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Ejection ruins
homecoming Sharks romp without
Thornton 1/10/06 - by Derick Bellamy
In what was billed as one of the most anticipated games this season,
Joe Thornton returned to Boston on Tuesday night, but his stay was short lived.
In his first appearance at TB Banknorth Garden since the Nov 30 trade that
sent him to San Jose, Thornton was tossed from the game less than six minutes
in, after receiving a game misconduct for checking from behind.
Thornton was calm and collected before the contest, expressing no animosity
towards his former team. He described himself as having been 'blindsided' by
the trade, but he understood it. Earlier in the week he had talked about having
'great memories' from Boston, as well acknowledging the fact that 'people get
traded or people get fired,' and that 'it's just the nature of business.'
After his brief sting on the ice Joe Thornton said that he was 'in shock' about
his misconduct for the controversial check on former teammate Hal Gill on his
third shift of the game.
"Maybe it's a penalty, maybe it isn't," said Gill, who sustained a pinched
nerve in his shoulder on the hit and didn't return. "I think what he got was
too much."
Thornton and Gill had were both rookies for Boston in 1997.
Going into the game, The Sharks were 10-4-1 since the trade and were carrying a
three-game winning streak.
Things opened up at 3:15 into the first period, with a San Jose goal from Josh
Langfeld, assisted by Mark Smith and Scott Thornton, who had a two-goal game
against Los Angeles Saturday. San Jose's momentum following the tally soon
seemed to be in jeopardy, as Joe Thornton was called for an alleged 'check from
behind' against Hal Gill just two minutes later at 5:13. San Jose received a
five-minute major, charged against Thornton, who received a game misconduct.
The team kept the momentum by preventing Boston from scoring, and soon received
several power plays themselves. The Sharks scored their second on a shorthanded
goal from Langfeld, his second of the night. Boston responded shortly
afterwards, as Milan Jurcina scored a slap shot on the power play that brought
them within one; David Tanabe and Marco Sturm, who was sent to Boston in the
Thornton trade, made the assists.
San Jose regained their two-goal lead early in the second, as Scott Hannan
scored off of a pass from Marleau, proving that the teams' other stars are
ready to act despite Joe Thornton's absence, while putting themselves up 3-1.
It was a power play goal, with Jurcina having just received a 2-minute penalty
for delay of game after sending a puck into the crowd; the penalty was at 1:49
into the period, the goal at 2:48.
Things didn't let up after that, as Nils Ekman sent a pass from behind the net
to Marleau in the slot, who scored at 9:45, ten seconds into a power play on a
boarding penalty to Boston Defenseman Andrew Alberts. Marleau cashed in on a
one timer from the slot on a pretty feed from Ekman on the ensuing power play.
Jurcina received another penalty for Boston with a Hooking call 16:12 into the
second, resulting in another power play tally for San Jose. This time winger
Johnathan Cheecho was the goal-scorer, assisted by Ekman and Tom Preissing;
Cheecho, who is the NHL's leader in goals scored since December 1st and has
been doing much better since The Sharks got Thornton, displayed an ability to
continue that pattern in Thornton's absence.
San Jose, now up 5-1, scored a sixth early in the third, as Ekman put in a
backhand off of a pass from Marleau just 19 seconds into the period. The rest
of the period, which was the only one the Bruins didn't get outscored in,
passed without any further fireworks. The arena emptied gradually over the
course of the final third of the game. Despite a second goal at 18:04 from
Jurcina, the remaining spectators in Boston booed following the buzzer. The
Sharks, who were unable to give Josh Langfeld a third goal, won the game 6-2.
Langfeld did score twice, one even-strength and one short handed, while Ekman,
Hannan, Marleau, and Cheecho each had a goal and two assists. Three of San
Jose's six tallies were on the power play, which was extremely effective
despite Thornton's absence.
Jurcina also had a large influence on the game both ways; half of the eight
goals scored collectively were either scored by him or by San Jose while he was
serving penalties.
Notes:
Because Edmonton, who has played three mores games, also won tonight, The
Sharks are still 9 points away from 8th place. The two points from this win put
San Jose (40 games and 43 points,) one point ahead of The Phoenix Coyotes, who
have played 43 and lost to Ottawa on Tuesday. Anaheim, having played two more
than the Sharks, are now only three points ahead of San Jose.
The Sharks' next game is in Ottawa Thursday against The Senators, who have only
won two of their last five. San Jose then completes this week's three-game
Northeast Division road-trip on Saturday in Montreal. San Jose's victory in
Boston Tuesday came despite the fact that they're still only 7-12-1 on the
road.
The win was San Jose's first ever in Boston.
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
SJ |
2 |
3 |
1 |
6 |
BOS |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
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1st period - 1, San Jose, Langfeld 1 (Smith,
Thornton), 3:15.
2, San Jose, Langfeld 2 (McCauley, Hannan), 13:12, (sh).
3, Boston, Jurcina 3 (Tanabe, Sturm), 14:39, (pp).
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2nd period - 4, San Jose, Hannan 3 (Marleau,
Cheechoo), 2:48, (pp).
5, San Jose, Marleau 17 (Ekman, Cheechoo), 9:45, (pp).
6, San Jose, Cheechoo 24 (Ekman, Preissing), 16:19, (pp). |
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3rd period - 7, San Jose, Ekman 8 (Marleau,
Gorges), 0:19.
8, Boston, Jurcina 4 (LaCouture, Green), 18:04. |
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1st period - Leahy, BOS (elbowing), 0:14;
Thornton, SJS, served by Stevenson, major-game misconduct (checking from
behind) (hooking), 12:51. |
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2nd period - Jurcina, BOS (delay of game),
1:49; Alberts, BOS (boarding), 9:35; Primeau, BOS (hooking), 11:45; Jurcina,
BOS (hooking), 16:12. |
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3rd period - Stuart, BOS (hooking), 2:22;
Leahy, BOS (high-sticking), 8:38; LaCouture, BOS (roughing), 14:39. |
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Shots |
Saves |
SJ - Nabokov |
23 |
21 |
BOS - Raycroft |
26 |
21 |
BOS - Thomas | 7 | 6 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
SJ |
17 |
9 |
7 |
33 |
BOS |
5 |
11 |
7 |
23 |
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Referees: Chris Rooney, Francois St. Laurent.
Linesmen:
Derek Nansen, Tim Nowak. |
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