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Special teams extends Hawks
skid
Sharks score three power play goals in 5-3
win
Powered by a suddenly resurgent power play, the
Sharks knocked off the visiting Chicago Blackhawks in a battle of two
struggling teams on Friday night. San Jose converted on 3 of 6 man-advantage
situations, and turned aside all three Blackhawk power plays to take a 5-3
decision. The Sharks power play has moved from the middle of the NHL rankings
to 4th in the league.
Both teams have found it difficult to win since
the All Star break, but the Blackhawks entered Friday night's contest having
lost 6 straight. That streak was extended by a gritty performance by the 3rd
and 4th liners, who broke a 3-3 tie in the 3rd period with a pair of clutch
goals.
"We played hard tonight, we had fights, scratched and clawed
and had some ugly goals," said Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews. "We played
the way we had to. We gave them too many opportunities on the power play. It
always seems like it is one thing or the other, but I think we are getting
closer to playing a complete game."
Benn Ferriero and Jamie McGinn
bailed out the Sharks who allowed the Blackhawks to comeback from 2-0 and 3-2
deficits. Ferriero put the Sharks up for good 5:40 into the 3rd period after
McGinn brawled with his friend Bryan Bickell.
Bickell tied the game at
3-3 at the start of the period, but McGinn took exception to a hit on teammate
Marc-Edouard Vlasic and engaged his former Ottawa 67's teammate. The fight
seemed to light a fire under the Sharks.
Ferriero responded with his
7th goal of the season, taking a Brad Winchester feed at the top of the crease
and beating Corey Crawford by slipping the puck between his pads.
McGinn scored a highlight reel goal with 6 minutes to play after Andrew Shaw
was sent off for applying an illegal check to Doulas Murray's head. McGinn took
a Ryane Clowe feed just outside the right post, before drawing the pck to his
left and lifting a shot over Crawford's right shoulder. The angle appeared too
tight to get anything past Crawford, but the roof shot tucked under the
crossbar for the comfortable two-goal lead.
The Sharks looked destined
to knockout Chicago early by scoring a pair of power play goals in the opening
period. Justin Braun put back a big rebound off a Logan Couture blast 2 minutes
into the game after Michael Frolik was sent off for 4 minutes after he cut Joe
Pavelski with a high stick.
"It's always nice to contribute,
especially early in the game and on the power play," said Braun. "We had a lot
of emphasis on that in this game and special teams. [I'm] happy to get one on
the power play."
San Jose found themselves on another power play 9
minutes later after tempers flared in front of the benches and five players
were assess roughing minors. Dan Boyle pumped home a 25-foot shot after missing
Wednesday night's game.
All the momentum from the special teams pay
dirt was erased by a 2nd period skating clinic by the Blackhawks. Chicago went
on a rampage, attacking the Sharks net for a full 20 minutes. The shot counter
favored Chicago by a 17-3 advantage in the period.
Rookie Marcus
Kruger last scored a goal for Chicago back in December when the Blackhawks
knocked off San Jose in a 3-2 overtime game. Kruger got his scoring touch back
Friday, depositing two pucks past Sharks netminder Antti Niemi in the 2nd
period.
Kruger swept a loose puck past Niemi at 6:55 of the period
after Nick Leddy clanked a shot off the left post. The deflection bounced
behind Niemi, but the unguarded Blackhawks centerman got a stick between the
netminder and the goal to punch home his 4th goal of the season.
He
added another goal exactly 3 minutes later on another chance from in tight on
Niemi.
Joe Thornton put the Sharks back on top with 4:17 to
play in the period. The Sharks captain tried to send a feed to Pavelski in the
slot, but Blackhawks defenseman Dylan Olsen redirected the puck into his own
net after swinging his stick at the pass.
"Both teams were desperate,"
said Thornton. "When went up two-nothing. We knew the game wasn't over; they
were going to come back and fight. Our penalty kill did a great job killing
penalties when we needed it to, but two desperate teams playing good hockey."
Bickell tied things up early in the 3rd period with a snap shot from
15 feet out.
"It is tough times right now," added Blackhawks sniper
Marian Hossa. "We cannot just put our heads down. It is not fun times, we just
have to go through it and hope we get an ugly win. That should get us winning
again."
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think of this story? Post your comments on the
Feeder Forums |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| CHI |
0 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
| SJ |
2 |
1 |
2 |
5 |
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| 1st period - 1, SJ,
Braun 2 (Couture, Burns), 1:58, (pp). 2, SJ, Boyle 5 (Couture, Braun), 11:36,
(pp). |
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| 2nd period - 3, CHI,
Kruger 4 (Leddy, Sharp), 6:55. 4, CHI, Kruger 5 (Seabrook, Sharp), 9:55. 5, SJ,
Thornton, 12 (Pavelski), 15:43. |
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| 3rd period - 6, CHI,
Bickell 5 (Bolland, Lepisto), 2:15. 7, SJ, Ferriero 7 (Winchester, Burns),
5:40. 8, SJ, McGinn 12 (Clowe, Burns), 14:04, (pp). |
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| 1st period - Frolik, CHI
(high sticking - double minor), 0:58; Marleau, SJ (goaltender interference),
3:46; O'Donnell, CHI (roughing), 11:09; Keith, CHI (roughing), 11:09; Toews,
CHI (roughing), 11:09; Clowe, SJ (roughing), 11:09; Thornton, SJ (roughing),
11:09; Winchester, SJ (cross checking), 14:02; Handzus, SJ (closing hand on
puck), 16:24; Mayers, CHI (fighting major), 18:51; Clowe, SJ (fighting major),
18:51. |
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| 2nd period - Bickell,
CHI (interference), 11:28. |
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| 3rd period - Bickell,
CHI (fighting major), 5:18; McGinn, SJ (fighting major), 5:18; Shaw, CHI
(illegal check to head), 12:36; Toews, CHI (hooking), 17:32. |
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Shots |
Saves |
| CHI - Crawford |
27 |
22 |
| SJ - Niemi |
33 |
30 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| CHI |
7 |
17 |
9 |
33 |
| SJ |
12 |
3 |
12 |
27 |
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| Referees: Peel,
Pochmara. Linesmen: Gibbs, Wheler. |
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