The three-game sweep of the NHL from Tuesday starts in Boston, where Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton scored power play goals just 25 seconds apart in the second period to push the San Jose Sharks past the Bruins, 5-4.
Joe Pavelski had a goal and two assists in the win.
“We’re in a position where we need wins,” Pavelski said. “Can’t look back. Each night’s important and so far on this road trip they’ve been good quality wins for us. Good team wins. A lot of guys that contributed and that’s what you need. The biggest thing is guys are showing up. Everyone’s contributing and we’re getting that solid effort from everyone.”
Tuukka Rask made 23 saves in the loss that dropped the Bruins to 8-8-1 on the season.
The Bruins are also 2-6-1 at home.
“It’s frustrating,” Bruins forward Brad Marchand said. “I think we want to try to get on a roll here at home and … every time we get an opportunity to continue to improve on our game we take a step back. So we need a big day at practice tomorrow to get ready for the next game.”
The Sharks scored twice in the first and three times in the second.
“I really liked our first period and if we had come out of that down 2-1 I think it would have been a little disheartening,” San Jose coach Peter DeBoer said. “So I think it was just the result that we were tied 2-2, but we worked for that.”
In Calgary, the Flames needed a goal from David Jones, his 100th, to edge the New Jersey Devils, 3-2.
“To be competitive and work your way up the standings you have to win at home, first and foremost, and then you try to gain some points on the road,” Jones said. “This is such a great building with our crowd, we have to win here. That’s the bottom line.
“I thought we played a pretty solid game tonight.”
Matt Stajan and TJ Brodie also scored for the Flames.
Cory Schneider made 27 saves for the loss and Karri Ramo stopped 18 in the win; Bobby Farnham and Jordin Tootoo scored for the Devils.
“[Schneider]’s a huge part of our team. He gives us a chance every night,” New Jersey’s Lee Stempniak said. “I don’t want to speak for him, but I think he probably wants the first one back, maybe just a tough angle. He normally makes those all the time. He more than made up for it late, made some huge saves when the game could’ve got away from us. That happens. For us, we need to come through and pick him up. That’s the essence of the team there.”
In Denver, the resurgent Toronto Maple Leafs used their special teams to drive a 5-1 win over the Avalanche.
The Leafs went 4-for-5 on the power play and 4-for-4 on the penalty kill and a shorthanded goal.
PA Parenteau had two goals in the win.
“It’s always fun to score against your former team, but I thought we played a great game tonight,” Parenteau said. “Reims kept us in there early in the first period, but after that I thought we took over. The power play was clicking tonight, to say the least.”
Toronto improved to 6-9-1 on the season and has won four of the last five.
“Special teams is a huge thing around the League right now,” Parenteau said. “Five-on-five it’s pretty tight; it’s tough to get anything going. It’s a very tough League to score goals 5-on-5, we all know that, so it’s nice to have nights like tonight. It gives you a lot of confidence in your power play. It’s good for down the road too.”
James Reimer had 34 saves in the win.
“We were just not good enough tonight 4-on-5 or 5-on-4,” Colorado coach Patrick Roy said. “I never thought we could be worse than we were in Florida (Oct. 27) when the Panthers scored three power-play goals, but tonight was one of our worst performances. They scored four power-play goals and one shorthanded goal and that was the story of the game.”
Leafs coach Mike Babcock was pleased with Reimer’s effort in net.
“It’s real simple and it’s the way life works; if [you’re] given an opportunity and you do a good job, you usually get to keep the opportunity,” Babcock said. “If you don’t then someone else gets the opportunity. That’s the way life is. [Reimer] has confidence now. If he gives up a goal, it doesn’t seem to bother him. He just keeps making saves and playing good. The guys are confident in him and happy for him.”
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