Jose Theodore made 30 saves Wednesday night as the visiting
Colorado Avalanche stymied the San Jose Sharks 3-1 at HP
Pavilion.
SAN JOSE – Jose Theodore made 30 saves Wednesday night as the visiting Colorado Avalanche stymied the San Jose Sharks 3-1 at HP Pavilion.
The loss left the Sharks in fourth place in the Western Conference with 65 points after 53 games. Dallas is first in the Pacific Division with 69 points after 57 games.
The Sharks, 1-1 with four games left on the homestand, face Columbus Friday and Nashville Saturday. San Jose will begin an eight-game roadtrip on Sunday Feb. 17 at the New York Rangers.
The Avalanche came into the game eighth in the Western Conference with 61 points, one ahead of Phoenix, two ahead of Vancouver.
Colorado turned a 13-4 edge in shots on net into a 1-0 lead after one period.
San Jose had a strong scoring opportunity only 13 seconds into action when Jonathan Cheechoo had the puck at the edge of the Colorado crease. Goalie Jose Theodore made the first of his four saves for the 20-minute session.
The Avalanche scored an even-strength goal at 10:24 of the first. Defenseman Brett Clark whistled a hard, high shot from the right point that winger Ben Guite was able to tip with his stick blade at the inside edge of the circle before the puck flew past goalie Evgeni Nabokov.
San Jose recorded a 16-5 edge in shots on net for the second period, yet went into the second intermission down 2-1.
The Sharks needed 45 seconds of power play time to pull even at 1-1 at 5:53 of the second.
Brad Richardson of the Avalanche earned a tripping minor at 5:08. The first San Jose power play unit responded with the tying goal. Sandis Ozolinsh, setting up at the left point, faked a shot on net and delivered a cross-ice pass to an unmarked Patrick Marleau for the easy put-in from 10 feet out past Theodore.
Colorado responded with a second tipped pass for a goal and a 2-1 margin at 12:51 of the second. Cheechoo went off with a hooking penalty at 12:45. The Avalanche needed six seconds for the go-ahead marker. Clark’s hard shot from the top of the left circle bounded off T. J. Hensick in the slot and by Nabokov.
The Sharks came up with 11 shots on Theodore in the third period without success. Nabokov was pulled for an extra skater with 1:31 left in the game, but the only scoring came with 0.6 seconds left when Colorado’s Jeff Finger deposited a 180-foot empty net goal.
NOTES: The game drew 17,087. Two Sharks games have drawn fewer fans at home this season. San Jose has 20 sell-outs in 28 home dates…Center Marcel Goc and defensemen Douglas Murray and Rob Davison were San Jose’s healthy scratches…San Jose snapped a three-game home winning streak and is 12-12-4 with 13 home dates left.
