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Roenick leads Sharks past Blackhawks

Feb 3, 2008 - 4:06 AM By Ryan Leong PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SAN JOSE, California (Ticker) -- Jeremy Roenick defeated his former team in style.

Roenick scored in the fifth round of the shootout and All-Star Evgeni Nabokov made the goal stand by denying defenseman Cam Barker as the San Jose Sharks edged the Chicago Blackhawks, 3-2, on Saturday.

Jonathan Cheechoo and blue-liner Marc-Edouard Vlasic netted goals and Joe Thornton and defenseman Craig Rivet each had two assists for the Sharks, who have won 10 straight against the Blackhawks since October 7, 2005.

"Every point is so crucial, so the next game is really important again," Nabokov said. "We're in a dogfight for first place in our division, and that's our goal, and we've got to keep playing well. I thought today, we played well."

Patrick Sharp and All-Star defenseman Duncan Keith tallied for Chicago, which has lost four straight.

"That's a tough game, but we've got to give them a lot of credit. This is a big team," Blackhawks coach Denis Savard said. "It's a tough game. We haven't won here in a long time, but we gave ourselves a chance to win. One shot away from winning, but it's unfortunate because it was a superb performance by (goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin)."

Drafted eighth overall by the Blackhawks in 1988, Roenick wristed a shot past Khabibulin and just inside the left goalpost to give San Jose a 2-1 advantage in the shootout.

"J.R.'s played a lot with Khabibulin in Phoenix in the past, and he had a pretty good idea what he would do," Sharks coach Ron Wilson said.

"It's unfortunate for us, but good for (Roenick)," Savard said. "That's just the way it is."

Nabokov then stopped Barker by smothering the puck with his body, sealing the win.

With the game tied at 1-1 in the third period, Vlasic scored his first goal of the season just 3:30 into the session to give the Sharks the advantage. After Rivet kept the puck in the zone, Thornton fired a precise cross-ice pass to Vlasic, who used Cheechoo as a screen to beat Khabibulin from the left faceoff circle.

"I knew Cheech was there," Vlasic said. "I wanted to put it upstairs, and I just put it on net and it went in. I was just very happy to get the first one, and hopefully, there will be a lot more to come."

The advantage was short-lived as Keith tied the game just 74 seconds later.

Although replays showed otherwise, Keith kept the puck in the offensive zone before starting a give-and-go with Tuomo Ruutu. Skating into the high slot, Keith beat Nabokov with a one-timer for his sixth goal of the season.

Patrick Sharp opened the scoring with 70 seconds remaining in the first period. Barker blasted a shot from the left point that Sharp redirected over the glove of Nabokov and off the crossbar for his 23rd tally.

"It's tough to get anything by that goaltender (Nabokov)," Sharp said. "I thought our team battled hard today and we can be really happy with the way we played. It's always disappointing to lose in a shootout like that, but I think we can hold our heads high and know that we played a good game today."

Cheechoo leveled the contest 5:35 into the second period.

During a 5-on-3 power play, the Sharks quickly moved the puck in the offensive end, culminating in Thornton's cross-crease feed to Cheechoo. The native of Moose Factory, Ontario slapped the puck into the net for his 11th goal.

"People expect me to score. It's something where I know that's my job to do," said Cheechoo, the 2006 Maurice Richard Trophy winner. "I knew it would come back. It doesn't just leave you."