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Uninspired performance still
nets win
Sharks look flat, but prevail in the
shootout
Playing down to your opposition was in full effect
at HP Pavilion on Tuesday night. Squaring off against the Colorado Avalanche,
third worst team in the NHL, San Jose turned in a lacsidasical performance,
sleepwalking to a 1-0 win in the shootout. Ravaged by injuries, the Colorado
roster has been a revolving door this season. The Avalanche started 4 rookie
defensemen, who turned in a more spirited effort than San Jose , but it was the
Sharks would take the win.
"I don't think it's that we disrespected our
opponent tonight," said Sahrks head coach Todd McLellan. "I don't think we
played that well. They did a very good job in defending us, getting above us.
Making it difficult to enter their zone. We didn't handle it well early in the
game. In the second period after we discussed it a little bit, we got going. We
can play a lot better and we expect more from each other."
Both teams
played uninspired hockey in the opening period, combining for a paltry 5 shots
on goal, the lowest combined total for two teams in a period this season. Dan
Boyle and Milan Hejduk both sent shots off the post, but that was the closest
either team would come to the goal in the opening frame.
A tripping
penalty to Ian Laperriere at 14:49 of the 2nd period gave the Sharks a power
play that almost turned into a nightmare sequence for them. With the puck
cycling in their own zone, Colorado gained control and caught Evgeni Nabokov
out of the net. A shot by Wojtek Wolski rang off the post for the third time in
the game for Colorado .
San Jose would squander the man-advantage,
failing to get any sustained pressure on Avalanche netminder Peter Budaj. San
Jose would put 16 shots in Budaj in the period, but nothing seemed to challenge
him.
Cody McLeod had a golden opportunity to snap the 0-0 deadlock
midway through the 3rd period, but Nabokov made a stellar save, sliding to his
left to cut off a shot destined for the back of the net.
San Jose
tried to counter a minute later, but Budaj got his left pad out to stop a Joe
Pavelski chance from the right side of the net.
The forecheck for the
Sharks began to step up play with 3 minutes to play in regulation, keeping the
puck pinned in the Colorado zone. A late icing by the Avalanche forced Colroado
head coach Tony Granato to call a timeout with 1:18 to play in order to rest
the line that was forced to stay out on the ice. McLeod was whistled for
slashing with 1:09 to play, setting up a gift for the Sharks. Jeremy Roenick,
just missed on a chance in tight, when his chip shot was snared by Budaj as the
puck floated through the crease.
50 seconds of the McLeod penalty
carried into the overtime period, giving the Sharks a 4-3 advantage, but the
chance was squandered by an uninspired power play.
Christian Ehrhoff
split two defenders at 2:24 into the extra period to give the Sharks yet
another power play chance, but again San Jose squandered the chance. Milan
Michalek tried jamming a puck by Budaj with 4 second left in the penalty, but
the Avalanche goaltender shut the door again.
"It was a pretty good
game all the way around for a 0-0 game," said Avalanche head coach Tony
Granato. "I thought it was very entertaining and I thought our guys had it
played pretty darn solid all the way around to be in the game and we did.
Obviously both goalies were extremely good. When you think of a 0-0 game you
think it's a boring game. I didn't see the game as boring at all."
In the shootout, Pavelski snapped a shot past Budaj
over the right shoulder. Wolski then shot the puck high. Jonathan Cheechoo put
a shot into Budaj’s glove. Hejduk followed Wolski’s shot, missing the
net wide. Roenick missed the net to extended the suspense. Nabokov out-waited
rookie Chris Stewart to make the final save and give the Sharks an undeserved 2
points in the standings.
"As a team we talk about control… and we
ARE in control," added McLellan. "It's where we want to be. But that doesn't
means, the opposition we play against or the other teams we are battling with
are just going to roll over and play dead. We don't expect that. We have to
take care of our own business and we look forward to that opportunity on
Thursday."
Game Notes:
The Sharks got a little roster
relief, as Mike Grier and Claude Lemieux returned to action after spending
extended stints on the injured list. Grier had is knee scoped and Lemieux was
nursing a jaw injury.
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What did you
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Feeder Forums |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
OT |
SO |
T |
| COL |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| SJ |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
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| Shootout - SJ: Pavelski
(goal), Cheechoo (miss), Roenick (miss). COL : Wolski (miss), Hejduk (miss),
Stewart (miss). |
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| 1st period - Nabokov, SJ
(delay of game – puck over glass), 2:51; Pavelski, SJ (holding the stick),
19:08. |
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| 2nd period - Shelley, SJ
(roughing), 6:20; Vernace , COL (holding), 8:42; Laperriere , COL (tripping),
14:49. |
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| 3rd period -
McLeod , COL (hooking), 0:53. McLeod, SJ (slashing), 18:51. |
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| Overtime - Vernace , COL
(tripping), 2:24. |
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Shots |
Saves |
| COL - Budaj |
30 |
30 |
| SJ - Nabokov |
20 |
20 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
OT |
T |
| COL |
3 |
7 |
9 |
1 |
20 |
| SJ |
2 |
16 |
5 |
7 |
30 |
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| Referees: Martell,
O'Rourke. Linesmen: Heyer, Cameron. |
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