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This story is getting
old
Yet another 3rd period collapse
If you saw any of the Sharks last two games, then
there was no need to take in Thursday night's contest at SAP Center. Same
story, different opponent. Jump out to an early lead, cough up that lead in the
third period, then lose. That's your story line in a nutshell. Same old late
mistakes and a lack of defensive fortitude to hold on to a lead are all the
Sharks have to offer right now. Bad 3rd period hockey allowed the Columbus Blue
Jackets to take two points in a 5-4 decision against the hapless Sharks.
The Sharks seemed to toy with their fans on Thursday night, leading,
then trailing, then leading, before finally allowing the Blue Jackets to score
a pair of goals late to lose in the most painful of ways.
Columbus
appeared to score a go-ahead goal late in the game when Ryan Johansen put what
would have been his 3rd goal of the game on the board, but for some reason,
referee Ian Walsh thought that Antti Niemi was interfered with. That goal was
waved off, but Mark Letestu responded with his 2nd goal of the game with 21
seconds left in regulation.
Letestu took advantage of a Sharks defense
that seems to be inflicted with 3rd period paralysis every game. The Blue
Jackets forward deflected a Scott Hartnell shot as he sat perched outside the
right post. Niemi was there to defend the deflection, but it found a seam
between the netminder's left pad and glove.
And just like that, the
game was over. San Jose had bolted out to a nice 2-0 lead in the 1st period.
They were forced to comeback from a 3-2 deficit in the 3rd period, but all that
positivity was flushed down the toilet, because the Sharks can't hold a 3rd
period lead.
Adam Burish staked San Jose to a 1-0 lead 5 minutes into
the game by simply shooting the puck at Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei
Bobrovsky, catching a space big enough to score. The goal was the 1st for
Burish in 48 games.
Joe Pavelski found a hole in Bobrovsky's game with
5 minutes remaining in the period, by deflecting a Logan Couture shot on the
power play to pad San Jose's lead.
No padding is enough it seems these days, and Columbus
proved that by scoring three times in the 2nd period.
Johansen scored
a pair of goals in the period, which bookended a short-handed goal by Letestu
after the Sharks 5-on-4 advantage into a 2-on-1 disadvantage after a turnover
and Couture's half-hearted defensive response allowed the Blue Jackets to tie
the game at 2-2.
Joe Pavleksi tied the game at 3-3 2:05 into the 3rd
period, then Couture gave the Sharks a 4-3 lead 6 minutes later with a steal in
the Blue Jackets zone.
San Jose had the initiative and the momentum,
but a lazy hooking penalty by Brent Burns setup all the opportunity Columbus
needed to knot the game at 4-4. Hartnell setup the goal by kicking the puck to
Nick Foligno after the Sharks descended on Hartnell.
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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 |
T |
| CBJ |
0 |
3 |
2 |
5 |
| SJ |
2 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
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| 1st period - 1, SJ,
Burish 1 (Demers), 5:11. 2, Pavelski 3 (Couture, Marleau), 14:44, (pp). |
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| 2nd period - 3, CBJ,
Johansen 4 (Harntell, Foligno), 8:22. 4, CBJ, Letestu 1 (Anisimov, Tyutin),
12:13, (sh). 5, CBJ, Johansen 5 (Hartnell), 13:36. |
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| 3rd period - 6, SJ,
Pavelski, 4 (Thornton), 2:05. 7, SJ, Couture 4 (unassisted), 8:23. 8, CBJ,
Foligno 3 (Hartnell, Wisniewski), 11:40, (pp). 9, CBJ, Letestu 2 (Hartnell,
Savard), 19:39. |
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| 1st period - Boll, CBJ
(fighting major), 2:47; Desjardins, SJ (fighting major), 2:47; Hayes, SJ
(holding), 10:44; Calvert, CBJ (high sticking), 13:37; Boll, CBJ (hooking),
16:51. |
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| 2nd period - Wisniewski,
CBJ (holding), 1:23; Demers, SJ (holding), 4:08; Skille, CBJ (interference),
11:00; Burns, SJ (high sticking - double minor), 15:04. |
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| 3rd period - Burns, SJ
(hooking), 11:04; Foligno, CBJ (high sticking), 13:15. |
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Shots |
Saves |
| CBJ - Bobrovsky |
37 |
33 |
| SJ - Niemi |
28 |
23 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| CBJ |
5 |
12 |
11 |
28 |
| SJ |
16 |
9 |
12 |
37 |
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| Referees: Walsh,
Watson. Linesmen: Cherry, Wheler. |
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