SAN JOSE – A full house, 17,562 fans at SAP Center at San Jose, came away happy Wednesday night as the Sharks opened the 2016-7 NHL season with a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings.
Brent Burns broke a 1-1 deadlock with a goal 3:20 into the third period. Logan Couture controlled the puck along the offensive zone boards before feeding Joonas Donskoi at the left circle. Donskoi’s shot with turned back by Kings defenseman Drew Doughty but Burns was in position to score the game-winner from between the circles.
“The first 10 minutes we were standing, watching some, but I liked the rest of the game,” said Sharks coach Peter DeBoer.
Mikkel Boedker was a plus-one while playing 15:38 in his first game for the Sharks.
“He had some electricity on some of those rushes,” said the coach. “He will be a big addition for us.”
The Sharks open a five-game road trip Saturday night against Columbus. The defending Western Conference champion takes on the New York Rangers Monday, the Islanders Tuesday, Cup titlist Pittsburgh Thursday Oct. 20 and Detroit Saturday Oct. 22.
Goaltender Martin Jones, playing his 100th career NHL game, provided 21 saves as the Sharks shook off a 1-0 deficit after 82 seconds of play to earn their seventh consecutive season-opening victory.
San Jose went down one skater 33 seconds into the opening period when Couture was whistled for tripping Anze Kopitar. The Kings sent two shots on net against Jones before Tyler Toffoli snapped a high shot from the right circle that skimmed over Jones’ shoulder and into the netting at the 1:22 mark. Kopitar and Doughty earned assists.
The Sharks, with a 15-7 edge in shots on net for the period, pulled even at the 14:05 mark off a Couture power play goal.
Kyle Clifford earned the second Kings penalty of the night when he was called for interference at 13:12. Couture, moving toward the net from the high slot, accepted a pass from Joe Pavelski and sent the shot inside the top right corner for the 1-1 tie.
Joe Thornton earned the second assist, lifting him into 13th place among all-time NHL assist leaders with 965.
Following the tying goal, Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick and Pavelski for each given two-minute penalties for roughing. Quick finished the first period but was replaced by Jeff Zatkoff at the start of the second period.
