After a remarkable 51 save performance on
Saturday, MacKenzie Blackwood turned in another nice performance against the
visiting Carolina Hurricanes at SAP Center on Tuesday night. The Sharks carried
a 3-2 lead into the 3rd period before imploding by allowing 4 goals in the
final frame to drop a 6-3 game. Blackwood makes 36 saves, and only 2 even
strength goals in the loss.
It was a painful reminder of last season's
awful season, blowing their second 3rd period lead in their first three games
so far this year. San Jose blew 14 3rd period leads last season, but this one
was particularly unnerving.
A loaded Hurricanes roster really had no
business trailing the Sharks after out-shooting them 30-11 though the first two
periods. They potted their 4 goals in the final frame on 12 more shots on
Blackwood.
Carolina finished the contest 3 of 7 on the power play,
which was really San Jose's undoing.
The Sharks jumped out to a 1-0
lead 3:14 into the contest when Tomas Hertl sprung Fabian Zetterlund with a
lead pass that evolved to a breakaway chance. Zetterlund lifted a shot past
Frederik Andersen for his 1st goal as a Shark.
Nikolai Knyzhov
promptly took a cross checking penalty off the ensuing faceoff to put the
Sharks on the man advantage. Carolina would capitalize on a series of odd
deflections that ended with Seth Jarvis punching home a shot from the top of
the crease. Michael Bunting threw a puck to the left side, where it kicked off
Matt Benning. The puck then shot over to the right side where it hit defenseman
Mario Ferraro and dropped at Jarvis' feet for the easy deposit.
Andersen was forced to leave the game at 5:27 when a shot hit him in the mask.
Antti Raanta replaced him in net.
Filip Zadina would take a roughing
penalty after he responded to what should have been a cross checking penalty on
Jalen Chatfield, who stuck Hertl into the board head first. San Jose killed the
penalty, but it was a big reason the Hurricanes out-shot San Jose 18-5 in the
period.
San Jose opened the middle period by taking a pair of
penalties. Anthony Duclair took a cross checking penalty 18 seconds into the
period, then Alexander Barabanov took a hooking penalty at 5:54.
Carolina would negate Barabanov's penalty when Jesperi Kotkaniemi was called
for holding at 7:26. The Hurricanes would still manage to put a puck past
Blackwood when Jaccob Slavin raced up ice on a short-handed breakaway.
Blackwood made the first save on Slavin, but Mike Hoffman opted to tried and
defend a follow up chance with his stick. That proved pointless as Slavin
bagged his 2nd goal of the season.
BR> Filip Zadina would tie the game
17 seconds later as the Sharks continued with their power play.
San
Jose would go back on the power play at 14:10 when Brady Skjei was whistled for
holding. William Eklund cashed in for San Jose with his 1st goal of the season.
The young forward was parked on the right post when defenseman Henry Thrun
through a puck on net that missed right but kicked off the end boards back to
Eklund for the put back.
Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour challenged the
play for goaltender interference, but that was overruled. Carolina went back on
the penalty kill for the failed challenge, but Duclair was sent off for an iffy
hooking penalty.
Blackwood turned in the save of the game with 14
minutes remaining in regulation on a chance by Slavin from the doorstep.
Hertl took a tripping penalty at 7:08, which gave the Hurricanes the
crack they needed. Former Shark Stefan Noesen converted on the power play right
as the penalty was set to expire.
Mario Ferraro took a cross checking
penalty at 10:57 to put Carolina right back on the power play. As if on script,
the Hurricanes grabbed the lead on the ensuing power play when Jarvis potted
his 2nd of the game.
The flood gates opened up in the final 5 minutes.
First Martin Necas raced up the right side then wrapped the puck around the
left post, hitting Blackwood in the left skate for his 2nd goal of the season.
Kotkaniemi added his 2nd of the season at 15:07 when his shot
deflected off Ferraro's skate, fooling Blackwood to make it a 6-3 game.
Game Notes: * Defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic was
scratched as he nurses an undisclosed injury that was suffered in the loss to
Colorado on Saturday night. Henry Thrun made his return to the lineup after
being scratched on Saturday.
* Sebastien Aho was also a medical
scratch. He suffered an injury in Carolina's win over the Los Angeles Kings
last weekend.
* The announced attendance was 10,378, but the building
looked more like 7,000 fans present.
* MacKenzie Blackwood set a
franchise record for saves in his first two games as a Sharks. The netminder
combined for 87 saves over the two games he has started. His goals against
average ballooned to 3.37 and his save percentage fell to .926.
*
Anthony Duclair finished the game a -3. Hard to do when the opponent scores 3
goals on the power play.
