• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Setoguchi, Thornton, Nabokov fuel Sharks past Coyotes

Nov 13, 2007 - 7:21 AM By Michael Duca PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SAN JOSE, California (Ticker) - Rookie Devin Setoguchi and Joe Thornton scored two goals apiece and Evgeni Nabokov had 25 saves as the San Jose Sharks defeated the Phoenix Coyotes, 5-0, on Monday in a clash between Pacific Division rivals.

Nabokov earned his second shutout of the season and 36th career after stopping 11 shots in the first period, eight in the second and six in the third period.

The shutout came in Nabokov's 25th consecutive start, which breaks Chris Terreri's franchise record set in 1996.

"Honestly, I had no idea about the record," Nabokov said. "Two points, that's most important part. When I'm 50 it will be nice to remember."

Mike Grier opened the scoring late in the first period.

San Jose defenseman Kyle McLaren fed Grier at the blue line, who came away clean on a 2-on-1 breakaway with Torrey Mitchell. Grier passed across the ice to Mitchell, who drew defenseman Ed Jovanovski to him, then snapped a return pass to Grier in the slot. The Sharks right wing wristed a shot which beat goaltender Mikael Tellqvist for the fourth shorthanded goal the Coyotes have allowed this year.

The Sharks extended their lead to 2-0 late in the second period when Patrick Marleau controlled the puck in the corner and passed to Thornton in the slot. After having his initial shot blocked by Tellqvist, Thornton flipped the puck past the prone netminder.

"Especially at home here, we haven't been very good," Thornton said. "To have good back to back games at home is encouraging."

The Sharks cemented the outcome at 4:06 of the third period.

Phoenix defenseman Keith Ballard tried to clear the puck from in front of his net, but his pass to center Martin Hanzal was turned over in the slot to Setoguchi, who immediately wristed a shot over the left shoulder of Tellqvist.

"We had a good forecheck," Setoguchi said. "Cheech (Jonathan Cheechoo) was first in, and Joe (Thornton) came back and was pressuring from behind; I came from over top. It was a combination of forechecks leading to a goal."

Setoguchi's scored again with just under five minutes left to play and Thornton notched his second over a minute later on a 5-on-3 power play.

Phoenix has now lost six straight games to San Jose.

"The talent level is a little higher on their side," Phoenix coach Wayne Gretzky said. "When the game got physical their big players rose to the occasion and scored some big goals for them and that was the difference in the hockey game."

The game was physical from the start.

Shane Doan laid a shoulder-to-shoulder hit on Milan Michalek from behind on the very first shift. Michalek left the ice with what was later diagnosed as a strained left elbow and did not return. The hit set the tone for a very physical first period, which featured 30 minutes in penalties.

"It didn't wake us up until the third period," San Jose coach Ron Wilson said. "I don't think we played well in the second period, they played well. Our offense started to flow in the third period."

At 8:22 of the first period, Joe Pavelski had a breakaway and was closing on Tellqvist when Jovanovski caught him with his stick and pulled Pavelski down from behind in front of the crease.

A penalty shot was awarded - the first of Pavelski's career. He took the puck deep to Tellqvist's blocker side and unleashed a low shot at the edge of the crease which the Phoenix netminder blocked just outside the right post.