CHICAGO – Once again, the Sharks didn’t provide James Reimer much in the way of offensive support. Once again, it didn’t matter.
Timo Meier scored a second-period goal and Reimer made it hold up, finishing with 29 saves for his first shutout of the season as the Sharks beat the Chicago Blackhawks 2-0 at the United Center on Sunday.
Reimer had 20 saves in the first two periods and nine more in the third as the Sharks opened their five-game road trip on a positive note.
The Sharks’ trip continues with games against New Jersey on Tuesday, the New York Islanders on Thursday, the New York Rangers on Friday and Columbus on Sunday.
“(Reimer) had to make some huge saves in the third period,” Sharka coach Bob Boughner said. “They poured everything they had at us, and he’s his biggest reason we got two points tonight.”
Meier scored an empty-net goal with 1:31 left in the first period and now has a team-high nine goals this season. The Sharks have scored two goals or less in nine of Reimer’s 12 starts this season.
“We didn’t play our best game today, that’s for sure,” Meier said. “But sometimes starting off a road trip, you’ve got to find ways to win games in this league even if you don’t feel like you’re at your best. Today we had an outstanding goalie and we found a way to win this.”
The Sharks (11-9-1) opened the scoring at the 13:39 mark of the second period.
Brent Burns took control of the puck just inside the blue line and sent it to Logan Couture, who redirected it through his legs to Rudolfs Balcers near the slot. Balcers then fired a shot that glanced off Meier’s stick and past Marc-Andre Fleury with a 1-0 Sharks lead.
Meier now has points in five of eight games since he and six other Sharks players returned from the NHL’s COVID Protocol on Nov. 12. Meier had 12 goals in 54 games last season.
” I thought he was our best 40 again tonight,” Boughner said of Meier. “He’s carrying us offensively and it’s good to see.”
The Sharks placed Evander Kane on waivers Sunday. The other 31 NHL teams now have until 11 a.m. (PT) on Monday to claim Kane and add him to their roster. If Kane clears waivers, which he likely will, he will be assigned the Barracuda of the AHL.
Kane said in a statement he will report to the Barracuda if he clears, as his 21-game suspension for violating the NHL/NHLPA’s COVID protocol ends Monday.
Reimer was making his sixth start in the last seven Sharks games. Before Sunday, he ranked 10th in save percentage (.927) and goals-against-average (2.31) among NHL goaltenders who had played at least 10 games. The Sharks earned 13 points in Reimer’s 11 starts this season.
Reimer was a busy man in the first period.
The Blackhawks created five high danger scoring chances in the first period, according to Natural Stat Trick, as Reimer robbed Jujhar Khaira and Jonathan Toews, among others, on separate opportunities. The Sharks were outshot 7-0 over the final 10 minutes of the first period, as Fleury had to make just four saves in the opening 20 minutes.
“We probably weren’t under best in the first, but that’s just the way it goes. If they were perfect, then I wouldn’t have a job in this league,” Reimer said. “It’s just one of those things. Sometimes I need help and sometimes they need help and we battle for each other.”
Sunday’s game marked the return of forward Jonathan Dahlen to the lineup after he was injured Nov. 20 against the Washington Capitals.
