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Win vaults Sharks to 5th
seed
Vancouver eliminated from playoff
hunt
4/13/06
- by Mike Lee
When the 2005-06 regular season schedule was
released last summer, the Sharks were none to happy with the nine day stretch
that served as the tail end of their season. From April 5th thru the 13th,
they would face one of the toughest challenges in franchise history by having
to face three sets of back-to-back games in succession. San Jose wrapped up
that stretch of schedule on Thursday night with a 5-3 victory over the
Vancouver Canucks, and capturing two points in every one of those games.
The Sharks have won seven straight, and vaulted themselves into the 5th seed in
the Western Conference. Since March 9th, the Sharks have gone 15-3-2,
capturing 32 of 40 points in the standings.
Vancouver came to San Jose looking to keep their playoff aspirations alive, but
much like the night before, the Canucks couldn't find a way to stay out of the
penalty box. Vancouver also jumped out to an early lead, only to blow that
lead in the 3rd period for the second consecutive evening.
"They were tight, and squeezing the sticks as they were, we were able to take
advantage of it," Sharks head coach Ron Wilson said. "When you get on a roll
like this, you go storming into the playoffs. ... That team we played tonight
is totally drained because they're surrounded by a negative atmosphere, and
it's sliding all the way down the (roster)."
Jonathan Cheechoo kept pace in the goal scoring race by nothing a pair of
tallies on top of an assist on Nils Ekman's 20th goal of the season. San Jose
had to come back from deficits three times, finally breaking free in the 3rd.
After Ed Jovanovski staked the Canucks to a 1-0 lead, Ekman was credited with
the equalizer after the puck bounced off his skate and into the Vancouver goal.
A lengthy video review showed Ekman clearly making a kicking motion with his
skate, but it appeared that it was initiated after the puck had redirected into
the goal.
The Canucks took a 2-1 lead on Brendan Morrison's 18th of the season, coming on
one of four power play chances. The Sharks would capitalize on nine power play
chances, including a Sean Brown hooking penalty which would lead to Chechoo's
first of goal of the evening.
"It's been a playoff atmosphere for us for a while, so I think we'll be ready,"
Cheechoo said. "We wanted to get into the show."
The Sharks leading goal scorer followed up on a Tom Preissing shot that bounced
off the end boards and landed just outside the left post. Cheechoo beat a
Canucks defender to the puck, stabbing at it with his stick and chipping it
over goaltender Alex Auld's shoulder.
Todd Bertuzzi put the Canucks back on top with under three minutes to play in
the middle frame with his 24th goal of the year.
The Sharks turned up the heat in the 3rd period, and were rewarded with three
goals to cap the game's scoring. Ville Nieminen kicked things off with his 8th
goal of the season at 4:35. Joe Thornton would setup the game winning goal
just under seven minutes later on a play that was setup by Sharks goaltender
Evgeni Nabokov.
With Mathius Ohlund it the penalty box, Nabokov grabbed a dump-in attempt by
Vancouver, then fired the puck up the right wing to Thornton at the Canucks
blueline. Thornton gained the zone along the right win boards, but was forced
to cut back toward the slot, before sending a pass to Matt Carle on the
opposite wing. The 2006 Hobey Baker Award winner took Thornton's pass and
snapped a shot past Auld from 25 feet out.
The Canucks had eight minutes to save their season by scoring what would have
been the tying goal, but they couldn't generate any scoring chances. Nabokov
stood tall in the period, repelling all 11 shots he faced, and a steady helping
of forechecking kept the Canucks from establishing any serious attack in the
period.
Thornton and Cheechoo hooked up for good measure, bagging an empty-netter with
17 seconds remaining in regulation. Thornton had an opportunity to score the
goal, but he dished the puck to his linemate who trails Jaromir Jagr by a
single goal in the hunt for the Rocket Richard Trophy.
"When we got that third goal, I thought it might just be our night," Vancouver
head coach Marc Crawford said. "But when they got their third goal, it seemed
to give them a lot of life. It got the building (excited)."
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| VAN |
1 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
| SJ |
1 |
1 |
3 |
5 |
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| 1st period - 1, Vancouver, Jovanovski 8
(Bertuzzi), 4:42.
2, San Jose, Ekman 20 (Carle, Cheechoo), 9:56, (pp). |
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| 2nd period -
3, Vancouver, Morrison 18 (Bertuzzi, Naslund), 4:57, (pp).
4, San Jose, Cheechoo 52 (Preissing, Thornton), 10:32, (pp).
5, Vancouver, Bertuzzi 24 (Jovanovski, Naslund), 17:48, (pp). |
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| 3rd period - 6, San Jose, Nieminen 8 (Goc,
McLaren), 4:35.
7, San Jose, Carle 3 (Thornton, Nabokov), 11:24, (pp).
8, San Jose, Cheechoo 53 (Thornton), 19:43, (en). |
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| 1st period - Brown, VAN (hooking), 6:00;
Sedin, VAN (high-sticking), 6:45; Allen, VAN (delay of game), 9:14; Naslund,
VAN (hooking), 14:36; Allen, VAN (roughing), 18:22; Rissmiller, SJS (roughing),
18:22; Carney, VAN (tripping), 19:48. |
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| 2nd period - Cheechoo, SJS (hooking), 3:20;
Marleau, SJS (high-sticking), 5:43; Brown, VAN (hooking), 9:48; Morrison, VAN
(hooking), 11:03; Ekman, SJS (hooking), 16:49; Carney, VAN (interference),
18:21. |
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| 3rd period - Carle, SJS (delay of game),
8:30; Ohlund, VAN (holding), 9:35. |
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Shots |
Saves |
| VAN - Auld |
27 |
23 |
| VAN - empty net | 1 | 0 |
| SJ - Nabokov |
20 |
17 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| VAN |
6 |
3 |
11 |
20 |
| SJ |
15 |
4 |
9 |
28 |
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| Referees: Paul Devorski, Marc Joannette. Linesmen:
Brian Mach, Jay Sharrers. |
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