The Phoenix Coyotes struck for four goals in a three-minute
assault in the third period to thump the San Jose Sharks 5-4
Wednesday night at sold-out HP Pavilion at San Jose.
San Jose – The Phoenix Coyotes struck for four goals in a three-minute assault in the third period to thump the San Jose Sharks 5-4 Wednesday night at sold-out HP Pavilion at San Jose.
The Sharks have 35 points in 36 games in 12th place in the bunched Western Conference playoff picture. Three teams share ninth with 38 points apiece – Phoenix, Anaheim and Minnesota. Colorado holds the important eighth position with 41 points in 38 games.
San Jose continues its four-game homestand Friday night against Colorado. The Sharks entertain Columbus Thursday and Los Angeles Saturday next week.
The Coyotes, trailing 2-1 after two periods, spent most of the first three minutes of the third period with a two-man advantage because of several Sharks penalties.
Derek Morris rifled a shot past goalie Evgeni Nabokov from the high slot on a 5-on-3 Phoenix power play at the 1:46 mark to make it 2-2. Jamie Lundmark redirected a Morris backhanded pass at the 2:47 mark to give the Coyotes the lead.
The score became 4-2 at the 3:42 mark when a hard shot from Coyote Oleg Saprykin bounded off the back boards, then struck the back of Nabokov’s right leg and settled into the goal.
The scoring procession continued at 4:44 when Mike Johnson swept a shot from the left circle under Nabokov. Vesa Toskala was then put between the pipes in Nabokov’s place by coach Ron Wilson.
The Sharks battled back with two goals. Nils Ekman notched his 7th goal of the year when he found a loose puck at the edge of the crease and banged it home at the 6:58 mark. San Jose pulled within one when Milan Michalek sped around Morris and broke in against goalie Brian Boucher before scooping the puck between the goalie’s pads at 10:36.
At the start of the game, Jonathan Cheechoo was 14th among NHL scorers with 18 goals. He quickly potted his 19th goal. Phoenix defenseman Denis Gauthier collected the puck behind the Coyotes net and fired the puck in the direction of the Sharks zone on a penalty-kill. The puck quickly deflected to the ice when it hit Cheechoo in front of the Coyote net. The winger calmly controlled the puck and poked it over Boucher at the 2:34 mark of the first period.
The Coyotes drew even at 1-1 with 9.3 seconds left in the opening period on a Shane Doan goal. The Phoenix captain skated with the puck from the left boards, then pulled up at the bottom of the left circle before lining a shot that angled between the pads of Nabokov as the goaltender positioned hard against the left post.
Grant Stevenson earned the lone goal of the second period. When defenseman Scott Hannan’s shot from close range bounced off Boucher and toward the left post, Stevenson stuffed home the puck as the winger skated past the edge of the crease 3:13 into the period.
Doan appeared to have another goal at the 7:08 mark of the second period. A review of the play by the video judge determined that Doan’s shot was a distinct kicking motion and wiped out the tying goal.
