Jonas Johansson crafted his second straight shutout and the host Tampa Bay Lightning blitzed their way to a trio of first-period goals en route to a 6-0 victory over the winless San Jose Sharks on Thursday.
In his fifth consecutive game manning the Tampa Bay net, Johansson (4-1-2) stopped all 23 shots by the Sharks after making 32 saves while beating the Carolina Hurricanes 3-0 on Tuesday.
Johansson logged his third career shutout.
Brayden Point, Michael Eyssimont and Steven Stamkos scored in the opening 20 minutes for the Lightning, who moved to 3-0-1 on their five-game homestand and 4-0-1 on home ice.
Brandon Hagel, Nicholas Paul and Luke Glendening also found the net. Victor Hedman, Mikhail Sergachev and Nick Perbix recorded two assists apiece as Tampa Bay defensemen racked up a total of eight helpers. Stamkos also had two points.
In all, 14 Lightning players hit the scoresheet as Tampa Bay improved to 9-1-1 in its past 11 games against the Sharks.
San Jose’s Mackenzie Blackwood (0-4-1) surrendered five goals on 21 shots before being removed before the game’s halfway point. Kaapo Kahkonen entered and posted nine saves on 10 shots.
Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic missed his second straight game. Forward Alexander Barabanov broke his finger in San Jose’ 3-1 loss at Florida on Tuesday and was placed on injured reserve.
The Sharks have managed just eight goals in their seven games (0-6-1), and they remain the only winless team in the NHL.
In a dominant first period with the majority played near Blackwood, the Lightning needed just 1:41 before Point notched his second goal in as many outings by ringing a shot in off the far post.
Shortly after Tampa Bay’s first power play expired, the Lightning went up 2-0 at 6:03 when former Sharks forward Eyssimont, while falling to the ice, clipped Calvin de Haan’s long attempt past Blackwood for his second goal.
The Lightning’s next power play — a five-on-three advantage late in the period — produced a goal. Stamkos lifted a wrist shot over Blackwood for his third of the season.
The second period started out much like the first.
Just over four minutes in, Alex Barre-Boulet fed a quick pass to Hagel, who zoomed in on a short breakaway for his fifth tally. Paul backhanded in his fifth marker 3:28 later, chasing Blackwood from the 5-0 blowout.
The only drama left in the final period was if Johansson could lock down another shutout, but not before Glendening scored his first with the Lightning on a deflection that caromed off two Sharks at 5:44.
–Field Level Media
