SAN JOSE
– Joe Thornton’s goal 45 seconds into overtime lifted the San
Jose Sharks past the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 at sold-out HP
Pavilion.
The Sharks rebounded from a 2-1 third-period deficit to earn a
fifth straight win and extend a home ice record to 12-0-1.
SAN JOSE – Joe Thornton’s goal 45 seconds into overtime lifted the San Jose Sharks past the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 at sold-out HP Pavilion.
The Sharks rebounded from a 2-1 third-period deficit to earn a fifth straight win and extend a home ice record to 12-0-1.
San Jose completes a three games in four days schedule with tests at Dallas on Friday and Phoenix on Saturday. The Sharks return to HP Pavilion Tuesday against ex-San Jose coach Ron Wilson and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The forward duo of Thornton and Ryan Clowe had been on the ice for a few seconds in overtime when Thornton battled Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith for the puck in the high slot in the Hawk zone. Thornton kept his balance and was able to slide the puck to an unmarked Clowe in the right circle. Clowe waited for Thornton to slip behind defenseman Matt Walker at the bottom of the left circle, redirecting Clowe’s centering pass past goaltender Cristobal Huet for the game-winner.
Chicago, tied for fifth in the Western Conference entering play with 25 points, brought a three-game winning streak into the showdown. The improving Hawks had a 10-4-5 record, trailing only Detroit in the Central Division.
San Jose, pacing the National Hockey League with 37.4 shots on net per contest, exploded for 17 shots in the first period on the way to a 1-0 lead.
While Chicago was limited to two shots at goalie Evgeni Nabokov in the first 20 minutes, the Sharks took the 1-0 lead when Rob Blake netted his third goal of the season on a 5-on-3 power play at the 19:43 mark.
Blackhawk defenseman Aaron Johnson was whistled for interference at 18:12 and defenseman Brent Seabrook followed his teammate to the penalty box at 19:33 for high-sticking. San Jose needed only 10 seconds of 5-on-3 play to score. Blake moved into position for a hard shot from the high slot, finding the back of the net past goalie Nikolai Khabibulin. Ryan Clowe’s soft pass set up the scoring shot. Dan Boyle, good for second place among league defensemen in scoring with 18 points entering play, picked up the secondary assist.
The Blackhawks pulled even 12:43 into the second period when captain Jonathan Toews, on the left portion of a 2-on-2 rush toward Nabokov, drilled a shot under the goaltender from 15 feet out. Defenseman Troy Brouwer picked up the lone assist.
Mike Grier was given a five-minute boarding major and a 10-minute game misconduct 15:29 into the second when he ran into Johnson in the offensive zone. San Jose kept the Hawks off the scoreboard the remainder of the period, aided by a Toews minor penalty for hooking at 17:33. Boyle was called for hooking with eight-tenths of a second left in the second period, giving the Hawks 24 seconds of 5-on-3 to start the third period.
Khabibulin was injured with 23.3 seconds left in the second and was replaced by Huet for the rest of the game.
The Sharks could not survive the 5-on-3 Chicago power play that began the third period.
Toews produced his second goal of the night and fourth of the season when he parked in front of the crease and jabbed the puck past both Nabokov and Blake from point-blank range 23 seconds into the period.
San Jose responded with an even-strength goal from captain Patrick Marleau 8:16 into the period.
Marleau, Devin Setoguchi and Thornton took turns keeping the puck alive in the Chicago zone. Thornton emerged from the sideboards with the puck and forwarded it to Marleau behind the net. Marleau swung around to the right post and jammed the puck under the lunging left leg pad of Huet for the equalizer.
Nabokov, back between the pipes after a seven-game break because of an injury suffered on Nov. 6, finished with 24 saves while improving to 11-2.
“It was good to have Nabby back,” said San Jose coach Todd McLellan. “That was one of his better games of the year.”
