|
|
Sharks cave after blown
call
40 shots too much for
Nabokov
3/18/07 - by Mike Lee
The
Colorado Avalanche played
with the intensity to win on Sunday night over the visiting Sharks, but
it took
a gift from the officials to seal the deal in a wild 4-3 overtime victory
for
the hosts from Denver. Milan Hejduk scored 19 seconds in the extra period
after
Jonathan Cheechoo was assessed a phantom boarding penalty, even though
the
player he hit never touched the boards.
Cheechoo's hit was
clearly on the
side of the Avalanche player, but referee Chris Rooney sent the Sharks
winger
off with 14 seconds left in regulation, which meant doom for the Sharks
in
overtime. Since overtime is played with four skaters aside, the penalty
meant
that the Sharks were forced to field only three skaters.
Hejduk
built
up speed in the neutral zone as Joe Sakic fed a pass to the Avalanche
forward
up the right wing boards. Hejduk had a step on defenseman Scott Hannan
and
snapped 20-footer over Evgeni Nabokov's shoulder for the game winner.
The ending was a tough pill to
swallow for a Sharks team that fought off Colorado's consistent pressure
all
night. San Jose actually jumped out to a 2-goal lead in the 2nd period,
but the
Avalanche chipped away.
Joe Thornton got the Sharks on the board
first
with a power play goal 8:14 into the contest. Matt Carle tried jamming a
shot
from the left circle, but the puck deflected through the slot to Thornton
on
the opposite side of the zone. The Sharks winger simply grabbed the loose
puck
and rifled it into the open net.
Nabokov stoned Milan Hejduk on a Colorado power play
after Mark Bell was sent off for charging. Nabokov had to dive to his
right to
cover an opening in the net after the puck ended up on Hejduk's stick
outside
the left post. Tyler Arnason would make up for Hejduk's miss with a goal
on the
same power play, tipping a Brett Clark blast from the point. Nabokov was
screened by one of this own defensemen and never saw the shot.
Milan
Michalek made it 2-1 Sharks on his 20th goal of the season in the opening
minute of the 2nd period. Michalek beat Avalanche goaltender Peter Budaj
with a
rocket from the left wing after skating up the boards with the puck.
The Avalanche controlled the tempo even after Michalek's goal,
outshooting the
Sharks 7-1 early on, but the Sharks made the most of their shots. Bill
Guerin
converted on the 2nd shot of the period with a sweeping stab from the
slot.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic tried putting the puck on net from the blueline, but
his
attempt was partially deflected. The shot attempt trickled to Guerin who
was
cutting through the slot from left to right.
John-Michael Liles
countered with his 12th of the season after an Andrew Brunnette shot
pin-balled
off Nabokov's right pad. The deflection skipped out to Liles in the front
of
the crease, where Liles punched it past Nabokov.
Nabokov dodged
a
bullet early in the 3rd period, with the Avalanche skating on a 5-on-3
advantage.
Colorado tied the games with 6:46 to play in
regulation when Brunette punched home a rebound after Colorado defenseman
Ken
Klee bounced a shot off Nabokov.
The one thing the Sharks did do
right was keep rookie Paul Stastny off
the score sheet, breaking his rookie scoring streak at 20 games.
Sakis assisted on all four Colorado goals.
Notes:
It wasn't the outcome he was looking for, but Sharks head coach
Ron
Wilson eclipsed the 1000 games coached mark in the loss. He becomes the
13th
head coach in NHL history to surpass the mark.
 |
| What did you think of
this article? Post your comments on the
Feeder
Forums |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| What did you
think of this game? Post your comments on the
Feeder
Forums |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
OT |
T |
| SJ |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
| COL |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
|
|
| 1st period - 1, SJ,
Thornton 20 (Carle, Michalek), 8:14, (pp). 2, COL, Arnason 16
(Clark, Sakic),
11:55, (pp). |
|
|
| 2nd period - 3, SJ,
Michalek 20 (Thornton, Hannan), 0:27. 4, SJ, Guerin 33 (Vlasic,
Marleau), 4:09.
5, COL, Liles, 12 (Brunette, Sakic), 8:25 |
|
|
| 3rd period - 6, COL,
Brunette 25 (Klee, Sakic), 13:14. |
|
|
| Overtime - 7, COL,
Hejduk 30 (Sakic, Budaj), 0:19, (pp). |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1st period - Hejduk, COL
(hooking), 7:25; Bell, SJ (charging), 10:14; Team, COL (too many
men),
12:48. |
|
|
| 2nd period - Arnason,
COL (hooking), 5:18; Bell, SJ (cross checking), 11:21. |
|
|
| 3rd period - Guerin, SJ
(high sticking), 1:01; Rissmiller, SJ (tripping), 1:54; Sakic, COL
(hooking),
16:30; Cheechoo, SJ (boarding), 19:46. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Shots |
Saves |
| SJ - Nabokov |
40 |
36 |
| COL - Budaj |
24 |
21 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
OT |
T |
| SJ |
9 |
10 |
5 |
0 |
24 |
| COL |
9 |
17 |
13 |
2 |
40 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Referees: Wes McCauley, Chris
Rooney. Linesmen: Shane Heyer, Jay Sharrers. |
|
|
|
|
|
