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Sharks have a Dell-emma after
win
Netminder records back-to-back
shutouts
The Sharks have a dilemma on their hands. Aaron
Dell has created a problem for San Jose after recording his second straight
shutout, stopping the Vancouver Canucks 4-0 at SAP Center as the Sharks wrapped
up a 6-game home stand. Dell stopped 19 shots en route to his 3rd win of the
season. Dell's numbers have been more effective than starter Martin Jones, and
back-to-back shutouts shouldn't be ignored.
Dell had the benefit of
facing a Canucks team that fell for the 8th consecutive game, but they're still
an NHL team and the Sharks backstop never allowed Vancouver to establish any
semblance of a foothold in Friday night's game. The Canucks never really
challenged Dell, generating only 19 shots in the game.
Vancouver only
mustered 3 shots in the 3rd period, even though they trailed 2-0 when the frame
started.
Antoine Roussel took a pair of penalties in the opening
period, and San Jose took advantage of the second one at 10:54 of the period
when Logan Couture snapped a shot right off the faceoff past Canucks goaltender
Anders Nilsson. Couture was positioned at the top of the left circle to
one-time a touch pass form Erik Karlsson. Couture's shot tucked just inside the
right post for his 8th goal of the year.
Roussel's night would get
more interesting as the night went on.
Derrick Pouliot put the Sharks
on a 4 minute power play at 16:04 of the period after he cut Lukas Radil with a
high stick. San Jose used all but 14 seconds of the double minor before Timo
Meier deflected a second chance attempt by Joe Thornton, who threw the puck to
the front of the net from the end line down near the end line. Meier was
checked into the right post, but he managed to get his stick out in front of
him as Thornton's feed slipped behind Nilsson.
San Jose spent their
fair share in the penalty box in the middle period, which disrupted any flow.
Brendan Dillon was whistled for holding 2 minutes into the period. Evander Kane
was sent off for roughing after Roussel took liberties with Dillon after both
teams picked up the checking intensity. Rookie Lukas Radil was called for
slashing with 4 minutes left in the period.
The lack of scoring was
offset by effective penalty killing and solid goaltending by Aaron Dell in the
period. The sharks killed all three Canuck power plays and Dell stopped all 8
shots he saw in the frame to go along with the 8 he stopped in the 1st period.
San Jose started the 3rd period by losing Logan
Couture after Canucks rookie phenom Elias Pettersson caught the Sharks forward
with a stick to the eye. None of the four on-ice officials saw the high stick
so no penalty was called.
The hockey gods atoned for the officials
miss when Sam Gagner lofted a puck the width of the ice from his own zone over
the glass to take a delay of game penalty. Erik Karlsson converted the Sharks
third power play goal of the game on the ensuing man-advantage with a shot from
the high slot.
Karlsson appeared to bag his second goal of the game at
9:35 of the period, but forward Melker Karlsson got a stick on the shot to
shift credit for the tally. It was Melker Karlsson's 1st goal of the season. It
was also the first time the Karlsson's teamed up to record a goal.
Roussel became more agitated with the Sharks and decided to take out his
frustration on Marc-Edouard Vlasic, by going after him in the last minute of
play. Video replays showed that Roussel bit Vlasic on the hand as the two were
tied up in a scrum with the two linesmen and several other players.
The league will likely review's Roussel's mastication tendencies. He finished
the game with 18 minutes in penalties.
Game Notes:
*
Lukas Radil made his NHL debut for San Jose, skating on a line with Barclay
Goodrow and Melker Karlsson.
* With the primary assist on Timo Meier's
goal, Joe Thornton moved into sole possession of 11th place on the NHL's career
assists lists, surpassing Mario Lemieux.
* Erik Karlsson finished the
game with a goal and two assists.
* San Jose won 28 of 42 draws for a
67% faceoff win percentage, which explains the low shot count for Vancouver.
* The Sharks head to Las Vegas, where they will take on the Golden
Knights for the first time since being eliminated by them in the playoffs last
spring. Vegas has not had the golden season so far this season. They are 4th in
the Pacific Division, but have played .500 hockey for most of the season. They
shutout Calgary 2-0 on Friday night.
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think of this story? Post your comments on the
Feeder Forums |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| VAN |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| SJ |
2 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
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| 1st period - 1, SJ,
Couture 8 (E. Karlsson, Labanc), 10:54, (pp). 2, SJ, Meier 13 (Thornton,
Burns), 19:50, (pp). |
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| 3rd period - 3, SJ, E.
Karlsson 2 (Thornton, Labanc), 3:43, (pp). 4, SJ, M. Karlsson 1 (E. Karlsson,
Dillon), 9:35. |
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| 1st period - Roussel,
VAN (elbowing), 4:12; Roussel, VAN (delay of game - puck over glass), 10:48;
Pouliot, VAN (high sticking - double minor), 16:04. |
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| 2nd period - Dillon, SJ
(holding), 2:16; Kane, SJ (roughing), 12:07; Radil, SJ (slashing), 16:00. |
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| 3rd period - Gagner, VAN
(delay of game - puck over glass), 2:54; Roussel, VAN, roughing, 19:20;
Roussel, VAN (cross checking), 19:20; Roussel, VAN (10 min misconduct), 19:20;
Vlasic, SJ (roughing), 19:20. |
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Shots |
Saves |
| VAN - Nilsson |
24 |
20 |
| SJ - Dell |
19 |
19 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| VAN |
8 |
8 |
3 |
19 |
| SJ |
12 |
5 |
7 |
24 |
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| Referees:
Chmielewski, Walsh. Linesmen: Cormier, Nansen. |
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