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Vlasic stuns Jets with last
second winner
Sharks overcome 1-for-7 night on the
PP to win
The win one, lose one Sharks season cycled in their
favor on Monday night in Winnipeg, as San Jose knocked off the Jets on a
stunning last second goal by Marc Edouard Vlasic. The Sharks blew a 3rd period
lead, but grabbed 2 points in the standings on Vlasic's game winner with 4.5
seconds left in regulation. The regulation win allowed the Sharks to match the
Jets' 47 points in the standings, and gives them the tie breaker with 1 more
ROW (regulation or overtime win) than Winnipeg.
Vlasic's goal took a
split second, but wiped out an evening full of frustration on the power play,
where San Jose converted on only 1 of 7 chances. San Jose spent 14 minutes with
the man advantage, but only converted on their first chance 2:53 into the
contest.
Brent Burns converted after Mathieu Perreault cut Melker
Karlsson with a high stick a minute into the game. The Sharks defenseman
stepped into a blast from the point after Logan Couture slid a pass to him from
the right wing boards. The shot wove through traffic, finding a hole through
Jets goaltender Michael Hutchinson.
San Jose would go on to misfire on
their next 6 chances on the man advantage, including three chances in the 3rd
period. They have converted on 2 of their last 27 power play chances.
The Jets would enjoy a completely different experience on the power play,
scoring on 2 of 3 chances. Andrew Ladd tied the game at 1-1 6 minutes after
Burns goal, pumping a short drop pass from Bryan Little past Antti Niemi. The
Jets had just worked the puck over the blueline, when Little carried the puck
into the left circle. The Jets forward, slid the puck back to Ladd in the slot
for the shot that was partially screened by Perreault.
Karlsson scored
the only goal of the 2nd period to put the Sharks back on top at 4:15 of the
period. The Sharks rookie dished the puck to Joe Pavelski before heading to the
front of the net, where he tipped a long shot from his linemate past
Hutchinson. The goal was Karlsson's 3rd of the season.
Trying to
protect their slim 1-goal lead, the Sharks sustained some insult and injury
after Burns was sent off for hooking Little 2:23 into the final period. On the
ensuing penalty kill, Logan Couture tried to clear the puck from deep in his
own zone. The puck made a bee-line for the Sharks bench, where it caught Tomas
Hertl in the face. Hertl headed straight for the locker room with a towel
pressed to his face to control the bleeding. The young forward was sporting a
nasty cut on his upper lip after the game.
Now down a forward, Jay
Harrison tied the game at the tail end of the power play by pumping home a
deflection from the high slot. Adam Lowry tried to make a pass from the left
wing, but the puck kicked off a skate to the slot where Harrison trailed.
The Sharks frustrations began to mount as they misfired on a series of
power play chances over the next 10 minutes. The Sharks woes were exemplified
when San Jose worked a lone scoring chance on a power play courtesy of a Ladd
infraction, but Patrick Marleau sent a shot from 15 feet out wide of the net by
6 feet.
The game look destined for overtime, but the Sharks
managed one last opportunity. With 8 seconds left in regulation, Pavelski won a
draw from the right dot. Couture pounced on the puck and skated toward the slot
before sliding it over to Vlasic who was activating from the left point. The
Sharks defenseman whipped a shot on goal from the left dot, slipping the puck
over Hutchinson's right shoulder. Vlasic pumped his fist and let out a scream
as his teammates celebrated the clutch goal.
Game
Notes:
* The Sharks skated for the 2nd game without centerman Joe
Thornton who was placed on injured reserve on Sunday. Thornton traveled with
the team and is eligible to return to action on Thursday.
* Burns,
Pavelski and Couture all recorded two point nights.
* Tommy Wingels
led all skaters with 7 shots on goal.
* Winnipeg leaned on
physicality, out-hitting the Sharks 45-26. Dustin Byfuglien recorded a
game-high 6 hits.
* Pavelski won the biggest face off the game, but
Winnipeg ruled the circles by winning 36 of 60 draws (60%). Jim Slater won 11
of 12 faceoffs.
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| SJ |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
| WPG |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
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| 1st period - 1, SJ,
Burns 11 (Marleau, Couture), 2:53, (pp). 2, WPG, Ladd 15 (Little, Wheeler),
9:17, (pp). |
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| 2nd period - 3, SJ,
Karlsson 3 (Pavelski), 4:15. |
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| 3rd period - 4, WPG,
Harrison 2 (Lowry, Frolik), 4:03, (pp). 5, SJ, Vlasic 5 (Couture, Pavelski),
19:55. |
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| 1st period - Perreault,
WPG (high sticking - double minor), 1:14; Little, WPG (slashing), 3:15; McGinn,
SJ (hooking), 8:39. |
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| 2nd period - Burns, SJ
(holding), 1:03; Halischuk, WPG (slashing), 19:52. |
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| 3rd period - Burns, SJ
(hooking), 2:23; Frolik, WPG (hooking), 7:26; Ladd, WPG (illegal check to
head), 11:52; POostma, WPG (delay of game - puck over glass), 15:03. |
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Shots |
Saves |
| SJ - Niemi |
19 |
17 |
| WPG - Hutchinson |
37 |
34 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| SJ |
13 |
12 |
12 |
37 |
| WPG |
4 |
9 |
6 |
19 |
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| Referees: Pochmara,
L'Ecuyer. Linesmen: Cameron, Cvik. |
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