San Jose closes in on final playoff spot with 4-1 victory over
Kings
San Jose – The San Jose Sharks moved within four points of eighth place in the Western Conference Tuesday with a convincing 4-1 victory over the Pacific Division-rival Los Angeles Kings at HP Pavilion at San Jose.
Patrick Marleau scored twice and Nils Ekman and Milan Michalek added goals as the Sharks climbed past the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim into ninth in the bunched conference playoff race. San Jose has 52 points (23-17-6) after 46 games, while eighth-place Edmonton has 56 points after 49 games.
The Sharks broke the game open with two power-play goals in the second period to extend a 1-0 first-period lead.
San Jose, with two days off since an overtime victory over the Kings Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles, posted a 12-5 edge in shots on net in the opening 20 minutes. Los Angeles, coming back from a shoot-out win over the Mighty Ducks last night, followed up with just three shots in the second period while allowing another 13.
Captain Marleau accounted for the lone goal in the first period. The center accepted Mark Smith’s feed near the left circle before whipping a 20-footer over the left pad of goalie Jason LaBarbera at the 2:46 mark.
Smith achieved a career-high 16th point with the primary assist on Marleau’s goal.
The Sharks posted two goals in the final six minutes of the second period.
“We talked about getting off to a good start,” said San Jose defenseman Kyle McLaren, owner of assists on each of the first two Shark goals. “For once we were the team that was a little more rested than they were.”
Kings winger Dustin Brown was whistled for a four-minute high-sticking 1:24 into the period, but the Sharks could not take advantage of the power play opportunity.
Los Angeles defenseman Joe Corvo earned a four-minute trip to the penalty box by high-sticking Josh Langfeld at 13:33. San Jose was able to convert the power play when Ekman turned a soft centering pass from Marleau at the Kings blueline into a 25-foot slapshot into the high left corner of the net at 14:02.
San Jose needed 52 seconds of a penalty to Kings agitator Sean Avery to make it 3-0 at 17:12 of the second.
Jonathan Cheechoo kept a Sharks attack alive with a successful battle along the left boards before pulling the puck toward the Kings net. Michalek was behind the two defensemen, collecting the pass and depositing the puck over LaBarbera’s right shoulder for the 3-0 cushion.
Cheechoo tied a franchise record, set by Rob Gaudreau in 1992, of points in 12 consecutive games with the helper on Michalek’s tally. Cheechoo has 10 goals and nine assists in the last dozen games.
Los Angeles challenged the Sharks in the third period with a power-play goal from the left point by Corvo at 5:52 The Kings threatened again when Joe Thornton’s five-minute boarding penalty gave the visitors an extended power play opportunity. Each team recorded just one shot on net in the five-minute stretch, effectively ending the Kings’ comeback chance.
Marleau finished the scoring with an empty-net goal drilled from behind the San Jose blueline into the vacant net at 17:38 of the period.
“We didn’t make a lot of mistakes for them to capitalize on,” Smith said of the 30-15 edge in shots for the game.
“Special teams was good tonight, especially the penalty kill,” added McLaren.
The Sharks host the Mighty Ducks Thursday before beginning a three-game road trip in Phoenix Saturday.
Shark’s Notebook
Up Next: vs. Anaheim Thursday 7:30pm; Television FSNBA
