SAN JOSE
– This was not one of the prettier wins claimed by the 2008-9
version of the San Jose Sharks. However, as in 23 other games among
the 29 played so far this season, San Jose emerged with a victory,
this time overcoming a two-goal deficit to upend the St. Louis
Blues 5-4 at sold-out HP Pavilion.
SAN JOSE – This was not one of the prettier wins claimed by the 2008-9 version of the San Jose Sharks. However, as in 23 other games among the 29 played so far this season, San Jose emerged with a victory, this time overcoming a two-goal deficit to upend the St. Louis Blues 5-4 at sold-out HP Pavilion.
By the end of the game, goaltender Evgeni Nabokov, despite the four goals collected by the hosts, anchored a timely San Jose defense. First, San Jose avoided catastrophy from a two-minute 5-on-3 Blues power play early in the third period while holding a 4-3 lead. The Sharks then had to withstand a 6-on-4 Blues attack in the final 1:13 after Lukas Kaspar was whistled for hooking and St. Louis pulled its goaltender.
The Sharks have now gone 27 games without losing in regulation dating back to last season. San Jose, 16-0-2 at home this campaign, hits the road for three games next week before returning to play the New York Rangers on Saturday Dec. 20.
“The leadership on this hockey club right now is tremendous,” said Sharks coach Todd McLellan. “They are not letting anyone off the hook and they’re keeping everyone accountable. They stepped up in the lockerroom. There wasn’t much the coaches needed to say.”
Two Blues goals in the first 98 seconds of the second period turned the momentum the visitors’ way, leaving San Jose on the short end of a 3-1 score.
San Jose appeared to have the upper hand early, garnering the game’s first goal before allowing a power-play goal from St. Louis with 18.2 seconds left in the first period.
Patrick Marleau ripped home the first of his two goals on the night 12:53 into the first period off feeds from Joe Thornton and Dan Boyle. Marleau’s shot from the high slot was the club’s 11th shot of the evening, while the Blues, playing for the sixth time in nine days, had mustered only two.
The Blues managed the equalizer in the first period’s closing seconds when Brad Winchester lofted a shot from the right flank that skimmed past Nabokov on the team’s fourth shot.
San Jose could not clear the puck in front of the Sharks net early in the second period and the Blues made the hosts pay when B.J. Crombeen skated into an open area near the left post to tap in the go-ahead goal at the 41-second mark.
Winchester made it 3-1 on the next shift, whipping a long shot over Nabokov’s left shoulder at the 1:38 mark.
San Jose was able to cut the deficit in half later in the second period. Marcel Goc controlled the puck around the back of the Blues net, dropping the puck off to Tomas Plihal. A 10-footer by Plihal in the slot was redirected by Mike Grier past goalie Chris Mason at the 15:15 mark.
The Sharks hustled to two goals in the first 3:32 of the third period to take a 4-3 lead.
Marleau ignited the play for the tying goal when he chased down a dump-in, sped around the Blues net and slid a pass to Thornton at the top of the right circle. Thornton one-timed a pass to Devin Setoguchi in the low slot for the successful shot inside the right post at 1:15.
The Sharks needed just 13 seconds of power play activity to go up 4-3. Ryane Clowe won a face-off in the offensive zone, then cut into the slot for a quick shot that beat Mason at 3:32.
St. Louis, trying to avoid an 0-3 roadtrip to the three California clubs, responded with a tying goal at 10:29 when David Backes powered along the left wing, deked one defender and then backhanded the puck under Nabokov.
The teams were playing 4-on-4 when Marleau earned the game-winner. Thornton collected the puck along the left boards near the redline and lofted a pass into the Blues zone. St. Louis center Jay McClement tried to collect the puck, but Marleau beat the Blue to the puck and jetted toward the net. Marleau slowed to allow the sliding puck to get in front of him, then deftly jammed a shot over the prone Mason with 5:03 left in the game.
“The 5-on-3 was particularly damaging,” said St. Louis coach Andy Murray. “We need to score on those for sure.”
