The Sharks are rolling on the road.
Patrick Marleau, Tommy Wingels and Marc-Edouard Vlasic scored goals and Martin Jones made 25 saves as San Jose downed the Lightning at Amalie Arena on Saturday, 3-1.
San Jose is now a perfect 3-0 on its season-long six-game road trip, including earlier wins this week over Washington and Florida.
Marleau’s goal at 7:18 of the first period was allowed to stand after a lengthy review. After a burst of speed towards the net, Marleau squeezed the puck and went over the line nearly the same time as the net came off its moorings, as Marleau and a pair of Lightning players plowed into the crease.
The original call was that the goal would not count due to incidental contact between Marleau and goalie Ben Bishop, but a coaches challenge revealed that it was Brayden Point that ran into his goalie.
The Sharks’ fourth line got its second goal in as many nights in increase the lead to 2-0. Melker Karlsson pushed the puck ahead to Chris Tierney, and Tierney found Wingels streaking towards the crease. Wingels, who also scored the game-winner against the Panthers on Thursday, chipped the puck through Bishop at 10:04.
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The only goal of the second period came on the power play. Vlasic settled the puck down high in the zone, and found the top corner on Bishop, who may have been screened by Brian Boyle at 8:52.
Tampa’s lone score came at 5:43 of the third, when Anton Stralman’s shot after a scramble in front deflected in off of Paul Martin’s stick. Jones made a number of saves later in the third to preserve the cushion.
San Jose has won four straight games in Tampa Bay, and is 11-4-1 in its last 15 meetings with the Lightning overall.
Special teams
Vlasic’s goal ended an 0-for-14 on the power play on the road for the Sharks, who came into the game just 1-for-16 overall in their last five games. It was San Jose’s only power play of the night.
Tampa Bay, which brought the third-ranked power play into the game, went 0-for-2.
The Sharks’ impressive penalty killing streak remains intact, going 24-for-24 over the past 10 games.
In goal
Jones made his 10th straight start, and 14th out of 15 overall. He’s now a career 2-0 against the Lightning, and has stopped 71 of 74 shots on the road trip so far (.959 SP).
Bishop fell to 2-4-1 all time against San Jose, allowing three goals on 20 shots. He denied Joonas Donskoi on a penalty shot at 4:05 of the first period while the game was still scoreless.
Lineup
The Sharks lost Karlsson after the first period. The forward may have been suffering from blocking a Victor Hedman blast early in the game, although he briefly returned after that and assisted on Wingels’ goal.
Rookie Kevin Labanc also left the bench for a stretch in the first period, but returned for the second.
Up next
The Sharks make their one and only visit to the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday. The trip continues in St. Louis on Thursday, and concludes in Arizona next Saturday, Nov. 19.
