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Sharks finally
lose Win streak snapped by Predators in the
Shootout
The streak is over. Facing one of the weaker teams
in the NHL, San Jose fell to the Nashville Predators 2-1 in a shootout after
one of the stranger games of the season. The Sharks succumbed to a Predators
team that lured them into a grinding game that played into Nashville's
strength. Martin Havlat went from goat to hero to goat within a 30 minute span
to have one of the most interesting games of his professional career.
The Predators weren't going to light up the score sheet, so they bogged down
the game by clogging up the defensive zone and then waited for a select
offensive opportunity. That opportunity would come a minute into the 3rd period
via an Sergei Kostitsyn goal.
Nashville had only 13 shots on goal
through the first two periods but their first of the 3rd period beat Antti
Niemi. Kostitsyn slid into the slot from the right side, using a screen by Dan
Boyle to block Niemi's view of the low trajectory shot. Boyle was forced to
step away from the net to cover the Predators winger, but Kostitsyn whipped a
shot between the Shark defender's skates.
The goal put the Predators
ahead, but only because the Sharks blew a chance to take the lead a period
earlier.
That's where Havlat enters the story.
With the
Sharks struggling to get any rubber to the net, Ryane Clowe fired a shot
through a screen. The puck slipped through Pekka Rinne's pads before hitting
the left post and perching itself on the goal line. Havlat was first to the
puck, but he assumed it had crossed the goal line. Rather than tap home a sure
goal, the Sharks forward began to lift his arms in celebration, before
realizing that Clowe's shot didn't cross the goal line.
The Predators
defense was able to collapse on the loose puck and stuff it into Rinne's pads
to cash in Havlat's gift.
Havlat would atone for his gaff later in the
3rd period after the Predators were penalized for having too many men on the
ice at 12:26. The Sharks worked the puck into the left corner, before Scott
Gomez found Havlat cutting toward the goal from the left wing boards.
Havlat took Gomez's pass and lifted a backhand shot just inside the left post
as he cut across the slot.
Niemi stopped a Mike Fisher shot that
materialized in a flash after Colin Wilson worked a puck off the end boards and
flipped it to the front of the Sharks crease with 4:40 left in regulation.
Niemi was wide enough to over the goal mouth and keep the game tied.
Nashville outshot the Sharks 9-7 in the 3rd period but
the teams were forced to try and decide things in extra time.
Nashville looked poised to decide things in the overtime session when David
Legwand put a shot on net from 6 feet out with 2:39 left, but Niemi stuck his
left pad out to stone the Predators centerman.
Havlat's evening took
another turn for the worse moments later, when he took a hooking penalty at
2:48. San Jose was forced to try and kill the 4-on-3 penalty with little chance
to pull out a win in the overtime. The penalty kill made two key blocks that
kicked the puck out of the Sharks defensive zone. The penalty expired with 7
seconds left in the overtime period, stirring the sellout crowd into a frenzy.
Rinne silenced them by stopping Michal Handzus, Clowe and Joe Pavelski
in the shootout. Craig Smith beat Niemi by faking right, then cutting left
before lifting a backhand shot top shelf for the only goal Nashville would
need.
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What did you
think of this story? Post your comments on the Feeder Forums |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
OT |
SO |
T |
NSH |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
SJ |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
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3rd period - 1, NSH,
Kostitsyn 1 (Wilson), 0:59. 2, SJ, Havlat 3 (Gomez), 13:39, (pp). |
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Shootout - SJ: Handzus
(miss), Clowe (miss), Pavelski (miss). NSH: Legwand (miss), Smith (goal). |
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1st period - Yip, NSH
(holding), 0:59; Murray, SJ (slashing), 2:56; Blum, NSH (interference), 16:15;
Boyle, SJ (interference), 19:39. |
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2nd period - Murray, SJ
(interference), 4:29; Fisher, NSH (slashing), 6:05; Marleau, SJ (high
sticking), 7:07; Legwand, NSH, (tripping), 17:01. |
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3rd period - Bench, NSH
(too many men), 12:26. |
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Overtime - Havlat, SJ
(hooking) 2:48. |
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Shots |
Saves |
NSH - Rinne |
27 |
26 |
SJ - Niemi |
24 |
23 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
OT |
T |
NSH |
6 |
7 |
9 |
2 |
24 |
SJ |
8 |
11 |
7 |
1 |
27 |
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Referees: Dwyer,
Meier. Linesmen: McElman, Murchison |
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