SHARKSPAGE

Patrick Marleau’s game winning goal caps 2-1 OT win over Nashville, Sharks finish season long seven game road trip 5-2

SHARKS ROAD TRIP VS. PRE-ROAD TRIP STAT COMPARISON

Two years ago San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson was frustrated by another tentative start to the postseason. He responded by challenging his team to find ways to win games (left unsaid, by any means neccessary). At the start of 2010-11, the Sharks were effectively debuting 4 new forward lines, 2 new defensive pairs and 2 new starting goaltenders. Expecting cohesion, consistency and clarity of purpose that early into the schedule may have been unrealistic, but as October and November turned into December and January, the Sharks were still trying to keep their heads above water on all fronts. During a 6 game post-New Years losing streak, San Jose had run into a slab of hot goaltenders but they did not play all that poorly. Goal support dried up, and San Jose was left looking inward with questions about how to turn things around. Head coach Todd McLellan noted that there was an element of fear inside the locker room. Fear that such a talented offensive team could legitimately miss the playoffs, fear that the back-to-back-to-back Pacific Division champions would follow their run to the Conference Finals with a bagel.

The Sharks responded to that losing streak by running off 5 wins in their next 6 games, earning 11 out of 12 possible points. More impressive than the 6-game point streak were how the Sharks were winning games. Not in run-and-gun, back-and-forth offensive shootouts, but in tight checking defensive efforts. The next test would be the annual season long 7-game tennis road trip, and the Sharks could not have passed in a more impressive fashion. Coming off two late 3rd period missteps in losses to New Jersey and Florida, the Sharks players were harder on themselves than the coaching staff, media, or a majority of the fan base. The players know that each point on the line could be the deciding factor in the standings at the end of the year, and they are battling on the ice accordingly.

Tuesday night at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, the Sharks put 50 goals and sustained pressure on 6-foot-5 goaltender Pekke Rinne for the better part of 3 periods and overtime. It was the first time the Sharks reached the 50-shot plateau in 214 regular season contests dating back to a 4-3 loss in Florida on October 24th, 2009. After ceding the first goal to Cody Fransen on the power play, Devin Setoguchi (9 points in last 10 games), and Patrick Marleau put the Sharks over the top for a 2-1 overtime win. One point behind the Predators before Tuesday, the Sharks and Predators finish in a 4-team tie for fourth through seventh place with 68 points. Anaheim, Dallas and Nashville each have a game in hand on San Jose.

There was not a lot of seperation in the standings, but on the ice the game started with a strong push from Nashville. Newly acquired Mike Fisher from Ottawa joined a potent offensive line with Martin Erat (8 points last 8 games) and Sergei Kostitsyn (7 points last 7 games). The KFE line recorded three shots in quick succession on the low cycle, with Sharks defenseman Douglas Murray blocking a fourth. On a second Nashville rush into the offensive zone, Steve Sullivan turned the puck over creating a 3-on-3 Sharks rush in the other direction. A Wellwood-Clowe give and go was disrupted by by the D, but Logan Couture maintained possession and backhanded it into the corner. After being held up trying to get around Suter, Suter shoved Couture into the back of Legwand. He was called for high sticking. On the man advantage, a rinkwide Sullivan pass to Cody Franzen beat Niemi 5-hole with Patrick Hornqvist providing traffic in front.

On the Sharks season long 7 game road trip, they had scored first 5 times and won 5 games. Ryan Suter was given a hooking call at 10:47, and referees Dan O’Rourke and Kyle Rehman gave the Sharks a two man advantage for 26 seconds when Shane O’Brien was given a mystery tripping call at 12:21. The Sharks were able to put 3 shots on goal during the 5-on-3, but Rinne held firm and finished with a diving stop on a Pavelski one timer from the left wing.

The Sharks forward lines got the puck deep on the first two shifts of the second period, and appeared to be the more aggressive team 5-on-5. Douglas Murray provided the hit of the game, de-cleating Marek Svatos as he tried to start an oddman rush at the blueline. There are big hits, and then there are Murray hits that accelerate opponents into the ice. De-cleating is football terminology, but for #3 it applies.

While the Sharks had tightened the grip in the defensive zone, a struggling power play occasionally forced players to take chances to create offense. Dan Boyle pinched deep on the right wing to create a hard angle shot on goal, but the rebound bounced out past the Sharks forwards to create a Nashville breakout. Suter gathered the rebound, fired a quick pass to Legwand on the right wing, and Legwand hit Sullivan who had 10-15 feet on the nearest Shark. Jamal Mayers had taken a player in the neutral zone instead of filling in for Boyle on the right point, and Murray was several strides behind Sullivan trying to get over. Sullivan stickhandled several times on the breakaway, trying to get Niemi to make the first move. Niemi did not bite, and with a stick check he poked the puck clear before a shot could be taken.

