San Jose Sharks win first game over the Flyers

The San Jose Sharks avoided making ignominious history, securing their first win of the season by defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1.

The San Jose Sharks had the opportunity to make history by becoming the first team in NHL history to go winless in their first 12 games of the season. However, the Philadelphia Flyers ended up handing the Sharks their first win of the season, allowing them to avoid this ignominious record.

The Sharks, now 1-10-1, managed to secure a 2-1 victory in the SAP Center, preventing themselves from entering the "bad" record book. This win came after the Sharks had given up 10 goals in each of their previous two games, indicating a significant turnaround for the team.

Sean Couturier acknowledged that the Flyers' loss was not due to a lack of effort, stating that the team played well during five-on-five play and outshot the Sharks by a wide margin. However, the Flyers struggled with their power play, going 0 for 4, while the Sharks were able to score a goal on theirs.

Joel Farabee's goal with 1:09 left in the second period cut San Jose's lead to 2-1, ending the Flyers' scoreless streak. Farabee emphasized the need for the Flyers to play better in their own end and acknowledged that they were looking for a crucial bounce that they couldn't find.

The Sharks managed to secure a power-play goal at 16:18, which ultimately became the game-winner. Despite their previous struggles, the Sharks came into the game averaging 1.09 goals per game, the lowest in the NHL.

Philadelphia outshot the Sharks 39-19, but their inability to score with the man advantage, coupled with the Sharks' success in that department, made the difference in the game. Coach John Tortorella highlighted the Flyers' lack of quality chances and their inability to finish as contributing factors to their loss.

The Flyers will now head to Anaheim for a game against the Ducks, looking to avenge a recent 7-4 loss. Goaltender Carter Hart, defenseman Marc Staal, and defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen continued to be sidelined due to injury, while Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim is averaging close to 30 minutes per game. Additionally, Flyers defenseman Cam York played his 100th NHL game.

Despite the loss, the Flyers' return to action of Sean Couturier after missing two games due to injury was a positive note, indicating that the team may have more opportunities for success in the future.