SAN JOSE, Calif. _ Martin Jones demonstrated once again Wednesday night that he's more than comfortable playing on the biggest stages against some of the NHL's most marquee opponents.
Logan Couture and Joel Ward both scored and Jones finished with a season-high 33 saves as the San Jose Sharks earned an entertaining 2-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks before a national television audience and a crowd of 17,501 at SAP Center.
Building off of a 26-save shutout performance on Monday against New Jersey, Jones made nine saves in the third period, including a point blank stop on Artem Anisimov with 9:55 to go, as the Sharks, and Jones, improved to 6-2 on home ice.
Jones' only blemish came with 7:49 to go in the second period. On a 2 on 1, Artemi Panarin took a cross ice pass from Anisimov and rifled a slap shot past Jones to cut the Sharks' lead to 2-1.
The Sharks held onto a one-goal lead going into the third period as they weren't able to take advantage of a 5 on 3 late in the second.
Just 19 seconds after the Blackhawks were called for too many men with 4:32 to go in the second to bring about a 4-on-3, Tyler Motte was whistled for slashing Marc-Edouard Vlasic.
The Sharks managed three shots with the two-man advantage, but couldn't beat Corey Crawford, who rebounded from an uneven first to make 13 saves in the second.
Special teams gave the Sharks two first-period goals, as Couture scored for the third time in four games and Ward scored his first since the second game of the season.
Playing 4-on-3, Couture one-timed a pass from Pavelski right under the cross bar past Crawford with 8:28 to go in the first period. It was the third goal in four games for Couture, who also scored a power play goal against New Jersey on Monday.
The Blackhawks got a power play less than three minutes after Couture's goal, as Vlasic was sent off for slashing.
Brent Seabrook got a stick on Chris Tierney's clearing attempt up the middle, slowing the puck down just enough for Ward to catch up to it, freeze Crawford with a fake shot attempt and tuck it in from a sharp angle for a 2-0 Sharks lead.
Jones made 14 saves in the first period, including one on a partial breakaway by Motte with 6:42 left in the first.
An attempted shot by Dylan DeMelo, playing his first game of the season after David Schlemko was scratched, was blocked by Motte, who raced toward the Sharks' net. His shot was stopped by Jones, who followed that up with saves on Artemi Panarin and Ryan Hartman to keep the Blackhawks off the scoresheet.
The Sharks continue their homestand Friday afternoon against the New York Islanders, Saturday night against Anaheim and close it out Tuesday against Arizona.
