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Sharks continue to
stumble
SJ loses 4th straight with 3-2 decision in
Minnesota
The Sharks freefall continued in Minnesota on
Tuesday night, as San Jose fell for a fourth consecutive game in regulation.
The host Minnesota Wild napped their own 5 game losing streak by dominating the
Sharks in a 3-2 game that wasn't as close as the score might suggest. The
Sharks chased their own tails and the Wild for 60 minutes, as the regular
season winds down to the final 10 games before the playoffs begin.
The
Wild used their speed to keep the Sharks on their heel throughout the contest,
limiting San Jose 5 goals in each of the 1st and 3rd periods. The absence of
any scoring chances in those periods were the direct result of the muzzle that
the Wild slapped on the Sharks offense.
San Jose had to play catch up
after Matt Dumba staked the Wild to a 1-0 lead 10:29 into the game. Joel Ward
put the Sharks on the penalty kill after taking a lazy hooking penalty. Dumba
converted from the doorstep after Zach Parise set him up with a pass from the
left side. All four Sharks defenders inexplicably migrated over to the left
wing boards, leaving the front of the net wide open. Dumba took Parise's feed
and cut across the slot before lifting a shot past Martin Jones.
San
Jose's lone chance on the power play was no different than the myriad of wasted
chances over the past two weeks. The Wild actually ended up generating more
shots on goal during the power play chance, which is indicative of the
struggles the Sharks have had on the man advantage this season.
The
Sharks tied the game with 3:03 to play in the 2nd period when David Schlemko
sent a shot through traffic from the left point that beat Wild goaltender Devin
Dubnyk. Patrick Marleau created a distraction on the right side of the net that
distracted Dubnyk.
The goal was the high water mark for the Sharks,
who seemed content with their offensive output, snapping a 127 minute stretch
without a goal.
Minnesota answered immediately when Martin Hanzal
converted 33 seconds after Schlemko's goal. Nino Neiterreiter carried the puck
up the right wing and tried jamming a shot past Jones but it was deflected tot
he end boards. Jason Pominville and Hanzal then proceeded to take a series of
shots from the side of the left post while Justin Braun sat mesmerized by the
display. Hanzal finally banked a shot off Jones' back and into the goal.
Former Sharks draft pick Charlie Coyle made it a 3-1 game 15 seconds
later by firing a shot from the right point that beat Jones.
Patrick Marleau got in on the act 15 seconds after
that by grabbing a loose puck from behind the goal and slipping it past Dubnyk
who was scrambling to his post after trying to play the puck. Dubnyk had a
chance to clear it as it sat perched up against the back of the goal, but
Marleau swooped in and deposited his 24th goal of the season.
In a
matter of 63 seconds, a 1-0 game became a 3-2 contest. Regardless, the Sharks
still trailed.
Their flaccid offense did nothing against the Wild, who
put the clamps on San Jose in the 3rd period. Dubnyk faced one shot that was
even a marginal scoring chance, and even then he simply turned it aside to help
the Wild keep pace with the Chicago Blackhawks.
San Jose continues to
open the door for both Edmonton and Anaheim, who site 4 points behind the
Sharks for the Pacific Division lead. The Oilers and Ducks play each other on
Wednesday night. The worst outcome in that game would have the two teams reach
overtime to make it a 3 point contest.
Game Notes:
*
Marc-Edouard Vlasic was a scratch after coming down with the flu.
*
Jannick Hansen continues to miss time after catching a stick near his eye last
week.
* Micheal Haley squared off in a bout with Chris Stewart 2
minutes into the game. The bigger Stewart had his way with Haley, landing a
series of upper cuts to start the fight.
* Timo Meier and Haley were
the only forwards who logged less than 10 minutes of ice time. The Sharks only
dressed 11 forwards in the game.
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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 |
0 |
2 |
| MIN |
1 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
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| 1st period - 1, MIN,
Dumba 10 (Parise, Staal), 10:29, (pp). |
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| 2nd period - 2, SJ,
Schlemko 3 (Pavelski, DeMelo), 17:57. 3, MIN, Pominville 12 (Hanzal,
Niederreiter), 18:30. 4, MIN, Coyle 17 (Parise), 18:45. 5, SJ, Marleau 24
(unassisted), 19:00. |
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| 1st period - Haley, SJ
(fighting major), 2:07; Stewart, MIN (fighting major), 2:07; Ward, SJ
(hooking), 9:02; DeMelo, SJ (holding), 17:44. |
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| 2nd period - Thornton,
SJ (hooking), 0:58; Spurgeon, MIN (high sticking), 9:25. |
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Shots |
Saves |
| SJ - Jones |
27 |
24 |
| MIN - Dubnyk |
23 |
21 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| SJ |
5 |
13 |
5 |
23 |
| MIN |
11 |
12 |
4 |
27 |
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| Xcel Energy Center -
19,104 |
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| Referees: Kozari,
Luxmore. Linesmen: Devorski, Gibbons. |
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