SAN JOSE
– A make-or-break weekend in Chicago faces the San Jose Sharks
as they own a 2-0 deficit in the best 4-of-7 Western Conference
Stanley Cup Finals after dropping a 4-2 decision to the Blackhawks
Tuesday at sold-out HP Pavilion.
SAN JOSE – A make-or-break weekend in Chicago faces the San Jose Sharks as they own a 2-0 deficit in the best 4-of-7 Western Conference Stanley Cup Finals after dropping a 4-2 decision to the Blackhawks Tuesday at sold-out HP Pavilion.
Game 3 is Friday night and Game 4 is Sunday afternoon as the clubs compete for the berth in the Stanley Cup Finals. A fifth game, if needed, is scheduled for Tuesday night in San Jose.
“We know we have an uphill battle coming,” said San Jose captain Rob Blake. “It’s a good challenge.
“Our execution has gone down from the last series (a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings). We can definitely play better. Our poise with the puck at times can get much better.”
Patrick Maleau, owner of both San Jose goals, also noted the need for improvement of many areas of play.
“We’ve got to be sharper in many areas. We definitely need to do a better job of controlling (Chicago’s) speed.”
Chicago grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first period and extended the edge to 3-0 in the second period. San Jose responded with a power play goal in the second, going into the second intermission down two goals.
Although San Jose created more scoring chances in the first period, Chicago emerged with a 1-0 edge off Andrew Ladd’s goal 12:48 into play.
The Hawks opened the scoring by converting a 2-on-2 rush. Ladd, bringing the puck into the offensive zone, used defenseman Niclas Wallin as a screen to snap a 35-footer past goalie Evgeni Nabokov.
Traffic in front of the San Jose net resulted in a 3-0 cushion.
Patrick Kane ignited the goal to make it 2-0 when he swept around the San Jose defensive set, lining a hard shot from the high slot that forward Dustin Byfuglien redirected under Nabokov at the 6:59 mark of the second period.
Chicago grabbed the 3-0 lead 90 seconds later by converting a power play. After Kane skated behind the San Jose net, he found defenseman Duncan Keith at the right point. Keith’s low shot was tapped past Nabokov by Patrick Toews at the edge of the crease.
San Jose turned its first power play opportunity into a goal at 11:08 of the second period. Joe Thornton threaded a pass from the high slot to Marleau at the right dot. Marleau’s snapshot flew over the shoulder of goalie Antti Niemi for Marleau’s fourth goal of the post-season and 41st of his career.
Chicago used the same play to take a 4-1 lead with 6:18 gone in the third period.
Defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson’s low shot from the left point deflected off the leg of winger Troy Brouwer and inside the left post for Brouwer’s second goal of the playoffs. Brouwer moved from the left boards and nearly collided with Nabokov several feet outside the crease as the shot was delivered.
San Jose was able to slice the deficit to two goals again with another Marleau goal. As the Sharks gained an extra player during a delayed Chicago penalty, Dan Boyle drilled a shot from the right flank that Niemi pushed aside. Dany Heatley kept the play alive near the crease before Marleau found the puck in the middle of the blue ice and shoved it into the net for his fifth of the playoffs.
