SAN JOSE -– The message was sent on Wednesday, when Sharks forwards Tomas Hertl and Tommy Wingels were benched for the third period of a loss to the Blackhawks.
The dividends came on Saturday in a 5-2 Sharks win over the Flames on Saturday night at SAP Center.
Wingels and Hertl staked the Sharks a 2-0 first period lead and paced the club’s best line along with winger Matt Nieto, and the team never looked back in improving to 14-9-0 on the season.
Entering the night with just one goal in 22 games, Wingels redirected a Marc-Edouard Vlasic saucer at 9:03 of the first period to open the scoring.
Hertl scored his first goal in the last 20 games just two-and-a-half minutes later. After Brenden Dillon faked a slap shot to freeze the Calgary defense, he slid the puck down to Hertl who squeezed a shot through the short side of Jonas Hiller at 12:36.
The power play doubled the lead with a pair of quick goals in succession in the second. Joel Ward set up shop in front of the net on a two-man advantage and jammed home a setup from Joe Pavelski at 10:04, and exactly 50 seconds later Ward screened Hiller on a Patrick Marleau wrist shot that got through to give the home team a commanding 4-0 advantage.
Mikael Granlund ruined Martin Jones’ shutout bit midway through the third with a wrist shot at 9:42, but Vlasic upped the lead to 5-1 just 25 seconds later, slipping in a pass from Wingels on a two-on-one rush. Michael Ferland’s marker with just 1:17 left capped the scoring.
Jones turned aside 25 of 27 Flames shots in improving to 12-6-0.
Vlasic, Hertl and Wingels all finished with one goal and one assist to lead San Jose.
The Sharks moved to 4-6-0 at home, while Calgary, which won all three of its games at SAP Center last season, is just 3-9-2 on the road.
San Jose visits the Saddledome on Dec. 8.
Special teams
The Sharks have at least one power play goal in three straight games for the first time all season. Saturday was their fourth multiple power play goal effort, as they finished a perfect 2-for-2.
Calgary, which entered with the league’s worst power play, was 0-for-3. The Flames had a pair of advantages early in the second period trailing 2-0, but did not score.
In goal
Playing for the first time since Oct. 28 in Ottawa, Hiller allowed five goals on 29 shots. He’s 2-4-0 on the season, and 10-11-2 in his career versus San Jose.
Jones moved to 6-1-0 in his last seven decisions. He has started nine of the last 10 games.
Lineup
Justin Braun was placed on injured reserve on Saturday morning with an infected left elbow. Dylan DeMelo was recalled from the AHL, but did not play.
Marleau and Brent Burns each increased their point-scoring streaks to four games.
Up next
The Sharks host the Penguins on Tuesday, and will honor Marleau before the game for recently scoring his 1000th NHL point.
San Jose visits the Ducks on Friday and hosts the Lightning next Saturday, Dec. 5.
