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Sharks fizzle in playoff style
matchup
Blues shutout SJ on SAP Center
ice
With the Sharks on the verge of clinching a playoff
spot, San Jose got a taste of what playoff hockey is going to be like on
Tuesday night. The Sharks misfired in a defensive slugfest, losing to the St
Louis Blues 1-0 at SAP Center in a primer for the post season. San Jose missed
a chance to jump past the Anaheim Ducks in the standings and climb within 3
points of the Los Angeles Kings for the Pacific Division lead after both teams
lost.
In a similar situation, the Blues are looking to catch the
Dallas Stars in the Central Division, and their shutout performance by
goaltender Brian Elliott helped them keep pace with the Stars who also won on
Tuesday.
If Tuesday night was a preview of what the Sharks can expect
in the playoffs, it didn't bode well. San Jose tried to employ their perimeter
first attack which attempts to poke holes in the opposition with long range
shots. That didn't work against a defensively solid Blues team that kept
Elliott's path of vision clean all night and simply clamped down on the Sharks.
San Jose played a lethargic opening 20 minutes that saw them out-shoot
the Blues 10-6 in the period, but it was the Blues who had the majority of
scoring chances in the period. It was an opening period more indicative of a
team reading for summer vacation than the playoffs.
The 2nd period
didn't provide any more in terms of scoring chances, but at least the Sharks
showed that they had a pulse. The problem was they had not desire to get
anywhere near the Blues goal mouth. The closest the Sharks came to scoring in
the period came on a Joel Ward breakaway that ended with the puck sliding wide
of the net as Ward was hauled down.
Early penalties were reminders
that the Sharks needed to capitalize to grab some momentum, but the Sharks
power play simply fizzled all night.
St Louis made the Sharks pay for
their misgivings midway through the 3rd period when rookie Robby Fabbri lifted
a puck past Martin Jones after Troy Brouwer lofted the puck out of the Blues
zone. Fabbri raced up the right wing boards as he gathered the puck and stopped
on a dime just under the right dot. The young forward waited for Sharks
defenseman Justin Braun skate past him before he yanked the shot between Jones
and the right post.
Braun could have applied more pressure on the
shooter, but his poor decision making left Fabbri to go one-on-one with Jones.
With time winding down, Carl Gunnarsson lifted a puck
over the glass to put the Sharks on the power play with 2:45 to play. David
Backes then floored Joe Pavelski with a high stick to the Shark captains mouth
1:22 later to give the Sharks an abbreviated two man advantage.
San
Jose pulled Jones to make a 6-on-3 power play, but the Sharks elected to
showcase their passing skills rather than attempt to actually score and tie the
game. It was a frustrating display, with Joe Thornton as the centerpiece. The
puck moved all over the zone, traversing ever inch of the ice except for the
segment that mattered.
Backes cross check on Pavelski served it's
purpose. No Shark wanted any part of that type of abuse, so they steered clear
of Elliott. Pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, time expired. Game.
You
can't squander a chance any more than that.
As they prepare for the
post season, the defensive barrier gets more intense, so if the Sharks expect
to get anywhere, they need to figure out how to get to the net. Not put on a
passing fest.
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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 |
| STL |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| SJ |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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| 3rd period - 1, STL,
Fabbri 17 (Brouwer, Bouwmeester), 9:55. |
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| 1st period - Edmundson,
STL (slashing), 18:28. |
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| 2nd period - Edmundson,
STL (elbowing), 10:48; Zubrus, SJ (high sticking), 15:35. |
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| 3rd period - Couture, SJ
(interference), 3:02; Gunnarsson, STL (delay of game - puck over glass), 17:15;
Backes, STL (high sticking), 18:37. |
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Shots |
Saves |
| STL - Elliott |
37 |
37 |
| SJ - Jones |
24 |
23 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| STL |
6 |
9 |
9 |
24 |
| SJ |
10 |
12 |
15 |
37 |
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| Referees: Dwyer,
Walsh. Linesmen: Nansen, Grandt. |
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