Sharks sticking with Martin Jones in goal for Game 5

Despite a poor showing over the last three games, the San Jose Sharks are sticking with (or are stuck with?) Martin Jones in goal for Thursday night’s do-or-die Game 5.

Since winning Game 1 against the Vegas Golden Knights, the San Jose Sharks have been outscored 16-6 and dropped three games in a row. That might prompt a goaltender switch, but Curtis Pashelka of the San Jose Mercury News reported Wednesday that Martin Jones will get the nod for Thursday night’s Game 5.

San Jose had the second-best point total in the Western Conference during the regular season, and tied for the most goals scored in the conference (289). But they also allowed the third-most goals in the conference (261), as Jones posted a 2.94 goals-against average (36th out of 50 qualified goaltenders) and an .896 save percentage (47th). So heading into the playoffs, goaltending was going to be the Sharks’ Achilles’ heel.

After allowing two goals on seven shots, Jones was pulled for the second time in the series in the first period of Game 4 Tuesday night. Since the start of Game 2, via the Mercury News, Jones has a .794 save percentage. Kevin Kurz of The Athletic had him with a .796 save percentage, but the point is the same — Jones has been atrocious between the pipes over the last three games.

https://twitter.com/KKurzNHL/status/11183657241400320004

The Golden Knights haven’t been particularly discriminant with where they’ve scored on Jones in a broad sense. But five of their 13 goals on him in the series have been high to the glove side.

Aaron Dell is Jones’ backup, but it’s not as if he’s been a new version of Martin Brodeur when he’s gotten a chance to play. He has allowed five goals on 36 shots in Game 2 and Game 4 of the series against Vegas, in place of Jones, and he had a 3.17 goals-against and a .886 save percentage during the regular season.

A finer point can be drawn back to the Sharks’ defense not doing much to help their goaltenders, with 90 shots on goal allowed from Game 2 through Game 4. The return of defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who was injured blocking a shot during Game 2 and missed the following two games, should help.

When it came down to it, Sharks’ coach Peter DeBoer had no decision to make. He had to stick with, or more accurately he knew he was stuck with, Jones for a must-win Game 5.