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Sharks avoid 3rd straight
loss SJ handles Florida's early
pressure 2/3/04 - by Mike Lee
The
Florida Panthers were keenly aware of the Sharks propensity for quick starts,
so their game plan entering Tuesday night's game at HP Pavilion was to go on
the offensive and take away early opportunities. Good idea in principle, but
the Panthers failed to capitalize on their dominance on the ice in the 1st
period, as the Sharks would whittle out a 3-0 win on goals by Nils Ekman, Alyn
McCauley and Marco Sturm. Evgeni Nabokov would stop 26 shots en route to his
6th shutout of the season, one shy of the franchise mark he set in the 2001-02
season.
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
FLA |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
SJ |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
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1st period - S.J,
EKMAN (13) (PARKER, PRIMEAU), 12:54 |
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2nd period - S.J,
MCCAULEY (13) (EKMAN, STUART), 10:16 |
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3rd period - S.J,
STURM (13) (MARLEAU, RATHJE), 12:05 |
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1st period - S.J,
NABOKOV, 02:43 - Slashing FLA, AUDETTE, 03:40 - Interference S.J, PARKER, 06:50
- Interference FLA, HAGMAN, 10:24 - Interference |
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2nd period - S.J,
HANNAN, 05:34 - Cross check FLA, HORDICHUK, 05:34 - Interference - Goaltender
FLA, BURE, 07:21 - Hi stick |
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3rd period - FLA,
BURE, 00:42 - Slashing FLA, RITCHIE, 02:59 - Interference S.J, MCCAULEY, 11:20
- Holding |
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Shots |
Saves |
FLA - Luongo |
28 |
25 |
SJ - Nabokov |
26 |
26 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
FLA |
11 |
3 |
12 |
26 |
SJ |
6 |
10 |
12 |
28 |
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The Panthers opened the game by trying to dictate the
flow and out-skate the Sharks, but San Jose team speed helped to match
Florida's offensive tactics. The Panthers would outshoot the Sharks 11-6 in the
period and had several quality chances in the opening moments of the game, but
San Jose weathered the storm and found a chink in the Panthers attack at 12:54
of the period when Ekman delivered his 14th of the season.
Wayne
Primeau started the sequence by skating the puck around the Panthers net then
winding a pass to Scott Parker in the slot. Parker caught Ekman perched just
outside the right post, and fed a pass over to the Swedish forward from the top
of the crease. Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo committed too early on
Parker, and could only watch as Ekman controlled the puck from six feet out
then roofed a shot over Luongo's left pad.
The Sharks picked up the
pace in the 2nd period, outshooting Florida 10-3 in the period. The Panthers
had a golden opportunity to score midway through the period when Niklas Hagman
tried converting on a breakaway, but Nabokov stuffed him on the goal line. The
Sharks would immediately counter attack and score seconds later.
Brad
Stuart carried the puck up the right wing boards and left a drop-pass for Ekman
near the right dot. As Stuart circled toward the net, Ekman backhanded a pass
to the slot, hitting McCauley for a bang-bang redirect past a diving Luongo.
Sturm would pad the Sharks lead midway through the 3rd period after
Patrick Marleau bounced a clearing pass up the right wing boards while the
Sharks were killing a holding penalty on McCauley. Sturm grabbed Marleau's pass
then raced up the right wing. He tried to center the puck back to Marleau in
the slot, but had to hold and circle around the Panthers net. Sturm looked as
if he momentarily lost the handle on the puck and had to reach out to grab
control of it before stopping at the bottom of the left circle and snapping
home his 14th goal of the season.
Alexander Korolyuk almost added to
San Jose's lead late in the game, but he was hauled down at the end of his own
breakaway. Korolyuk was awarded a penalty shot, but his free chance was snuffed
by Luongo.
Play of the
Game Ekman's backhanded pass to McCauley from the right wing
boards happened so fast that Luongo was forced to dive across the slot in order
to defend against the scoring chance. McCauley's redirect of the pass capped
one of those scoring sequences that make you shake your head and wonder how
that kind of precision can occur in the blink of an eye.
The Turning
Point Ekman's goal really took the wind out of Florida's sails after
they had tried desperately to land a knockout punch in the opening period.
Credit the Sharks with a regiment of tight back checking and patience. The
Sharks didn't try to force the issue by making risky passes on the counter
attack in order to capitalize on turnovers. Rather, they controlled the puck
back to their blueliners and worked the puck up ice.
Save of the Game Nabokov's stop on Hagman kept
the score at 1-0 for a brief moment, then allowed the Sharks to convert on the
ensuing rush up the ice. Not only was it a nice stop, but it turned what couled
have been a 1-1 game into a 2-0 Sharks lead.
Box Scores Do No
Justice Ekman sprinted for the dressing room after Valerie Bure laid a
slash on Ekman's wrist. The Sharks winger immediately dropped his stick and
both gloves on the ice before heading straight to the trainer.
Honorable Mention Interference was the penalty of
the evening for referee Denis LaRue. Half of the ten penalties handed out
included some form of interference. The Panthers were guilty of four
interference infractions, including a goaltender interference call against
Darcy Hordichuk early int eh 2nd period.
Quotables "We
probably get spoiled because the goaltending is so good. That allows us to stay
on the offensive side." - Alyn McCauley
"We come down, had a really
good chance to score and it never fails. They get the save and then they come
back and get the goal. It's obviously tough." - Panthers defenseman Lyle
Odelein
"We played a great first period. Unfortunately we couldn't get
one into the net." - Panthers head coach Rick Dudley
Milestones Sturm tied Owen Nolan's
franchise record with his 13th career short handed goal.
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