Toronto, Canada – SAN JOSE, California (Reuters) - The San Jose Sharks worked themselves into a scoring frenzy on Monday, with eight different players finding the net on the way to a 9-1 win over the Calgary Flames.
Dany Heatley was the only Shark to score twice as San Jose tied the Chicago Blackhawks for the NHL's points lead in the standings.
"I think for everyone getting on the scoreboard, it was fantastic to get the third- and fourth-liners out there and chip in a few goals to help the big boys out a little bit," Scott Nichol told reporters after finishing with a goal and two assists and recording his 100th NHL point.
Dominant San Jose (32-10-8) recorded three goals in each of the first two periods and led 7-0 before Calgary's Robyn Regehr put the visitors on the board at 7:41 in the third.
The Sharks took 46 shots on goal, while their own netminder Evgeni Nabokov made 21 saves. The win was San Jose's 13th in 16 games while the Flames (26-18-6) have lost five in a row.
Starting Calgary goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff stopped 28 shots but was pulled after the second period and replaced by Curtis McElhinney.
"That's about rock bottom," said Flames forward Eric Nystrom. "The only place to go is up from here."
Calgary never stood much of chance against one of the top offenses in the NHL.
Joe Pavelski scored the first goal of the game to end a nine-game stretch without one, and he also tallied three assists.
Manny Malhotra and Nichol also scored in the first, before Jed Ortmeyer, Heatley and Ryane Clowe lit the lamp in the second.
Devin Setoguchi got on the board in the third, a game after scoring twice to end a nine-game drought, before Rob Blake scored on a power-play and Heatley put in his second on a backhand.
The eight different goal scorers for the Sharks is a franchise record, while their nine-goal total is a season-high.
The Flames have fallen four points behind Northwest division leaders Colorado.
(Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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