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Nabokov bails out
Sharks
Thornton scores in OT for 2-1
win
2/8/08 - by Mike Lee
Evgeni
Nabokov earned his keep on Friday night. Playing without much offensive or
defensive support in front of him, the Sharks goaltender turned aside 31 shots
to earn his 30th win of the season over the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets. Joe
Thornton a power play goal in overtime to help the Sharks salvage a 2-1 win.
Nabokov stood on his head from the get-go, turning aside scoring chance after
scoring chance.
The Blue Jackets deserved a better fate, after taking
it to their hosts. Playing on back-to-back nights, Columbus looked like the
rested team, rather than the team that flew in to town less than 24 hours
earlier.
Marcel Goc made the most of his ice time, scoring his 3rd
goal of the season just 2:34 into the game. Goc grabbed a loose puck in the
slot, then spun around and whipped a shot past Fredrik Norrena. The Sharks
forward was playing in only his 30th game of the season, having been benched
for most of the last 4 weeks.
The Sharks would only put 2 more shots
on goal in the period, making it difficult to extend their lead. That wouldn't
have mattered had they also played steady defense, but they allowed several
odd-man breaks.
Jason Chimera and Craig Rivet would lock horns late in
the period after Rivet took exception to a late hit by the Blue Jackets
forward. Rivet landed 3 lefts to Chimera's chin, before knocking the Blue
Jacket to the ice.
An absence of offense and shoddy defense would
plague the Sharks in the middle period, but Nabokov would come up big to
preserve the lead.
Chimera had a breakaway attempt thwarted by
Nabokov, who stoned the scoring chance with a spectacular stacked pad save.
Chimera skated across the slot from right to left, trying to get Nabokov to
commit, but the Sharks goaltender would hold his ground, finally denying the
delayed shot.
Milan Michalek would be whistled for closing his hand on
the puck in the crease, which resulted in a Columbus penalty shot. Rick Nash
was given the honors, but Nabokov turned the free shot aside with a poke-check
after Nash tried to draw the puck back to his backhand.
San Jose would finish the period with 2 shots on goal,
even though they had 2 power play chances.
Columbus on the other hand
threw 26 shots on net through two periods, and all that offense would finally
cost the Sharks early in the 3rd period.
Chimera would finally get one
past Nabokov after yet another Sharks defensive lapse at the 7:13 mark of the
3rd period. Skating 4-on-4, Michael Peca fed the puck out in front of the net
from the right corner. Chimera beat Matt Carle to the front of the net,
chipping the pass just past Nabokov's right skate.
The Sharks offense
finally came to life in the final 10 minutes, putting 15 shots on goal, but
they couldn't muster a goal.
Michalek mishandled a setup pass from
Patrick Marleau early in the overtime, missing on a golden opportunity to end
things. Ron Hainsey crashed into Norrena on the play, then tapped his on net
off the mooring to stop play.
Dan Fritsche hauled down Patrick
Rissmiller in front of the Blue Jackets net to give the Sharks the power play
that would end things. Thornton gathered in a pass from Sandis Ozolinsh in his
usual spot near the right dot, then tried to throw the puck in Marleau's
direction in front of the crease to generate a redirect, but the puck slipped
under Norrena's right arm to give the Sharks the win.
Game
Notes:
Defenseman Kyle McLaren returned to the lineup after
missing the last 10 games with a knee injury.
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1 |
2 |
3 |
OT |
T |
| CBJ |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| SJ |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
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| 1st period - 1, SJ, Goc
3 (Roenick, Shelley), 2:34. |
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| 2nd period - Penalty
Shot, CBJ, Nash (unsuccessful), 13:03. |
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| 3rd period - 2, CBJ,
Chimera 11 (Peca, Klesla), 7:13. |
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| Overtime - 3, Thornton
16 (Ozolinsh), 1:49, (pp). |
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| 1st period - Nabokov, SJ
(slashing), 6:26; Chimera, CBJ (fighting major), 16:38; Rivet, SJ (fighting
major), 16:38. |
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| 2nd period - Boll, CBJ
(high sticking), 9:42; Malhotra, CBJ (roughing), 13:21; Mcaren, SJ (roughing),
13:21; Rivet, SJ (tripping), 13:58; Peca, CBJ (tripping), 16:14. |
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| 3rd period - Zherdev,
CBJ (diving), 5:59; Goc, SJ (slashing), 5:59; Boll, CBJ (roughing), 9:03;
McLaren, SJ (roughing), 9:03; Hejda, CBJ (interference), 16:16. |
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| Overtime - Fritsche, CBJ
(hooking), 1:35. |
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Shots |
Saves |
| CBJ - Norrena |
22 |
20 |
| SJ - Nabokov |
32 |
31 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
OT |
T |
| CBJ |
10 |
16 |
5 |
2 |
32 |
| SJ |
3 |
2 |
15 |
1 |
22 |
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| Referees: Kowal,
Shick. Linesmen: Mach, Racicot. |
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