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Goals galore in Sharks Game 4
win
SJ unloads on Edmonton in 7-0 win
After failing to score in their last 120 minutes of
hockey, the Sharks erupted on Tuesday night in Game 4 of their Western
Conference Quarter Final series with the Edmonton Oilers. San Jose rose to
another level after falling behind 2-1 in the series by scoring 7 goals in
their own shutout victory at SAP Center. Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski scored
two goals each to lead San Jose, who tied the series with the Oilers at 2-2.
San Jose's offense had been AWOL entering Tuesday night's game, but
they made their presence felt for 60 minutes. The special teams play arrived in
a big way as the Sharks scored four times on the power play. It also helped get
some of their key players into the right mind set. Several had been absent from
the score sheet through the first three games in the series, but this was an
awakening.
The Sharks wasted no time jumping on the Sharks, scoring 15
seconds into the game, to set a franchise record for fastest playoff goal.
Pavelski finally made his presence felt in the series by scoring his first goal
of the series. The Sharks captain got his stick blade on a Justin Braun shot
that deflected downwards, then bouncing past Oilers goaltender Cam Talbot.
The goal was important in that it gave the Sharks their first lead of
the series (other than Melker Karlsson's game winner in Game 1), and it got
Pavelski and Marleau on the score sheet. Both would do more damage later in the
game, but Pavelski's opening tally seemed to loosen everyone up.
A
Kris Russell hooking penalty at the midpoint of the period setup the first of
six Sharks power play's on the night. San Jose finally got the special teams
play in gear on the ensuing man advantage. Logan Couture scored the first of
his two goals on the night at 11:02. The forward took a partially deflected
feed from Pavelski through the slot then lifted the puck over Talbot's left
shoulder for the sharks first power play goal since Game 1.
Zach
Kassian took a delay of game penalty with 5 seconds left in the period, which
carried over into the 2nd period. That penalty became a bigger problem for
Edmonton when Connor McDavid was whistled for interference 51 seconds into the
next frame. That setup a shot 5-on-3 power play for San Jose, but the Sharks
couldn't convert with the two Oiler forwards in the net. They would once
Kassian stepped back on the ice however.
Patrick Marleau added to his
assist earlier in the game by banging home a shot at 2:02 to push the Sharks
lead to 3-0 on another power play tally. Marleau sniped a shot from the top of
the left circle after receiving a Brent Burns feed.
San Jose was just
getting started in the period. Rookie Marcus Sorensen slipped a rebound past
Talbot after David Schlemko fired a shot off the Oilers goaltender from long
range. Sorensen was lurking around the front of the net when the rebound kicked
right to his stick. It was a done deal after his momentum carried him past
Talbot for the easy deposit.
With all the pucks flying past Oiler
goaltenders, it was easy to forget about Martin Jones performance in net for
the Sharks. The goaltender stopped all 23 shots he faced on the night, but none
was bigger than his save on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins shot in the middle frame. The
Oilers forward had a wide open net and with Jones out at the top of the crease,
it looked as if it was a done deal, but Jones reached back with his left arm
and deflected the shot with his forearm to preserve the shutout.
Edmonton decided it was time to start collecting a goon tax after they
fell behind by the four goals. They focused on Couture, who suffered a facial
injury at the end of the regular season. They repeatedly hit the Sharks forward
up high, but he responded by scoring his second goal of the night. Jannik
Hansen setup the goal with a beautiful pass from the right end boards, fending
off two Oiler defenders to make the feed to Couture at the right dot. Couture
snapped that feet past Talbot to make it a 5-0 game.
That would be the end of Talbot night, having
surrendered the 5 goals on just 24 shots. Laurent Brossoit filled in for the
Oilers starter, but would fare no better.
The barrage irritated the
Oilers enough to induce more stupidity on the ice. Leon Draisaitl decided to
take out his frustration on Chris Tierney by spearing the Sharks forward
between the legs. Draisaitl would earn a 5-minute spearing major and a game
misconduct that would end his evening.
The infraction led to yet
another Sharks power play goal. Pavelski scored his 2nd of the night by tipping
a Brent Burns shot past Brossoit from the left side of the net. Burns shot
sailed between Marleau's skates before hitting Pavelski's stick. The assist was
Burn's third of the night.
The first 40 minutes had passed and the
Oilers were hit by a truck.
Edmonton was ready to hit the charter
flight back home, but there was still another period to play.
Darnell
Nurse put his team down a man for the 7th time in the game after he lifted a
stick under Pavelski's chin.
Schlemko converted on the chance, scoring
his first playoff goal as a Shark at 6:45 to cap the game's scoring. The
defenseman let a shot fly from the high slot beating Brossoit.
Game
Notes:
* Jerry Rice opened the locker room door before the game.
It was fitting that the Sharks scored 7 on the night they had the NFL legend
kick off the evening.
* In addition to the 4 power play goals the
Sharks scored, their special teams were also a perfect 4-for-4 on the penalty
kill. The Oilers could have easily turned the game had they converted on their
special teams chances.
* Joe Thornton sat a majority of the 3rd
period, skating only three shifts in the period.
* Twelve Shark
players recorded points led by Pavelski and Burns, who had three points each.
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Feeder Forums |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| EDM |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| SJ |
2 |
4 |
1 |
7 |
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| 1st period - 1, SJ,
Pavelski 1 (Braun, Marleau), 0:15. 2, SJ, Couture 1 (Pavelski, Burns), 11:02,
(pp). |
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| 2nd period - 3, SJ,
Marleau 1 (Burns), 2:02, (pp). 4, SJ, Sorensen 1 (Schlemko, Ward), 9:46. 5, SJ,
Couture 2 (Hansen, Ward), 12:52. 6, SJ, Pavelski 2 (Burns, Thornton), 16:46,
(pp). |
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| 3rd period - 7, SJ,
Schlemko 1 (Hertl), 6:45, (pp). |
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| 1st period - Russell,
EDM (hooking), 9:59; Martin, SJ (interference), 12:14; Kassian, EDM (delay of
game), 19:55. |
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| 2nd period - McDavid,
EDM (interference), 0:51; Draisaitl, EDM (spearing), 13:44; Draisaitl, EDM
(game misconduct), 13:44; Maroon, EDM (cross checking), 19:23; Hertl, SJ (high
sticking), 19:54. |
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| 3rd period - Karlsson,
SJ (interference), 2:13; Nurse, EDM (high sticking), 5:48; Karlsson, SJ
(tripping), 9:53; Bench, EDM (too many men), 11:29. |
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Shots |
Saves |
| EDM - Talbot |
24 |
19 |
| EDM - Brossoit |
8 |
6 |
| SJ - Jones |
23 |
23 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| EDM |
12 |
5 |
6 |
23 |
| SJ |
14 |
15 |
3 |
32 |
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| Referees: Rooney,
StLaurent. Linesmen: Cherrey, Pancich. |
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