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Win in Windy
City
Nabokov earns 4th shutout of the
season
2/22/07 - by Mike Lee
The
Sharks used a steady dose of forecheck pressure and an up tempo game to
set the
pace in Chicago on Thursday night. Throw in a perfect night by goaltender
Evgeni Nabokov and the Sharks cruised to a 2-0 win, their second victory
in as
many nights. The shutout was Nabokov's 4th of the season and 31st of his
career. Joe Thornton and Jonathen Cheechoo provide San Jose with all the
offense they would need to knock off the struggling Blackhawks.
Nabokov made things easier for himself by denying the Blackhawks any
rebound
chances throughout the night. Getting a second start in a row may have
helped
Nabokov establish a rhythm. Vesa Toskala is still on the shelf, fighting
a flu
bug and the remnants of a groin injury he sustained last week. Nabokov
looked
comfortable in net all night, stopping everything Chicago threw at him.
The Sharks jumped out a
1-0 lead on Thornton's 16th goal of the season on a Blackhawks turnover
midway
through the opening period. Mark Bell intercepted a pass at center ice
before
dishing the puck to Patrick Marleau, who returned to the lineup after
missing
Wednesday's game with food poisoning. Marleau raced into the Blackhawks
zone
before chipping the puck off the boards to a trailing Thornton. Jumbo Joe
pumped a 20-foot shot between Blackhawks goaltender Patrick Lalime and
the left
post.
Bell was credited with the secondary assist, extending his
scoring streak to 3 consecutive games.
Jonathan
Cheechoo put the Sharks up 2-0 at 4:27 of the 2nd period on a point blank
shot
after a strong forecheck forced a turnover deep in the Chicago zone.
Thornton
gathered a wrap-around clearing attempt along the right wing boards, then
fed
Cheechoo in the slot.
Chicago didn't benefit from any lucky
bounces.
Things got ugly with a minute to play at Tuomo Ruutu nailed
defenseman
Kyle McLaren from behind, drawing a 5-minute boarding penalty and a game
misconduct. McLaren crumpled to the ice after hitting his head against
the
glass. Injuries are commonplace for the Sharks defenseman, but he was
able to
skate off on his own power.
Notes:
The Sharks improved
to 8-2-0 in the second
games of back-to-back game this season. Nolan Schaefer backed up Nabokov
in
Toskala's absence. Rob Davison, Josh Gorges and Ville Nieminen were
healthy
scratches.
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| SJ |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
| CHI |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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| 1st period - 1, SJ,
Thornton 16 (Marleau, Bell), 9:58, (pp). |
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| 2nd period - 2, SJ,
Cheechoo 22 (Thornton), 4:27. |
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| 1st period - Seabrook,
CHI (holding), 8:54; St. Pierre, CHI (hooking), 15:18; Goc, SJ
(holding),
18:09. |
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| 2nd period - Cheechoo,
SJ (tripping), 13:03; Ehrhoff, SJ (hooking), 18:08. |
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| 3rd period - Kukkonen,
CHI (interference), 10:58; Seabrook, CHI (tripping), 11:47; Ruutu,
CHI
(boarding - major), 19:03; Ruutu, CHI (game misconduct),
19:03. |
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Shots |
Saves |
| SJ - Nabokov |
21 |
21 |
| CHI - Lalime |
23 |
21 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| SJ |
9 |
8 |
6 |
23 |
| CHI |
4 |
9 |
8 |
21 |
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| Referees: Stephane Auger, Kevin
Pollock. Linesmen: Vaughan Rody, Lyle Seitz. |
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