ST. PAUL, Minn. _ The corner is clearly being turned.
After an up and down opening two months of the season, things are starting to fall in place for the Sharks (19-11-5), who picked up their seventh win in eight games by beating the Minnesota Wild, 4-0, in St. Paul Tuesday night.
In doing so, the Sharks completed a quick two-game road trip through the upper Midwest with a perfect record, extending their winning streak to a season-best five games.
Logan Couture broke a scoreless tie at 9:49 of the second, burying a feed from Lukas Radil in the slot after he jumped on the ice in place of Barclay Goodrow as the fourth line worked the cycle game at the end of a long shift.
Radil, who's helped change the course of the fourth line's season since he rejoined the lineup on Dec. 8, found Couture with a no-look backhanded pass from below the goal line. The 28-year-old rookie also scored an empty-netter with 2:15 left in the third, recording his first multi-point night, giving him five points in five games.
The Sharks added to the lead just 29 seconds later. Joe Pavelski scored his 21st off a breakaway after Tomas Hertl sent him in alone with a stretch pass through the neutral zone. Couture scored his second of the game and 12th of the season in the opening minute of the third, benefitting from a pair of highlight reel passes.
First, Erik Karlsson slipped a no-look pass over to Hertl with his back turned away from the play and two defenders putting him a straightjacket near the side boards. Then, Hertl flipped a backhander over to Couture, giving him an open look on the left wing.
Martin Jones rebounded from his worst start of the year by pitching his first shutout of the season.
Head coach Pete DeBoer pulled Jones from the game after just 13:53 Sunday, the result of surrendering three goals on the first four shots he faced. Jones made 26 saves in the win.
Timo Meier dropped the gloves in his first NHL fight at 5:05 of the second, mixing it up with Greg Pateryn. Radim Simek, who skated in his eighth straight game after making his NHL debut on Dec. 2, earned a pair of primary assists.
The Sharks will return to action at SAP Center Thursday, opening a three-game homestand against the Winnipeg Jets.
