• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Setoguchi, Marleau lead Sharks past Predators

Nov 18, 2008 - 5:46 AM By Jim Diamond PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Ticker) -- Devin Setoguchi and captain Patrick Marleau each had a goal and an assist as the San Jose Sharks toppled the Nashville Predators, 4-1, on Monday.

Enforcer Jody Shelley and Tomas Plihal also scored as the Sharks won for the second time in nine games in Nashville and extended their winning streak to three.

Starting for the fifth consecutive time in the wake of goaltender Evgeni Nabokov's injury, Brian Boucher turned aside 31 shots overall - including 14 in the third period - to improve to 6-1-1 on the season.

"We got up on them, 4-0, halfway through the game, and we were able to play a pretty solid match after that," Boucher said. "We know Nashville is a team that likes to come out and have a good start - and we did a good job to nullify that."

Dan Ellis made 28 saves and David Legwand scored a shorthanded goal for the Predators, whose three-game win streak came to an end.

The Sharks avenged their lone home loss of the season - a 4-3 overtime loss to the Predators last Tuesday when they outshot Nashville, 57-29.

Nashville was playing its first home game since November 1 after completing a six-game road trip.

Setoguchi scored the game's first goal with 5:22 remaining in the first. With the Sharks on the power play, Joe Thornton sent a pass from behind the Nashville goal line to Setoguchi in the right circle. Setoguchi then corralled the puck and fired it past Ellis for his team-leading 11th goal of the season.

"You've got to contribute when you are playing with Joe and (Marleau), they are two of the best players in the league," Setoguchi said. "We came in, got the first couple of goals, and then we never looked back."

Setoguchi had 11 goals in 44 games during his rookie campaign in 2007-08.

Shelley extended San Jose's lead 87 seconds later when he tapped a rebound past Ellis in the midst of traffic in front of the crease after defenseman Rob Blake fired a slap shot from the right point.

The game was halted with two seconds remaining in the session when Nashville captain Jason Arnott was wheeled off of the ice on a stretcher.

With the Predators on a power play, Arnott was hit from behind by San Jose's Joe Pavelski while charging toward the net. Arnott then sailed through the air and collided with Boucher before landing head first onto the ice.

"He had one hand on his stick driving the net and I was trying to get inside position," Pavelski said. "He went hard to the net, there was a lane and I had to fill it."

The team reported that Arnott had feeling in all of his extremities, but was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for precautionary reasons.

"When one of your brothers goes down, especially your captain, your leader, it is a shot in the heart for the team," Ellis said. "You have to learn to be able to put it away, but I do think it is a bit of a distraction."

Following the game, the team announced that Arnott was released from the hospital and had gone home.

"I thought the player was heading to the net, and it's just like a hit from behind, the danger is there," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "I expect him to be ready against Tampa Bay on Friday with what the doctors and trainers have told me."

Plihal extended the advantage seven minutes into the second and Marleau capitalized on blue-liner Christian Ehrhoff's initial attempt while sitting in front of the crease 3 1/2 minutes later for his ninth goal.

In a disappointing 19-goal effort in last season, Marleau had not scored his ninth goal until January 9.

"From our point of view, we did what we had to do to win," San Jose coach Todd McLellan said. "We're still learning how to win and as a group, we are not happy with the way we play with leads."

Legwand got Nashville on the scoreboard 9:27 into the third, converting a rebound for this third goal of the season.