Final
Sharks' special teams doom Blackhawks
Jan 23, 2008 - 7:08 AM By Michael Duca PA SportsTicker Contributing WriterSAN JOSE, California (Ticker) - Defensemen Sandis Ozolinsh and Christian Ehrhoff each scored a power-play goal as the San Jose Sharks continued their dominance over the Chicago Blackhawks with a 3-2 victory on Tuesday night.
Joe Pavelski added a shorthanded tally and Evgeni Nabokov made 28 saves for his 26th win of the season as the Sharks picked up their ninth straight win against the Blackhawks.
Goaltender Patrick Lalime had led the Blackhawks to four consecutive wins, but couldn't stop San Jose's special teams on Tuesday, despite being spotted an early lead.
"We got caught back on our heels early, but got our equilibrium about halfway through the first period," San Jose coach Ron Wilson said. "Fortunately, our power play and penalty kill did a great job and decided the outcome of the game."
Chicago opened the scoring at 4:49 of the first period when rookie Jack Skille slapped a long rebound over a prone Nabokov from the slot.
"The more reps we get with the young players, the better off we're going to be down the road," Chicago coach Denis Savard said.
Skille narrowly missed duplicating the feat five minutes later when the puck crossed out of the offensive zone before he launched a shot that found the back of the net.
Ozolinsh tied the score with a power-play goal at 13:39 of the first period. The 35-year-old Russian flipped a backhander from the slot over Lalime's glove-side shoulder for his third goal of the season.
The tally also gives the Sharks 11 straight games in which a defenseman has registered at least one point. Over that span, San Jose has a 31.5 percent success rate on the power play.
After a rash of penalties on both teams during the second period, San Jose took the lead on a shorthanded goal by Pavelski.
Ehrhoff cleared the puck to the neutral zone where Pavelski beat rookie Patrick Kane into the slot and backhanded a shot past Lalime at 13:14 of the second session.
"I had the feeling that he (Kane) didn't feel me coming," Pavelski said. "By the time he saw me, it was too late."
"Unfortunately we made a mistake on the second goal," Savard said. "But they're a more experienced team than we are and they found a way."
Just 2:44 later, Ehrhoff scored his first goal of the season on a slap shot from the blue line through a screen by Joe Thornton. The Sharks' second power-play tally of the night gave them a 3-1 lead.
"(Thornton) screened me and hit my stick and turned my body a little bit," Lalime said. "Those are little things that veterans do."
The Blackhawks halved the deficit when Adam Burish scored his first career goal at 11:18 of the third period.
After the Sharks committed a turnover deep in their own zone, Jacob Dowell picked up the puck and passed to a streaking Burish, who raced down the ice, beating the defense and Nabokov for his first NHL tally. The assist was also the first of Dowell's career.
"Even though it's a loss, there's a lot of positives we can take from this game," Savard said. "This is a tough building to play in."
- NHL
FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
CHICAGO 1 0 1 2
SAN JOSE 1 2 0 3 FINAL
GOAL SCORING:
1ST PRD: CHI - JACK SKILLE 3 (BRENT SOPEL) 4:49
SAN - (PP) SANDIS OZOLINSH 3 (CRAIG RIVET, JOE THORNTON)
13:39
2ND PRD: SAN - (SH) JOE PAVELSKI 10 (CHRISTIAN EHRHOFF) 13:44
SAN - (PP) CHRISTIAN EHRHOFF 1 (MATTHEW CARLE, PATRI
Jan 23 1:01 AM - NHL
CHICAGO 2
SAN JOSE 3
3RD PRD: CHI - (SH) ADAM BURISH 1 (JACOB DOWELL) 11:18
Blackhawks vs. SharksJan 23 12:46 AM - NHL
END OF THE 2ND 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
CHICAGO 1 0 1
SAN JOSE 1 2 3 END OF THE 2ND
GOAL SCORING:
1ST PRD: CHI - JACK SKILLE 3 (BRENT SOPEL) 4:49
SAN - (PP) SANDIS OZOLINSH 3 (CRAIG RIVET, JOE THORNTON)
13:39
2ND PRD: SAN - (SH) JOE PAVELSKI 10 (CHRISTIAN EHRHOFF) 13:44
SAN - (PP) CHRISTIAN EHRHOFF 1 (MATTHEW
Jan 23 12:07 AM - NHL
CHICAGO 1
SAN JOSE 3
2ND PRD: SAN - (PP) CHRISTIAN EHRHOFF 1 (MATTHEW CARLE, PATRICK
MARLEAU) 15:58
Blackhawks vs. SharksJan 23 12:02 AM - NHL
CHICAGO 1
SAN JOSE 2
2ND PRD: SAN - (SH) JOE PAVELSKI 10 (CHRISTIAN EHRHOFF) 13:44
Blackhawks vs. SharksJan 22 11:55 PM - NHL
END OF THE 1ST 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
CHICAGO 1 1
SAN JOSE 1 1 END OF THE 1ST
GOAL SCORING:
1ST PRD: CHI - JACK SKILLE 3 (BRENT SOPEL) 4:49
SAN - (PP) SANDIS OZOLINSH 3 (CRAIG RIVET, JOE THORNTON)
13:39
SHOTS ON GOAL: 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
CHI 10 10
SAN 8
Jan 22 11:11 PM - NHL
CHICAGO 1
SAN JOSE 1
1ST PRD: SAN - (PP) SANDIS OZOLINSH 3 (CRAIG RIVET, JOE THORNTON)
13:39
Blackhawks vs. SharksJan 22 11:02 PM - NHL
CHICAGO 1
SAN JOSE 0
1ST PRD: CHI - JACK SKILLE 3 (BRENT SOPEL) 4:49
Blackhawks vs. SharksJan 22 10:44 PM
Related News
- So It Goes ... : Blues 5, Blackhawks 3 Mar 30
- Blackhawks vs Blues: Game Discussion Mar 30
- Morning Skate Update: Mrazek to start versus Blues Mar 30
- Musings on Madison, Episode 118 — When the end feels near Mar 30
- End Game: Blackhawks vs. Blues Preview Mar 30
- Morning Bag Skate: 3-30-23 Mar 30
- Blackhawks Bits: Brett Seney signs one-year contract extension Mar 29
- New site is live Mar 29
- The Approaching Curve: Where Second City Hockey is headed next Mar 29
- Morning Bag Skate: 3-29-23 Mar 29
- Stone Cold: Stars 4, Blackhawks 1 Mar 28
- Blackhawks vs Stars: Game Discussion Mar 28