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Niemi extends shutout streak to
2 games Sharks netminder stymies Ovechkin and
Caps
The Sharks continued get timely goals on their
lengthy seven-game road trip, converting with a pair of 3rd period goals 132
seconds apart to take a 2-0 decision over the Washington Capitals at the
Verizon Center. Antti Niemi made 25 saves to earn his 2nd consecutive shutout,
out-dueling Capitals netminder Michael Neuvirth in battle of the glove. Logan
Couture scored the game winning goal again for San Jose to pace the Sharks.
The win was also the 4th in a row for San Jose, who is looking to pick
up the pace as the playoff lineup in the Western Conference begins to take
shape. With the victory, the Sharks find themselves in 4th place in the
conference, just a single point out of the division lead. San Jose
shouldnt lose sight of the fact that the ninth seed in the West is only 4
points back in the standings.
If they continue to play the same
fundamentally sound hockey that theyve exhibited over the last week, they
wont have to worry about looking in the mirror. Part of that will depend
on how consistent Niemi can be.
He was john on the spot on Tuesday
night. Neuvirth was solid for 52 minutes, but a brief let down was enough to
spoil the host Capitals night. Washingtons netminder turned aside 15
shots in the 1st period and it looked like it might be a long night for the
visiting Sharks.
Neuvirth robbed Ben Eager seven minutes into the game
with a flash of the leather to snag an 18-foot shot from the left side. San
Jose had just dodged a bullet when a gloved puck bounced precariously through
the Sharks crease.
Neuvirth would start to see a steady stream of
pucks come his way during a six minute span, but he handled things.
Washington fell victim to a quick whistle after Niemi appeared to secure a puck
with seven minutes remaining in the period. A Washington shot squirted through
Niemis pads and sat perched in the crease behind the netminder. Both
referees lost sight of the puck, whistling the play dead as Nicklas Backstrom
tapped I across the goal line.
Jamal Mayers tripped up former Shark
Matt Bradley with 4:31 to play in the period. Niemi got a glove on a point
blank shot by Backstrom to deny the Capitals best scoring chance during the
two-man advantage.
San Jose would go on the power play with 81 seconds
left in the period after John Erskine cross checked Joe Thornton in front of
the Washington net. San Jose would fail to convert, but they would finish the
period by putting 15 shots on Neuvirth.
Dany Heatley just missed on a
one-time chance from 5-feet out early in the 2nd period after Thornton sent a
pass out to the slot from behind the Capitals net. Neuvirth made a spectacular
save, doing the splits to deny Heatley.
Thornton had his own scoring
chance with 7 minutes remaining in the period, missing with a shot to the right
side even though the left side of the net was wide open.
The golden
opportunity-fest continued, swinging to the Capitals favor later in the period,
when a juicy rebound found its way to Alexander Ovechkins stick just
outside the right post. Washingtons captain ripped a shot that was
blocked by Marc-Edouard Vlasic.
David Steckel missed on arguably the best chance of
the period with 80 seconds left in the period when Niemi poked a partial
breakaway chance after Jason Demers coughed up the puck at his own blueline.
Steckel picked Demers pocket, then raced in on net before deeking right before
cutting to the left post.
The Kyle Wellwood Logan Couture
Eager line would pepper Neuvirth with a series of shots in tight early
in the 3rd period, but they couldnt anything past the Capitals netminder.
Thornton would miss again with another point blank chance moments
later, but the shot was pushed just wide right.
San Jose would finally
crack the score sheet on their 35th shot of the game. Couture took a feed from
Feed up the left side, before snapping a shot that beat Neuvirth through the
five-hole. It was the 24th goal of the season for the Sharks rookie.
Dan Boyle made it 2-0 two minutes later with a shot from the right dot that
slipped between Neuvirth and the right post. Heatley setup the score with a
feed from behind the Washington net after a strong forecheck kept the puck in
the Capitals end of the ice. It was Boyles first goal since December
23rd, a stretch of 18 games between tallies.
Niemi went to work in the
final five minutes, starting with a shoulder save on Alexander Semin, who
seemed to have the Sharks netminder dead to rights. Semin snapped an 18-foot
shot from the left side that Niemi stopped by leaning to his right to get his
torso in front of the would be goal.
Niklas Wallin would take a
holding penalty at 17:09 to give the Capitals a breath of life.
Washington would pull Neuvirth to add an extra attacker. San Jose would misfire
on two long range empty-net chances, but San Jose would kill off the Wallin
penalty.
The Capitals would fail to get a puck past Niemi, but
Ovechkin would take one last shot, albeit as a hit from behind on Heatley at
the buzzer. Nothing would come from the pointless tap, except for the fact that
the two teams will square off again in eleven days on the west coast.
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think of this story? Post your comments on the Feeder Forums |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
SJ |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
WAS |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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3rd period - 1, SJ,
Couture 24 (Eager, Huskins), 11:55. 2, SJ, Boyle6 (Heatley, Setoguchi), 14:07.
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1st period - Mayers, SJ
(tripping), 15:29; Erskine, WAS (cross checking), 18:39. |
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3rd period - Wallin, SJ
(holding), 17:09. |
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Shots |
Saves |
SJ - Niemi |
25 |
25 |
WAS - Neuvirth |
36 |
34 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
SJ |
15 |
12 |
9 |
36 |
WAS |
9 |
4 |
12 |
25 |
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Referees: McCauley,
Walkom. Linesmen: Barton, Murray. |
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