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Implosion on the
Isle
SJ blows 2 goal lead in the 3rd
period
2/18/08 - by Mike Lee
If the
Sharks plan on making a push for the Pacific Division crown, they'll need to
start by finishing off opponents in the 3rd period. In what's become all too
familiar lately, the Sharks blew another 3rd period lead on Monday afternoon,
falling to the New York Islanders 3-2 at Veterans Colisseum. The Sharks allowed
the Islnders to overcome a 2-0 deficit in the 3rd period, to stun the reeling
Sharks.
The implosion started with an injury to goaltender Evgeni
Nabokov midway through the game, but didn't manifest itself until the Sharks
looked poised to break their 3-game losing streak.
The Sharks lost
Nabokov midway through the period when Radek Martinek cranked a slapshot right
off the cage on Nabokov's helmet. Nabokov immediately crumpled to the ice and
ripped his helmet off. Kneeling on the ice, blood spewed from his face, until
trainer Ray Tufts arrived with a towel. Tomas Greiss, who was called up Sunday
night, replaced Nabokov.
Matt Carle saved a goal on the play by tying
up Richard Park's stick as the Islanders forward attempted to stuff the puck
into the empty net.
San Jose had two power play chances early on, but
couldn't muster a single shot on goal on the first penalty. The Sharks put two
shots on Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro on the second man-advantage, and
Matt Carle came rang a shot off the right post, but special teams continued to
falter.
New York just missed on a breakaway attempt at the midway point
of the 1st period, but Jody Shelley was whistled for tripping on the play and
Craig Rivet was called for cross checking after the whistle blew. Rivet took
exception to Sean Bergenheim, who shot the puck into the net after the play had
ended.
The Sharks defended the ensuing 5-on-3 by pressing at the
blueline, never allowing the Islanders to establish presence in the Sharks
zone.
Right after the two Shark penalties expired, Frederik Meyer and
Aaron Johnson took simultaneous hooking penalties to give the Sharks their own
full 2-minute 5-on-3. The 2-man advantage no less advantageous for the Sharks
anemic power play, as San Jose squandered that chance.
Marcel Goc gave
the Sharks a 1-0 lead 2:19 into the 2nd period, taking matters into his own
hands. Stick-handling behind the Islanders net, Goc circled around the outside
of the right post, before lifting a shot past DiPietro. Shelley created a
diversion, planting himself in front of the crease while defenseman Bryan
Berard tried to wrestle him away from DiPeitro.
Jonathan Cheechoo just missed on a scoring chance with
2:30 to play in the period. The sharks forward skated in uncontested to the
left post, but DiPietro stacked his pads to deny the Sharks from going up 2
goals.
Nabokov would return to start the 3rd period, and the decision
proved to be costly for the Sharks.
Joe Thornton would extend the Sharks
lead to 2 goals with his 17th of the season at the 2:14 mark.
The
wheels would then fall off and San Jose would kiss the game
goodbye.
Andy Hilbert would score the first Islanders goal on a
deflection off a Josef Vasicek shot at 3:22. It was a harmless play that
Nabokov seemed to have a read on but Hilbert got enough of his stick on the
puck to deflect it past the Sharks netminder.
The Sharks lead would last
59 seconds after Hilbert's goal, when Mike Comrie undressed Kyle McLaren in the
slot, sliding the puck between the Shark defenders skates, before moving around
him and beating Nabokov from 15 feet out.
Nabokov's day went from bad
to worse at 11:19 of the period when he allowed a soft goal to Meyer. The
Islanders forward simply skated in along the right wing boards and wrested a
shot that sailed over Nabokov's right shoulder.
Douglas Murray added to
the Sharks misery by getting thrown out of the game after boarding Eric Comeau
with 6:20 remaining in regulation. Murray drew a 5-minute major, which
essentially left San Jose short handed for all but the final minute and a half
of the game. Murray deserved no more than a 2-minute minor on the play, but
because Comeau had to be helped off the ice, referee Stephan Auger tossed
Murray.
Game Notes:
Islanders head coach Ted Nolan
missed the opening period as he attended to "personal business." He would
return to the bench to start the 2nd period. Patrick Marleau missed his 4th
consecutive game. The loss was the first this season for San Jose after holding
a 2-0 lead in the 3rd period. Former Sharks defenseman Andy Sutton left the
game with an apparent ham string injury late in the contest.
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| SJ |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| NYI |
0 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
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| 2nd period - 1, SJ, Goc
5 (Roenick, Shelley), 2:19. |
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| 3rd period - 2, SJ,
Thornton 17 (Michalek, Rivet), 2:14. 3, NYI, Hilbert 7 (Visicek, Guerin), 3:22.
4, NYI, Comrie 18 (Guerin, Hilbert), 4:21. 5, NYI, Meyer 2 (Guerin, Hilbert),
11:19. |
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| 1st period - Comrie, NYI
(slashing), 2:04; Johnson, NYI (holding), 6:36; Shelley, SJ (tripping), 12:24;
Rivet, SJ (cross checking), 12:24; Johnson, NYI (hooking), 14:46; Meyer, NYI
(hooking), 14:46; Hunter, NYI (interference), 18:55. |
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| 2nd period - McLaren, SJ
(roughing), 4:00; Cheechoo, SJ (roughing), 4:00; Sutton, NYI (roughing), 4:00;
Cheechoo, SJ (hooking), 7:14; Guerin, NYI (slashing), 12:09; Cheechoo, SJ
(hooking), 13:02. |
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| 3rd period - Carle, SJ
(holding the stick), 5:31; Murray, SJ (boarding major), 13:28; Murray, SJ (game
misconduct), 13:28; Ehrhoff, SJ (roughing), 18:35; Shelley, SJ (roughing),
18:35; Comrie, NYI (roughing), 18:35; Satan, NYI (roughing), 18:35. |
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Shots |
Saves |
| SJ - Nabokov |
20 |
17 |
| SJ - Greiss |
1 |
1 |
| NYI - Dipietro |
30 |
28 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| SJ |
7 |
12 |
11 |
30 |
| NYI |
5 |
4 |
12 |
21 |
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| Referees: Auger,
McCreary. Linesmen: Henderson, Nelson. |
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