|
|
Captain Marleau stuns
Canucks
Sharks win it with 38.6 ticks
left
1/5/04 - by Mike Lee
Patrick
Marleau made the most of his first game as Sharks captain on Monday night. The
Sharks center scored with 38.6 seconds left in regulation to help the Sharks
beat the Vancouver Canucks at GM Place. Marleau's stint as captain is a
temporary one, but he rang up his 18th goal of the season, proving he's worthy
of leading his team this season.
 |
| What did
you think of this game? Post your comments on the
Feeder Forums |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| SJ |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
| VAN |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 3rd period - VAN,
SEDIN (2) (NASLUND, KING), 07:14 S.J, THORNTON (5) (CHEECHOO, EHRHOFF), 08:46
S.J, MARLEAU (17) , 19:21 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1st period - VAN,
MORRISON, 06:41 - Hooking VAN, ARVEDSON, 07:56 - Hi stick VAN, ARVEDSON, 07:56
- Hi stick S.J, STURM, 08:08 - Holding |
|
|
| 2nd period - S.J,
DAVISON, 01:07 - Tripping S.J, DAVISON, 07:11 - Interference S.J, RICCI, 12:19
- Holding stick S.J, DAMPHOUSSE, 14:47 - Hi stick VAN, SOPEL, 18:19 - Slashing
|
|
|
| 3rd period - VAN,
ARVEDSON, 04:12 - Interference |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Shots |
Saves |
| SJ - Toskala |
38 |
37 |
| VAN - Cloutier |
19 |
17 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| SJ |
7 |
4 |
8 |
19 |
| VAN |
9 |
14 |
15 |
38 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Niko Dimitrakos set things up with a nice forecheck
inside the Canucks zone. Trevor Linden tried to carry the puck up the left wing
but Dimitrakos knocked the Canucks forward off the puck, allowing Marleau to
swoop in and wrist a 20-foot shot that beat Vancouver netminder Dan Cloutier.
The Sharks were in a position to win thanks to Scott Thornton, who
scored his sixth goal of the season at the 8:46 mark of the 3rd period.
Jonathon Cheechoo centered a pass to Thornton in the slot from behind the
Canucks net, before Thornton one-timed it for a 1-1 tie.
Henrik Sedin
had given Vancouver their 1-0 lead a minute earlier by poking a rebound past
winning goaltender Vesa Toskala.
Toskala was peppered for 38 shots,
including 29 over the last two periods. Toskala was forced to turn aside four
Canuck power plays in the 2nd period. His biggest save came on a Markus Naslund
breakaway
The victory extends the Sharks lead in the Pacific Division
to 6 points, with Los Angeles idle, and the Dallas Stars tying Anahime 2-2. San
Jose returns home on Thursday to square off against eh Columbus Blue Jackets.
Play of the Game
It wasn't the
flashiest play of the evening. In fact Patrick Marleau looked downright calm as
he squared his shoulders before snapping home one of the biggest goals of the
Sharks surprising season. It's that calmness that has served Marleau well this
season. When many had the Sharks written off, he has kept his demeanor on an
even keel.
The Turning Point
The goals got eh Sharks the
win, but it was Toskala's play in the 2nd period that kept the Sharks within
striking distance. 38 shots against an offense like Vancouver's typically
results in a handful of goals, but the Sharks backup netminder continues to
impress in his first full season at the NHL level.
Save of the Game
After singing the praises of
Toskala's performance, he doesn't even get credit for the save of the game.
That honor is bestowed on Sharks defenseman Brad Stuart who kep the game
scoreless in the 2nd period when he deflected an empty-net shot on the Sharks
net.
Box Scores Do No Justice
So it wasn't all wine and
roses for San Jose on Monday night. Their power play sputtered to an o-for-5
performance, due in part to a horrendous penalty by Marco Sturm just moments
after the Canucks were forced to skate down two players. Even with the
subsequent 4-on-3 advantage, the Sharks failed to generate any scoring
chances.
Honorable Mention
Not
all is lost however. The penalty killing, along with Toskala's strong
performance help the Sharks add to an already stellar penalty killing ratio
this season. Their 87.2% PK gives them the 4th best mark in the league. A far
cry from their 3to place finish last season.
Quotables
"Yeah, I look like a genius. You couldn't get a bigger goal at a better time
than that." - Sharks head coach Ron Wilson on his decision to make Marleau the
current Sharks captain.
"Yeah, that's not too bad a start. .It was a
good job by Niko forcing him up the boards and the puck squirted loose. I was
just trying to get a shot off quick and it found it's way in." - Marleau on his
newly appointed captaincy
"A little bit of luck, too, but that's what
we need sometimes. A couple of crazy bounces and Stuey saved me two times from
the goal lines." - Vesa Toskala on his performance.
Milestones
If not some questionable
officiating in Chicago, the Sharks would have finished their roa trip a perfect
4-0. Who would have made that prediction in September?
What do
you think of this game recap format? Post your comments and suggestions on
this special forum.
|
| |
|
