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Sharks exact some revenge in
Calgary Team focus on the win in retribution
game
The Sharks have waited 38 days for a chance to even
a score with the Calgary Flames. The Sharks were beat by the Flames back on New
Year's Eve, but more importantly, they knocked out Radim Simek with an
unpenalized cheap shot that resulted in a concussion to Simek. San Jose paid
the Flames back on the scoreboard, extending their winning streak to four
games. The Sharks caught the Flames with a 3-spot in the 1st period, then never
looked back, taking a 5-2 decision at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Evander Kane and Tomas Hertl each scored a pair goals to lead San Jose. There
was plenty of motivation for the Sharks, who entered the game trailing the
Flames by 4 points in the standings. Calgary sits atop the Western Conference
with 73 points. The Sharks looked every bit ready to grab that lead, after
beating the Flames as well as the 2nd place Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night.
The Flames grabbed the lead 4:36 into the contest when Mark Jankowski
tipped a Mark Giordano shot past Martin Jones from the front of the net.
Giordano sent in his shot attempt from the top of the left circle, with
Jankowski parked at the top of the crease. The Flames forward got a stick blade
on the puck, deflecting it just inside the left post.
The Sharks
responded in a big way.
With David Rittich between the pipes, Mike
Smith got to play spectator as the Flames backup goaltender. Smith made like a
loudmouth fan and decided to chirp Evander Kane who was rubbed out of a play by
a Dalton Prout check in front of the Calgary bench. That check turned out to be
an interference penalty.
The Sharks enjoyed an abridged power play
after Tomas Hertl was called for slashing, but Kane made sure to let Smith know
he was listening to the backup's gum flapping. The Sharks forward grabbed a
lead pass up the right wing, but he was cutoff by TJ Brodie. Kane was forced to
pivot back toward the blueline, but he kept rotating and whipped a shot on net.
The puck hit Rittich in the right leg pad and trickled over the goal line for
the 1-1 tie.
With Hertl still in the box, the Sharks were then down a
man, but Sam Bennett tried to push a puck into the Sharks zone on the power
play, but Brent Burns stepped in front of the pass attempt. The puck deflected
back up ice. Rittich tried to skate out and play the puck, but Burns stepped in
front of it. The Sharks defenseman simply had to collect it before walking it
into the Flames net for the 2-1 lead.
Rittich was rewarded for his
inability to keep the puck out of his net, with a warm spot on the bench. Smith
got to put his overactive jaw in between the pipes, where the Sharks quickly
silenced him.
Tomas Hertl deflected a Radim Simek shot 22 seconds
after Burns goal to push the Sharks lead to 3-1. Hertl was parked at the top of
the crease where he redirected Simek's shot. It was Simek who Sam Bennett
leveled at the end of the New Year's Eve meeting that resulted in a concussion.
The Flames made a push in the 2nd period, but Martin
Jones made a series of tough saves to help preserve the Sharks lead. He made
the save of the game with 14 minutes remaining in the period, extending his
right toe out to cut off a wrap around attempt by Johnny Gaudreau.
Kane pushed the Sharks lead to 4-1 at 16:27 of the period by lifting a rebound
chance past Smith from the doorstep for his 23rd goal of the season. Kane
pushed a shot on goal from the slot, but Smith made the stop. The puck kicked
right back out to the Sharks forward for the put back chance.
Calgary
answered after Tim Heed was sent off for slashing at 17:19. T.J. Brodie bounced
a long shot off defenseman Justin Braun for his 7th tally of the season. The
defenseman was positioned at the left point, as he threw a puck that Braun
tried to block. The puck redirected down, skipping past Jones, who was being
screened by James Neal.
San Jose killed a big penalty early in the 3rd
period after Johnny Gaudreau embellished a trip. The Flames had a pair of empty
net goals to shoot at, but one sailed wide and Simek jumped in front of a shot.
Joe Thornton had a chance to pad the Sharks lead with 9 minutes to
play after Smith got caught behind his net, but a limp-wristed shot bounced off
the left post. The Flames golatender was called for tripping on the play, but
the Sharks would not cash in.
Jones reciprocated with a trip of his own
to put the Flames on the power play with 7:25 to play, but the power play came
up big once again. Just when things looked as if they would settle down, Kane
was sent off for cross-checking Noah Hanifin in front of the San Jose net.
The Sharks went back on the penalty kill for the 7th time. It was a
precarious position for Jones, but was locked in. Giordano negated the Flames
last chance to make a game of it, with an interference penalty at the 16:55
mark.
Hertl used the power play opportunity to bag his 24th goal of
the season. Game Notes:
* Joe Thornton became the second Shark
to score 1000 points, when he assisted on Evander Kane's 1st period goal.
* Erik Karlsson missed his 6th straight game as he nurses a lower body
injury.
* Evander Kane and Tomas Hertl finished the game with 2 goals
and an assist each. Kane had 8 shots on goal and 3 hits.
* San Jose
took care of business using the scoreboard, but Joe Thornton sent a message
early. Right before Kane scored his first goal, Thornton took several hacks at
Johnny Gaudreau. It was clear that San Jose was prepared to go after the Flames
top offensive talent if the Flames elected to hit any unsuspecting Sharks
skaters.
* Calgary out-hit San Jose 17-13, but there were no teeth
rattling hits like Bennett's cheap shot back in December.
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
SJ |
3 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
CGY |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
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1st period - 1, CGY,
Jankowski 9 (Giordano, Brodie) 4:36. 2, SJ, Kane 22 (Thornton, Burns), 12:39.
3, SJ, Burns 11 (unassisted), 13:42, (sh). 4, SJ, Hertl 23 (Simek, Donskoi),
14:04. |
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2nd period - 5, SJ, Kane
23 (Donskoi, Hertl), 16:27. 6, CGY, Brodie 7 (Ryan, Neal), 17:42, (pp). |
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3rd period - 7, SJ,
Hertl 24 (Kane), 18:37, (pp). |
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1st period - Labanc, SJ
(tripping), 7:44; Prout, CGY (interference), 10:55; Hertl SJ (salshing), 11:47.
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2nd period - Burns. SJ
(tripping), 6:33; Heed, SJ (slashing), 17:19. |
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3rd period - Dillon, SJ
(tripping), 2:42; Smith, CGY (tripping), 10:10; Jones, SJ (tripping), 12:35;
Kane, SJ (cross checking), 15:45; Giordano, CGY (interference), 16:55. |
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Shots |
Saves |
SJ - Jones |
38 |
36 |
CGY - Rittich |
6 |
4 |
CGY - Smith |
24 |
21 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
SJ |
10 |
10 |
10 |
30 |
CGY |
12 |
14 |
12 |
38 |
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Scotiabank Saddledome -
18,748 |
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Referees: L'Ecuyer,
Pollock. Linesmen: Cameron, Daisy. |
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