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Opening night flop Out of tune in Music City 10/5/05 - by
Mike Lee
So much for the undefeated preseason and all the
hoopla surrounding the Sharks chances to compete for a Stanley Cup. All those
things didn't mean squat on Wednesday night as the NHL Unveiled it's new brand
of hockey, including an opening night showdown in Nashville between the
Predators and San Jose. The Predators rallied for two goals in the 3rd period
to christen the new season with a 3-2 win over the NHL's preseason dominators.
Scott Hartnell flipped the puck on goal from 40 feet, fooling Sharks goaltender
Evgeni Nabokov and sending the Predators home winners. The Sharks sloppy play
late in the game cost them on a night where new rules and new game tempo was at
center stage.
Paul Kariya, the big free agent that San Jose chose not to pursue during the
summer, bit the Sharks with a goal early in the 3rd period to erase a 2-1
Sharks lead. Kariya tapped in a rebound on a David Legwand shot that Nabokov
could not corral.
San Jose turned the tide of the game in the middle period with up tempo skating
and a ferocious forecheck, but they packed it in the 3rd period and Kariya and
Hartnell would make them pay.
Nashville opened the game with a Scott Walker goal 8:24 into the game. Walker
redirected a cross-ice pass from Steve Sullivan who undressed Tom Preissing
with a series of dipsy-doodle moves while cycling around in the left corner.
San Jose got on the board late in the 1st period after Patrick Marleau scooped
up a deflected shot on the penalty kill and raced up ice to beat Tomas Vokoun
on a short handed attempt.
Nils Ekman gave the Sharks the lead midway through the 2nd period on a tip in
from the left post. Milan Michalek made a nice pass to Ekman from the right
wing after drawing Vokoun to the right post. Michalk slipped a backhanded pass
across the top of the crease to Ekman who had broken past a Predator's
defender.
Sharks head coach Ron Wilson has plenty to readdress with his team, which lost
38 of 55 faceoffs and failed to generate any offense in the final period. The
Sharks were also 0-for-6 on the power play, which is an area the Sharks must
excel if they intend on being successful in the new look NHL this season.
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
SJ |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
NSH |
1 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
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1st period -
1, Nashville, Walker 1 (Sullivan, Suter), 8:24. 2, San Jose,
Marleau 1, 19:53, (sh). |
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2nd period - 3, San Jose, Ekman 1
(Michalek), 7:09. |
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3rd period - 4, Nashville, Kariya 1
(Legwand), 1:10. 5, Nashville, Hartnell 1 (Markov), 15:47. |
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1st period - Kariya, NAS (interference),
4:32; Erat, NAS (hooking), 11:53; Hannan, SJS (holding), 14:13; McLaren, SJS
(holding stick), 18:17 |
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2nd period - Suter, NAS (delay of game),
7:48; Johnson, NAS (hooking), 17:16 |
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3rd period - Suter, NAS (holding stick),
2:12; Sullivan, NAS (delay of game), 5:50; Clowe, SJS (goalie interference),
9:12 |
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Shots |
Saves |
SJ - Nabokov |
25 |
22 |
NSH - Vokoun | 24 | 22 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
SJ |
5 |
11 |
8 |
24 |
NSH |
8 |
5 |
12 |
25 |
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Referees: Mike Hasenfrantz, Shane Heyer.
Linesmen: Greg Devorski, Vaughan Rody.
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