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Losing streak finally
ends Sharks put up a 4 spot in win over St
Louis
Somebody else gets to sing the Blues. San Jose
finally earn their first home win of the new year, snapping a season high
six-game losing streak by beating the St Louis Blues 4-2 at HP Pavilion. The
Sharks fought back from an early deficit, then turned up the heat in the 3rd
period to score a pair of goals to earn two points for the first time since New
Year's Day. Dany Heatley scored a pair of goal, including the game winner to
get the Sharks back on track.
In the two weeks since beating the Los
Angeles Kings, the Shark have fallen from 4th in the Western Conference
standings to 12th place. San Jose still sits outside the top eight spots in the
conference, which would eliminate them from playoff contention if the regular
season ended today. Their next six games will peg them against teams from the
West.
The sellout crowd has had little to cheer about as of late, so
they were poised to let loose. That would have to be put on hold early in the
contest.
The first goal of the game was one of those "here we go
again" moments, when Blues forward B.J. Crombeen sent a shot in on goal from
the top of the left circle that caught Sharks net minder Anttii Niemi in the
shoulder, before deflecting straight up into the air and then down Niemi's
backside and into the net.
A Roman Polak holding penalty would put the
Sharks on their first power play of the evening. They would use that
opportunity to draw even with the Blues after Dany Heatley converted with a
snap shot that beat Jaroslav Halak for his 16th goal of the season.
Joe Thornton would add his own goal at 11:57 of the 2nd period on another power
play chance, depositing a rebound through Halak's pads. Dan Boyle sent in a
shot from the right point, bouncing it off the Blues netminder. With Thornton
hovering near the left post and Heatley on the right, the Sharks created lots
of pressure in tight. Halak couldn't get the five-hole closed in time and
Thornton swept the puck home.
Ian Cole and Benn Ferriero would drop
the gloves after Cole dropped a hit on the Sharks forward late in the period.
The hit and the fight pumped the Blues up enough to kick it in to an extra gear
before the second intermission.
The Sharks would close out the period
with one of the those little mistakes that has cost them on every opportunity
this season. That mistake, a missed defensive coverage by Devin Setoguchi,
would end up in the San Jose net after Niemi failed to get his stick down on
the ice. Defenseman Erik Johnson sent a puck in on from the left corner that
slipped under Niemi, and just like that the game was tied again.
Healtey would give the Sharks the lead again 4:35 into the 3rd period by
deflecting a MarcpEdouard Vlasic from the blueline. Heatley snuck under the
Blues defense, parking himself just off the left post. He would redirect the
knee-high shot past Halak with a stick-blade tap of the puck, redirecting the
shot inside the left post.
Jamie McGinn would score his first goal of the season
at 12:57, off another big rebound by Halak. Scott Nichol tried jamming a shot
in on net from the left side, generating a deflection out into the slot. McGinn
would one-time the rebound into the net for the first time in 47 straight
games.
The Blues would pull Halak with 1:30 to play, and immediately
generate a scoring chance. Niemi was forced to snag a chest high shot with
Cronbeem parked in front of the net. Niemi would deny Alex Steen with a diving
glove save with 10 ticks left in the game.
Game Notes:
Logan Couture returned to the lineup after missing Thursday's game against the
Edmonton Oilers. Couture would earn an assist on Thornton's goal. Ryane Clowe
missed his first game to nurse the lower body injury he sustained against the
Oilers.
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What did you
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
STL |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
SJ |
1 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
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1st period - 1, STL.
Crombeen 5 (Winchester, Polak), 5:23. 2, SJ, Heatley 16 (Thornton, Pavelski),
14:18, (pp). |
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2nd period - 2, SJ,
Thornton 12 (Boyle, Couture), 11:57, (pp). 4, STL, Johnson 4 (Steen, Berglund),
17:53. |
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3rd period - 5, SJ,
Heatley 17 (Vlasic, Demers), 4:35. 6, SJ, McGinn 1 (Nichol), 12:57. |
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1st period - Reaves, STL
(fighting major), 2:04; Mashinter, SJ (fighting major), 2:04; Wallin, SJ
(hooking), 2:31; Boyle, SJ (boarding), 6:22; Polak, STL (holding), 13:52. |
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2nd period - Cole, STL
(boarding), 2:41; Cole, STL (holding), 10:46; Brewer, STL (high sticking),
14:04; Cole, STL (fighting major), 17:46; Ferriero, SJ (fighting major),
17:46. |
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3rd period - Sobotka,
STL (high sticking), 7:57; Backes, STL (roughing), 19:00; Vlasic, SJ
(roughing), 19:00. |
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Shots |
Saves |
STL - Halak |
29 |
25 |
SJ - Niemi |
30 |
28 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
STL |
7 |
10 |
13 |
30 |
SJ |
4 |
18 |
7 |
29 |
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Referees:
Sutherland, Ciamaga. Linesmen: Henderson, Wheler. |
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