The San Jose Sharks struck early on Thursday night, scoring two first-period goals en route to a 5-2 victory over the Florida Panthers at SAP Center.
Five different players found the back of the net for San Jose in Florida’s fourth straight defeat. Backup goaltender Alex Stalock got the start over Martin Jones, who surrendered four goals to the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets in Tuesday’s loss. The Sharks had dropped six of their last eight games entering Thursday’s tilt against Florida. They needed to buck that trend, and they were able to do so with a much better all-around effort.