The San Jose Sharks fell 2-1 to the Edmonton Oilers in a
shoot-out Sunday evening, snapping an 11-game winning streak.
The San Jose Sharks fell 2-1 to the Edmonton Oilers in a shoot-out Sunday evening, snapping an 11-game winning streak.
By earning one point, Pacific Division-pacing San Jose reached 93 points, three ahead of Anaheim and four ahead of Dallas. The Sharks have two games in hand with three weeks to go.
The Sharks face Los Angeles three times among the final 10 games of the season, beginning Tuesday night on the Kings’ ice. San Jose hosts Minnesota Wednesday, Anaheim Friday.
Despite tying a season high for shots on net by recording 47 in regulation, the Sharks were able to solve Oiler goalie Dwayne Roloson only once.
“It wasn’t like they were bad shots,” Sharks coach Ron Wilson said. “(Roloson) just had one of those nights. He was sensational. We had more chances than I can remember. Except for when we got the double penalty, we dominated the game.”
San Jose had two shots in overtime to set a new season high and fall one short of the franchise record of 50 established Feb. 14, 2004 in an overtime win in Columbus.
Joe Thornton wristed one shot from close range at Roloson with 1:45 left in the extra session after a steal in the neutral zone by Jeremy Roenick set up a 2-on-0 rush for San Jose. Brian Campbell’s blast from the top of the right circle was rebuffed by Roloson with 42 seconds left.
Oiler center Robert Nillson scored on his club’s first penalty shot in the shoot-out. San Jose was stopped on tries by both Joe Pavelski and Roenick, but Patrick Marleau tied the shoot-out with a shot inside the left post. In the fourth round, Jonathan Cheechoo’s shot was batted back by Roloson before Fernando Pisani ended the suspense by sliding a backhander under Nabokov.
The Sharks peppered Roloson for 35 shots in the first two periods, yet had to settle for a tie when Edmonton drew even at 1-1 by converting on a 5-on-3 power play 14:06 into the second period.
San Jose turned a 5-on-3 power play opportunity into a goal 17:55 into the first period. As Oilers Sam Gagne and Jarret Stoll sat in the penalty box, the Sharks took a 1-0 lead when Pavelski’s hard shot from the high slot kicked off the skate of Marleau, dribbled over the glove of Roloson and barely over the line.
Edmonton came up with just six shots in both the first and second periods, but Ales Hemsky’s slapshot from 30 feet out slipped inside the right post for the equalizer against Nabokov. Craig Rivet had earned a minor penalty for holding and Jody Shelley left the Sharks down two skaters when he was whistled for roughing as the play ended.
