The Sharks didn’t have much luck in their final visit to Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
The Sharks hit the post three times in their game with the Arizona Coyotes, including one off the stick of Logan Couture in the third period.
And on the Coyotes’ go-ahead goal, Phil Kessel batted a pass from Anton Stralman back to Jan Jenik, who was left alone in front, and beat Sharks goalie James Reimer at the 7:11 mark of the third period.
Jenik’s goal, his second of the game, proved to be the winner as the Sharks lost 5-2 to the Coyotes on Wednesday.
Scott Reedy and Brent Burns both scored and Reimer finished with 19 saves in the Sharks’ loss, their second in the last five games and their first in three meetings with the Coyotes this season. Tomas Hertl also hit the post twice.
Nick Ritchie, Barrett Hayton and Nick Schmaltz also scored for Arizona, which was outshot by the Sharks 42-24.
The Sharks finish their two-game road trip Thursday night in Colorado against the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche.
A scary moment took place with 5:15 left in the third period, as Coyotes winger Clayton Keller violently fell – legs first – into the end boards in the Sharks’ zone as he was being pursued by Sharks defenseman Nick Meloche. Keller, the Coyotes’ leading scorer with 63 points in 66 games, had to be taken off of the ice on a stretcher.
Wednesday marked the San Jose Sharks’ last trip to Gila River Arena in Glendale, as the Arizona Coyotes announced plans last month to play their home games for the next three seasons at a still unfinished 5,000-seat arena on the campus of Arizona State in Tempe.
With their lease at Gila River Arena set to expire at the end of this season, and no desire on the part of Glendale City Council to extend it, the Coyotes in February said they would be playing at ASU for three years while they develop a $1.7 billion arena and entertainment complex on a 40-acre site in Tempe. The city council in Tempe still has to vote on the proposal.
As for any powerful memories they had of games at Gila River Arena, which opened in Dec. 2003, neither coach Bob Boughner nor Hertl could remember anything of note.
“I’ve always enjoyed coming here,” Boughner said. “I have some family in the area so I get to see them when I come to Arizona most times so that for me is the thing I’ll take away from after the games, being able to go out and see some familiar faces.”
The Sharks and Coyotes were tied 1-1 after the first period.
A Ryan Merkley shot from the blue line on a Sharks power play bounced off both John Leonard and Reedy before it got past Karel Vejmelka for a 1-0 San Jose lead at the 12:15 mark of the opening period. The goal was Reedy’s second of his NHL career, with the first coming Feb. 27 at home against Seattle.
The Coyotes tied it at the 15:46 mark, as Schmaltz found Ritchie, who was left alone in front of the Sharks net and tapped the puck past Reimer for his 10th goal of the season.
Reimer had won his last three starts before Wednesday, including a 27-save performance on Saturday at home against Anaheim in a 4-1 Sharks win.
Merkley lost his balance and fell down behind the Sharks net as he stickhandled the puck, losing to Kessel. The Coyotes forward then fed Jenik, who one-timed a shot past Reimer for a 2-1 Arizona lead at the 8:33 mark of the second period.
Burns got that goal back at the 14:07 mark, as he took a pass from Hertl and one-timed a shot past Vejmelka
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