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Rebounding on the
Isle Nabokov makes 31 saves in 4-1 win
The Sharks east coast road trip is turning out to
be the turning over a new leaf tour 2009. After losing to the
Washington Capitals on Thursday night for the first time in 12 games, San Jose
knocked off the New York Islanders for the first time on Long Island in 9
years. San Jose got off to a slow start, spotting the Islanders a single goal,
before bagging 4 unanswered goals to take a 4-1 decision at Nassau Coliseum.
The Sharks turned in a solid opening three minutes of the game, then
seemed to mail it in the remaining 17 minutes. The lack of urgency allowed the
NHLs worst offensive team a season ago, to uncork 19 shots on Evgeni
Nabokov in the opening 20 minutes.
After their shellacking in
Washington on Thursday night, the Sharks needed a solid opening in order to
regain some momentum. That would have to wait a period, as the Sharks
sluggishness would tilt the rink toward Nabokov.
A Jody Shelley
interference penalty late in the period would allow the Islanders to convert a
power play chance with 5:48 before the 1st intermission. Winger Kyle Okposo
threw a shot on net from the right side that was deflected by Matt Moulson,
beating Nabokov for the 1-0 lead.
Sharks head coach Todd McLellan
probably had a few choice words for his players at the break after their
lackluster performance.
San Jose would show more life to open the 2nd
period, drawing a pair of interference penalties, including one to Brendan Witt
at 6:53 of the period. Patrick Marleau would get the Sharks on the board on the
ensuing power play with a nifty backhand shot from 15 feet. Joe Thornton slid a
pass to the Sharks forward as he cut across the slot from left to right.
Gathering the puck as he skated toward the right wing boards, Marleau lifted a
shot that tucked just inside the right post for his 6th goal of the season.
Called up earlier in the day from Worcester, Sharks right winger Ryan
Vesce bagged his 1st NHL goal at 16:24, after Thornton picked Radek
Martineks pocket behind the Islanders net. Thornton checked Martinek off
the puck, then slid a centering pass in to the slot, where Vesce gathered it up
and whipped a shot past Martin Biron for the 2-1 lead.
The New York
native had several family in attendance, but he joked about not knowing how
many friends were able to land tickets because of his late call up.
Doug Weight missed on a golden opportunity with 1 minute left in Scott
Nichols delay of game penalty late in the period. Weight took a long feed
at the Sharks blueline and walked in uncontested on Nabokov, before uncorking a
shot that hit the right post.
A Jack Hillen holding penalty at the 2nd period horn
gave the Sharks a power play to open the final period and San Jose would waste
little capitalizing. Thornton would score his 2nd goal of the season on an
Islanders turnover on the power play 37 seconds into the period.
Devin
Setoguchi put the game out of reach with his 5th tally of the season at 13:55,
after taking a feed from Ryane Clowe near the left corner. Setoguchi walked
toward the net uncontested and lifted a wrist shot over Birons right
shoulder for the 4-1 lead.
The assist was Clowes first point of
the season, breaking a 7-game scoring drought. He would add a 5-minute fighting
major later in the period after dropping the gloves with Tim Jackman. Clowe
would handle the Islanders winger rather easily, catching Jackman with a couple
of good uppercuts.
Witt would draw a boarding minor during the
Clowe-Jackman fight, which essentially killed any chance for New York to make a
late run.
Game Notes:
Nabokovs start marked his
500th NHL game.
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What did you
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
SJ |
0 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
NYI |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
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1st period - 1, NYI,
Moulson 4 (Okposo, Tavares), 15:12, (pp). |
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2nd period - 2, SJ,
Marleau 6 (Thornton, Demers), 7:50, (pp). 3, SJ, Vesce 1 ( Thornton ),
16:24. |
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3rd period - 4, SJ,
Thornton 2 (unassisted), 0.37, (pp). 5, SJ, Setoguchi 5 (Clowe), 13:55. |
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1st period - Shelley, SJ
(interference), 14:34; Clowe, SJ (roughing), 17:01; Tavares, NYI (cross
checking), 17:01. |
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2nd period - Blake, SJ
(interference), 0:50; Ortmeyer, SJ (diving), 4:27; Martinek, NYI
(interference), 4:27; Witt, NYI (interference), 6:53; Nichol, SJ (delay of game
puck over glass), 17:53; Hillen, NYI (holding), 20:00. |
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3rd period -
Clowe, SJ (fighting major), 16:03; Jackman, NYI (fighting major), 16:03; Witt,
NYI (boarding), 16:03. |
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Shots |
Saves |
SJ - Nabokov |
32 |
31 |
NYI - Biron |
29 |
25 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
SJ |
8 |
12 |
9 |
29 |
NYI |
19 |
5 |
8 |
32 |
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Referees: Furlatt,
Jackson. Linesmen: Champoux, Amell. |
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