Mason Morelli has 2-point debut as Knights blank Sharks 4-0
Feb 19, 2024, 4:03 PM | Updated: 8:04 pm
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 17: Jan Rutta #84 of the San Jose Sharks reacts after Boone Jenner #38 of the Columbus Blue Jackets scored the winning goal with 13 seconds left in the third period at SAP Center on February 17, 2024 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Logan Thompson made 29 saves for his first shutout of the season and Mason Morelli had a goal and an assist in his NHL debut to lead the visiting Vegas Golden Knights over the San Jose Sharks, 4-0, on Monday afternoon.
Thompson, making his first start since Jan. 27 because of a lower-body injury, picked up his fourth career shutout and first since Oct. 28, 2022, when he blanked Anaheim 4-0.
Alec Martinez tied his career high with three assists and Michael Amadio, William Karlsson and Keegan Kolesar also scored for Vegas, which snapped a two-game losing streak while completing a four-game regular-season series sweep of San Jose, outscoring the Sharks 18-5 in the process.
The Golden Knights remained undefeated in team history in regular-season regulation games at San Jose (12-0-3) while improving to 24-2-5 all-time against the Sharks.
Mackenzie Blackwood finished with 22 saves for San Jose, which dropped its second straight game.
The Sharks had a chance to take an early lead, but Luke Kunin and Calen Addison both hit the left post with shots in the first 88 seconds of the first.
Vegas then scored twice in a span of 1:57 to take a 2-0 lead. Amadio started the scoring at the 2:28 mark with a clean breakaway off a stretch pass from Zach Whitecloud, beating Blackwood with a wrist shot glove side.
Karlsson then followed with his 17th goal of the season when he backhanded in a rebound inside the right post.
The 28-year-old Morelli, a Nebraska-Omaha product who helped lead the Hershey Bears to the Calder Cup title last season, made it 3-0 at the 19:12 mark with a power-play goal, shoveling in a shot from the slot into the top left corner of the net off an Alex Pietrangelo feed.
Kolesar extended the lead to 4-0 late in the second period when he redirected Martinez’s crossing pass inside the right post to complete the scoring.
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–Field Level Media
