Editor's Note: Sheng Peng will be a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.
MONTREAL – The Sharks are 1-0.
That was head coach David Quinn’s declaration, after the Sharks started the second half of the season by snapping their 12-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.
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They also avoided tying the second-longest losing streak in franchise history, 13, set by the 1991-92 expansion Sharks and the sophomore squad twice.
Call it the power of positive thinking.
Luke Kunin, Fabian Zetterlund, and Nikita Okhotiuk scored, Okhotiuk’s goal was the game-winner and his first in teal.
For alternate captain Mario Ferraro, this winning effort started off the ice yesterday with a fun and energetic practice, followed by a Ferraro-organized team dinner.
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“Being on that little losing streak that we had, we kind of forget about the things, the reason why you play. We brought that back and brought some light back to our locker room,” he said. “It started away from the rink and goes a long way.”
On the ice, Mackenzie Blackwood was superb, stopping 34 of 36 shots. He kept the San Jose Sharks in a positive frame of mind, as did Kunin and Zetterlund’s first-period goals that gave the visitors a 2-1 lead despite an inconsistent early effort.