SAN JOSE
– Three goals in the first 7:09 of play sent the San Jose Sharks
toward a 5-0 blanking of the Vancouver Canucks and into the
Christmas break with an NHL-pacing 57 points.
SAN JOSE – Three goals in the first 7:09 of play sent the San Jose Sharks toward a 5-0 blanking of the Vancouver Canucks and into the Christmas break with an NHL-pacing 57 points.
Just to make sure that the Canucks would not be able to respond to the 3-0 deficit after one period, San Jose came up with two goals within the first 43 seconds of the second period, setting a franchise record in the process for quickest to five goals at the start of a game.
“We got out of the gate real early, winning the opening face-off, putting the pressure on early,” said Sharks coach Todd McLellan.
The Sharks raced to five goals in 21:18 on Nov. 13 this season in a 6-1 home win over Calgary. Tomas Plihal’s unassisted goal to make it 5-0 Tuesday set the new team standard at 20:43 in front of a sold-out HP Pavilion crowd.
Fourteen seconds earlier, Joe Thornton netted his ninth goal of the year for the 4-0 margin. Devin Setoguchi snapped a shot from the high slot that Thornton collected, then circled to his left to deposit the puck inside the post past helpless goalie Cory Schneider.
Plihal’s goal ended Schneider’s night.. The 22-year-old netminder recorded 10 saves before making way for Curtis Sanford. The pace slowed considerably the rest of the night, Sanford turning back 16 shots.
Evgeni Nabokov, at the other end of the rink, recorded his second shut-out of the season and 42nd of his career, denying the Canucks on all 33 shots.
“It’s not just our team,” Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault said. “(San Jose has) lost four games this year. They are the cream of the crop right now and they showed it.”
The Sharks (27-4-3) begin a three-game road trip Saturday in St. Louis. Games in Dallas and Minnesota complete the trip before San Jose hosts the New York Islanders on Saturday Jan. 3.
The Sharks, 18 points ahead of runner-up Anaheim in the Pacific Division, began the scoring at the 4:22 mark. Rob Blake garnered the lone even-strength goal of the period when he followed up a shot from Jonathan Cheechoo that bounded off the endboards near the net. Blake’s quick shot was his sixth goal of the season.
San Jose’s top power-play unit delivered two special teams goals for the 3-0 lead.
Patrick Marleau maintained his team lead in goals when his 18th came on a sweep with the puck from behind the Canucks net to the right circle before wiring a 15-footer inside the right post at 5:55.
Marleau earned the primary assist on Setoguchi’s 17th goal at 7:09. As Setoguchi set up in the slot, Marleau slid the puck from the top of the right circle, Setoguchi deftly redirecting the puck past Schneider.
Dan Boyle assisted on both power play goals to reach 29 points, top among NHL defensemen.
