SAN JOSE
– It may be a new year, but the San Jose Sharks are up to their
old tricks.
Extending their home record to 19-0-2 for the season, the Sharks
upended the New York Islanders 5-3 at sold-out HP Pavilion.
SAN JOSE – It may be a new year, but the San Jose Sharks are up to their old tricks.
Extending their home record to 19-0-2 for the season, the Sharks upended the New York Islanders 5-3 at sold-out HP Pavilion.
The Sharks built a 3-0 lead after 28 minutes to send the Isles to a 15th regulation road loss. San Jose has posted at least one point in its last 30 home games dating back to last season (27-0-3). The NHL record is 37 games by the Montreal Canadiens (1976-7 and 1977-8) with a 31-0-6-0 mark. After a 4-2 loss to Phoenix on Nov. 9, San Jose responded by running off a 16-1-5 record.
Coach Todd McLellan was not pleased with several lapses that allowed New York back in the game.
“It’s unacceptable that we’re up 4-1 with three minutes left in the game and on the power play, then give them a short-handed goal. We have to learn how to win.”
The Sharks produced two goals in the first period while dominating in shots on net, 16-4.
Ryane Clowe and Mike Grier scored even-strength goals to back up the efficient goaltending of Evgeni Nabokov (21-3-4).
Clowe slipped into shooting position in the low slot as Milan Michalek backhanded a pass from behind the Isles net for the snapshot past goalie Joey MacDonald at 11:20.
Grier netted the first of his two goals on the night with 20.8 seconds left in the first period. Grier made it 2-0 when he turned a wrap-around move into his sixth goal of the season.
The teams were skating 4-on-4 in the second period when the Sharks extended the score to 3-0.
Dan Boyle garnered his 31st point of the campaign at the 7:51 mark, ripping a 20-footer inside the right post as Joe Thornton screened MacDonald. Jonathan Cheechoo and Thornton earned assists.
Islander Richard Park’s 10th goal of the year, a chip shot over Nabokov’s shoulder from five feet out, cut the deficit to two goals at the 16:04 mark.
San Jose used Grier’s second goal of the game at 12:22 of the third period to go up 4-1. Rob Blake started the 3-on-2 rush, dishing the puck to his right to Cheechoo before a return pass to Grier at the bottom of the left circle led to a one-timer into the open net. The Islanders battled back to a 4-3 contest with goals from Tim Jackman (2nd of the year) at 16:50, then Thomas Pock (1st) at 18:57. San Jose completed the scoring with Patrick Marleau’s empty-netter off a feed from Thornton with 9.5 seconds left.
“There is no shame in losing to (the Sharks),” said Isles coach Scott Gordon. “They are big, strong and fast, they control the puck, protect the puck and are very hard to get the puck from.”
The Sharks open a three-game roadtrip in Calgary on Tuesday.
“A trip to Canada isn’t easy,” McLellan said of the games against the Flames, Edmonton and Vancouver. “Maybe that’s what we need right now.”
NOTES: Cheechoo tied a personal high with three assists, an accomplishment first done Feb. 13, 2007 at St. Louis…San Jose managed its eighth game this season with at least 45 shots, building a 47-24 margin…Derek Joslin made his NHL debut on defense. Joslin was leading Worcester defensemen in scoring with 20 points in AHL play…San Jose took over the top spot in the league with 63 points after Boston (62) lost 4-2 to Buffalo.
