The losing streak is no more. The Sharks dug
deep late in a tie game and into overtime to beat the host New York Rangers 3-2
at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night. Erik Karlsson punched home a Timo
Meier feed from behind the net 49 seconds into the extra period to help head
coach David Quinn earn his 1st victory as the Sharks bench boss.
The
win also comes against Quinn's former team, which he led for three seasons.
After surrendering an early lead once again, the Sharks pinned back their ears
on this night and earned a hard fought two points against a quality opponent.
They would out-shoot the Rangers 16-2 in the 3rd period, and they momentum
carried forward on Karlsson's game winner.
Karlsson's game winner
looked as if it might end poorly for San Jose after the defenseman stepped on
the puck as he drove to the New York net, then crashing to the ice. Rather than
give up on the play, he swiped at it as he lay sprawled on the ice, pushing the
puck over to Meier, who raced around the left post, then curled back to his
right and fed Karlsson for the put back winner.
San Jose opened the
game by taking an interference penalty 59 seconds into the contest, and a delay
of game penalty 1:49 later. That was notable given the Rangers aptitude with
the man advantage. The Sharks escaped with surrendering a goal, but what
transpired 4 minutes later made it all the more important.
Sammy Blais
was sent off for tripping Timo Meier at 5:29. The Sharks would convert when
Logan Couture bagged his 2nd goal of the season from in tight. Luke Kunin and
Erik Karlsson earned assists on the goal.
The all dreaded 2nd period
started as precariously as has been the case for most games this season.
Luke Kunin was sent off for slashing with 49 seconds left in the
previous period, carrying over 1:11 of power play time for the Rangers to start
the 2nd frame. Kunin was able to exit the box, but they would surrender the
tying goal to Filip Chytil at 39 seconds later. Or rather Kunin would surrender
it. The Sharks forward had the puck along the boards in front of the benches,
but Chytil raced in and stripped him of the puck before racing up the left wing
and snapping a shot past James Reimer for his 2nd goal of the season.
Artemi Panerin gave the Rangers the lead at 9:05 on
a give-and-go sequence that ended with the Rangers scoring leader firing a shot
from the left wing boards that beat Reimer. The Rangers carried the puck into
the Sharks zone 2-on-1, but Mario Ferraro slid over to the left side to cover
the Rangers forward. Panerin decided to drop the puck back to a trailing Adam
Fox, who returned it for the snipe that gave the Rangers the 2-1 lead.
Rather then completely buckling, the Sharks battled back to tie the game 4
minutes later when defenseman Radim Simek pinched from the right point, then
whipped a shot on goal from the inside of the right circle, beating Igor
Shesterkin for his 1st tally of the season.
San Jose deserved a better
result in regulation after taking it to the Rangers in the 3rd period.
Shesterkin bailed out the Rangers who let San Jose run wild in the final
period. Several big saves by the Rangers netminder earned them the overtime
point, but it was the team that worked harder late in the game that would take
the extra point in the standings.
Game Notes: * Staten
Island native Kevin Labanc was scratched from the lineup, which was clearly a
message to the winger. Labanc was a non-factor in the loss to the New York
Islanders on Tuesday night. Noah Gregor and Scott Harrington were also
scratches for San Jose.
* Sharks head coach David Quinn was booed by
the Madison Square Garden crowd when the Rangers flashed a "Thank you David
Quinn" message on the score board. Typical response from the New York faithful,
but Quinn got the last laugh.
* Luke Kunin had a tough night. He would
take three separate minor penalties, including one in the 3rd period with the
game tied. Artemi Panerin would bail Kunin out by taking a penalty shortly
there after. His play on the Filip Chytil's goal was not the greatest defensive
play you'll ever see.
* Old faithful James Reimer made 21 saves to
earn his first win of the season. Reimer has been one of the most consistent
players for the Sharks through the first 6 games.
* Timo Meier and
Tomas Hertl each had 5 shots on goal, heeding the coaching staff's insistence
that the big money players start generating more offense.
