Sharks 5, Canadiens 0: San Jose’s sizzling top line paves way to impressive road win

MONTREAL – The Sharks have only played two games but already it feels like they’re a different team than they’ve been the last two seasons.

Better on the forecheck and quicker to pucks all over the ice. More organized defensively, a deeper forward group, and improved in goal. Cohesive all around.

Playing their first game in Canada since February 2020, the Sharks used all those attributes to earn a 5-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday at Bell Centre.

Timo Meier and Erik Karlsson each had a goal and two assists, Jonathan Dahlen scored his first two NHL goals and Logan Couture added two assists in a dominating performance by the Sharks’ top line.

Kevin Labanc also scored and goalie Adin Hill made 21 saves, including 11 in the second period, for his first shutout with his new team as the Sharks are 2-0-0 for the first time since 2016. The Sharks have missed the playoffs for two consecutive seasons.

“It’s definitely a different feeling. There’s no secret there,” Sharks coach Bob Boughner said. “The guys are playing hard for each other, fighting hard, and having fun doing it.

“I said it earlier in (training) camp, the dressing room has been the best I’ve seen it in a long time.”

The game was also the first for the Sharks since the NHL announced a 21-game suspension Monday for forward Evander Kane for violating the league’s COVID protocols. Kane will not be eligible to play again until Nov. 30 in New Jersey.

Here are the takeaways from Tuesday’s game.

SIZZLING TOP LINE: Dahlen, playing just his second NHL game, struck for two goals in the first 3:36 of the first period. His first goal came on a double-redirection, as a shot from the point by Brent Burns went off Meier’s stick, then off of Dahlen before it got past Canadiens goalie Jake Allen just 82 seconds into the first period.

Then on his second goal, Dahlen followed up Couture’s shot on Allen as he got behind the Canadiens’ defense and tapped the puck past Allen at the 3:36 mark of the first.

“They’ve had some chemistry throughout camp and we’ve kept them together for the most part,” Boughner said of the line. “Dahlen’s a real smart player, and I think he’s a good complement to that line.”

Couture was flying all night. Besides his two helpers and work on the backcheck and in the defensive end, he won 11 of 16 faceoffs.

“I feel energized,” Couture said. “Last year was tough for a lot of reasons. This year, I’m excited and I feel good about my game.”

Meier, too, continued his strong start to the season, and again showed why he loves playing against the Canadiens. He came into Tuesday with four goals in five career games against Montreal and besides his helpers on Dahlen’s goals, beat Allen 38 seconds into the second period as the Sharks scored their third power-play goal of the season.

“Timo has found a different gear,” Boughner said. “He looked like a man amongst boys out there tonight.”

HILL STEADY: Hill gave the Sharks another solid performance, but a nod must be given to the skaters around him as well.

Hill made 20 saves in the Sharks’ season-opening 4-3 win over Winnipeg on Saturday, but the Jets only managed 13 shots over the final 40 minutes.

Tuesday, the Sharks held the Canadiens to just three shots in the first period, and four through the first 15 minutes of the third.

Hill made four saves in the final four minutes, and Radim Simek had one of the 19 blocked shots the Sharks were credited with, to help earn the fourth shutout of his career. He also stopped Josh Anderson on his breakaway late in the second period to keep the Sharks ahead 4-0.

ANOTHER SPECIAL NIGHT: Besides the power-play goals by Meier and Labanc, the Sharks also killed a delay of game – puck over glass call on Jasper Weatherby in the second period and a holding call on Lane Peterson in the third. The Sharks also won the special teams game Saturday against Winnipeg with two power-play goals and three kills.

ROAD DOGS: In 2016-17, the Sharks won their first game at home, beating Los Angeles, before they started a five-game trip against Eastern Conference teams. They returned home with a 3-3-0 record.

The Sharks’ road trip continues Thursday in Ottawa and continues with games in Toronto on Friday, Boston on Sunday, and Nashville next Tuesday.

The last time the Sharks had a winning road record was 2018-19 when they went 21-16-4 to help finish second in the Pacific Division.

Despite having six rookies on their active roster at the moment, the Sharks feel they can be a better team away from home because of their depth. Having Nick Bonino and Matt Nieto on the third line and Andrew Cogliano on the fourth line gives Boughner a little more confidence that he won’t face as many matchup nightmares on the road as he had last season.