James Reimer made 30 saves to help the visiting San Jose Sharks to a 2-1 win against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday.
Logan Couture and Kevin Labanc scored for the Sharks, who won their third straight game to open the season.
Drake Batherson scored and Matt Murray, in his first game of the season, made 22 saves for the Senators.
San Jose had the early edge, outshooting the Senators 5-1 nearly halfway through the first period.
Batherson connected on Ottawa’s second shot on goal to open the scoring at 10:06 of the first period. Batherson drove down the left wing and fired from the left dot on a 2-on-1 to give the Senators a 1-0 lead. Brady Tkachuk, making his season debut, earned the primary assist on the goal.
Less than two minutes later, defenseman Brent Burns fed Andrew Cogliano for a tap-in chance on the doorstep, but Murray was able to slide over in time for the save.
Labanc went far top corner from the left circle at 13:38 to tie it for San Jose but Ottawa won a challenge for offside, wiping the goal off the board.
Burns sent a seam pass to an uncovered Couture at the back door, and the Sharks’ captain swept in a backhand to tie it 1-1 at 1:58 of the second period.
Labanc made up for his overturned goal at 14:36, wiring a one-timer off a feed from Erik Karlsson to make it 2-1. It was Karlsson’s first point against his former club in three games against them.
Josh Norris came close to evening things up just 32 seconds into the third period, but his shot hit the crossbar.
Senators forward Shane Pinto left the game early in the first period after a hit in the corner from Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro. He returned for one shift early in the second period but left again with an upper-body injury.
–Field Level Media
