Couture downplaying impressive playoff performance with Sharks

ST. LOUIS --Logan Couture has put up impressive numbers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The San Jose Sharks forward has scored an NHL-leading 14 goals, one shy of matching Sidney Crosby (2009) and Alex Ovechkin (2018) for the most in a single postseason in 22 years.
But Couture said there's one big difference between him and those two.
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"Those guys have won, and I haven't," Couture said Thursday. "Those numbers don't mean anything unless we win the Stanley Cup."
Maybe, but Couture is giving the Sharks a great opportunity at their first Stanley Cup championship since joining the NHL in 1991. San Jose enters Game 4 of the Western Conference Final against the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center on Friday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVAS) with a 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 series.
Couture scored the tying goal with 61 seconds remaining in the third period of Game 3 to help the Sharks defeat the Blues 5-4 in overtime. He has an NHL-high 20 points in 17 games. He's six goals from breaking the NHL playoff record of 19 set by Philadelphia Flyers forward Reggie Leach in 1976 and matched by Edmonton Oilers forward Jari Kurri in 1985.
"It's pretty impressive," Sharks goalie Martin Jones said of Couture, who has 101 points (48 goals, 53 assists) in 113 NHL playoff games. "He's just a reliable player in the big moments and big games. Those are the kind of guys you need to have success in the playoffs and he's been huge for us, for sure."

Couture has six points (five goals, one assist) in his past three games and hasn't gone more than one playoff game without getting at least one point. Sharks coach Peter DeBoer wasn't surprised that he came up big again in Game 3.
"You just kind of get numb to it," DeBoer said Wednesday. "I think it's one of those playoffs runs we'll look back at years down the road and say, wow, what a competitor, what a leader. But when you're in the heat of the moment, he's just doing what he does."
Couture won't revel in his individual stats unless the Sharks win the Cup. He's putting them in a position to do that.
"He does a lot of stuff that helps us win games," forward Timo Meier said. "He comes up with big goals but also does a fantastic job defensively. He plays all three zones and plays an honest game. It's unbelievable to have a guy like that on the team."
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