SAN JOSE -- The Sharks signed Joel Ward as a free agent last offseason for a handful of reasons. The biggest was because they knew he could deliver the type of game he played Friday night.
Ward played his best game of this season's playoffs, assisting on a tying goal by Tomas Hertl and scoring go-ahead goal with 8:11 left in the third period as the Sharks beat the Nashville Predators 5-2 to take Game 1 of the Western Conference second round series at SAP Center.Logan Couture scored the winner on the power play with 4:20 to go in the third period, then put things away with an empty net goal with 1:29 to go.