Nabokov, Hackett combine for 53 saves in even skate
SAN JOSE – The San Jose Sharks opened the home portion of the franchise’s 13th NHL season with a scoreless tie with the Philadelphia Flyers in a non-sell-out at HP Pavilion.
A crowd of 17,167, just 322 short of capacity, saw Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov and former Sharks Jeff Hackett combine for 53 saves.
San Jose continues the five-game homestand Saturday against Ottawa, then faces Anahiem, Chicago and Phoenix next week.
“It was a good tie,” said San Jose coach Ron Wilson.
“It was pretty aggressive hockey. I was pleased with the effort. I think we’re in shape and have four lines with all of them comfortable forechecking. It was a well-played game, with scoring chances and pucks off the posts. I couldn’t ask any more from our team.”
San Jose fired 28 shots at Hackett, the goalie who worked for the Sharks for the two seasons at the Cow Palace 1991-3.
“It’s the beginning of the season, we have a bunch of new guys,” said Nabokov after the fourth scoreless tie of his career. “We have to take the good things from this game, keep working hard and eventually we’ll get some breaks.
“It’s a good tie, a good team effort. That’s all you can ask. The effort was there.”
Both teams had an extended 5-on-3 power play in the second period. The Flyers could not solve Nabokov with a 1:25 power play, while San Jose was rebuffed at 5-on-3 for 1:14.
“We were tying to keep the puck on the perimeter,” said Nabokov of the tense second period kills. “It was a good penalty kill. Both teams had scoring chances 5-on-3.”
The Sharks came close to a goal 3:47 into the overtime. Vincent Damphousse tried to power a loose puck past Hackett. The goalie appeared to stop the puck with his right skate, then whip the skate behnd the goalline and to the left post to stop play. The goal review judge diallowed the goal.
“The rule says you can’t call it good if you do not see the puck cross the line,” Wilson explained. “You can’t use logic when reviewing the replay in that type of situation.”
