San Jose Sharks snap 11-game losing streak, dodge NHL history

SAN JOSE, Calif. — After a miserable month, the San Jose Sharks finally have something to celebrate.

Anthony Duclair had a goal and an assist as the Sharks beat the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 on Tuesday night to snap an 11-game losing streak that matched the longest to start a season in NHL history.

“It’s a lot of relief in here,” San Jose goalie Mackenzie Blackwood said. “Everyone’s happy. It’s been a long time coming. Now we can take a breath and try to put some more together.”

Blackwood made 38 saves, and William Eklund added a power-play goal for the Sharks (1-10-1), who allowed 10 goals in each of their previous two outings.

“I give these guys so much credit,” San Jose coach David Quinn said. “They’ve been such a great group to coach. They’ve never stopped working.

“At some point you say, enough is enough. I give a ton of credit to our leaders and our older players. I thought they really stepped up tonight.”

Joel Farabee scored for Philadelphia (5-7-1), which lost for the fifth time in six games despite outshooting San Jose 39-19.

“It’s the NHL; anyone can beat anyone,” Farabee said. “I don’t think it was a lack of effort or anything like that. I just felt like we were looking for that one bounce, and we never got it.”

Samuel Ersson made 17 saves for the Flyers, who played without starting goaltender Carter Hart for a third straight game due to a mid-body injury. He remains day-to-day.

Philadelphia’s top center, Sean Couturier, returned to the lineup after missing two games with a lower-body injury. He recorded two shots.

“It’s not like they were going to go 0-82,” Couturier said of the Sharks. “It [stinks] that we couldn’t get out of here with two points, but 5-on-5 we played well.”

Duclair scored his third goal 1:43 into the first period to give San Jose an early lead.

Eklund made it 2-0 in the second, scoring his second goal of the season on a 4-on-3 power play.

Farabee answered with his sixth goal late in the second, beating Blackwood on a one-timer that the goalie nearly stopped. The play was reviewed, and it was determined the puck fully crossed the goal line.

Philadelphia went 0-for-4 on the power play. San Jose was 1-for-5.

“Power play doesn’t work again, hurts us,” Flyers coach John Tortorella said. “They score a power-play goal, we don’t. That could be the difference in the game.”