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WCQF Game 2: Sharks grab two on
the road
SJ wins 3-2 in Ahaeim to take big series
lead
In a matter of 72 hours, the Sharks have grabbed
the Ducks by the throat and hold a commanding 2-0 series lead in their Western
Conference Quarter Finals match-up after San Jose knocked off Anaheim 3-2 at
the Honda Center on Saturday night. San Jose received scoring from three
different goal scorers and Martin Jones made 28 saves in a feisty affair that
was purely playoffs.
Anaheim picked up the intensity after dropping
Game 1 on Thursday night, in the form of more physicality and plays that
teetered on the edge of reckless. That elevated the entertainment value as San
Jose seemed to respond to the Duck's approach by scoring goals.
The
only hiccup for San Jose came 40 seconds into the game when Jakob Silfverberg
gave Anaheim their first and only lead in the series. Silfverberg carried the
puck over the blueline and sent a long shot on goal from the top of the right
circle. The knee high shot easily cleared Jones' leg pad, but the goaltender
tried to stop the shot with his blocker. That attempt was late, as the puck
slipped past for Anaheim's first goal of the series.
It was the first
lapse in Jones' game after his 25 save shutout on Thursday. The goal could have
propelled the Ducks who spent little time near Jones in Game 1, but it seemed
to wake up the Sharks who responded in a big way.
Marcus Sorensen tied
the game at 9:41 of the period after Brendan Dillon fired a puck wide of the
left post from the blueline. Dillon's shot hit the end boards and bounced
perfectly to the off post where Sorensen was crashing in on net for the
put-back chance. Dillon was able to start that sequence after Kevin Bieksa
turned the puck over in his own zone with a terrible pass. The Sharks were
buzzing in the zone and Bieksa's miscue came as a result of the pressure the
Sharks forecheck was applying.
Brandon Montour was sent off for
hooking Melker Karlsson at 13:37 of the opening period putting the Sharks on
the first of three power plays on the night. San Jose responded with a Logan
Couture power play goal, staking the Sharks to a lead they would not
relinquish. The Ducks over-pursued a loose puck in the neutral zone, which
allowed the Sharks to enter the Anaheim zone with the majority of the defense
hanging at the blueline.
Joe Pavleksi sent a cross-ice pass to Kevin
Labanc on the right wing boards in order to gain the Anaheim zone. Labanc
carried the puck up that right side and hit Couture with a diagonal pass near
the inside of the left circle. Couture collected Labanc's pass and cut across
the top of the crease before slipping the puck past John Gibson. The play
looked identical to Evander Kane's goal in Game 1.
San Jose held a
slim 9-8 advantage on the shot counter by the end of the opening period, which
was indicative of the Ducks desire to make a game of it. They played with more
confidence, but it was the Sharks who carried the 2-1 lead into the first
intermission.
The Sharks finished their scoring for the evening just
1:11 into the 2nd period when Tomas Hertl scored a highlight reel goal. The
Sharks forward picked up a touch pass from Mikkel Boedker in the neutral zone
and carried enough speed that it forced Montour to back up as he back-skated to
cover the Czech. Hertl deeked left then slid the puck to his backhand on the
right and lifted a shot that floated past Gibson catching the upper left corner
of the goal.
Gibson was forced to cover the right side of the net as
Hertl dangled the puck in the slot, but he carried too much momentum and
couldn't react as the shot went against the grain in the opposite direction.
Paul Martin took a slashing penalty at 6:30 of the period giving the
Ducks their first power play of the game. Hampus Lindholm cut the Sharks lead
to a single goal when he sniped an uncontested shot from the slot for his 1st
goal of the playoffs. The Ducks dumped the puck to the Sharks end boards, then
worked it to the right corner where Ryan Getzlaf was parked. The Ducks captain
setup Lindholm with a feed as the Sharks defense lost the defenseman, allowing
him to pick a corner with his shot.
San Jose looked to expand their
lead and establish a little breathing room, but the Ducks made things
difficult. The 3rd period tested San Jose's mettle, especially when Kane lifted
a puck over the glass, setting up the Ducks second power play of the game 6:12
in to the period. Anaheim put three shots on goal during the ensuing power
play, but Jones earned his paycheck.
Anaheim looked as if they would
tie the game when Corey Perry had a scoring chance from the front of the goal,
but his shot clanked off the right post.
That would be as close as the
Ducks would come to tying the game. Perry tried to generate some momentum when
he hit Hertl with a shoulder that rang the Sharks forward's bell, which earned
him an interference penalty at 16:17. That allowed the Sharks to burn valuable
time.
The final two minutes was a wild flurry of attempts that fell
short. When the final horn sounded, the Sharks held their two game advantage,
and return home for a Monday match up that could seal the Ducks fate.
Game Notes:
* Evander Kane didn't produce the same
offensive output as Game 1, but he did lead all skaters with 7 shots and was a
constant presence in front of the Ducks net all night. Kane finished the
evening a minus 1 with 4 penalty minutes.
* Aside for the game's first
goal, Martin Jones was a force for San Jose as he denied the Ducks from gaining
any momentum once the Sharks took their 1st period lead. His 1.00 GAA ranks
second in the playoffs behind only Marc-Andre Fleury. His .964 save percentage
also ranks second.
* The win marked the 4th time the Sharks have won
the first two games of a series on the road. The win was also the 60th one-goal
win in the playoffs for the Sharks in their team history.
* Logan
Couture ranks third in Sharks history for playoff goals: Patrick Marleau 68,
Joe Pavelski 42, Logan Couture 31. His 31st goal came on the power play on
Saturday night.
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Feeder Forums |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| SJ |
2 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
| ANA |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
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| 1st period - 1, ANA,
Silfverberg 1 (Lindholm), 0:40. 2, SJ, Sorensen 1 (Karlsson, Dillon), 9:41. 3,
SJ, Couture, 1 (Labanc, Pavelski), 14:41, (pp). |
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| 2nd period - 4, SJ,
Hertl 1 (Boedker, Couture), 1:11. 5, ANA, Lindholm 1 (Getzlaf, Kesler), 7:51,
(pp). |
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| 1st period - KAne, SJ
(roughing), 6:12; Silfverberg, ANA (roughing), 6:12; Montour, ANA (hooking),
13:37. |
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| 2nd period - Martin, SJ
(slashing), 6:30. |
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| 3rd period - Kane, SJ
(delay of game - puck over glass), 6:12; Ritchie, ANA (tripping), 9:17; Perry,
ANA (interference), 16:17. |
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Shots |
Saves |
| SJ - Jones |
30 |
28 |
| ANA - Gibson |
35 |
32 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| SJ |
9 |
13 |
13 |
35 |
| ANA |
8 |
11 |
11 |
30 |
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| Referees: Charon,
Watson. Linesmen: Sericolo, Racicot. |
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