SAN JOSE
– Three goals in each period left the San Jose Sharks with a 9-1
victory over the slumping Calgary Flames Monday night at sold-out
HP Pavilion.
Calgary dropped its fifth straight game as the Sharks equaled
their franchise record for goal differential in a victory,
eight.
SAN JOSE – Three goals in each period left the San Jose Sharks with a 9-1 victory over the slumping Calgary Flames Monday night at sold-out HP Pavilion.
Calgary dropped its fifth straight game as the Sharks equaled their franchise record for goal differential in a victory, eight.
The Sharks, 13-2-1 over the past 16 games, play in Los Angeles against the Kings Tuesday night before beginning a five-game homestand Thursday against the Anaheim Ducks.
Monday marked the second of four games between the two clubs this season. Calgary won the first meeting 2-1 in San Jose on Dec. 5. The teams play twice on the Flames’ ice, March 19 and April 6.
Scott Nichol and Jed Ortmeyer each scored one goal and added two assists to key the victory. Linemate Ryane Clowe added one goal and one assist, leaving the line with eight points. Joe Pavelski recorded one goal and three assists to establish a personal best with four points.
Nichol’s goal 14:34 into the first period made it 3-0 and gave Nichol 100 NHL points. Devin Setoguchi, hot off Saturday’s two-goal showing, assisted on Nichol’s goal to also reach 100 career points.
Miikka Kiprusoff handled the goaltending chores for the first two periods for the Flames. He was peppered for 17 shots in each period before coach Brent Sutter pulled Kiprusoff in favor of Curtis McElhinney for the final 20 minutes.
Pavelski opened the scoring with a put-back of a Douglas Murray shot from the left point 4:07 into action. Pavelski and Dan Boyle assisted on the second Shark goal, 6:20 into the period. Manny Malhotra went from the San Jose blueline, around the Flames defense and into the right circle before wristing a shot between Kiprusoff’s pads.
Nichol needed little time on the ice to make it 3-0. Racing off the bench on a line change, Nichol arrived inside the Calgary zone and promptly whacked a shot toward Kiprusoff. When the rebound bounded back into the slot, Nichol jammed the puck under the goalie for his 100th career point (45-55).
San Jose bundled three goals into the final 7:24 of the second period for a 6-0 cushion.
A Nichol shot from the high slot left a soft rebound at the right post that Ortmeyer turned into his fifth goal of the season at 12:36.
Dan Boyle fed Dany Heatley the puck just in front of Kiprusoff during the Shark power play. Heatley slid the puck under the goalie for his 28th goal of the season.
Nichol tied his career high of three points when he assisted on Clowe’s point-blank jam goal at 18:36. Ortmeyer earned the primary assist, tying his personal best of three points set Jan. 29, 2007 with Nashville against Boston.
Setoguchi notched his 13th goal of the campaign 4:48 into the third when he raced around the defense, moved right before tapping the puck inside the left post past McElhinney.
Robin Regehr’s first goal in 141 games ruined Evgeni Nabokov’s bid for a 50th career shut-out 7:41 into the third.
Rob Blake scored his third goal of the year 14:06 into the third during a power play. Pavelski earned his third assist of the night.
Heatley finished the scoring with an even-strength goal at 14:39.
San Jose set a franchise record with eight different goal scorers, surpassing the previous mark of seven.
