SAN
JOSE – Benn Ferriero and Jamie McGinn scored goals in the final 15
minutes Friday as the San Jose Sharks turned back the visiting
Chicago Blackhawks 5-3 at sold-out HP Pavilion.
The Sharks embark
on a nine-game roadtrip starting Sunday against the St. Louis
Blues.
The Blackhawks,
carrying a six-game losing streak, pulled into a 3-3 tie at 2:15 of
the third period when Bryan Bickell lined his fifth goal of the
season inside the right post.
San
Jose, with a two-game losing streak, rallied with a pair of
close-range goals.
Brad Winchester
keyed the go-ahead score when he rushed to the Chicago net to
control a loose puck. Winchester moved to the endboards before
turning to send a pass to Ferriero at the edge of the crease for
the jam shot at 5:40.
McGinn exhibited
deft hands in netting his 12th goal of the campaign at
14:04. Chicago’s Andrew Shaw earned a boarding penalty at 12:36.
When Ryane Clowe spotted McGinn with inside position at the right
post, Clowe’s pass allowed McGinn to turn and lift a shot over
goaltender Corey Crawford’s shoulder at 14:04.
Both teams
brought a strong record when leading after two periods this season
into Friday’s game. The Blackhawks were 21-0-2 taking a lead into
the third, while the Sharks sported a 20-1-3 mark in the same
situation.
San
Jose came out of the second period with a lead, 3-2. Chicago fell
behind 2-0 after one period, only to regroup for a 2-2 tie on a
pair of rookie Marcus Kruger goals. Joe Thornton’s goal 15:43 into
the second pushed the Sharks into the lead for the start of the
third.
The Sharks struck
for two power play goals in the first period.
After Blackhawk
Michael Frolic was whistled for a four-minute high sticking of Joe
Pavelski, the Sharks needed one minute to take the lead. Logan
Couture pounced on a rebound off Corey Crawford, then speed behind
the net to spot an advancing Justin Braun for a one-timer from the
left circle at 1:58.
When five
two-minute roughing penalties resulted in another San Jose power
play at 11:09, San Jose made it 2-0 within 27 seconds.
Couture’s hard
shot from the left circle created a long rebound into the slot. An
opportune Dan Boyle one-timed the shot past Crawford for his fifth
goal of the season.
Kruger, playing
in his 52nd NHL game, produced his fourth and fifth
career goals in the second period for the Blackhawks.
Kruger used the
same method on both scoring plays, setting up at the front edge of
the San Jose crease and turning a short rebound into a scoring
opportunity.
When defenseman
Nick Leddy’s low shot from the blueline created a short rebound,
Kruger was able to reach the puck and jam it past goaltender Antti
Niemi at the 6:55 mark.
Three minutes
later, Kruger was in position to see Brent Seabrook’s long shot
turn into a rebound at the edge of the crease. Kruger moved along
the crease and backhanded the puck past Niemi at 9:55.
The Sharks
received a break at 15:43 on a San Jose 3-on-2 rush toward
Crawford.
Pavelski and
Marleau missed a chance at a 2-on-1, but the wide pass allowed
Thornton to gain control of the puck. The captain moved toward the
endboards before shoving a pass toward the slot to Pavelski.
Blackhawk Dylan Olsen swept his stick to try to intercept the pass,
but instead whipped the puck between Crawford’s pads for the 3-2
San Jose lead.
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