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Late comeback preserves
lead
Dallas blows three goal lead in 3-3
tie
3/16/04 - by Mike Lee
Should the
Sharks hang on to win the Pacific Division this season, they can look back to
Tuesday night in Dallas as one of the reasons they've been able to hang on.
Staging their most remarkable comeback of the season, San Jose scored three
goals over the final 6:03 of regulation to draw the host Stars 3-3 at the
American Airlines Center. Jonathan Cheechoo score two goals within a 1:37 span,
including the tying goal with 34 seconds remaining in regulation to lead the
Sharks back from the brink of disaster. A Sharks loss would have allowed the
Stars to creep within a point of the division lead.
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1 |
2 |
3 |
OT |
T |
| SJ |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
| DAL |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
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| 1st period - DAL,
ARNOTT (17) (GUERIN, MATVICHUK), 09:54 DAL, ZUBOV (6) (MODANO, MORROW), 14:59
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| 2nd period - DAL,
ARNOTT (17) (BURE, GUERIN), 13:49 |
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| 3rd period - S.J,
EKMAN (18) , 13:57 S.J, CHEECHOO (21) (PREISSING, MCLAREN), 18:23 S.J, CHEECHOO
(21) (THORNTON, STUART), 19:26 |
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| 1st period - DAL,
TURCO, 02:14 - Interference S.J, MCLAREN, 13:56 - Interference |
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| 2nd period - DAL,
BOUCHER, 03:06 - Slashing S.J, DAMPHOUSSE, 04:39 - Hi stick DAL, TURGEON, 08:53
- Hi stick S.J, MCLAREN, 13:42 - Tripping DAL, MODANO, 14:58 - Holding -
Obstruction |
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| 3rd period - DAL,
OTT, 07:04 - Charging S.J, THORNTON, 12:07 - Roughing |
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| Overtime - DAL,
MATVICHUK, 04:47 - Hooking - Obstruction S.J, MARLEAU, 04:47 - Unsportsmanlike
Conduct Diving |
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Shots |
Saves |
| SJ - Nabokov |
21 |
18 |
| DAL - Turco |
24 |
21 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
OT |
T |
| SJ |
8 |
7 |
12 |
0 |
24 |
| DAL |
10 |
5 |
3 |
3 |
21 |
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The comeback broke a three game losing streak to the
Stars by a combined deficit of 10-1, including a 4-0 shellacking in Dallas last
week. Things looked bleak for San Jose early on after Jason Arnott and Sergei
Zubov converted on 1st period goals.
Arnott's came courtesy of a blown
defensive assignment by Cheechoo after the Stars gained control of the Sharks
zone midway through the opening period. As the puck cycled behind the Sharks
net, Arnott floated toward the goal while Cheechoo setup for the breakout
rather than cover the Stars center. Arnott would snap a pass from Bill Guerin
past Evgeni Nabokov for the early 1-0 lead.
Zubov would convert on a
power play shot from the point after Kyle McLaren was sent to the box on an
interference call. Nabokov was partially screened but he appeared to react to
the shot, but his glove attempt missed on the blast.
Arnott would
score again midway through the 2nd period when he put back a deflection after
Valeri Bure bounced a shot off Nabokov's chest from the bottom of the let
circle.
San Jose looked content to pack it in and call it a night, but
Nils Ekman would breath new life into the Sharks by scoring a short handed goal
at 13:57 of the 3rd period. Ekman intercepted scooped up a loose puck in the
high slot that snapped a shot past Marty Turco.
The Cheechoo show
would take over with 1:37 remaining in the game. The Sharks young winger would
start by carrying the puck up the right wing, faking a shot, then slipping the
biscuit past Turco after forcing the Stars goaltender to commit to the fake
shot attempt.
Sharks head coach Ron Wilson would pull Nabokov for the
extra skater, and it paid off when Scott Thornton hit Cheechoo with a pass from
the right corner. Turco had to deal with both Cheechoo and Patrick Marleau, who
had converged in front of the Stars net. Cheechoo would swat at the Thornton
pass and the puck appeared the squeeze between Turco's pads for the game tying
goal.
Nabokov preserved the tie by stoning Guerin on a breakaway
attempt in the extra period, after the Stars forward beat two Sharks defenders
at the blueline and raced in on net.
Play of
the Game
Cheechoo's first goal gave the Sharks a reason to
believe, and it also gave the Stars a reason to doubt themselves. The Sharks
forward first beat the Stars defense by racing up the ice past them, then he
beat Turco with an unbelievable fake. Cheechoo's elected to squeeze the shot
between Turco's left shoulder and the right post from a severe angle, which
made the shot even more incredible.
The Turning
Point
Ekman's shorthanded tally was the first Shark shot to get past
Turco in seven periods. It came off a bad turnover by the Stars in their own
zone and also happened while the Sharks were down a man. If the Stars convert,
they go up 4-0 and probably win the game by that score. Call it the turning
point of the season.
Save of the
Game
Nabokov's save on Guerin's overtime breakaway not only
prevented the Stars from stealing back the win, but it also preserved the
Sharks two-point lead in the division. It's been no secret that Nabokov has
struggled of late, but that save may have been just what the doctor
ordered.
Box Scores Do No Justice
Ekman stands to become the
Sharks fourth 20-goal scorer this season. His shorthanded tally was his 19th of
the season, and extends his point streak to four straight games. San Jose had
five 20-goal scorers last season.
Honorable
Mention
From the "why bother?" file, comes referee Don
VanMassenhoven's offsetting penalty calls against Patrick Marleau and Richard
Matvichuk in the overtime period. Matvichuk hauled down Marleau from behind as
the Sharks captain tried to pursue Mike Modano behind the Stars goal.
VanMassenhven whistled Matvichuk for the hook, but he also sent Marleau off for
diving.
Quotables
Milestones
Modano recorded his 1,100th point when
he assisted on Zubov's goal in the 1st period.
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