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Homestand remains
spotless
Blues make things
interesting
3/16/06 - by Mike Lee
Every Tom, Dick and Harry has been saying over the past two weeks that
the St Louis Blues are a team not to be taken lightly, but the Sharks needed a
wake up call to get eh message on Thursday night. The suddenly resurgent Blues
took it to the Sharks for a period and a half, showing no signs that they are
one of the cellar dwellers in the Western Conference this season. After
falling behind twice in the first 25 minutes of play, the Sharks kick started
their offense to take a 5-2 decision at HP Pavilion.
San Jose also got the bulk of their scoring from someone other than Jonathan
Cheechoo, although the sharks leading goal scorer did chip in his 41st tally of
the year. Steve Bernier and Tom Preissing each had two goal nights to pace the
Sharks, who won their seventh consecutive game at home. Bernier's multi-goal
night was the second in as many games.
With the Sharks sleep walking in the first period, Sharks nemesis Scott Young
staked the Blues to an early 1-0 lead on a shot that knuckled over San Jose
goaltender Vesa Toskala. Young chipped at the puck, which also caromed off a
Sharks player.
Preissing answered at 14:36 with a blast from the point, that appeared to be
deflected by Cheechoo, who was parked in front of the crease. San Jose came
out of the gate in the 2nd period with the same indifferent flow and they would
pay for it early. Trent Whitfield deposited the anchor leg of a zig-zagging
three pass sequence past Toskala after Doug Murray was sent off for an
interference penalty.
The Sharks would finally snap out of their funk and take control of things with
three goals to end the period. Pressing started things off with another shot
from the point that weaved its way through traffic. Blues goaltender Patrick
Lalime, never saw the shot.
Bernier would score less than a minute later on a pretty passing sequence with
Milan Michalek and Patrick Marleau on the break. Michalek carried the puck
into the Blues zone on the left wing boards before dumping it to Marleau on his
right. The Sharks captain waited for Bernier to clear a defender, before
feathering a pass to the slot, where the rookie winger redirected it between
Lalime's pads.
Cheechoo capped the period's scoring with a blast right off the faceoff after
linemate Joe Thornton won the draw and calmly pulled the puck back to Cheechoo
at the top of the right circle.
Bernier would add another goal for good measure early in the 3rd period to
squash any ideas of a comeback by the Blues.
Notes:
Nils Ekman missed the game, because his wife Johanna gave birth to a boy
earlier in the day. Melvin Ekman joins the Sharks family.
Scott Thornton was a scratch, due to an injured rib he sustained in the Kings
game on Monday night. Patrick Rissmiller was recalled from Cleveland to fill
the open roster spot.
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| STL |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
| SJ |
1 |
3 |
1 |
5 |
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| 1st period - 1, St. Louis, Young 15, 1:16.
2, San Jose, Preissing 8 (McLaren, Thornton), 14:36.
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| 2nd period - 3, St. Louis, Whitfield 1
(Glumac, Dallman), 3:48, (pp).
4, San Jose, Preissing 9 (Goc), 10:14.
5, San Jose, Bernier 5 (Marleau, Michalek), 11:09.
6, San Jose, Cheechoo 41 (Thornton), 18:46.
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| 3rd period - 7, San Jose, Bernier 6
(Ehrhoff, Preissing), 2:31, (pp).
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| 1st period - Mayers, STL, major (fighting),
10:32; Davison, SJS, major (fighting), 10:32; Michalek, SJS (cross-checking),
10:56. |
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| 2nd period - Murray, SJS (interference),
2:07; Smith, SJS (hooking), 15:56; Whitfield, STL (hooking), 19:08; Cheechoo,
SJS (high-sticking), 19:33. |
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| 3rd period - Jackman, STL (holding), 1:08;
Cajanek, STL (slashing), 3:45; Tkachuk, STL (hooking), 13:06; Tkachuk, STL
(hooking), 15:59. |
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Shots |
Saves |
| STL - Lalime |
35 |
30 |
| SJ - Toskala |
29 |
27 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| STL |
9 |
14 |
6 |
29 |
| SJ |
9 |
11 |
15 |
35 |
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| Referees: Bill McCreary, Craig Spada. Linesmen:
Derek Amell, Jean Morin. |
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