Collin Graf scored two goals and Will Smith had a goal and an assist in the San Jose Sharks’ 4-2 win over the visiting Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday.
The Sharks ended a three-game losing streak overall, and a five-game skid on home ice. San Jose’s 22 home points (from a 10-20-2 record) are the fewest in the NHL.
Chicago’s 19 away points (7-22-5) also rank last in the league. The Blackhawks are 0-2-1 in the first three stops on their four-game road trip.
Sharks goalie Alexandar Georgiev stopped 24 of 26 shots to earn his 13th win of the season.
Tyler Toffoli scored the Sharks’ other goal, an empty-net tally with 33 seconds left.
Graf recorded the first multi-point performance of his 30-game NHL career. Smith is on a five-game point streak, and the forward has 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in his last nine games.
Frank Nazar and Ilya Mikheyev scored for Chicago, and Spencer Knight stopped 21 of 24 shots.
Connor Bedard was issued a 10-minute misconduct penalty for verbal abuse of officials midway through the third period. Missing their points leader for most of the period, the Blackhawks weren’t able to find the late equalizer.
San Jose built a 2-0 lead in the first period off a pair of one-timers. Smith converted from the upper slot 3:48 into the game, and Graf followed up with a wrist shot at the 10:16 mark that deflected off the post and past Knight.
The Blackhawks struck back just 10 seconds after winning the second period’s opening face-off. The puck was quickly moved to Nazar, who beat Georgiev on a wrist shot from the circle.
During a San Jose power play 10:17 into the second period, Smith’s attempt at another one-timer goal paid off in unexpected fashion. Smith’s shot was deflected, but the puck went to Graf in front for the tip-in score.
Mikheyev again made it a one-goal game three minutes later. Ryan Donato sent a slick backhanded pass to the front of the net, finding Mikheyev for the forward’s fifth goal in his last eight games.
–Field Level Media
