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Bad start, good middle, poor
end
Sharks overcome 4-1 deficit, lose in
shootout
A porous San Jose defense allowed the Chicago
Blackhawks to storm to a 4-1 lead at the United Center on Wednesday night. A
noble comeback would help send the game to overtime, but a poor performance in
the shootout ended San Jose ’s comeback bid in a 6-5 loss. San Jose
chipped away at Chicago ’s lead, but it was all for not after Joe Pavelski
and former Blackhawk favorite Jeremy Roenick misfired in the shootout.
The Blackhawks wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, opening the game
with their up tempo style which has been their trademark this season. Martin
Havlat deposited a put back after centerman Dave Bolland rang a shot off both
posts just 67 seconds into the game. Bolland’s shot deflected off the left
post, before skipping along the goal line and hitting the opposite pipe. It
then deflected out into the slot, where Havlat was positioned for the return
feed.
An Adam Burish hooking penalty put the Sharks on the power play
at 2:33 , and Devin setoguchi would answer with his 28th goal of the season.
The Sharks forward ripped a shot from the high slot that zipped past Nikolai
Khabibulin catching the upper left corner of the net.
Sharks netminder
Evgeni Nabokov gave the Blackhawks the lead at 8:43 , by allowing a routine
shot slip pas him. Chicago defenseman Dustin Byfuglien carried the puck across
the blueline and sent a wrist shot in from 55 feet. Nabokov got a piece of the
puck, but it wasn’t enough to deny Byfuglien from bagging his 13th goal of
the season.
Nabokov’s night got worse when his defense coughed
the puck up deep in the San Jose zone, and Andrew Ladd converted the turnover
at 9:44 . Alexei Semenov tried cycling the puck out of the Sharks zone near the
left corner, but Bolland picked his pocket. Havlat then sent a feed to the slot
where Ladd was one timed the pass into the San Jose net.
Jonathan
Toews would make it 4-1 Chicago when he got his stick on a Cam Barker shot that
deflected over Nabokov. Semenov failed to clear the Blackhawks Captain out of
the crease area, then he added to the issue by helping the puck across his own
goal line.
Jamie McGinn helped the Sharks cut the Chicago lead in half
with a shot that was helped by a fortuitous deflection just 15 seconds later.
McGinn sent a shot in from the left wing boards, bouncing it off of Khabibulin.
The puck then kicked out into the slot, hitting the skate of defenseman Niklas
Hjalmersson, doing a 180 back into the net.
Marc-Edouard Vlassic
scored the Sharks second goal of the period on a blast from the left point that
tucked under the crossbar at 11:37 . Jonathan Cheechoo created a distraction as
he crashed the net from the right side, right as Vlasic’s shot got to the
crease.
With the Sharks trying to score the equalizer, another
defensive lapse accomplished exactly the opposite outcome. Ladd and Bolland
teamed up to put the Blackhawks up by 2 goals once again at 5:35 of the 3rd
period on a set deflection that showcased the defensive issues that have beset
the Sharks recently. Ladd dropped the puck to Bolland near the left dot, before
heading to the net. Bolland then drove to the slot before sliding the puck back
to Ladd who was parked outside the left post. With Nabokov challenging Bolland
up high, Ladd easily redirected the puck into a wide open net.
Setoguchi made it a 5-4 game with 5:07 to play when Joe Pavelski hit him with a
50-foot pass, springing the right wing up the ice. Setoguchi streaked past
Blackhawks defenseman Brian Cambell on his way to the net, where he lifted a
backhand shot over Khabibulin’s left shoulder.
Joe Thornton got
in on the act with 2:08 to play taking a Douglas Murray up the right wing,
before cutting to the net and sliding a shot under Khabibulin’s right pad.
Thornton was missing in action for most of the game, but emerged to do the
improbable late.
Milan Michalek came closest to scoring in the
overtime period when he took a feed at the Chicago blueline and raced around
the left side to put a shot in on goal. Chicago used a late flurry to generate
three quality scoring chances as the extra period expired.
In the
shootout, Patrick Kane beat Nabokov with a backhand move. Pavelski hit the
crossbar with a simple wrist shot. Toews went 5-hole for Chicago ’s 2nd
goal, the Jeremy Roenick pumped a shot right into Khabibulin’s chest to
end the game.
Game Notes:
Sharks captain Patrick
Marleau remained in San Jose to be with his wife, who was due to deliver the
couple’s second child. San Jose had 4 rookies in the lineup.
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Feeder Forums |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
OT |
SO |
T |
| SJ |
1 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
| CHI |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
6 |
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| 1st period - 1, CHI,
Havlat 25 (Bolland, Seabrook), 1:07 . 2, SJ, Setoguchi 28 (Ehrhoff, Boyle),
4:19 , (pp). 3, CHI, Byfuglien 13 (Barker), 8:43 . 4, CHI, Ladd 12 (Havlat,
Bolland), 9:44 . |
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| 2nd period - 5, CHI,
Toews 30 (Barker, Sharp), 8:27 . 6, SJ, McGinn 4 (Moen, Murray), 8:42 . 7, SJ,
Vlasic (Cheechoo, Thornton), 11:37. |
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| 3rd period - 8, CHI,
Ladd 13 (Bolland, Hjalmarsson), 5:35 . 9, SJ, Setoguchi 29 (Pavelski), 14:53 .
10, SJ, Thornton 24 ( Murray ), 17:52. |
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| Shootout - CHI: Kane
(goal), Toews (goal). SJ: Pavelski (miss), Roenick (miss). |
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| 1st period - Burish, CHI
(hooking), 2:33 ; Vesce, SJ (interference), 16:57. |
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| 2nd period - Boyle, SJ
(holding), 1:31. |
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| 3rd period -
Keith, CHI (delay of game – puck over glass), 9:38. |
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Shots |
Saves |
| SJ - Nabokov |
32 |
27 |
| CHI - Khabibulin |
28 |
23 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
OT |
T |
| SJ |
9 |
6 |
11 |
2 |
28 |
| CHI |
14 |
9 |
7 |
2 |
32 |
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| Referees: Rehman,
Watson. Linesmen: Arnell, Sharrers. |
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