Sharks' G Martin Jones shines on road, earns 'Star of the Week'

After being pulled from a game 3:30 into the first frame, Sharks’ starting netminder Martin Jones insisted that he felt good — that he wanted “to be better and contribute more” and that he needed to just “stay with it.”

Not only did he contribute, but he went 5-0-0 as part of San Jose’s perfect 6-0-0 road trip and garnered NHL “Star of the Week” honors for his performance in his three starts last week. 

There were many components that led the California-based club to the eighth perfect roadie in NHL history. But Jones’ performance gave the Sharks the best opportunity to go undefeated and subsequently retake first place in the Pacific Division.

The 25-year-old goalie wasn’t up against easy competition either, as all opponents put him to work. From turning away 26 shots against the superior Red Wings in Detroit to making 34 saves to shut out the Flyers in Philadelphia, Jones churned out the highlight reel-worthy stops to give the Sharks their best chance to win. Last week alone, he registered a 3-0-0 record with a 1.63 goals-against average, .951 save percentage and that Thursday night shutout.

His most difficult test surely came in the first game of the week in Boston, when Jones surrendered four goals to the Bruins. But he got a boost from San Jose’s offense, which beat Tuukka Rask five times that evening. Following the shutout in Philadelphia, he then ended the week on a high note, making a career-topping 38 saves in San Jose’s 3-1 victory over the Penguins.

Jones got a day of rest as backup goalie Alex Stalock took over between the pipes on Sunday as part of the Sharks’ road finale, in which they came back to win against the Blue Jackets 5-3. Now he will go back to work at home this week as San Jose gears up to face the Chicago Blackhawks.

Jones’ continued success will be pivotal as the Sharks return home to the Bay Area, where they haven’t fared as well (3-5-0) as they have on the road. Any way of translating that “Star of the Week”-caliber play to home ice will give San Jose the best chance of holding on to that first-place spot in the division.