The San Jose Sharks moved within four points of the Pacific
Division-pacing Anaheim Ducks Thursday by beating the Phoenix
Coyotes 5-2 at HP Pavilion.
San Jose – The San Jose Sharks moved within four points of the Pacific Division-pacing Anaheim Ducks Thursday by beating the Phoenix Coyotes 5-2 at HP Pavilion.
The Coyotes managed eight wins in the past 11 games entering Thursday’s game, reaching within seven points of eighth place in the Western Conference.
After facing Curtis Joseph in the first five meetings of the season and fashioning a 3-2 mark, the Sharks took on goalie Mikael Tellqvist. The 27-year-old netminder brought a career mark of 24-19-2-4 into the game.
The squads battled to a 1-1 tie after one period.
Phoenix, coming off a 4-3 loss in Colorado Wednesday, struck first at the 6:14 mark. Coyote center Kevyn Adams intercepted a Joe Thornton dump-in and controlled the puck into the Sharks zone. Adams spotted winger Fredrik Sjostrom high above the left-wing circle. Sjostrom turned the feed into a 30-footer just inside the far post past goalie Vesa Toskala.
The Sharks drew even at 13:57 when Patrick Marleau tipped home a blast from the right point by Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Marleau leads San Jose with 22 goals.
Ryan Clowe earned the secondary assist on the even-strength Sharks goal. Clowe has earned nine goals and two assists in the last seven games since being activated from Injured Reserve.
San Jose earned one power play in the first period. The Sharks hold the NHL lead in power-play effectiveness both at home and on the road, netting a league-best 63 extra-skater goals.
San Jose earned its first lead of the game when Milan Michalek earned his 13th goal of the campaign 1:52 into the second period. Jonathan Cheechoo and Rob Davison earned assists.
Clowe made it 3-1 at 9:52 of the second period. The 24-year-old winger set up at the front of the crease and waited as Thornton patrolled across the Phoenix zone before backhanding a pass to Clowe for the easy chip-in. Marleau, tied for 19th among league scorers entering play, also assisted.
Phoenix made it 3-2 when defenseman Travis Roche deposited his fourth career goal over Toskala’s left shoulder at 5:16 of the third period.
San Jose countered at 10:40 when rookie Matt Carle slapped a 30-footer from the top of the left circle that Tellqvist barely touched on the way inside the right post. Thornton scored an empty-net goal with 28.6 seconds to play off a Marleau assist.
San Jose (32-15) finished with a 32-25 edge in shots on net as Toskala won his 20th game of the year.
