SAN JOSE
– Two days after putting away a fourth straight victory over the
Anaheim Ducks, the San Jose Sharks snapped a two-game losing streak
at the hands of the Phoenix Coyotes by earning a 3-2 shootout win
at sold-out HP Pavilion.
SAN JOSE – Two days after putting away a fourth straight victory over the Anaheim Ducks, the San Jose Sharks snapped a two-game losing streak at the hands of the Phoenix Coyotes by earning a 3-2 shootout win at sold-out HP Pavilion.
Joe Pavelski, who keyed the Sharks in regulation with a short-handed goal, whipped a shootout shot past goalie Ilya Bryzgalov in the first round. Goalie Evgeni Nabokov made that shot hold up, turning back all three Phoenix tries and leaving the Coyotes with one point in the battle between the top two teams in the Pacific Division.
The Sharks entered play with the third-best record in the league, 53 points. Chicago, topping the league with 55 was idle, allowing San Jose to pull into a tie with the Blackhawks, one point ahead of Washington.
The Sharks, playing the Coyotes for the third time this season, had been limited to a single goal in the first two meetings. San Jose made sure that mark would be surpassed when Pavelski scored an unassisted shorthanded goal 5:17 into the second period for a 2-0 lead.
Devin Setoguchi accounted for the first Sharks goal, pulling in his 10th goal of the season 2:54 into the first period. Linemate Frazer McLaren tried a backhander from the slot toward Bryzgalov. Setoguchi was able to recover the short rebound, then tried twice to beat Bryzgalov as he skated across the crease. Setoguchi’s second offering loped over Bryzgalov’s right pad for the 1-0 San Jose edge.
Torrey Mitchell was in the penalty box for tripping in the second period when the Sharks doubled their lead. Pavelski was playing aggressive defense near the top of the San Jose zone when he was able to steal an attempted pass from Coyote Robert Lang to defenseman Keith Yandle. Pavelski shoved the puck up-ice, then raced behind the defense and deked Bryzgalov to his left before sending a backhander inside the left post.
After the Sharks used more than 25 minutes to build a two-goal lead, Phoenix used 13:05 to pull even at 2-2 by the close of the second period.
Ed Jovanovski’s hard shot from the right point was redirected by Petr Prucha past Nabokov at 9:20 of the second to make it a 2-1 contest. The Coyotes’ second goal also came from close range at 18:22. Scottie Upshall’s hard shot from the inside edge of the right circle bounded past the right post, striking the backboards and rebounding across the goalline near the post. Captain Shane Doan moved to the right post and shoved the puck into the net just as Nabokov slid to attempt the save.
The Sharks, owners of a five-game winning streak, complete the three-game homestand Wednesday against Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. After playing the Coyotes in Phoenix on New Year’s Eve, San Jose begins a four-game homestand Saturday at 7pm opposite Edmonton.
