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Selective shooting leads SJ
over Wings
Sharks only put 14 shots on Jimmy Howard
in win
Given that home hasn't been exactly the most
accommodating place to play, the Sharks got back in the win column on Friday
night as they kicked off a 6-game road trip that takes them to the East Coast
with a 3-2 win at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. The Sharks shook of an early Red
Wings goal, scoring three goals of their own to win for only the 3rd time in
their last 8 games. Martin Jones turned aside 26 shots to earn the win.
San Jose shook off the early malaise that seemed to perpetually haunt
them at home this season and chipped away at Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard.
Things started all too frequently, with their opponent potting the first goal
of the game.
Tomas Tatar did the honors, cashing in on the space that
19-year old rookie Dylan Larkin created when he sped up the center of the ice.
With the threat of Larkin driving to the goal with his phenomenal speed,
defensemen Paul Martin and Brent Burns had to plug the slot. That allowed
Larkin to dish the puck to Tatar on the right wing, where the Red Wings forward
ripped a shot from the right dot to beat Jones.
It was an all too
familiar start to a game, but one that San Jose finally had an answer to.
The Sharks countered right after a penalty to Tommy Wingels expired,
when Melker Karlsson swiped at a puck just outside the right post. Playing in
only his 2nd game of the season, Karlsson found a small gap that Howard exposed
as the netminder tried pinning himself to the post. The puck floated knee-high
through that gap for Karlsson's first goal of the season.
Matt Nieto
made it 2-1 San Jose with his 3rd tally of the season with just over 2 minutes
to play in the period. The Sharks winger scooped up a loose puck near the left
dot and raced around the back of the goal before sliding a shot off of Howard's
left pad. The puck kicked right back out to Nieto, who used the second chance
to lift a shot top shelf.
That goal took some of the wind out of the
Red Wings sails, having come so late in the period. It was also only the 7th
shot in the period from a San Jose team that elected to be much more selective
with their shooting.
The Sharks would only put 14 shots on Howard for
the game, but they made the most of their chances.
Joe Pavelski pushed
the Sharks lead to 2 goals midway through the 2nd period with an incredible
redirect from the left side. Martin threw a puck in Pavelski's vicinity fro the
left point, with a chest high floater that Pavelski was able to get his stick
blade on while he back skated through the left circle. Howard never had a
chance on the puck that made a 45-degree right turn after Pavelski worked his
magic.
Returning to the ice for the first time this season
following ankle ligament surgery, Pavel Datsyuk missed on a point blank chance
with 1:42 left in the 2nd period after a puck made its way to the unattended
winger in the slot. Datsyuk bailed out the Sharks by putting a shot right in
Jones' midsection.
San Jose seemed content to simply kill clock over
the final 20 minutes. That turned out to be an iffy decision for the Sharks,
who allowed the Red Wings to create some decent scoring chances.
Tatar
rang a shot off the post 6 minutes into the 3rd period, then Henrik Zetterberg
put a backhand shot from 10 feet out over the crossbar moments later.
Teemu Pulkkinen wouldn't miss with 1:52 left in regulation, when his shot from
the left point weaved itself through traffic in front of Jones before
deflecting off the left post and into the net. The goal gave the Red Wings new
life, but they would fall short.
Fresh off all the trade rumors
involving him, Patrick Marleau missed on a empty net chance late in the game,
but the Red Wings couldn't counter.
San Jose has a quick turnaround,
as they will play the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night. The Sharks have won
once in Buffalo in their 25 year history, but hope to change the trend. Alex
Stalock is likely to start in net for the Sharks.
The announced crowd
at the Joe was 20,027, but much like what's been happening in San Jose, there
were a number of empty seats which gave the feel of a half empty stadium.
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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 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
| DET |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
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| 1st period - 1, DET,
Tatar 4 (Larkin, Kronwall), 3:13. 2, SJ, Karlsson 1 (Thornton, Tennyson), 7:40.
3, SJ, Nieto 3 (Dillon, Vlasic), 17:52. |
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| 2nd period - 4, SJ,
Pavelski 9 (Martin, Braun), 10:23. |
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| 3rd period - 5, DET,
Pulkkinen 5 (Kindl, Tatar), 18:08. |
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| 1st period - Ericsson,
DET (tripping), 3:53; Wingels, SJ (holding), 5:20; Ward, SJ (tripping),
8:56. |
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| 2nd period - Thornton,
SJ (roughing), 19:03; Glendenning, DET (roughing), 19:03. |
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Shots |
Saves |
| SJ - Jones |
28 |
26 |
| DET - Howard |
14 |
11 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| SJ |
7 |
4 |
3 |
14 |
| DET |
10 |
12 |
6 |
28 |
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| Referees: Hebert,
Luxmore. Linesmen: Cormier, Cvik. |
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