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Ducks pound SJ in preseason
finale
Prospect heavy roster gets ice time for
Sharks
The Sharks put the wraps on their preseason by
dropping a 5-1 decision to the Anaheim Ducks in Southern California on Saturday
night. The score is a little deceptive based on the fact that the Sharks
essentially wheeled out a "B" Team, while the Ducks skated most of their
starters. While giving most of their regulars the night off, it allowed the
Sharks brass to assess players who sit on the bubble just four days before the
start of the regular season.
As the Sharks try to make decisions on
three to four roster spots, they may have opened up another vacancy after
forward Raffi Torres was sent off with a match penalty for targeting Ducks
forward Jakob Silfverberg's head with a hit just 3 minutes into the game.
Given Torres' history as a repeat offender, the penalty will receive
extra scrutiny by the NHL and could result in a suspension before the first
puck is even dropped on the 2015-16 season. Torres missed all of last season as
he tried to rehab back from a devastating knee injury.
The Sharks
forward laid out Silfverberg with a shoulder check that connected with the Duck
forwards nose. The Ducks elected to keep Silfverberg out of the remainder of
the game as they kept him under observation for potential concussion symptoms.
The Ducks had been laying the body on rookie Nikolai Goldobin, so Torres was
likely trying to let the Ducks know he wasn't going to tolerate any rogh stuff
directed at the Sharks youngster.
With the Sharks serving Torres 5
minute penalty, prospect Micheal Haley sent Ducks left wing Patrick Maroon into
the corner boards. The hit was deemed to be too far from the boards, and Haley
was assessed a 5-minute boarding major. With the crossover in penalties, the
Sharks skated for more than 8 minutes down a man. Because of the nature of the
penalties, neither of the penalties would have ended had the Ducks scored.
San Jose goaltender Alex Stalock made sure they the Ducks didn't
capitalize on the extended power plays. The netminder made several circus stops
to deny Anaheim, who out-shot the Sharks 14-5 in the period.
The Sharks weren't done with questionable penalties.
Defenseman Karl Stollery was sent off for an illegal check to the head of
defenseman Hampus Lindholm, albeit of the two minute variety. Maroon also had
his brain shuffled a bit, when he decided to take on Frazer McLaren in a
lopsided fight that left the Ducks winger dazed.
Penalties continued
to mount for the Sharks who actually took a 1-0 lead on a power play of their
own early in the 2nd period. Dylan DeMelo was credited with his 1st goal of the
preseason, firing a shot from the point that made its way through traffic.
The Ducks special teams unit finally got their act in gear, scoring a
pair of power play goals to close out the period.
The Ducks added
three goals in the 3rd period after the Sharks crew of prospects began to wear
down. Anaheim out-shot the Sharks 39-18 in the game, fueled by the Sharks 23
minutes on the penalty kill.
Now the team prepares for their season
opener in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, which may or may not include Torres.
The players that made the most of their opportunity on Saturday include winger
Joonas Donskoi and DeMelo.
Donskoi has impressed Sharks management all
training camp, and DeMelo has stepped up from the blueline.
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think of this story? Post your comments on the
Feeder Forums |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| SJ |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| ANA |
0 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
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| 2nd period - 1, SJ,
DeMelo 1 (Goldobin), 7:21, (pp). 2, ANA, Perry 1 (Vatanen, Fowler), 9:35, (pp).
3, ANA, Fowler 1 (Getzlaf, Maroon), 15:20, (pp). |
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| 3rd period - 4, ANA,
Lindholm 1 (Stewart), 2:07. 5, ANA, Manson 1 (Stewart, Hagelin), 8:54. 6, ANA,
Bieksa 1 (Hagelin), 11:50. |
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| 1st period - Stewart,
ANA (interference on goalkeeper), 0:27; Haley, SJ (interference on goalkeeper),
4:00; Torres, SJ (mtch penalty), 12:45; Haley, SJ (boarding major), 16:18. |
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| 2nd period - Cogliano,
ANA (hooking), 5:44; Dillon, SJ (tripping), 8:20; Stollery, SJ (illegal check
to head), 14:21. |
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| 3rd period - McLaren, SJ
(fighting major), 2:15; Maroon, ANA (fighting major), 2:15; Haley, SJ (delay of
game - puck over glass), 17:34. |
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Shots |
Saves |
| SJ - Stalock |
39 |
34 |
| ANA - Andersen |
18 |
17 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| SJ |
5 |
5 |
8 |
18 |
| ANA |
14 |
15 |
10 |
39 |
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| Referees: Kowal,
Peel. Linesmen: Lazarowich, Heyer. |
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