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Sharks continue mastery over
Maple Leafs
Big 3rd period comeback kicks off road
trip
The Sharks were 0-8-1 this season when starting the
3rd period with a deficit. The Toronto Maple Leafs had them on the ropes with
20 minutes to play, holding a healthy 2-0 lead over the Sharks. A gritty
comeback, an inexperienced opponent or a combination of both helped the Sharks
tie the game with 5:10 left in regulation, before Logan Couture scored the only
goal in the shootout to propel the Sharks to a 3-2 victory at Air Canada
Centre.
San Jose was a discombobulated mess for 40 minutes, before the
Maple Leafs cracked open enough of an opportunity to get the Sharks rolling.
Toronto provided lots of cracks early, taking three penalties in the
opening period. The Sharks generated lots of shots on Maple Leafs goaltender
Frederik Andersen, but nothing of the challenging variety.
Zach Hyman
put Toronto up 1-0 at 6:58 of the period after slipping underneat defenseman
Dylan DeMelo, then tipping an Austin Matthews shot past Martin Jones. The Maple
Leafs duo, along with William Nylander cycled the puck around the left corner
before Matthews sent a shot on net from the left dot. DyMelo bit on Matthews
move to the slot, allowing Hyman to get between him and Jones.
The
penalty bug continued to bite the Maple Leafs in the 2nd period. Nazem Kadri
was whistled for interfering with Jones, but one again the Sharks failed to
take advantage. Tommy Wingels obliged the home team by taking a holding penalty
a minute after Kadri's penalty expired.
Matt Nieto followed Wingels to
the box 23 seconds later after committing his own interference infraction on
Andersen. The lengthy 5-on-3 allowed the Maple Leafs to setup and get the puck
to Matthews, who whipped a shot past Jones from a tight angle along the right
end line. Matthews looked as if he was trying to bounce the puck off Jones with
a teammate parked at the top of the crease, with another looming on the weak
side.
The goal was the 13th of the season for the number one overall
pick from last summer's draft.
With nothing clicking for the Sharks,
Toronto was content to kill clock in the 3rd period, but a boarding penalty to
Connor Carrick 3:02 into the 3rd period raised the anxiety level of the 19,380
in attendance. Even then, the Sharks filed to challenge Andersen. They had
failed on all 5 power play chances up to that point.
Everything
changed at the 12:43 mark, when Justin Braun of all people collected a pass
from Chris Tierney in the slot. San Jose was forced to press given the two-goal
deficit, which explains why the defenseman was so deep in the Toronto zone. His
location was key, because after receiving Tierney's pass, the defenseman swept
an improbable blind backhand shot past Andersen from 18 feet out.
Matt
Hunwick left the door open for San Jose when he interfered with Wingels 2
minutes later. The Sharks didn't wait around to let the Maple Leafs penalty
killers get comfortable. Brent Burns whipped a puck toward the front of the net
where Joe Pavelski was stationed to tip the shot past Andersen.
The
goal let the air out of the Maple Leafs balloon, but there was still 5 minutes
to play. Neither team could muster up the go-ahead goal, so play moved into the
3-on-3 overtime period, where things got exciting.
Both teams combined for 5 shots in the extra session,
but it was the Sharks that had the best scoring chances. Andersen got the Maple
Leafs to the shootout with a coupl eof key stops.
Jones was one shot
better in the shootout. He stopped Mitchell Marner, Matthews and Nikita
Soshnikov to setup his teammates for the win. Pavelski just missed on his
attempt, clacking a shot off the crossbar. Couture wouldn't miss, lifting a
shot beat Andersen.
Game Notes:
* The Sharks have less
than 24 hours to enjoy their win, as they move to Ottawa for a rematch with the
Senators on Wednesday night.
* The faceoff woes continued for San Jose,
who went 26 for 69 on draws (38%).
* David Schlemko had an itchy
trigger finger, leading all skaters with 7 shots on goal. While not incapable
of shooting, the defenseman hasn't shown himself to be a big sniper.
*
The Sharks skated without Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who was injured on Saturday
night against Carolina.
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think of this story? Post your comments on the
Feeder Forums |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
OT |
SO |
T |
| SJ |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
| TOR |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
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| 1st period - 1, TOR,
Hyman 5 (Matthews, Nylander), 6:58. |
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| 2nd period - 2, TOR,
Matthews 13 (Nylander, Gardiner), 7:46, (pp). |
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| 3rd period - 3, SJ,
Braun 1 (Tierney, Karlsson), 12:43. 4, SJ, Pavelski 9 (Burns, Marleau), 14:50,
(pp). |
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| Shootout - TOR: Marner
(miss), Matthews (miss), Soshnikov (miss). SJ: Pavelski (miss), Couture
(goal). |
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| 1st period - Martin, TOR
(boarding), 2:21; Polak, TOR (slashing), 11:12; Bench, SJ (too many men),
15:23; Karlsson, SJ (embellishmnet), 15:30; Gardiner, TOR (holding),
15:30. |
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| 2nd period - Kadri, TOR
(goaltender interference), 3:31; Wingels, SJ (holding), 6:17; Nieto, SJ
(goalteder interference), 6:40; Smith, TOR (holding), 10:37. |
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| 3rd period - Carrick,
TOR (boarding), 3:02; Hunwick, TOR (interference), 14:46. |
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Shots |
Saves |
| SJ - Jones |
21 |
29 |
| TOR - Andersen |
42 |
40 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
OT |
T |
| SJ |
14 |
12 |
13 |
3 |
42 |
| TOR |
13 |
7 |
9 |
2 |
31 |
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| Air Canada Centre - 19,380 |
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| Referees: Furlatt,
Morton. Linesmen: Barton, Driscoll. |
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