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Goals a plenty at
MSG Sharks snap Rangers 7-game winning
streak
Giving up early leads isnt something the
Sharks want to get in the habit of, but if they can score at will like they did
in New York on Monday night, then it might not matter. San Jose gave up a pair
of 1st period goals to the host Rangers at Madison Square Garden , then ripped
off 6 straight goals in a 7-3 white-washing. 13 different Sharks recorded
points in the goal-fest, including Devin Setoguchi, who had 2 goals and an
assist.
Patrick Marleau had a goal and two assists, and Evgeni Nabokov
stopped 26 shots to earn his 5th win of the season.
Both teams played
a lively tempo through the first 7 minutes of the game. A peculiar play by Joe
Thornton allowed the Rangers to get on the board first. After taking a
centering pass at center ice, the Sharks centerman sent the puck back into his
own zone, where Sean Avery intercepted it. After a shot attempt by Avery was
pushed aside, Mark Staal threw a shot on net from the left point that was
deflected by Chris Drury for the 1-0 lead.
The Rangers almost
converted on the ensuing faceoff after the puck found its way past Evgeni
Nabokov, but referee Justin St Pierre had blown the play dead before the puck
crossed the goal line.
Rookie defenseman Michael Del Zotto would leave
no doubt that his first shot of the game crossed the goal line 1:17 after
Drurys goal. Del Zotto slid down to the bottom of the left circle and
calmly deposited a rebound off Alex Kotaliks shot from the blueline past
Nabokov for the 2-0 lead.
Brad Staubitz cut into the Rangers lead with
his first goal of the season at 12:49 of the period after picking Del
Zottos pocket at the Rangers blueline. He would skate in on goal from the
left side, wristing a shot past rookie netminder Stephen Valiquette from the
left dot.
Wade Redden put the Sharks on the power play after high
sticking Setoguchi, and Dany Heatley would convert with 1:48 left in the
period. After taking a pass as he steamed down the slot, the Sharks winger
briefly lost the handle on the puck before kicking it back to his stick. With
his momentum carrying him toward the net, he gathered the puck in and lifted a
backhand shot over Valiquette to tie the game.
Former Ranger Jed
Ortmeyer gave the Sharks the 3-2 lead early in the 2nd period, after Kent
Huskins sent a shot off of Valiquettes right pad. As the puck sat in the
crease, Ortmeyer stormed in and poked home his 2nd goal of the season.
A Marion Gaborik hooking penalty would give the Sharks their 3rd power play of
the game at 5:56, and Setoguchi would put the sharks up 4-2 with his 6th goal
of the season. Marleau pumped a shot on goal from the point that deflected off
Valiquette, right to Thornton on the left post. The Sharks center tried poking
at the puck, but he ended up chipping it over to the off post, where Setoguchi
swept into the goal.
Agitator Sean Avery would give the Sharks a pair of
power plays in the period on separate infractions, but San Jose would misfire
on both chances. A turnover in the Sharks zone almost turned disastrous when
Gaborik collected the puck in the slot and put a shot off the left post.
Marleau would setup a Devin Setoguchi goal late in the period, after
outworking Donald Brashear down the left wing boards. Jostling for the puck,
Marleau kept his feet moving as he and the Rangers tough guy tried to gain
control of the puck. Marleau grabbed the puck and snapped pass through the slot
to Setoguchi who collected the feed and whipped an 18-foot shot past
Valiquette.
Rangers head coach John Tortarella would sit Valiquette to
start the 3rd period, inserting regular netminder Henrik Lundqvist between the
pipes. That move would be effective for all of 4 minutes.
With the
Rangers trying create something in the Sharks zone, Heatley chipped the puck
out and found himself all along racing up the left side. The winger snapped a
shot that Lundqvist made the initial save on, but he lost sight of it, as it
sat perched next to his right skate. Ryan Vesce came crashing in on net,
punching home his 2nd goal in as many games. The rookie scored his first NHL
goal on Saturday in Long Island .
The Rangers would score a
meaningless goal with just under 3 minutes to play. Enver Lisin pumped a shot
from the left wing boards that appeared to knuckle on Nabokov.
Marleau
would score his 7th of the season 53 seconds later on a give-and-go with Jason
Demers. Marleau slid a pass to the rookie defenseman along the right wing
boards, then made a bee-line for the net. Demers returned the feed, allowing
Marleau to redirect the puck past Lundqvist
Game Notes:
The victory was San Jose s first at Madison Square Garden since October
of 2001.
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
SJ |
2 |
3 |
2 |
7 |
NYR |
2 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
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1st period - 1, NYR,
Drury 2 (Staal, Avery), 7:17. 2, NYR, Del Zotto 4 (Kotalik, Callahan), 8:34,
(pp). 3, SJ, Staubitz 1 (Shelley), 12:49. 4, SJ, Heatley 6 (Demers, Boyle),
18:12, (pp). |
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2nd period - 5, SJ,
Ortmeyer 2 (Ferriero, Huskins), 1:19. 6, SJ, Setoguchi 6 (Thornton, Marleau),
6:05, (pp). 7, SJ, Setoguchi 7 (Marleau, Murray), 17:21. |
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3rd period - 8, SJ,
Vesce 2 (Heatley), 3:46. 9, NYR, Lisin 2 (Avery, Gilroy ), 17:12. 10, Marleau 7
(Demers, Setoguchi), 18:05. |
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1st period - Boyle, SJ
(roughing), 7:30; Higgins, NYR (holding), 9:12; Redden, NYR (high sticking),
16:14. |
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2nd period - Staubitz,
SJ (cross checking), 2:09; Gaborik, NYR (hooking), 5:56; Avery, NYR (tripping),
7:23; Avery, NYR (holding), 12:19; Nabokov, SJ (interference), 18:42. |
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3rd period -
Brashear, NYR (holding), 13:22; Prospal, NYR (roughing), 18:49. |
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Shots |
Saves |
SJ - Nabokov |
29 |
26 |
NYR - Valiquette |
18 |
13 |
NYR - Lunqvist |
12 |
10 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
SJ |
8 |
10 |
12 |
30 |
NYR |
9 |
11 |
9 |
29 |
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Referees: Rooney,
StPierre. Linesmen: Lazarowich, Seitz. |
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