Sharks beat Predators 4-1 for perfect homestand

SAN JOSE - Joe Pavelski and Tommy Wingels scored 17 seconds apart and San Jose went on to beat the Nashville Predators 4-1 on Saturday night in a rematch of last season’s seven-game, second-round playoff series won by the Sharks.

Joonas Donskoi also scored and Joe Thornton added an empty-netter as the Sharks picked up where they left off last spring from that all-home team series against the Predators. Martin Jones made 27 saves to help San Jose finish off a 3-0 homestand.

James Neal scored the lone goal for the struggling Predators. Nashville has lost six of its last seven games and is winless in five road contests this season. Pekka Rinne made 23 saves.

This game turned quickly early in the second period. Jones started it when he stopped Craig Smith on a breakaway after a defensive breakdown by teammate Melker Karlsson.

The Sharks then quickly drew the game’s first power play when Yannick Weber was called for cross checking. San Jose took just 6 seconds to cash that in for a goal when Thornton won the faceoff. Brent Burns’ shot went wide off the back boards, but Pavelski knocked the rebound into the crease and it deflected off Rinne and into the net.

Before the fans were even done celebrating that goal, San Jose got another fortunate bounce when David Schlemko’s shot hit teammate Michael Haley and went straight to Wingels, who knocked it into the open net for his first goal of the season.

The Predators finally got on the board in the final minute of the second period when Neal deflected Ryan Ellis’ point shot past Jones but it wasn’t enough.

Thornton sealed it when he was pulled down by Filip Forsberg with Nashville’s net empty and got credit for the goal.

San Jose struck first late in the opening period after a wild shift that started with Donskoi and Joel Ward failing to put the puck in even though was caught well out of the net trying to play the puck. But the Sharks kept the pressure on and Donskoi eventually slid a rebound under Rinne’s pad for the opening goal.

The Sharks had their first perfect homestand of at least three games since going 5-0 in December 2014. San Jose is 4-0 overall at home after winning just four of its first 14 at the Shark Tank last season.