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Sharks finally snap Ducks
run
No-nonsense approach pays dividends
The Anaheim Ducks haven't been having a stellar
season, but one thing they've excelled at this year is beating the San Jose
Sharks. Anaheim entered Wednesday night's Pacific Division matchup riding a
four game winning streak over San Jose, including three wins already this
season. The Sharks overcame their recent failures against the Ducks by putting
three pucks past Anaheim goaltender Jonas Hiller to win 3-1 in Southern
California.
The victory put the Sharks back atop the Pacific Division
standings, hop-scotching the Los Angeles Kings, who trail the Sharks by a
single point. The Kings have played four more games than San Jose.
San
Jose stuck to a steady game plan against the Ducks, peppering Hiller with shots
and maintaining control of the puck. The approach was tested early, when the
Ducks grabbed a quick 1-0 lead.
Reigning league MVP Corey Perry scored
his 15th goal of the season on an odd play right after a holding penalty to
Andrew Cogliano ended. Perry fired a puck on Antti Niemi from the right point
that kicked out to the left wing boards. It looked as if the puck would clear
the zone, but Cogliano flipped the puck toward the net where Perry had slipped
past the Sharks defense. A quick move to the right, then back to the left
preceded Perry's deposit of the puck past Niemi.
The Sharks then spent
the next 30 minutes chipping away at Hiller. They only allowed the Ducks to
take a single shot on goal after Perry's goal the remainder of the 1st period,
outshooting Anaheim 12-3. The Sharks then outshot the Ducks 17-8 in the 2nd
period, but two of those Sharks shots found the back of the Anaheim net.
Those goals came 27 seconds apart, stunning the paltry Honda Center
crowd.
Brad Winchester tied the game with a 25-foot shot from the left
wing boards. The Sharks forward cranked the puck past Hiller, ringing the
crossbar for his 4th goal of the season.
Benn Ferriero put the Sharks
on top before Winchester's goal was announced to the 14,596 in attendance.
Ferriero did his best Bobby Orr imitation, swatting a puck past Hiller as he
dove across the top of the crease. Logan Couture tried putting the puck on net
as he pivoted away from the goal, but his scoring attempt fluttered into the
crease where Ferriero was there to cash in.
Douglas Murray took an
interference penalty with 10:31 to play. The penalty was magnified by the score
and proximity to the final horn. San Jose killed it off to preserve their
paltry lead, due in part to a nice piece of stick work by Joe Thornton.
Nick Bonino clanked a shot off the post moments later to give the
Sharks a scare.
San Jose made the Ducks failure to score more painful
when Joe Pavelski punched home a deflection off a Thornton blast with 7:17 left
in regulation. Thornton scooped up a Patrick Marleau feed up the left wing
boards then uncorked a cannon shot from 25 feet out. Hiller couldn't control
the big Thornton shot, allowing the puck to trickle over to the right side,
where Pavelski swooped in for his 16th goal of the season.
Bobby Ryan
sent Jason Demers to the dressing room with 2 minutes to play with a nasty hit
that sent the Sharks defenseman's head into the corner glass.
The
Ducks pulled Hiller with Ryan still in the box, but Michal Handzus missed on a
rare empty-net, power play goal by pushing the puck wide left. Couture was sent
off for tripping with 24 seconds left to play, but it was too little, too late
for Anaheim.
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What did you
think of this story? Post your comments on the
Feeder Forums |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| SJ |
0 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
| ANA |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
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| 1st period - 1, ANA,
Perry 15 (Cogliano), 2:37. |
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| 2nd period - 2, SJ,
Winchester 4 (McGinn), 16:23. 3, SJ, Ferriero 4 (Couture, Boyle), 16:50. |
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| 3rd period - 4, SJ,
Pavelski 16 (Thornton, Marleau), 12:43. |
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| 1st period - Cogliano,
ANA (holding), 0:22; Lydman, ANA (interference), 11:47; Winchester, SJ (high
sticking - double minor), 16:34. |
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| 2nd period - Koivu, ANA
(high sticking), 17:52. |
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| 3rd period - D. Murray,
SJ (interference), 9:29; Ryan, ANA (boarding), 17:30. |
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Shots |
Saves |
| SJ - Niemi |
27 |
26 |
| ANA - Hiller |
36 |
33 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| SJ |
12 |
17 |
7 |
36 |
| ANA |
3 |
8 |
16 |
27 |
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| Referees: Rooney,
Walkom. Linesmen: Heyer, Sharrers. |
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