Hats off! Logan Couture’s hat trick leads Sharks past Avalanche in Game 3
DENVER — Logan Couture scored the go-ahead goal with just over seven minutes left in regulation time and completed his first career playoff hat trick with 29.5 seconds to go to lead the Sharks to a wild 4-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday in Game 3 of their second-round playoff series.
Just 65 seconds after Colorado’s Matt Nieto tied the game 2-2 off a redirection in from the Sharks’ net, Couture took a pass from Gus Nyquist, skated toward the Avalanche net and beat goalie Philipp Grubauer with 7:10 left in third period. His third goal came on an empty net, as the Sharks took a 2-1 series lead with Game 4 on Thursday.
“This is what you play hockey for. This is what you play 82 games for,” Couture said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to play on some very good teams and we’ve only missed the playoffs once since I’ve been in San Jose, and these games are so much fun.”
Couture now has an NHL-leading nine goals in 10 Sharks playoff games.
“Big game player. We had a bunch of big efforts tonight, but he was right at the top of the list,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said of Couture. “You take it for granted. He does it all time. In my time here, he’s done that regularly at this time of year.
“Big game player. Big play, and I think the right result for the work we put in tonight.”
Martin Jones finished with 25 saves, including 10 in the third period, as the Sharks killed all four of Colorado’s power plays.
“It starts with Jones. I thought our defensemen as a group, we had some guys have some great nights,” DeBoer said. “The PK was good, and I thought it’s been good all series. I know we’ve given up one or two. But I like how it feels. We’re killing with some confidence and it starts with your goals.”
The Sharks took a 2-1 lead into the third period.
Colorado cut the Sharks’ 2-0 lead in half in the second period when Brent Burns’ pass attempt from deep in his own end to Joe Thornton was picked off in the neutral zone by Ian Cole. He fed it to Nathan MacKinnon, who charged into the Sharks’ zone and snapped a shot past Jones at the 15:51 mark of the second.
MacKinnon’s goal extended his point streak to seven games. He had an assist in Game 1 and a goal and an assist in Game 2.
“It we can keep him to one (point) a night, I’ll take that every night of this series,” DeBoer said.
The Sharks got off to a slow start, but key saves by Jones on Alex Kerfoot and Sven Andrighetto less than three minutes into the first period allowed his teammates to find a rhythm.
Couture opened the scoring at the 15:24 mark of the first period, as after a second effort in front of the Avalanche net, he lifted a backhand past Grubauer for his seventh goal of the playoffs.
Timo Meier increased the Sharks’ lead to two just 3:18 later, as he intercepted an Erik Johnson pass attempt through the neutral zone, charged into the Avalanche end and fired a wrist shot past Grubauer.
The Avalanche entered Tuesday on an eight-game home win streak that started with a 3-0 win over New Jersey on March 17 and carried through the first round of the playoffs, where they beat Calgary in game 3 and 4 of that series.
“We’re working hard away from the puck. We’re checking as a five-man unit,” DeBoer said. “And that’s out of fear. You saw how dangerous they are when you give them room.”