COLUMBUS – The NHL’s best road team from a season ago is off to a good start this year now, too.
Mikkel Boedker and Joel Ward scored first period goals, and the Sharks never trailed in a 3-2 win over Columbus at Nationwide Arena on Saturday night.
The Sharks outshot the Blue Jackets 11-2 in the first period on their way to claiming the early lead.
Boedker’s first score with the Sharks put San Jose ahead, 1-0. Logan Couture threw the puck towards the net from the wall, and it ended up on Boedker’s stick in the circle. He squeezed it under the arm of Sergei Bobrovsky at 9:22.
Ward’s first goal of the season increased the Sharks’ lead to 2-0, when he redirected a scorching pass from Burns in the corner at 14:54.
The Blue Jackets made a push in the third period, finally solving Jones with a power play goal at 3:44. Rookie Zach Werenski’s low wrist shot from the point nicked Justin Braun’s stick and fluttered through for his first career goal.
Patrick Marleau scored a late power play, empty-net goal to incrase the Sharks’ lead to 3-1. Josh Anderson tallied on a scramble with 22 seconds to go to cap the scoring, and Columbus never got close to tying it up after that.
According to Elias, the Sharks entered the game as the NHL’s oldest team, while Columbus is the youngest.
San Jose has four games remaining on its road trip, and doesn’t play at home again until Oct. 25 against Anaheim.
Columbus, which lost its first eight games in regulation last season, dropped to 0-2.
Special teams
The Sharks could have blown the game open in the first or second periods, but the power play couldn’t convert on five total chances. That includes a double-minor to Oliver Bjorkstrand for high-sticking Burns at 4:19 of the first period that Columbus killed off to keep it scoreless.
Columbus finished 1-for-2. San Jose has been shorthanded just three times through the first two games.
In goal
Jones has started and won each of the Sharks’ first two games. He made 27 saves.
Bobrovsky took the loss, his second, with two goals allowed on 37 shots.
Lineup
San Jose iced its same lineup as Wednesday. Ryan Carpenter was recalled from the Barracuda on Friday as an extra body in case he’s needed at some point on the trip.
Also on Friday, Timo Meier was assigned to the Barracuda as he continues to recover from mono.
Up next
The Sharks will have Sunday off before resuming their road trip at Madison Square Garden on Monday against the Rangers, and Tuesday at Barclays Center against the Islanders in their first of 16 back-to-back games of the season.
