Coyotes 1 - 4 Sharks
Final
  for this game

Sharks down Coyotes

Oct 6, 2013 - 6:47 AM San Jose, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Tomas Hertl scored the first two goals of his NHL career to lead the San Jose Sharks to a 4-1 win over the Phoenix Coyotes.

Patrick Marleau also scored in the opening period and Logan Couture added an empty-netter to power the Sharks, who fired 51 shots on net. Antti Niemi made 22 saves for San Jose, which won as the host over Vancouver Thursday.

After giving up three goals on 18 shots in the first period, Mike Smith made 32 saves over the final two stanzas. That wasn't enough for the Coyotes, who failed to build on a 4-1 season-opening win over the New York Rangers Thursday.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson had the only goal for Phoenix.

"We didn't execute well," Phoenix coach Dave Tippett said. "We got out-battled on loose pucks. When you don't have the puck ever you're chasing the game."

Hertl's first goal came after Marc-Edouard Vlasic passed the puck from his own blue line. Hertl raced between defenders before delivering a backhand past Smith 46 seconds into the game.

The Sharks went on the power play later in the first when Ekman-Larsson went off for holding. Off the draw, Matt Irwin sent the puck from near the blue line toward the net, and the disc deflected off Hertl and past Smith at the 7:23 mark.

"I think it's great. You can see how he's having fun with it," Marleau said of Hertl's excited demeanor. "He's smiling a lot. He brings a lot of energy to the group and it's fun to see."

Marleau scored on the power play on a rebound at the left of the net with 7 1/2 minutes left in the first.

Ekman-Larsson tallied with 3:13 remaining in the second on a wrister from the right circle, but Couture sealed the outcome in the final minute of regulation.

Game Notes

The Sharks have captured 10 of their last 12 at home against the Coyotes ... Phoenix hasn't won consecutive games to begin a season since going 2-0 at the start of the 2009-10 campaign ... The Sharks opened the lockout-shortened year with seven consecutive wins. They'll try for a 3-0 start Tuesday at home against the Rangers.






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