Timo Meier, the Sharks’ leading scorer, scored two goals as San Jose defeated the New Jersey Devils 5-2 on Tuesday night. James Reimer contributed 32 saves.
Noah Gregor, Jacob Middleton, and Erik Karlsson also contributed goals for the Sharks, who have started their five-game road trip with a 2-0 record.
Tomas Tatar and Jesper Bratt found the back of the net for the Devils, while Mackenzie Blackwood made 26 saves.
Gregor scored at 4:26 of the first period with his first goal of the season, assisted by Radim Simek and Marc-Edouard Vlasic.
Middleton doubled the lead at 4:14 of the second period, scoring his second goal of the season with assists from Gregor and Alexander Barabanov. Middleton’s goal marked his second in 30 NHL games, having spent most of his career with the Sharks’ AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda.
“Another big road win for our team,” Middleton said. “We wanted to start strong, and we did just that.”
Meier made it 3-0 midway through the second period with a power-play goal, and Karlsson extended the lead shortly after, making it 4-0.
“It was a solid game for us,” Sharks coach Bob Boughner said. “We had contributions from across the lineup and scored some timely goals.”
Despite having forward Jack Hughes back in the lineup for the first time since the second game of the season, the Devils struggled offensively until the third period.
“Jack skated well at times,” Devils coach Lindy Ruff said of Hughes, who missed 17 games with a shoulder injury. “He had some opportunities that just didn’t convert into goals.”
Tatar ended Reimer’s shutout bid with his fourth goal at 9:12 of the third period, assisted by Pavel Zacha and Nico Hischier. Bratt then narrowed the gap to 4-2 with his sixth goal at 12:49, assisted by Andreas Johnsson.
“Our puck play wasn’t good, and our defense wasn’t sharp,” Ruff said. “They capitalized on our mistakes, and we missed some good chances.”
Meier sealed the game with his second goal, an empty-netter, three minutes before the end.
“He’s been one of our best players all year,” Boughner said of Meier, who leads the Sharks with 22 points. “He’s doing all the right things this season.”
The Devils announced earlier Tuesday that Hughes had signed an eight-year, $64 million contract extension starting next season.
“He’s a tremendous competitor and a great kid,” Ruff said of Hughes, the first overall pick in the 2019 draft. “He always wants to be out there.”
Hughes said, “I felt pretty good out there, but I need to produce more and put the puck on the net.”
Game Notes
Former Devils John MacLean and John Madden are assistant coaches with the Sharks. The Sharks scratched forwards Scott Reedy and Jasper Weatherby, and defenseman Santeri Hatakka. The Devils scratched defensemen Mason Geertsen and Colton White.
Up Next
- Devils: Visit the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night.
- Sharks: They are scheduled to visit the New York Islanders on Thursday night, though the Islanders’ last two games have been postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak.
