SAN JOSE — The Sharks have had one of the hottest power plays in the NHL over the last three weeks and added another goal with the man advantage Thursday night against the Calgary Flames.
The Sharks also showed some persistence at even strength, and found a way in a shootout to beat another Pacific Division opponent.
Joe Pavelski scored his eighth goal of the season in the first period, Timo Meier added an even strength marker with eight minutes to go in the third and Joonas Donskoi scored the clinching goal in the shootout as the Sharks earned a 3-2 win at SAP Center.
Pavelski also scored in the shootout and goalie Martin Jones made 32 saves through three periods and overtime as the Sharks moved four points up on the Flames and Anaheim Ducks for third place in the Pacific. Thursday’s win wrapped up a six-game stint against division foes in which the Sharks went 4-1-1.
“The division games are always important, and to just get the ball rolling after Christmas, it’s nice to get a win,” Jones said.
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Pavelski’s first period goal was his second on the man advantage in four games. The Sharks out-shot the Flames 16-14 at even strength through two periods, but it wasn’t until Meier redirected a shot from Brent Burns that they were able to beat Calgary goalie David Rittich a second time.
The Sharks have now earned points in seven of 16 games this season when they’ve trailed after two periods.
“I think there is some confidence there. There’s never any panic. You don’t sense any of that on the bench,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said. “It depends how the game’s going. Even tonight, I thought we had some really good looks. The fact we had one goal after two periods, I thought the guys felt there was a goal there somewhere.”
Pavelski’s nifty power play goal came from the slot off a pass from Joe Thornton and tied the game at one 7:16 into the game. But a pair of needless Sharks penalties after that point erased any potential momentum.
Less than two minutes after the Sharks killed an interference call on Mikkel Boedker, Donskoi was whistled for tripping. The Flames took advantage as Mikael Backlund redirected a pass from Matthew Tkachuk into an open Sharks net for a 2-1 Calgary lead with 4:15 to go in the first period.
Pavelski’s goal with the man advantage gave the Sharks at least one power play marker in nine straight games. Prior to Thursday, San Jose had gone 13 for 38 in eight games to improve to seventh in the NHL with the man advantage at 22.1 percent.
Brent Burns, Tomas Hertl and Thornton have led the Sharks during this stretch with three power play goals each, followed by Pavelski with two and Logan Couture and Chris Tierney with one each. Calgary entered Thursday with a penalty kill ranked 26th in the NHL at 77.6 percent.
Thursday’s game not only marked the last of six for the Sharks against Pacific Division teams, it was one of their last dates at SAP Center between now and the first week of February.
The Sharks now own a intra-division record of 8-2-3. By earning nine of a possible 12 points against Pacific teams since Dec. 14, and improving to 3-1 without injured center Logan Couture, the Sharks were able to give themselves a bit of breathing room in the still-tight Western Conference.
“Critical points, especially with Couture out of the lineup,” DeBoer said. “We talked about that, the ability to put teams in holes behind you and not let them close the gap. We all know how important the last 40 games are and some of these teams are going to go on runs. You want to give yourself as much of a cushion as you can.”
Thursday’s game is one of only five the Sharks will play at home between now and Feb. 6. In between are two five-game road trips, one three-game trip, a bye week and a single road game in Anaheim on Jan. 21.
The first of those five-game road trips starts Sunday in Dallas.
▪ Couture missed his fourth straight game as he continues to recover from a concussion suffered Dec. 15. Couture did skate for the second straight day Thursday. Forward Barclay Goodrow remained on injured reserve with a lower body injury.
▪ Defenseman Brenden Dillon played in his 400th career NHL game Thursday, 251 of which have come with the Sharks. His first game on Apr. 4, 2012 came with the Dallas Stars under current Calgary coach Glen Gulutzan.
▪ The Sharks announced Thursday they have signed forwards Joachim Blichfeld, 19, and Jayden Halbgewachs, 20, to entry level contracts. Blichfeld was the Sharks’ seventh round draft pick in 2016 and Halbgewachs was undrafted.