Couture lifts Sharks past Lightning 2-1
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - For Logan Couture, a game-winning goal can be just the thing to help him feel better.
Couture scored 22 seconds into the third period and the San Jose Sharks beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on Thursday night.
On Tuesday, Couture was dealing with an illness that left him weak and dehydrated. The team told him not to bother coming on the short trip to Los Angeles earlier in the week.
Instead, he spent his time trying to sleep and making trips to the hospital for IVs.
"It hit me pretty hard," Couture said. "I lost 6 pounds and didn't get much sleep. It's been a rough 48 hours."
Couture remains less than 100 percent, but taking short shifts helped keep him fresh.
"It felt like a little bit of a struggle," he said. "Taking shots helps and making the right plays."
Ryan Carpenter also scored for the Sharks, who won their third straight and fifth in seven games overall.
Jonathan Drouin scored for the Lightning, who fell to 2-6-1 in their last nine games and 2-9-3 over their past 14 road games.
"It was a good game for us if you look at our play," Tampa Bay's Anton Stralman said. "We just can't find the back of the net. It's a little tough when you finally turn our game around and play some good hockey and you can't find the goal."
Rookie Aaron Dell stopped 24 of 25 shots to improve to 8-2. Andrei Vasilevskiy saved 22 of 24 shots.
"He made some big saves," Carpenter said. "Whenever he plays, he does well."
Following a scoreless first period during which the goalies combined to stop 18 shots, Carpenter got the Sharks on the scoreboard five minutes into the second period for his second goal of the season in his second game back with the club.
Paul Martin passed it to Carpenter, whose shot deflected off a defenseman's ankle and past Vasilevskiy.
"I wish I could tell you I was trying to do that, but I wasn't," Carpenter said. "I just popped open and tried to get it off quick."
Drouin tied it less than two minutes later on a power-play goal. After taking a pass from Brian Boyle, Drouin avoided a couple of defenders and fired the goal past Dell on a great individual effort.
"I think we had our fair share of chances," Tampa Bay's Alex Killorn said. "It just seems to be one of those road trips where we're playing really well, we're just not getting a ton of goals."
Another individual effort, this time from the Sharks' Kevin Labanc early in the third period, led to Couture's winner.
Labanc battled to win the puck along the board behind the net and freed it to Couture, whose shot took Vasilevskiy by surprise.
NOTES: Lightning D Victor Hedman missed his third straight game due to illness. ... The Sharks placed Micheal Healy on injured reserve and recalled Joonas Donski from IR. ... Lightning C Brian Boyle has three points in the five games since returning from injury. ... Drouin has points in nine of his last 11 games. ... Couture has goals in three of his last five games.
UP NEXT
Lightning: Travels to Phoenix to take on the Arizona Coyotes in the fourth of a six-game road trip.
Sharks: Remain at home to play the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday.