Jeremy Roenick netted a goal, an assist and the deciding
shoot-out goal Wednesday as the San Jose Sharks slipped past the
Minnesota Wild 4-3 in a key Western Conference contest at sold-out
HP Pavilion.
Jeremy Roenick netted a goal, an assist and the deciding shoot-out goal Wednesday as the San Jose Sharks slipped past the Minnesota Wild 4-3 in a key Western Conference contest at sold-out HP Pavilion.
The win kept the Pacific Division-pacing Sharks (97) five points ahead of the streaking Anaheim Ducks. Anaheim (92) dispatched Dallas (89) by a 2-1 count to remain in second place in the division and fourth in the conference.
Minnesota moved to 87 points in first place in the Northwest Division, three points ahead of the three clubs, Vancouver, Calgary and Colorado.
The Sharks have eight games to play, two each against the other four division foes. Anaheim, the defending Stanley Cup champion, comes to town Friday night.
San Jose earned the two points by edging the Wild 2-1 in the three-round shoot-out.
Joe Pavelski scored in the first round and Roenick stroked the winner in the third round.
“We didn’t play our best game,” said Sharks winger Mike Grier. “It’s nice to get the two points when we didn’t play our best.”
“Our team gave an unbelievable effort, considering this was our third game in four nights, playing back-to-back against a team resting,” said Sharks coach Ron Wilson. “Our primary goal is finishing atop the division and ahead of any team in the East.”
San Jose opened the scoring with a Roenick tap-in to conclude a 3-on-1 rush at 17:54 of the first period.
Roenick collected a loose puck at the San Jose blueline and fed Patrick Marleau to begin the break. Curtis Brown and Marleau exchanged passes up-ice before Marleau slid the puck across the crease to an open Roenick for his 12th goal of the season.
The Wild pulled into a 1-1 tie 49 seconds into the second period when winger Stephane Veilleux set up in the high slot and redirected a shot from defenseman Kurtis Foster inside the left goalpost to solve goalie Evgeni Nabokov.
Roenick set up the Sharks’ go-ahead tally less than three minutes later.
Jody Shelley ignited the 3-on-3 rush by finding Roenick open in the middle of the ice with a dish from the left boards. Roenick zipped around one defender, then deposited a pass on the stick of a streaking center Curtis Brown. Making his first appearance after a 26-game absence due to injury, Brown recorded his second goal of the season when he dipped inside the right circle and backhanded a shot under goalie Niklas Backstrom at the 3:28 mark.
“Curtis and I have great chemistry together,” said Roenick. “It is just a great showing of his dedication (coming back after 26 games to score two points).”
The game was delayed for 12 minutes at the 5:18 mark of the second period when Foster was injured in a collision along the endboards while involved in a play with San Jose’s Torrey Mitchell. Foster was taken off the ice on a stretcher and was transported to O’Connor Hospital for further examination of a leg injury. Mitchell was given a two-minute tripping penalty.
Minnesota took advantage of a cross-checking call against Joe Thornton to nab a tying power play goal 5:49 into the third period. Marian Gaborik’s 37th goal of the season came on a one-timer from the right-circle dot off a feed from Brent Burns, the shot skimming inside the right post.
Joe Pavelski pushed the Sharks into a 3-2 lead with 2:02 left in the third period with his 17the goal of the year. Pavelski accepted a feed from behind the Wild net from Milan Michalek, then spun along the bottom edge of the left circle before whipping a shot that glanced off Backstrom’s pad and into the net.
A second power play from All-Star winger Gaborik with 28.7 seconds left in regulation sent the teams into overtime. Shark Christian Ehrhoff was whistled for hooking with 39.1 seconds left and the Wild needed less than 11 seconds to knot the score.
