SAN JOSE
– San Jose overcame a 2-0 deficit in the second period to upend
the Minnesota Wild 4-2 at sold-out HP Pavilion.
The Sharks (6 points) remain tied with the Los Angeles Kings
atop the bunched Pacific Division. Anaheim is third with 5, Phoenix
and Dallas each in fourth with 4.
SAN JOSE – San Jose overcame a 2-0 deficit in the second period to upend the Minnesota Wild 4-2 at sold-out HP Pavilion.
The Sharks (6 points) remain tied with the Los Angeles Kings atop the bunched Pacific Division. Anaheim is third with 5, Phoenix and Dallas each in fourth with 4.
For the second consecutive home game, the Sharks trailed 1-0 after one period.
Minnesota, coached by former Sharks assistant Todd Richards, hustled to a 12-7 edge in shots on net for the period. Fifteen seconds after the Sharks were whistled for icing, the Wild took advantage of the face-off in the San Jose zone. The second shot of the possession from the right point was a slapshot delivered by Shane Hnidy. The puck skimmed off Andrew Brunette and past goalie Evgeni Nabokov at the 13:01 mark.
Minnesota was given a two-minute 5-on-3 power play on penalties from Dany Heatley and Jason Demers. Nabokov came up with several strong saves before Wild Marek Zidlicky was penalized for hooking 73 seconds into the 5-on-3.
“Nabby (38 saves) made some tremendous saves,” said San Jose coach Todd McLellan. “He gave us a chance to find our way. Minnesota has a very dangerous power play. Nabby did his job and it changed the momentum.”
Former Sharks captain Owen Nolan gave Minnesota 2-0 lead 9:03 into the second period. Nolan’s blast from the top of the left circle caromed off defenseman Dan Boyle’s stick, then high over a Wild forward and Nabokov before settling into the net.
The San Jose comeback was ignited by new Shark Jed Ortmeyer’s first goal of the season. Patrick Marleau whipped the puck to the back of the Wild zone to Demers. The defenseman immediately fed the puck to Ortmeyer five feet outside the crease for the one-timer past goalie Niklas Backstrom.
Marleau drew the Sharks even at 13:56 when he followed up his own hard shot from the left post and lifted the rebound over Backstrom from point-blank range. Kent Huskins’ assist was his first point as a Shark.
Joe Thornton extended his lead in the NHL in assists when his ninth helper of the season began the go-ahead scoring play at 18:44. Boyle slid the puck from the left boards to a waiting Heatley for the one-timer past Backstrom as Ryane Clowe screened the goalie.
Marleau scored nine seconds into the third period, a new franchise mark for scoring in the third.
“Quick passes,” said Marleau of his drive through the Wild defense before beating Backstrom from the high slot for the 4-2 edge. “Good D to D passes, then we went right up the middle. There was a missed assignment somewhere (by the Wild defense).”
San Jose completes the three-game homestand Monday at 7:30pm against the Phoenix Coyotes.
