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Team effort helps Sharks skate past Kings

Apr 2, 2008 - 6:29 AM By Michael Duca PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SAN JOSE, California (Ticker) - Milan Michalek was one of five different players to score a goal for the San Jose Sharks, who posted a 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night.

Mike Grier, captain Patrick Marleau, Curtis Brown and All-Star defenseman Brian Campbell also found the back of the net for the Sharks.

With the win, San Jose (49-21-10) set a franchise record with 108 points this season, eclipsing its 2007 mark of 107 points.

"Every night we expect so much out of each other," All-Star Joe Thornton said. "We hit it hard in practice and it carries over in games. I love winning every night.

"We've created an atmosphere in here where everyone pushes each other, and I believe it will continue to the postseason because winning is contagious."

The Sharks stormed out of the gate, logging eight shots on goal before the Kings registered their first, closing the first period with a 13-3 advantage in shots.

San Jose opened the scoring in the final minute of the first as defenseman Kyle McLaren brought the puck up for one final rush and passed to left wing Patrick Rissmiller at the top of the left circle.

Rissmiller's slap shot bounced above the hash marks to Grier, who one-timed the shot past an outstretched Erik Ersberg into the corner of the net for his ninth goal of the season with just 10.4 seconds remaining in the session.

Despite playing shorthanded after left wing Matt Ellis was whistled for holding, the Kings tied the score just 57 seconds into the second period.

Patrick O'Sullivan appeared to trip Marleau in front of the linesman, but there was no call. O'Sullivan took the puck on a breakaway and scored a backhander between All-Star Evgeni Nabokov's pads to level the score.

Just over a minute later, Marleau got his revenge when he accepted a feed from veteran Jeremy Roenick in stride and snapped a wrister past Ersberg's left side at 2:03.

"If you can get a point in their building here, that is pretty good for us - but they kind of wore us down," Ersberg said. "They were on us from the beginning of the game, so it is kind of hard when they just keep coming and coming."

The Kings notched the equalizer at 6:56 of the period when Raitis Ivanans took a pass from behind the Sharks' net and stuffed the puck past Nabokov.

"It's hard when you have played so many games with a lot of meaning, where the intensity is naturally there," San Jose coach Ron Wilson said. "In these kind of games you have to kind of manufacture the intensity. The fact that this team had beaten us three times this year was motivation, too."

The score did not stay tied for long.

With 5:54 remaining in the session, San Jose gained the lead when Michalek took Thornton's pass from behind the net and whipped it past the stick side of a sprawling Ersberg.

The assist was Thornton's 300th point as a Shark and the announcement brought the crowd to its feet for a one-minute ovation and chants of "MVP."

"What can I say?" Thornton said. "The fans here have been great to me ever since I got here. I love them here and I truly believe they are the best fans in hockey. They are very loyal to us."

During the game, Thornton's cousin Scott, a former Shark now playing for Los Angeles, was shown on the video board, to a raucous and warm reception from the San Jose fans.

"See, that's the kind of people we have in the Shark Tank," Thornton said. "I think Scotty kind of teared up a little bit, too."

Brown and Campbell each added goals in the third period to account for the final margin.

Los Angeles coach Marc Crawford liked his team's effort despite the results.

"It was a one-goal game tonight and (Brown) got the break off the lucky bounce and they took advantage of it," he said. "You have to give them credit for that. On the other side of it, it's tough to beat that team when you are going to play against their power play all night."

Nabokov, a candidate for the Vezina Trophy, notched his 46th win of the season, and can still tie Martin Brodeur's single-season NHL record of 48 victories set last year. Philadelphia's Bernie Parent (1973-74) and Vancouver's Roberto Luongo (2006-07) are the only other goaltenders to log 47 wins in a season.

"I think he's going to win the Vezina, I think they'd be crazy not to give it to him," Wilson said. "I wouldn't play him just to tie Brodeur's record. The plan now is for Boucher to play in LA and (Nabokov) in Dallas. (The plan has) been in place for a while.

"If I play Nabby in both games looking for a record, it comes back to haunt you, because Boucher goes into the playoffs not having played for a long time."

Nabokov would welcome both starts, but understands the situation.

"I don't think about records," he said. "Maybe when I retire. I'm lying if I tell you I don't care, but I want to win every game and play well. Right now, our goal is to get ready for the playoffs."