SAN JOSE, Calif. — Tomas Hertl and Erik Karlsson scored even-strength goals and James Reimer shined in his first start in close to two weeks as the San Jose Sharks beat the Dallas Stars 2-1 on Saturday at SAP Center.
Karlsson’s goal came at the 16:28 mark of the second period, as he took a pass from Timo Meier and fired a shot past Stars goalie Braden Holtby for a 2-0 Sharks lead. His goal turned out to be the winner after Michael Raffl scored at the 8:26 mark of the third period to cut the Sharks’ lead in half.
Karlsson now had 10 points in his last 10 games, and his eight goals in 22 games already match his total from last season when he played 52 games.
Meier and Alexander Barabanov had two assists as the Sharks improved to 2-1-0 on their season-long seven-game homestand that continues Tuesday against the Seattle Kraken.
Reimer stopped all 24 shots he faced in the first two periods, including seven on three Sharks penalty kills, as he won for the fifth time in his last six starts. He finished with 34 saves.
Reimer hadn’t played since Nov. 30 against New Jersey as he recovered from a lower-body injury that he said took place the day after his start against the Devils.
Reimer came up especially big in the first period with 14 saves, as the Sharks took a 1-0 lead into the intermission on Hertl’s goal. Meier fired a shot at the Stars’ net that went off Hertl’s leg and past Holtby for his team-leading 14th goal this season.
Saturday marked Joe Pavelski’s second time back inside SAP Center since he signed a three-year contract with the Stars in July 2019. Pavelski’s first game in San Jose after he signed with the Stars was on Jan. 11, 2020.
Reimer stopped 32 of 34 shots in the Sharks’ 5-2 win over the Devils last month. Reimer said he tweaked something in his lower body the next day, thrusting Adin Hill into the No. 1 role.
The Sharks went 2-3-0 without Reimer, as Hill, in five straight starts, had a respectable .913 save percentage and a 2.62 goals-against average.
Reimer, playing in his 400th career NHL game Saturday, had a .934 save percentage at the time of the injury, a mark tied for fourth-best in the league among 42 goalies who had played at least 10 games. He also had a 2.11 goals-against average.
Reimer went through warmups Thursday before the Sharks’ game with the Minnesota Wild, and was on the ice for Friday’s optional practice.
“You have to prepare well in the days leading up to (the game), so I feel like I’ve put in the work and practiced well,” Reimer said Saturday morning of the break between games. “Now it’s just kind of let that carry over into the game, just let your body take over.”
Sharks forward Kevin Labanc was knocked out of Saturday’s game in the first period by a hit from Dallas Stars defenseman Jani Hakanpaa.
Labanc was hit by Hakanpaa on his first shift and immediately went back to the Sharks’ dressing room. The Sharks announced before the start of the second period that Labanc would not return.
Labanc was in his second game back after being a healthy scratch for Tuesday’s home game with the Calgary Flames. Labanc was reinserted into the lineup for Thursday’s game with the Minnesota Wild and Sharks coach Bob Boughner said it was the best the 25-year-old forward had looked all season.
Labanc entered Saturday’s game with six points in 20 games. He once started the game on the Sharks’ fourth line with Jasper Weatherby and Jonah Gadjovich.
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