SAN JOSE
– A two-goal lead for the San Jose Sharks proved too good to be
true Sunday in a 4-2 loss to the host Phoenix Coyotes. Tuesday’s
two-goal Sharks lead eventually led to overtime and a 4-3 setback
to the Nashville Predators at sold-out HP Pavilion.
SAN JOSE – A two-goal lead for the San Jose Sharks proved too good to be true Sunday in a 4-2 loss to the host Phoenix Coyotes. Tuesday’s two-goal Sharks lead eventually led to overtime and a 4-3 setback to the Nashville Predators at sold-out HP Pavilion.
After winning the first nine games at home, San Jose has to settle for one point for the overtime loss, leaving the team with an NHL-best 27 points after 17 games (13-3-1).
The Sharks fired 57 shots at Nashville’s Dan Ellis to establish a new franchise record for one game. The previous mark of 50 was set on Oct. 24 of this year in a 4-3 loss to the Florida Panthers. The 22 shots by San Jose in the second period tied a season high for shots in one period set in the third period of the 3-1 win over Minnesota on Nov. 4, 2008.
Devin Setoguchi tied a franchise mark with 10 shots on net.
When the Sharks grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first period against Phoenix, the Coyotes needed just 2:04 to pull even at 2-2. Tuesday’s outing found the Sharks with a 2-0 edge by the 16:53 mark of the second period. Nashville quickly scored a goal at 17:59 of the second, then the equalizer at 5:22 of the third period.
San Jose’s first goal was a blistering shot from the left dot by Setoguchi off a Brad Lukowich feed at 16:42 of the first period. Rob Blake made it 2-0 San Jose when he followed up short shots from Setoguchi and Joe Thornton to score from 10 feet out at 16:53 of the second.
Nashville made it 2-1 when Sharks goalie Brian Boucher could not handle Patric Hornqvist’s dump-in and Jason Arnott turned the bobble into his seventh goal of the season. The Preds added a goal in the third when Vernon Fiddler reacted quickly to a lofted dump-in to beat Boucher from the high slot at 5:42.
San Jose responded with a third home goal 27 seconds later, Setoguchi tapping in a soft feed from Thornton to the edge of the crease at the 6:09 mark.
Nashville was one second past a Thornton penalty when defenseman Ryan Suter scored off of a short Boucher rebound at 13:33 of the third to leave it 3-3.
San Jose managed the first two shots of overtime, including a Patrick Marleau breakaway that Ellis turned back 1:05 into the extra session for his 54th save. Nashville came back with three shots on net, Ville Koistinen ending the suspense when he turned a successful Predator face-off in the Sharks zone into a slapshot from the high slot into the top right corner of the net at the 2:28 mark.
“We played well in a lot of areas,” said Sharks coach Todd McLellan. “We’ve played poorer than that and won before. I’m not discouraged by any means.”
Notes: Dan Boyle was out of the Sharks lineup for the first time this season after his wife, Amber, gave birth to a girl, Eastin Sky, earlier Tuesday…San Jose completes the two-game homestand Thursday at 7:30pm against the Calgary Flames…Marleau, tied for eighth among top NHL scorers with 16 points entering Tuesday’s game, added two assists. Evgeni Malkin of Pittsburgh added a goal and an assist Tuesday to assume league scoring honors with 24 points.
