through the game.”
Drew Stafford got the Jets on the board with his 12th goal of the season a shorthanded marker that was set up by a beauty dish from Blake Wheeler; it was the team’s seventh shorty of the year.
Joel Armia got his first of the season and his first career NHL goal. Mathieu Perreault got his fifth on the power play a rocket that he ripped into the top corner. Nik Ehlers got his sixth an empty netter to snap a 13-game goalless streak.
The Jets had a couple scares as Dustin Byfuglien took a Brent Burns elbow to the chops in the first period but returned in the second and was fine. Bryan Little took a vicious check from Joe Pavelski in the second but was cleared after being checked out.
“We got outbattled,” Sharks captain Joe Pavelski said. “We lost too many of the small battles. We weren’t clean. Every team who comes here is ready to play, and we need to do a better job.”
Brent Burns scored his 16th goal, a power play marker, for the Sharks lone goal.
“That was an egg,” Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said. “Top to bottom, poor effort, poor execution. Sloppy, soft. There aren’t enough adjectives to describe it. They won all the races, all the battles, and they won the goaltending battle. We’re in no position to show up and play like that. It’s unacceptable.”
Martin Jones started in net for the Sharks and was pulled after allowing three goals on 20 shots, Alex Stalock finished up and stopped all 6 shots he faced.
The Jet will head to Anaheim to face the Ducks in the back end of a back to back in California.
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