Sharks recover, defeat Coyotes in shootout in season opener

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Evander Kane and Tomas Hertl each scored three points, and the San Jose Sharks defeated the Arizona Coyotes 4-3 in the shootout at Gila River Arena on Thursday in the season opener for each team.

Kane had a goal and two assists, Hertl had two goals and an assist, and Martin Jones made 34 saves for the Sharks, who are starting the season with an eight-game road trip.
"It was nice to get off to a good start. It was good to get a win right away; it would have been a tough one to lose," Kane said. "Every game is a big game (in a 56-game season)."
The Coyotes trailed by two goals late in the third until Clayton Keller scored with 3:30 remaining to make it 3-2. With Arizona continuing to pressure, Phil Kessel held off defenseman Erik Karlsson in front to tie it at 3-3 with a goal with four seconds remaining.
"I thought for the most part it was pretty good," Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said. "We gave them two goals and they made the most of their chances. [But] it actually wasn't too bad. There were some elements where we had a chance to win the game."

Keller and Conor Garland each had a goal and an assist, Jakob Chychrun had two assists, and Darcy Kuemper made 32 saves for Arizona, which twice trailed by two goals.
"I think we actually played pretty well and guys played hard," Kessel said. "I thought it was OK for us."
John Leonard, playing on a line with Hertl and Kane, had two assists in his NHL debut. Ryan Donato and Logan Couture scored in the shootout, when Jones made the save on two of Arizona's three shooters.
"It's just part of the game, you know that's something you deal with as a goaltender," Jones said of allowing Kessel's late tying goal. "You learn how to move past goals, and there's no time to really feel sorry for yourself because we're in a tight game with a chance to win."
It was the Sharks' first game in 309 days. They were not among the 24 teams in the NHL Return to Play Plan after last season was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus.
"It's our first game in a long time. Some guys were playing their first NHL games and they were terrific. To play a game in this situation, I thought we did did very well," Couture said.

Hertl scored a power-play goal off a rebound left in the crease to make it 1-0 at 12:43 of the first. He deflected Leonard's backhand from the slot for a 2-0 lead at 16:51.
"It was good to get that lead," Hertl said. "It seemed last season like we were always behind by two goals."
Hertl has 14 goals and 23 points in 28 games against Arizona.
"He's so strong. He was taking the puck to the net and creating chances for his linemates, and when he plays like that, he's a beast," Couture said.
Garland cut it to 2-1 with a wrist shot from the right face-off circle at 15:46 of the second, the only Arizona goal in four power-play opportunities.

Kane outskated Chychrun to the net to make it 3-1 at 11:24 of the third.
"[Kane] used his speed and strength to step around Chychrun in the middle, it was great move on the breakaway," Couture said. "We would have liked to hang on to that lead and win the game in regulation, but we found a way to win it there in the shootout."
NOTES: Defenseman Nicolas Meloche was plus-1 in 5:43 in his NHL debut for San Jose. … Forwards Derick Brassard (one shot on goal in 19:54), Tyler Pitlick (two shots on goal in 16:56), Drake Caggiula (two shots on goal in 11:46) and Johan Larsson (two hits, one blocked shot in 12:41) each made his Coyotes debut after signing as a freee agent in the offseason. … Karlsson played 32:12, nearly eight minutes more than any Coyotes player. … Hertl hadn't played since Jan. 29, 2020, when he tore his ACL in a game against the Vancouver Canucks.