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Five 3rd period goals propel
Sharks
SJ take 1-0 series lead in WCSF
The Sharks last played a week ago when they ended
the Los Angeles Kings season with a 6-3 win in Southern California, so it
wasn't a surprise that they had a few cobwebs to deal with. San Jose spent the
better part of 40 minutes in search of their legs, but when they found them it
was a beautiful thing. San Jose erupted for a franchise record 5 goals in the
3rd period to knock off the Nashville Predators to take Game 1 of the Western
Conference Semi-Final match-up.
The Predators create a much different
challenge for the Sharks than the one the Kings afforded, with a stout defense
that offers little in terms of opportunities. Throw in a Vezina caliber
goaltender in Pekka Rinne, and the Sharks were up against an opponent that
isn't going to give up many goals.
The Sharks performance against the
Predators during the regular season was another indicator that this is a tailor
made match-up for San Jose. Then they played the game.
San Jose may
have actually scored a goal in the opening period, but a crazy play that saw
the Predators knock their own goal off the moorings as Melker Karlsson fired a
shot on what looked to be an open net resulted in nothing for the Sharks.
Mike Fisher capitalized on a Matt Nieto penalty early in the 2nd
period with a shot from the left side that Sharks goaltender Martin Jones
clipped with his glove, but the puck squeezed past him for the 1-0 lead.
A decision to dump and chase seemed to work against the Sharks
throughout the first two periods as the Nashville defense repeatedly out-raced
San Jose to the puck. The Sharks couldn't muster much in terms of any sustained
pressure in the Nashville zone, because the puck was constantly being
controlled by the Predators.
Ryan Johansen may have been the catalyst
for the Sharks as his holding penalty 50 seconds into the 3rd period launched
the Sharks demolition of the Predators. Tomas Hertl converted on the ensuing
power play by threading a shot just under Rinne's glove from the bottom of the
right circle at 2:37 of the 3rd period.
Hertl's goal also woke up the
lethargic SAP Center crowd, who had been subject to few chances early in the
contest.
Joel Ward struck at the 11:49 mark of the period, taking a
pretty lead pass from Joonas Donskoi as he drove up the middle of the ice. Ward
split two defenders on his way to the net, and waited out Rinne as the
Predators goaltender was forced to droop to the ice as Ward veered right. Ward
swooped past Rinne on the right side and tucked the puck around the right post
after navigating past the goaltender's leg pad.
Calle Jarnkrok clipped
Donskoi with a high stick with 4:40 left in regulation to setup the Sharks 3rd
goal of the period. Joe Pavelski caught Logan Couture cutting toward the net
from the high slot, and feathered a pass to his linemate as Couture swooped in
on net. The Sharks forward quickly flipped a backhand chance over Rinne's left
shoulder after receiving Pavelski's pass.
Nashville head coach Peter Laviolette decided to pull
Rinne with 3 minutes remaining in regulation and the move paid instant
dividends.
Roman Josi fired a shot on net that pin-balled off Brent
Burns skate, before hitting Ryan Johansen in the face and into the San Jose
goal. It was a fluke goal that Martin Jones had no chance of stopping, but all
of a sudden, the Predators were back to within a single goal of the Sharks.
The Predators had 1:49 remaining in regulation and were forced to keep
their net empty. Couture was the benefactor of the absence of a netminder after
he worked the puck past Shea Weber up the left wing board. He would cap the
play with a shot into the empty net for a 4-2 Sharks lead.
Tommy
Wingels got in on the act 30 seconds later, blocking a shot in his own zone
then grabbing the rebound and depositing his 1st career playoff goal in the
empty net to put the game out of reach.
Eric Nystrom decided to vent
some frustration at the final horn by going after Karlsson along the side
boards next to the Sharks bench. Everyone skater on the ice convened on the
spot to forrm abig scrum that turned into several skirmishes. When the
officials separated everyone, Colton Sissons, Barrett Jackman and Roman Polak
were assessed a bundle of meaningless penalty minutes.
The Arena
erupted into a frenzy as the Sharks kicked off the series with the all
important opening game win.
Game Notes:
* The game was
not a sellout, which was a bit of a surprise, given that the game was the start
of the second round. Only 17,026 paid were in attendance to see the game.
* Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton and Tomas Hertl were a combined -3 for
the game.
* The two teams combined for 74 hits.
* Brent Burns
and Shea Weber led their respective teams in ice time. Both players eclipsed
the 25 minute mark.
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| NSH |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| SJ |
0 |
0 |
5 |
5 |
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| 2nd period - 1, NSH,
Fisher 2 (Johansen, Ekholm), 4:33, (pp). |
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| 3rd period - 2, SJ,
Hertl 2 (Ward, Vlasic), 2:37, (pp). 3, SJ, Ward 1 (Donskoi, Burns), 11:49. 4,
SJ, Couture 2 (Pavelski, Burns), 15:40, (pp). 5, NSH, Johansen, 2 (Josi,
Wilson), 18:11. 6, SJ, Couture 3 (unassisted), 18:31, (en). 7, SJ, Wingels 1
(unassisted), 19:10, (en). |
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| 1st period - Karlsson,
SJ (tripping), 10:52. |
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| 2nd period - Nieto, SJ
(tripping), 2:45; Nystrom, NSH (interference), 5:31. |
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| 3rd period - Johansen,
NSH (holding), 0:50; Jarnkrok, NSH (high sticking), 15:20; Sissons, NSH
(roughing), 20:00; Sissons, NSH (roughing), 20:00; Jackman, NSH (roughing),
20:00; Jackman, NSH (roughing), 20:00; Jackman, NSH (10 min misconduct), 20:00;
Polak, SJ (roughing), 20:00; Polak, SJ (roughing), 20:00. |
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Shots |
Saves |
| NSH - Rinne |
36 |
33 |
| NSH - empty net |
2 |
0 |
| SJ - Jones |
31 |
29 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| NSH |
12 |
10 |
9 |
31 |
| SJ |
11 |
14 |
13 |
38 |
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| Referees: Kozari,
Watson. Linesmen: Cormier, Miller. |
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