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Sharks hand Blues Game
2
Vlasic scores for St Louis, all downhill from
there
The Sharks will tell you that they're happy that
they leave St Louis with a slit through the first two games of their Western
Conference Quarter Finals matchup with the Blues, but in reality, they would
have much preferred a two game lead as the series heads back to San Jose. After
coming out firing in Game 2 on Saturday night, something happened to the Sharks
game and the Blues took advantage. The Blues scored lone goals in each of the
three periods and leaned on both of their goaltenders to shutout San Jose 3-0
at the Scottrade Center.
The Blues took advantage of a Sharks gaff in
the opening period and never looked back. The game was marred with a series of
ugly incidents, including a brawl at the end of the game that resulted in 88
penalty minutes. Referees Marc Joanette and Brian Pachmara allowed the game to
escalate into a side show.
The games started ominously for the Sharks
who surrendered an own goal just 1:31 in. Vladimir Sobotka fired a shot on goal
that Antti Niemi stoped, but couldn't control. The puck slipped to Niemi's
left, sitting perched in the crease. Marc-Edouard Vlasic tried sweeping the
puck away, but instead he pushed into his own net for the early 1-0 Blues lead.
The Sharks brushed off the goal and regrouped to out shoot the Blues
10-9 in the period. 4 of the 9 shots the Blues generated came on a hooking
penalty to Torrey Mitchell.
Joe Pavelski just missed evening things
up, when his shot rang off the crossbar late in the period.
Jaroslav
Halak was forced to leave the game early in the 2nd period after Barrett
Jackman ran into him while trying to defend a Sharks rush. Halak apparently
suffered a knee injury and was replaced by backup Brian Elliott.
The
Blues took advantage of some suspect defense by the Sharks 13:49 into the 2nd
period. T.J. Oshie evaded three hits on his way to the goal before sliding a
pass to David Backes for a one timer into a wide open net. Shars defenseman
Jason Demers took himself completely out of play by going for the home run it
that missed along the right wing boards. Oshie then slipped a check by Marleau
and side stepped Pavelski before dishing to Backes.
Brent Burns took a
brainless roughing penalty after trying to throw an elbow with 5 minutes and
change left in the period. The penalty killed any chance for San Jose to try
and cut into the Blues lead before the 2nd intermission.
A slashing
penalty to Alex Steen put the Sharks on the power play with 75 seconds
remaining in the period but Elliot preserved the Blues 2 goal lead heading into
the break.
Scott Nichol flipped the puck over the glass to put the
Sharks on a brief 2-man advantage 31 seconds into the 3rd period, but the
Sharks could do nothing with the power play.
Galiardi leveled Andy
McDonald midway through the period, with what appeared to be a legitimate
check, but he was called for charging on the play. Two Blues players pounced on
Galiardi, unloading haymakers, but no retaliation penalties were called. It was
a curious sequence of officiating by Marc Joannette.
With the clock
winding down and it becoming clear that the Blues had the game locked up, all
hell broke loose. First Brent Burns was sent off for roughing after a scrum in
front of the Sharks goal. Steen tried to take a cheap shot at Dan Boyle with an
elbow, and the Sharks defenseman went ballistic. Not surprisingly, Joannette
and Pochmara dished out a double minor to Boyle.
McDonald scored a
meaningless goal on the ensuing 5-on-3 with 25 seconds left.
Barret Jackman laid a bush league hit in the corner as
the final horn sounded and the Sharks pounced on him. Jackman's gutless move
was made even more amusing by the fact that his team was skating with the an
advantage. Easy to take liberties when you outnumber the opposition. Ever
player with a stick minus the goaltenders dropped the gloves in a series of
fights. Justin Braun, Douglas Murray, Roman Polak and Jackman all received game
misconducts for their participation in the melee.
Sharks head coach
Todd McLellen was incensed after the game, indicating that Dominic Moore
sustained a broken nose after taking a "sucker punch" from Sobotka.
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Feeder Forums |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| SJ |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| STL |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
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| 1st period - 1, STL,
Sobotka 1 (unassisted), 1:31. |
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| 2nd period - Backes, STL
(1 (Oshie), 13:49. |
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| 3rd period - 3, STL,
McDonald 1 (Oshie, Pietrangelo), 19:35, (pp). |
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| 1st period - Colaiacovo,
STL (cross checking), 7:48; Mitchell, SJ (hooking), 16:52; Vlasic, SJ
(slashing), 18:59; Backes, STL (cross checking), 18:59. |
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| 2nd period - Pavelski,
SJ (fighting major), 7:52; Marleau, SJ (roughing), 7:52; Russell, STL (fighting
major), 7:52; Crombeen, STL (roughing), 7:52; Burns, SJ (roughing), 14:36;
Steen, STL (slashing), 18:45. |
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| 3rd period - Nichol, STL
(delay of game - puck over glass), 0:31; Galiardi, SJ (slashing), 4:36;
Galiardi, SJ (charging), 9:53; Lagenbrunner, STL (holding), 12:28; Mitchell, SJ
(holding), 17:44; Burns, SJ (roughing), 18:36; Backes, STL (roughing), 18:36;
Boyle, SJ (roughing), 19:12; Boyle, SJ (roughing), 19:12; Moore, SJ (fighintg
major), 20:00; Braun, SJ (fighintg major), 20:00; Braun, SJ (game misconduct),
20:00; Murray, SJ (roughing), 20:00; Murray, SJ (fighintg major), 20:00;
Murray, SJ (game misconduct), 20:00; Winnik, SJ (roughing), 20:00; Sobotka, STL
(fighting major), 20:00; Sobotka, STL (10 min misconduct), 20:00; Crombeen, STL
(cross checking), 20:00; Polak, STL (fighting major), 20:00; Polak, STL (game
misconduct), 20:00; Jackman, STL (fighting major), 20:00; Jackman, STL (game
misconduct), 20:00; Lagenbrunner, STL (roughing), 20:00. |
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Shots |
Saves |
| SJ - Niemi |
32 |
29 |
| STL - Halak |
12 |
12 |
| STL - Elliot |
17 |
17 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| SJ |
10 |
10 |
9 |
29 |
| STL |
9 |
17 |
6 |
32 |
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| Referees:
Joannette, Pochmara. Linesmen: Morin, Nansen. |
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