SAN JOSE
– Thomas Greiss made his 13th appearance in an NHL game an
effective one Saturday afternoon, anchoring a 4-2 San Jose Sharks
victory over the visiting Edmonton Oilers at sold-out HP
Pavilion.
The 23-year-old made 27 saves as the Sharks kept pace with the
Chicago Blackhawks atop the NHL standings with 70 points.
SAN JOSE – Thomas Greiss made his 13th appearance in an NHL game an effective one Saturday afternoon, anchoring a 4-2 San Jose Sharks victory over the visiting Edmonton Oilers at sold-out HP Pavilion.
The 23-year-old made 27 saves as the Sharks kept pace with the Chicago Blackhawks atop the NHL standings with 70 points.
The team played very well, that helped me a lot,” Greiss, who will play for Germany in the Olympics next month, said. “The team put pressure on them in their end.”
The Sharks host the Calgary Flames Monday at 7pm, then play in Los Angeles against the Kings Tuesday at 7:30pm.
Devin Setoguchi scored two goals, giving the winger 99 points in his career.
Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton also scored as San Jose extended its edge over Edmonton to 3-0 with one game left in the series, March 21 on the Oilers ice.
Marleau gave San Jose a 1-0 lead 3:51 into action when his snapshot from a tough angle in the right corner of the Oiler zone bounded off the right pad of goalie Devan Dubnyk and into the net. Linemates Dany Heatley and Thornton earned assists.
Edmonton, the cellar-dweller in the Western Conference, responded with an equalizer 15:58 into the first. Sam Gagner, the third-year scoring ace who was playing in his 201st career game, pulled a backhander across the Sharks’ crease to an unmarked Denis Grebeshkov. The defenseman drilled the puck inside the left net behind the sliding Greiss.
San Jose was able to exit the period with a 2-1 lead when Setoguchi whipped a shot from the top of the right circle past Dubnyk on a Shark power play.
Setoguchi came right back with another goal 22 seconds into the second period. Joe Pavelski’s shot from the high slot dropped onto Setoguchi’s stick left of the net. Setoguchi’s one-timer clunked off Dubnyk and into the net. The tally was Setoguchi’s 12th of the season. Manny Malhotra assisted on both Setoguchi goals, leaving him nine helpers for the season.
“He was on his toes, found a way to contribute,” Sharks coach Todd McLellan said of Setoguchi. The coach also lauded the consistent play of Malhotra, Setoguchi’s linemate in the starting line-up. “I trust him a lot, he’s strong, doesn’t turn the puck over, is good on face-offs.” Malhotra won each of his 12 face-offs opposite the Oilers.
Thornton earned his second point of the game 15:36 into the second period. Defenseman Douglas Murray picked up a Greiss save and started a 3-on-2 rush. Thornton carried the puck into the Edmonton zone before dropping the puck to Marleau and moving to the net. Marleau found Murray on the right flank and Murray quickly returned the favor to Thornton at the left post for the tap-in behind Dubnyk.
Thornton moved into a tie for second place with Owen Nolan with 451 points for the franchise, trailing only Marleau.
Edmonton managed the lone goal of the third period. Patrick O’Sullivan scored an unassisted short-handed goal at 9:43 at the end of a 2-on-1 rush.
