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Power play fest at the
Tank
Sharks and Wild score 6 goals on the man
advantage
Special teams can make or brake a hockey game.
They were the game on Saturday night at HP Pavilion, where the Sharks and
Minnesota Wild combined for six power play goals. San Jose ’s power play
was two goals better, scoring four times on the man advantage, leading the
Sharks to a 5-2 win before a sellout crowd. Rookie defenseman Jason Demers and
Patrick Marleau each scored a pair of goals for San Jose .
Both of
Demers goals came on the power play, making him on the third defenseman in team
history to score twice on the man advantage. Demers joins current General
Manage Doug Wilson and teammate Dan Boyle as the only blueliners to record a
pair of tallies on the power play.
The Sharks had to overcome another shaky start,
falling behind twice in the opening period.
Former Sharks captain Owen
Nolan gave the Wild the early 1-0 lead with his 13th goal of the season after
Devin Setoguchi took a delay of game penalty for throwing the puck over the
glass. Nolan Cut underneath the Sharks defense just as Guillaume Latendresse
slid a pass into the slot from the right side. Nolan redirected the pass just
inside the right post at 6:25 of the opening period.
Martin Havlat
took a tripping penalty at 9:34, giving the Sharks the opportunity they needed
to tie the game up. Demers sent a blast from the point past Wild goaltender
Josh Harding with 4 seconds remaining on Havlat’s penalty. Harding was
partially screened by Setoguchi who cut across the slot just as Demers uncorked
his shot.
Scott Nichol put the Wild back on the power play late in the
period after committing a holding penalty, and Minnesota would jump back in
front when Cal Clutterbuck redirected a Kyle Brodziak pass from the end boards
past Nabokov. Defenseman Jay Leach was tracking the puck from the top of the
crease, but he picked the wrong post to cover as Andrew Brunette reversed his
direction and made a quick pass to Brodzak along the end boards. Brodziak was
able to find Clutterbuck parked in front for the easy tap in.
The
power play carousel continued to start the 2nd period, when Eric Belanger
interfered with Nabokov, earning a trip to the box just 1:40. Demers recorded
his first multi-goal game of his NHL career by sending another point shot past
Harding from the point on the ensuing power play.
San Jose showed they could kill a penalty after Kent
Huskins took a retaliatory slashing penalty at 8:26.
Minnesota was so
lucky. Marek Zidlicky put the sharks back on the power play at 15:33 of the
period for interference, then Joe Pavelski gave the Sharks the lead 84 seconds
later. The Sharks centerman took a feed from Patrick Marleau at his own
blueline before navigating into the Wild zone and snapping a 25-foot wrist shot
past Harding for the 3-2 lead.
Pavelski just missed adding another
goal a minute later when a crossing pass in front of Harding was swept to
safety by Belanger.
With the Sharks top line sputtering, head coach
Todd McLellan moved Nichol onto the top line late in the period, centering
Marleau and Dany Heatley. Joe Thornton was moved down to the third line.
Thornton gave the Wild another chance to get in on the power play goal
parade by taking a high sticking penalty at 10:41 of the 3rd period. Antti
Miettinen came within a hair of tying things up with a shot that rang off the
left post on the ensuing power play.
Robbie Earl got in on the act, by earning an
interference penalty after trying to throw a pick in the offensive zone at
13:07. San Jose would finally get a little breathing room when Marleau
converted with his league leading 36th goal of the season. Marleau sent a wrist
shot from the top of the left circle to give San Jose their 4th power play goal
of the game.
Marleau finally snapped the power play party by scoring
an even-strength goal with 3:35 to play, by swatting a deflection out of the
air. Heatley setup the circus goal by carrying the puck up the right side and
pushing a pass through the slot. Zidlicky got a stick in front of the pass,
deflecting it up into the air, where Marleau connected for his second goal in
just over three minutes.
Game Notes:
Dan Boyle missed
his fourth consecutive game with an undisclosed upper body injury. Blyle was
joined by Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who was injured on Thursday in the Sharks 4-3
loss the Chicago Blackhawks.
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What did you
think of this game? Post your comments on the
Feeder Forums |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| MIN |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
| SJ |
1 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
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| 1st period - 1, MIN,
Nolan 13 (Latendresse, Belanger), 6:25, (pp). 2, SJ, Demers 3 (Clowe), 11:30,
(pp). 3, MIN, Clutterbuck 10 (Brodziak, Brunette), 19:42, (pp). |
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| 2nd period - 4, SJ,
Demers 4 (unassisted), 3:15, (pp). 5, SJ, Pavelski 15 (Marleau, Heatley),
16:57, (pp). |
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| 3rd period - 6, SJ,
Marleau 36 (Pavelski, Thornton), 13:14, (pp). 7, SJ, Marleau 37 (Heatley,
Murray), 16:25. |
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| 1st period - Koivu, MIN
(high sticking), 0:55; Setoguchi, SJ (delay of game – puck over glass),
5:02; Havlat, MIN (tripping), 9:34; Nichol, SJ (holding), 17:47. |
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| 2nd period - Belanger,
MIN (goaltender interference), 1:40; Huskins, SJ (slashing), 8:26; Zidlicky,
MIN (interference), 15:33. |
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| 3rd period -
Heatley, SJ (high sticking), 1:32; Brodziak, MIN (cross checking), 6:03;
Thornton, SJ (high sticking), 10:41; Earl, MIN (interference), 13:07; Johnsson,
MIN (tripping), 14:01. |
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Shots |
Saves |
| MIN - Harding |
36 |
31 |
| SJ - Nabokov |
38 |
36 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| MIN |
10 |
17 |
11 |
38 |
| SJ |
13 |
12 |
11 |
36 |
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| Referees: Dwyer,
Joannette. Linesmen: Nansen, Sericolo. |
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