Sharks eke out win over Lightning, end 8-game skid

Field Level Media|published: Fri 3rd January, 01:27 2025

Jan 2, 2025; San Jose, California, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (86) shoots the puck during the third period against San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (71) at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

Mario Ferraro produced a fight and the game-winning goal, Marc-Edouard Vlasic notched a point in his season debut and the San Jose Sharks broke an eight-game losing streak by edging the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on Thursday.

Ending an 0-7-1 streak, the Sharks beat the Lightning for just the third time in the past 14 meetings (3-10-1).

Ferraro put the home side up 2-0 in the second period after fighting with Mitchell Chaffee earlier in the frame.

Tyler Toffoli netted his team-leading 15th goal for San Jose.

Vlasic returned after missing camp and the first 40 games of the season due to an upper-back injury. Playing in his 1,297th career game, the 19-year-veteran dished out a helper on Toffoli's marker.

San Jose's Collin Graf, in his season debut, played left wing on the second line with center Macklin Celebrini and right winger Will Smith. Luke Kunin skated in his 400th game.

In a matchup of Russian goaltenders, San Jose's Yaroslav Askarov made 24 saves to outduel Tampa Bay's Andrei Vasilevskiy (23 saves).

Anthony Cirelli collected the Lightning's lone goal. Left winger Jake Guentzel returned from a one-game injury absence.

The Sharks' youthful talent had plenty of jump in the first period, putting up much more of a fight than they did in an 8-1 loss in Tampa on Dec. 5. On that occasion, the Lightning led 5-0 after one period.

Askarov stood out in goal with seven early saves, including a point-blank stop of Conor Geekie, before Toffoli tallied by toe-dragging around defenseman Ryan McDonagh at 13:52.

After each club squandered a power-play chance in the second, Ferraro finished off a pass from Granlund on a rush and put the Sharks up 2-0 at 12:55.

Cirelli finally put the visitors on the board in transition with a tip-in of Erik Cernak's long shot at 17:44 of the second period.

Just over four minutes into the third, Askarov preserved the one-goal lead by sliding across and stopping Nick Paul on the far post with a glove save in front of an open net.

Tampa Bay captain Victor Hedman went to the dressing room with 10:57 to play after being cut when a puck struck him near his ear. He did not return.

--Field Level Media

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