The Sharks beat the Lightning 2-1 for their 1st home win since November
San Jose Sharks center Tyler Toffoli, center, celebrates with teammates after scoring a gaol against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. Credit: AP/Tony Avelar
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Tyler Toffoli and Mario Ferraro scored and the San Jose Sharks snapped an eight-game winless streak by beating the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on Thursday night.
Toffoli used a nifty toe drag to score his 15th goal of the season midway through the first and Ferraro added a goal in the second to give the Sharks their first home win since Nov. 29.
Yaroslav Askarov made 24 saves.
San Jose was 0-7-1 in its last eight games and had just one win in 12 games in a stretch that started with an 8-1 loss at Tampa on Dec. 5.
Anthony Cirelli scored for the Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 23 saves.
Takeaways
Lightning: Tampa Bay had won six of eight headed into this three-game California swing but wasn't able to generate much against San Jose.
Sharks: After being completely outclassed in the loss at Tampa last month, the young Sharks looked much better on home ice against one of the NHL's top teams
Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) looks back as the puck goes into the net for a goal by San Jose Sharks center Tyler Toffoli during the first period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. Credit: AP/Tony Avelar
Key moment
The Lightning had a chance to tie it in the third period when Macklin Celebrini was sent off for roughing. During the power play, Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman got hit in the ear by a clearing attempt that went right to Barclay Goodrow for a breakaway. Vasilevskiy made the save but Hedman had to go straight to the locker room as he was bleeding from the ear.
Key stat
Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic played in his 1,297th career game and first of the season after being sidelined by an upper-body injury. Vlasic had the primary assist on Toffoli's goal and needs three more games to join Nicklas Lidstrom (1,564 for Detroit) and Ray Bourque (1,518 for Boston) as the only defenseman to play 1,300 games for one franchise.
Up next
The Lightning visit Los Angeles on Saturday night, while the Sharks host New Jersey that day.