The momentum shift came shortly thereafter when Kent Huskins hit Devin Setoguchi in stride on the right wing. With most of the Nashville defense playing back, Setoguchi accelerated down the right wing and snapped a hard shot short side that bean Pekka Rinne over the glove. Rinne had gone down early, and the torque on the blade of Setoguchi’s stick was evidence of a very hard shot. The celebration was shortlived for San Jose as Setoguchi was called for a questionable penalty 22 seconds later. After a faceoff win, the Sharks outmanned Nashville 3-on-2 in a puck battle along the wall. Initially Setoguchi grabbed the shoulder of Suter, and pulled himself around the defenseman to get to the puck. Suter then held tightly onto Setoguchi as Patrick Marleau and Mike Fisher battled for possession. Thornton came in to overload on the wall, and Fisher held his shoulder to try to get leverage on the puck. Instead of letting the admittedly boarderline board play go, Setoguchi earned 2 minutes for holding. The Sharks were a little loose in their PK defensive zone coverage, coming out too high to challenge forwards, but Niemi bailed them out. Two failed clears by Thornton and Vlasic set the table for a Shea Weber howitzer that sailed a foot over the net.

The Sharks top two lines got the puck deep to start the third period, but Rinne came up big on a Heatley one timer, and trio of scoring chances by Devin Setoguchi and Douglas Murray. The Sharks dominated play in the third, piling up a 13-0 shot margin in the first 10 minutes of the period, blocking 4 shots in that span to Nashville’s 1. A give and go by former Shark Marcel Goc and Joel Ward created the first Preds opportunity. Niemi was solid down low on the initial shot, and aggresive in gathering the rebound.

A critical Western Conference point was on the line for overtime. Extended faceoff work by the winger and defenseman resulted in Dan Boyle’s first shot in overtime, with Patrick Marleau narrowly missing a deflection with his stick. Joe Pavelski lifted the puck high on a 1-on-3 rush, but tapped the puck wide left when it hit the ice. Marleau, Niemi and Rinne were the official three stars of the game by the Nashville media, but the Sharkspage player of the game was defenseman Kent Huskins. A healthy scratch for the first time of the season on January 20th against Vancouver, the Sharks were trying to send a message that they needed more veteran shutdown play from Huskins. At the time, the same message could have been delivered to most of the Sharks defenseman. He responded in subsequent contests with responsible and consistent play, quick high percentage passes out of his own zone, and a physical element in front of the net that is much needed with the loss of Rob Blake. On Tuesday night he flashed his offensive chops. His quick outlet pass on Setoguchi’s goal in the second period was impressive, but 4-on-4 in overtime Huskins forced Marcel Goc to turn the puck over as he entered the offensive zone. Huskins then beat both Thornton and Goc to the loose puck, and split defenseman Alexander Sulzer and Shane O’Brien with the up pass to Marleau. Both Sulzer and O’Brien were cheating to pick off the pass on the play. Rinne tried to outwait Marleau on the breakaway, but Marleau snapped a shot 5-hole for his 5 game winning goal of the season. For Huskins, he now has 2 goals and 3 assists in his last 5 games.

Game Notes: Antti Niemi (18-15-3, .917SV%, 2.51GAA, 4SO) stopped 30 of 31 shots to record his 18th win of the season. Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinna (20-14-6, .930SV%, 2.10GAA, 4SO) stopped 48 of 50 shots against, the highest shot total he has had to withstand in 119 regular season games. With the win the Sharks have the most road victories in the Western Conference at 18, but 15 of the 24 remaining games will be at home. The Sharks put up their first 50 shot effort in 214 regular season games, last doing so in a 4-3 loss at Florida on Oct 24th 2009. Devin Setoguchi registered a game high 9 shots on goal. The Sharks were 0-2 against Nashville prior to Tuesday night, they next meet in San Jose on March 8th. Nashville is 0-5 in the overtime period this seaosn, but 6-3 in shootouts. It was the third game back for Sharks forward Torrey Mitchell, the first stretch San Jose has played with a full compliment of uninjured forwards and defenseman since the acquisition of Kyle Wellwood and Ben Eager. Lines/pairs for the game were Marleau/Thornton/Setoguchi, Clowe/Couture/Wellwood, Mitchell/Pavelski/Heatley, Eager/Nichol/Mayers, Murray/Boyle, Huskins/Vlasic, Wallin/Demers. Antero Niittymaki and Derek Joslin were scratches for the San Jose Sharks. Backup goaltender Antero Niittymaki reaggravated his lower body injury prior to the Washington game. For Nashville, forwards Marcel Goc and waiver pickup Marek Svatos returned to the lineup. According to On the Forecheck, perennial Shark killer J.P. Dumont was a healty scratch for the first time in his 5 seasons as a Predator.

[Update] Sharks beat Predators in overtime – San Jose Mercury News.

[Update2] Nashville Predators lose to San Jose Sharks, Extra session has been extra hard this season – San Jose Mercury News.

If the Nashville Predators can find a way to a shootout, they stand a good chance of getting a victory. It’s getting through overtime that has been a problem.

That was the case again Tuesday night, as Nashville lost its fifth overtime game of the season, 2-1 to the San Jose Sharks in front of an announced crowd of 14,132 at Bridgestone Arena. Patrick Marleau scored the game-winner on a breakaway with 1:07 remaining, sending the Predators to an 0-5 record in overtimes this season. They’re 6-3 in shootouts.

[Update3] Where does Mike Fisher fit in the Nashville Predators lineup? – Dirk Hoad for On the Forecheck.

[Update4] Heading home at last: More on Devin Setoguchi’s rifle shot and the sounds of Nashville (sort of) – David Pollak’s Working the Corners blog.