Cheechoo scores a pair in 5-2 home victory over Detroit
SAN JOSE – The San Jose Sharks clinched their eighth trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the franchise’s 13-year history Tuesday with a methodical 5-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings in front of the HP Pavilion’s seventh sell-out of the season.
With six games left in the regular season, San Jose has a three-point advantage over the Dallas Stars for the Pacific Division title. The Sharks are tied with the Colorado Avalanche at 94 points, good for second place in the conference behind Detroit’s 99.
“There are 14 days left before the first playoff game, and six games left,” said Coach Ron Wilson. “I’ll tell the players that I want them to play these like playoff games.
“It’s a great feeling,” Wilson continued about clinching the playoff berth. “The guys have worked really hard. I never would have thought we’d have 94 points with a shot at 100. We’ve been very resilient.”
Jonathan Cheechoo powered two goals past Detroit’s Manny Legace, leaving the Sharks winger with 27 goals and 44 points. Scott Hannan gave the Sharks a lead they would not relinquish with a goal 7:42 into the first period. Detroit pulled within one goal at 3-2 by the close of the second period, but tallies by Alexander Korolyuk and Vincent Damphousse put the game away in the third period for the hosts.
“(Evgeni) Nabokov was fantastic,” said Wilson of the 36-shot effort by the Sharks’ star goalie. “He looked like the old Nabby. Fortunately he was on top of his game.
“Dallas was within striking distance,” Wilson added about the importance of the win over the Wings. “If we don’t win, Dallas could pass us the next night in Edmonton.”
Detroit, smarting from an 8-6 loss to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Sunday, exploded for 17 shots in the first period yet trailed 2-1.
San Jose turned nine shots on net into two goals. Hannan converted his sixth goal of the season to begin the scoring. Shark Curtis Brown shook off a check at the Detroit blueline to get the puck in the zone. Two passes later Damphousse flicked a shot on net from the left flank that produced a soft rebound in the slot. Hannan skated past Detroit’s Darren McCarty to pounce on the puck, then rifled a 20-footer into the open net.
“We’ve let the defense slip in the last couple of weeks,” Hannan said of the club’s allowing at least three goals in eight of the past 10 games. “We played well tonight.”
Cheechoo made it 2-0 at 9:40. He churned around the Detroit net with the puck, then chipped a shot that Legace rebuffed.
“The rebound was right on my stick,” said Cheechoo. “I just had to flip it in.”
Detroit’s Pavel Datsyuk deked his way through the slot to beat Nabokov from five feet out at 18:27 of the first period. San Jose regained the two-goal spread when Cheechoo was in the Detroit slot just as a wayward clearing attempt settled in front of the Shark.
“The puck was rolling and I just wanted to make sure it was on net,” Cheechoo said of the one-timer that fooled Legace 7:12 into the second period.
Jiri Fischer blasted a 30-footer over Nabokov’s shoulder and into the cage 12:05 into the second. The Sharks gained a 4-2 lead when an Alyn McCauley centering pass skimmed off Korolyuk’s skate and past Legace 6:10 into the third period. Damphousse’s stuff of a Patrick Marleau slapshot at 15:51 was the ninth goal of the year and the 1,200th career point for the 36-year-old forward.
San Jose will host the Calgary Flames Thursday, then visit the Phoenix Coyotes Friday before a 6 p.m. showdown with Dallas at HP Pavilion Sunday.
