SAN JOSE
– Dion Phaneuf’s goal with 3:57 left in the game gave the
visiting Calgary Flames a 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks at
sold-out HP Pavilion.
SAN JOSE – Dion Phaneuf’s goal with 3:57 left in the game gave the visiting Calgary Flames a 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks at sold-out HP Pavilion.
The setback was the first in regulation this year for the Sharks at home ((20-1-2). San Jose had not lost in regulation at home for the past 31 games, extending to last season.
The teams played at 2-2 for more than 26 minutes before Phaneuf’s winner. The deciding goal began with Phaneuf’s hard shot from the right boards. The puck skimmed off the stick of San Jose’s Marc-Edouard Vlasic near the crease and dipped behind goalie Evgeni Nabokov.
San Jose, trailing Boston 70-69 in the race for the top spot in the league, continues a homestand Saturday night against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings. The Sharks host Vancouver Tuesday before a one-week break over the All-Star Weekend.
After the teams exchanged big wins on home ice earlier in the year, Thursday night’s game was tight throughout.
San Jose, a 6-1 winner on Nov. 13, built leads of 1-0 and 2-1 before the second period ended with a 2-2 tie. Calgary, a 5-2 victor on Jan. 6, pulled even in the second by crashing the net to produce two goals.
The Sharks, bringing a three-game winning streak into play, needed 60 seconds to take a 1-0 lead.
Joe Pavelski sparked the scoring chance with a hard forecheck at the endboards in the Flames zone. The loose puck was picked up by Dan Boyle, who quickly found a charging Ryane Clowe for a one-timer at the top of the left circle for the successful shot past goalie Miikka Kiprusoff.
Rob Blake was helped to the lockerroom with 4:05 left in the first period after being hit in the face with a puck. The defenseman did not return for the rest of the contest, forcing coach Todd McLellan to distribute the blueline responsibilities with just five defensemen..
Calgary produced the equalizer 2:02 into the second period. Adrian Aucoin’s hard shot was tipped by Flame David Moss and produced a short rebound. Craig Conroy jammed the puck past Nabokov for his sixth goal of the year.
Joe Thornton, fifth among NHL scorers entering play, earned his 12th goal and 53rd point 6:57 into the second. Linemate Devin Setoguchi’s work on the sideboards popped the puck to Thornton. The winger worked the puck into the Calgary zone, then cut back across to the slot, outside the positioning of Phaneuf, and lined a shot inside the right post for the 2-1 Shark lead.
The Flames responded with a tying goal at 9:35. Michael Cammalleri secured the puck from a battle along the boards in the Sharks zone. The winger drilled a shot toward the net that Daymond Langkow converted into a goal by chipping the puck over Nabokov’s shoulder from close range.
Calgary nearly used a similar shot to take the lead at 15:08 of the second. Rene Bourque broke free behind the Sharks defense to accept a pass from Langkow, but the chip shot over Nabokov banged off the crossbar and safely back into play.
