Predators 1 - 2 Sharks
Final - 2OT
  for this game

Clowe lifts Sharks over Predators in SO

Mar 16, 2012 - 7:23 AM San Jose, CA (Sports Network) - Ryane Clowe scored the only goal of the shootout to lift the San Jose Sharks to a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators.

In the third round, Clowe fired a shot to the right of Pekka Rinne and the goalie got a piece of it, but not enough as the puck trickled into the net.

Antti Niemi then made a stop on a David Legwand backhander to hold on for the win, which Clowe found more rewarding Thursday than a regulation victory.

"When you get to that situation in a shootout or overtime when you've been getting burned by that lately, to be able to get the two points that way is even better," said Clowe. "It was a little bit of a relief."

Joe Thornton scored the only goal of regulation while Niemi made 32 saves for the Sharks, who have won two of their last three.

Patric Hornqvist scored and Rinne made 34 stops for the Predators, who had a three-game winning streak stopped.

Nashville now has 90 points on the season and sits in the fifth spot in the Western Conference, one behind Detroit. San Jose has 80 points and is one back of Colorado for the eighth spot in conference. Phoenix also has 81 points, but sits in seventh thanks to tiebreakers.

Predators forward Martin Erat called the Sharks a desperate team.

"They put a lot of pressure on you," he said. "But we defended well and we got a point from them."

Nashville scored with 6:42 to play in the first on the power play when Mike Fisher sent a pass from the left circle to the side of the net and Hornqvist pivoted quickly before firing the puck in.

After a scoreless second period, the Sharks tied the game 55 seconds into the third on the power play when a shot from Dan Boyle in the high slot was stopped and Thornton was there at the right side to put the rebound into the wide open net.

Game Notes

The Sharks will host the Red Wings on Saturday...Nashville plays in Los Angeles on Saturday...Each team won twice in the season series...Nashville was 1-for-2 on the power play while San Jose went 1-for-4.






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