By Taylor Lupetti (@tayclupetti ):
The San Jose Sharks blew the Anaheim Ducks out of the water in Game 3 of Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with an explosive 8-1 slaughter.
San Jose goaltender Martin Jones’ 46 saves was a career high for the 28-year-old’s postseason career.
Leading goal scorer Logan Couture got the game going 3:44 into the first period with his 32nd-career playoff goal. The left-wing forward also racked up two assists later in the game.
Anaheim answered Couture’s goal 10 minutes later when left-wing forward Rickard Rakell scored on Martin Jones with a power-play goal to send the game into the second period tied.
The electric second period started with left-wing forward Joonas Donskoi’s goal a little over a minute after intermission with an assist from playoffs first-timer Evander Kane.
Donskoi came back and assisted fellow left-wing forward Marcus Sorensen two minutes later to give San Jose a two-goal lead.
Following Donskoi’s footsteps, Sorensen passed his scoring magic to center Eric Fehr by assisting a goal that made it 4-1 in the second half of the period.
Center Tomas Hertl finished the frame off with San Jose’s fourth unanswered goal.
Hertl’s power-play goal sent the Sharks into the third period with the Ducks drowning in their four goal deficit.
After allowing five pucks to pass the red line on 24 shots, Anaheim’s goal minder John Gibson was relieved by backup Ryan Miller in the third period.
San Jose wasn’t done yet.
After a scoreless first half of the final period, captain Joe Pavelski broke through with a power-play goal to add to the Sharks’ kill, 6-1.
After scoring two goals in the first playoff game of his career, Kane came home to SAP Center and scored his third-career playoff goal. The left-wing forward’s power-play goal at 17:16 made it 7-1 as the game wrapped up.
The win was sealed for San Jose with right-wing forward Timo Meier’s power-play goal with 24 seconds remaining in the game, which made it 8-1.
The Sharks look to continue the “tank turn up” with an opportunity to sweep the series on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. when they return to home ice for Game 4.