SAN JOSE – Martin Jones made 20 saves and Joe Pavelski scored the only goal as the Sharks closed out the regular season with a 1-0 win over Arizona at SAP Center on Saturday.
Pavelski’s marker came in the third period on the power play. After penalties to Boyd Gordon and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, San Jose enjoyed a full two-minute, two-man advantage. Pavelski took a pass through the slot from Joe Thornton and whipped in his 38th goal at 7:29.
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Arizona had a pair of power plays with a chance to tie but couldn’t solve Jones, who recorded his sixth shutout.
The Sharks are still uncertain of their playoff opponent, as the Kings blew a 3-0 lead to the Jets with a chance to wrap up the Pacific Division, losing 4-3 in a shootout. The Ducks can win the division with a win over Washington on Sunday.
The Sharks had eight minutes of power play time in the first period, but couldn’t put one in.
Shane Doan received 19 minutes of penalties at 8:17, including minors for instigation and unsportsmanlike conduct and a 10-minute misconduct, for starting a fight with Roman Polak. Earlier in the first, Polak smashed Tobias Rieder on the glass for a boarding minor.
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It remained scoreless in the second. Jones made one of his better stops on a blast by Ekman-Larsson from the high slot with about eight minutes to go, and later Mike Smith got a piece of his glove on Pavelski’s wrist shot on an odd man rush with six minutes left.
San Jose finished with an 18-20-3 record for 39 points at home, equaling their lowest total since 1997-98. They had a league-best 28-10-3 mark on the road.
The Sharks took four of five games from Arizona in the season series. The Coyotes finished in fourth place in the Pacific, losing six of their final seven (1-5-1).
Special teams:
Despite their first period futility, the Sharks scored at least one power play goal for the sixth of their last seven games (7-for-26).
Arizona was 0-for-4. The Sharks killed off 17 of 19 opponent power plays over their last six games.
In goal:
Jones, the likely playoff starter next week, finished with a 37-23-4 record in his first year as a number one.
Smith fell to 10-7-2 against the Sharks in his career, allowing one goal on 32 shots.
Lineup:
Paul Martin was a late scratch for “maintenance reasons,” according to coach Pete DeBoer. Mirco Mueller was recalled from the Barracuda and played for the Sharks for the first time since Dec. 9.
Dainius Zubrus, who sat out Thursday’s game with Winnipeg, got back in on the fourth line in place of Micheal Haley.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic (right knee) and Matt Nieto (left hand) both missed their 12th straight game, but are expected to be available when the playoffs begin.
Up next:
The Sharks will return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the 11th time in their last 12 seasons, after missing out in 2014-15.