SAN JOSE
– The San Jose Sharks could not score a goal in 65 minutes of
play Monday night. Since Evgeni Nabokov also blanked the Phoenix
Coyotes during the same span, the scoreless contest went a
shoot-out that the Coyotes won 2-1.
SAN JOSE – The San Jose Sharks could not score a goal in 65 minutes of play Monday night. Since Evgeni Nabokov also blanked the Phoenix Coyotes during the same span, the scoreless contest went a shoot-out that the Coyotes won 2-1.
Monday’s final game of a three-game homestand at sold-out HP Pavilion was the first 1-0 loss by San Jose since Jan. 20, 2007 to the St. Louis Blues.
San Jose takes a 3-2-1 record on a six-game roadtrip beginning Thursday in Washington against the Capitals. The Sharks return home for a Wednesday Oct. 28 game
against the Los Angeles Kings.
The teams combined for 56 shots on net, although few led to difficult saves by either Evgeni Nabokov or Coyote Ilya Bryzgalov.
After 65 minutes of scoring futility, the extra point was decided by a three-round shoot-out.
Both shooters in the first round, Danny Heatley of the Sharks and Radim Vrbata of Phoenix, were denied. After Devin Setoguchi missed wide left to start the second round, Coyote Peter Mueller jammed a shot inside the right post to give the visitors the 1-0 edge.
San Jose drew even when Dan Boyle backhanded a shot from the left flank over the outstretched glove of Bryzgalov.
Lauir Korpikoski, playing in his 72nd NHL game, gave Phoenix the victory when he ripped a low shot inside the left post.
“Nabby was fine again,” San Jose coach Todd McLellan said. “He was very solid, especially in the second period when we were a little flat.”
San Jose’s one point for the shoot-out loss left the team in second in the packed Pacific Division with seven points, one behind pace-setting Los Angeles. Phoenix is third with six points.
“Our whole group, I thought we competed very hard in the game,” said Phoenix coach Dave Tippett. “And we were in the game. That game could have gone either way. One team gets a break and we found a way to get points out of it and that’s all that counts right now.”
Phoenix finished with a 30-26 edge in shots, led by captain Shane Doan’s seven. Joe Thornton sent five shots on net for the hosts.
“It was a bit of a chess match,” said McLellan. “I think that works in their favor, it’s the kind of game they want to play and they played very well. We didn’t get a lot of flow coming through the neutral zone, as a result you don’t see a lot of offense.”
