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Road trip starts with a
buzz Sharks sweep season series with
Tampa
The road has been a safe haven for the Sharks this
season, so when that's coupled with a new found confidence San Jose has been
playing with, the results have been solid. San Jose kicked off a tough five
game road trip with a nice 4-2 win against the Tampa Bay Lightening at Amalie
Arena in Florida on Tuesday night. The Sharks matched a solid performance
against the Lightning earlier this season against the Lightening with goals
from four different players and solid goaltending from Martin Jones who
improved to 27-15-3.
The victory, combined with a loss by the Los
Angeles Kings put the Sharks 4 points out of the Pacific Division lead with a
game in hand. If the Sharks plan to get back into the playoffs after last
year's disastrous season, they need only worry about themselves. They did just
that on Tuesday night.
After falling behind to the Lightening in the
opening period after Ryan Callahan converted on an Alex Killorn feed, the
Sharks went to work.
San Jose opened the 2nd period with a quick goal
after Joel Ward cracked a shot from the top of the left circle 1:43 into the
period. Ward took a Marc-Edouard Vlassic on the left side as the Sharks tried
to create an odd man rush into the Tampa zone. With Matt Nieto and a pair of
Lightening defenders streaming across the blueline, Ward put on the breaks
before teeing up a shot from 55 feet. Tampa goaltender Ben Bishop got his right
pad on the shot, but it carried enough momentum to squeeze over the goal line.
Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton teamed up to give the Sharks a 2-1 lead
less than five minutes later. Pavelski worked the puck behind the Lightening
net before sliding it along the end boards to Thornton on the right side. The
Sharks captain made a beeline for the front of the net as a pair of Lightening
defenders collapsed on Thornton. That opened up the low slot for Pavelski who
one timed a feed from Thornton for his 26th goal of the season.
Cedric
Paquette knotted the game at 2-2 midway through the period by pouncing on a
deflected puck near the right dot before pivoting toward the net and whipping a
shot past Jones for just his 3rd goal of the season.
In one of those
intestinal fortitude moments, the Sharks rolled up their sleeves and simply got
the job done in the 3rd period.
Nieto scored what turned out to be the game-winning
goal 1:17 into the 3rd period. Patrick Marleau carried the puck up ice along
the right wing boards before sending a backhand pass to Nieto on the left side.
Nieto received the pass, raced in on net, and deeked Bishop before sliding a
shot inside the left post for the 3-2 lead.
Thornton worked his magic
one last time with 1:43 left in regulation. After chasing down a puck along the
end boards behind the Lightening net, the big centerman appeared to spin away
from a check, but he combined that with a blind backhanded pass to Melker
Karlsson in the slot. The Sharks winger received Thornton's pass as he skated
toward Bishop and whipped a shot for the Sharks 4th goal of the game. The pass
found Karlsson so quickly that Bishop was late to react tot he ensuing shot.
There wasn't a Tampa defender within 20 feet of Karlsson as he broke for the
net.
Jones would finish the evening with 28 saves, but his play in the
opening period positioned the Sharks to make a run at a win. his 8 saves in the
period prevented it from easily being a 3-0 deficit at the first intermission.
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What did you
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
SJ |
0 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
TB |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
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1st period - 1, TB,
Callahan 6 (Killorn, Sustr), 17:51. |
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2nd period - 2, SJ, Ward
16 (Vlasic, Nieto), 1:43. 3, SJ, Pavelski 26 (Thornton, Hertl), 6:34. 4, TB,
Paquette 3 (Brown), 8:46. |
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3rd period - 5, SJ,
Nieto 8 (Marleau, Ward), 1:17. 6, SJ, Karlsson 7 (Thornton), 18:17. |
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2nd period - Coburn, TB
(interference), 15:39. |
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3rd period - Donskoi, SJ
(tripping), 2:00; Marchessault, TB (boarding), 9:13; Filppula, TB (tripping),
14:10; Hedman, TB (10 min misconduct), 18:17; Ward, SJ (holding), 19:46. |
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Shots |
Saves |
SJ - Jones |
30 |
28 |
TB - Bishop |
31 |
27 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
SJ |
8 |
10 |
13 |
31 |
TB |
9 |
12 |
9 |
30 |
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Referees: Dwyer,
McIsaac. Linesmen: Brisebois, Mach. |
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