SAN JOSE
– Patrick Marleau and Devin Setoguchi scored goals Thursday
night as the San Jose Sharks moved past the one-third mark in the
NHL season with a methodical 2-0 win over the Anaheim Ducks at
sold-out HP Pavilion.
SAN JOSE – Patrick Marleau and Devin Setoguchi scored goals Thursday night as the San Jose Sharks moved past the one-third mark in the NHL season with a methodical 2-0 win over the Anaheim Ducks at sold-out HP Pavilion.
The pace-setting Sharks (23-3-2) extended their lead over the runner-up Ducks in the Pacific Division to 13 points. San Jose completes a five-game homestand Saturday at 7:30pm against the St. Louis Blues.
Goaltender Evgeni Nabokov earned his first shut-out of the season by making 31 saves. He needed to turn back 14 shots in the third period as San Jose protected a 2-0 lead. Nabokov has 41 career shut-outs.
“This was more like a playoff-type atmosphere,” Nabokov said. “It was a challenge for us.”
Slapshots by Marc-Edouard Vlasic initiated both San Jose scoring plays.
The defenseman lined a shot from the left point late in the first period, goalie Jonas Hiller producing a long rebound. The puck found its way to Shark Mike Grier at the blueline. Grier’s feed to Marleau at the top of the right circle led to a one-timer by the captain just inside the right post for the 1-0 San Jose advantage at the 17:00 mark.
Marleau was on the front end of a set-up pass to Vlasic in the Anaheim zone midway through the second period. Vlasic’s open shot skimmed off a cluster of players in the slot, the puck dropping to Setoguchi at the inside edge of the right circle. Setoguchi turned and whipped a shot past Hiller at 9:45 for the 2-0 cushion.
“I got a lucky bounce,” Setoguchi said of his good fortune finding the loose puck.
“I was behind the net. (The defense) lost me. I came from behind the net. The shot hit Patty (Marleau). I snuck in there (behind the defense).”
The Sharks will hold onto a 2-1 edge over the Ducks until the teams play again on March 15 in Anaheim.
“It wasn’t as free-flowing as other games,” said coach Todd McLellan. “It was more muck and grind. A hard-fought battle. Nabby made a couple of key saves at the end of the game. It was nice to see him rewarded (with the shut-out).”
