Sharks strike early, hang on to down Coyotes

Tomas Hertl and Nick Bonino scored in the first five minutes and the San Jose Sharks held on for a 3-2 win against the visiting Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday night.

Nico Sturm also scored, Scott Harrington had two assists and James Reimer made 20 saves in his first game for San Jose since sustaining an undisclosed injury against the Los Angeles Kings on Nov. 25.

Lawson Crouse and Nick Bjugstad scored, and Karel Vejmelka made 30 saves for the Coyotes, who were trying to win three in a row.

Hertl gave the Sharks a 1-0 lead at 3:50.

San Jose cycled the puck from behind the Arizona net to Harrington at the left point. He slid the puck over to Radim Simek, whose slap shot from the right point was deflected into the net by Hertl for his 10th goal of the season.

Bonino scored for the fourth straight game at 4:52 to make it 2-0.

Erik Karlsson took a one-timer from just inside the blue line that Bonino stopped with his stick blade just in front of Vejmelka, then pulled the puck away from him before lifting it over his outstretched right pad and into the net.

Arizona took advantage of a long five-on-three power play to make it 2-1. Crouse had room to bring the puck in close to Reimer and score his team-high 13th goal of the season with 1:55 left in the first period.

The Sharks re-established the two-goal lead when Vejmelka lost sight of the puck after making a save on a point shot by Harrington and Sturm was in position to score the rebound for a 3-1 lead at 8:09 of the second period.

Arizona was unable to capitalize on a power play in the first 1:57 of the third period, but Bjugstad scored at 2:56 off a rebound in front of the net to make it 3-2.