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Jones blanks Hawks in
Chitown
San Jose knocks off Chicago to end road
trip
Martin Jones had never defeated the Chicago
Blackhawks entering Tuesday night's match-up at the United Center. He was 0-4
in his prior attempts, but a 33 save performance was good enough to not only
beat the Blackhawks, but to shut them out. There's something to be said given
the Blackhawk's status atop the Western Conference standings, and the fact they
did in Chicago's barn. The Sharks played a perfect road game, stifling the
Blackhawks lineup of super stars and generated just enough scoring to end their
road trip an even 2-2-0.
Jones saw a steady stream of rubber all
night, and was tested by a Chicago offense that doesn't monkey around with the
puck. No perimeter prayers from the Blackhawks. They attacked the Sharks net
all night, creating plenty of scoring opportunities with lots of movement in
front of the opposing net.
That offense appeared to generate the
game's first goal midway through the opening period when former Shark Brandon
Mashinter deflected a pass past Jones. The goal was about as fluky as they
come. With the puck ping-ponging atop the Sharks crease, Dennis Rasmussen
flipped the puck in the opposite direction of the goal. Rasmussen lifted the
puck, hitting Mashinter in the shin pad, which redirected it back into the net.
Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer immediately challenged the goal,
claiming goaltender interference on Jones, which turned out to be the right
call. Video replays showed light contact between Rasmussen and Jones, but it
was enough to overturn the goal.
San Jose was forced to play with five
defenseman after the 5 minute mark, when Brendan Dillon disappeared into the
locker room. The Sharks made no announcement on Dillon's status, but he did not
return for the remainder of the game.
After waiting out the
Blackhawks, the Sharks made the most of the lone penalty Chicago would commit
in the game. A Niklas Hjalmarsson slashing penalty allowed the Sharks to open
up the offense and finally get a puck past Corey Crawford. Patrick Marleau
uncorked a shot from the blueline that clipped Blackhawks captain Jonathan
Toews in the high slot and changed the trajectory of the puck. That angle
change was enough to fool Crawford for Marleau's 16th of the season.
San Jose went into lockdown mode on the road weary Blackhawks who were playing
at the United Center for the first time since January 24th.
Jones was particularly good in the 3rd period, when
Chicago turned up the heat to try and pot the equalizer. The Blackhawks fired
11 shots on net over the final 20 minutes, fueled by an extra attacker when
Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville pulled Crawford with 2:40 to play.
Joe Thornton took advantage of the empty net, firing a puck down the ice from
behind his own blueline for his 12th goal of the season with 1:42 to play.
Chicago kept their net empty after the Thornton goal in an attempt to
cut into the Sharks lead, but it was too little too late. Jones tightened his
grip on the Blackhawks for his 5th shutout of the season. It was also his 12th
career blanking. The win also snapped the Blackhawks 3-game winning streak.
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Feeder Forums |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| SJ |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| CHI |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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| 2nd period - 1, SJ,
Marleau 16 (Couture, Thornton), 9:09, (pp). |
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| 3rd period - 2, Thornton
12 (Pavelski, Vlasic), 18:18, (en). |
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| 1st period - Ward, SJ
(hooking), 10:03; Martin, SJ (holding), 18:32. |
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| 2nd period -
Hjalmarsson, CHI (slashing), 8:30; Tierney, SJ (tripping), 19:38. |
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Shots |
Saves |
| SJ - Jones |
33 |
33 |
| CHI - Crawford |
26 |
25 |
| CHI - empty net |
1 |
0 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| SJ |
8 |
13 |
6 |
27 |
| CHI |
10 |
12 |
11 |
33 |
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| Referees: Kozari,
Kowal. Linesmen: Cherrey, Murchison. |
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