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Thornton nets OT winner as Sharks top Blackhawks

Nov 27, 2008 - 7:51 AM By Michael Duca PA SportsTicker Contributing Wrietr

SAN JOSE, California (Ticker) -- Joe Thornton scored 45 seconds into overtime as the San Jose Sharks recorded a 3-2 triumph over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday.

Defenseman Rob Blake and captain Patrick Marleau also tallied and Ryane Clowe had two assists for San Jose.

Jonathan Toews scored twice and Nikolai Khabibulin made 24 saves before leaving the game with an injury for Chicago. He was replaced by Cristobal Huet, who turned aside 13 shots.

"We were all over the map," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. "A good first period, but we didn't skate and lost a lot of battles in the second, and that's not our team."

In overtime, Clowe and Thornton worked a gorgeous give-and-go on the game-winner to beat Huet. With the tally, Thornton stretched the Sharks' streak without a regulation loss at home to 22 games, dating to March 3.

"The ice wasn't so good tonight," Thornton said. "The puck was bouncing all over the place. It was a lucky bounce that I got the puck away from (defenseman Duncan) Keith. Clowe opened up great, I went to the back post, he fed me with a great pass. It was pretty much an open net, so I just had to get a stick on it and it went into the back of the net. It's nice to be on the receiving end for a change."

Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville was magnanimous in defeat.

"We had the puck and Joe (Thornton) made a forecheck with his stick and then it's a free puck and both guys just beat us," Quenneville said. "It was a matter of inches on all three plays that resulted in the finish but they made a heck of a play - commend them."

With the victory, the Sharks have beaten the Blackhawks 13 consecutive times. Chicago has not toppled San Jose since October 5, 2005, and has not won in San Jose since March 19, 2003.

"It's going great," Sharks captain Patrick Marleau said. "We want to make this a really tough place for other teams to come into. We have to come out strong and not back off at all during the game."

The Sharks and Blackhawks, two of the highest-scoring teams in the NHL, played 19:43 scoreless in the first period, but the game itself was definitely tilted in San Jose's direction. The team took eight shots in the game's first six minutes, and finished the period with a 17-2 advantage in shots.

"That was one of the best first periods I have seen this team play," defenseman Dan Boyle said. "The next 40, not so much. The second period was pretty bad."



The Sharks were already on a power play with defenseman Aaron Johnson in the box for interfering with Mike Grier when veteran blue-liner Brent Seabrook was whistled for a high stick to Devin Setoguchi with 27 seconds left in the period.

The two-man advantage lasted just 10 seconds and one shot, taken by Blake on a one-timer from the high slot off a feed from Clowe. It did not appear that Khabibulin ever saw the blast whistle past his left ear.

The Blackhawks leveled the game with 7:17 of the second when Toews cleared the puck from a cluster of Sharks at the bench and broke into the zone with Patrick Kane on his right in the slot. Toews launched a wrister from the right circle that flew between Evgeni Nabokov's pads.

Chicago enjoyed a five-minute man advantage at 15:21 of the second when Grier dropped a shoulder into Johnson from behind as they chased the puck into the corner. Johnson remained on the ice for several minutes before heading to the dressing room, favoring his right shoulder. Grier was assessed a five-minute major for boarding, along with the first game misconduct penalty against a Shark this season.

"I was just trying to finish my check," Grier said. "Their forecheck really tries to cut the net, so I was trying to get an angle on him. I don't know if he didn't see me, or what, but I guess I kind of caught him by surprise."

Grier knew when he heard the whistle it would be a penalty, but he did not expect a major.

"I guess when a player gets hurt, that's what happens; I have too much respect for the other players in this league, I never want to see anyone hurt," Grier said.

Toews was whistled for hooking with 2:27 left in the period, and during the 4-on-4, Khabibulin suffered an apparent lower-body injury. He was replaced by Huet with 24 seconds left in the period.



With enforcer Jody Shelley in the box for hooking in the final second of the second period, Chicago took the lead 23 seconds after the second intermission. With a two-man advantage, defenseman Cam Barker passed from the slot to Kane along the goal line. As Nabokov slid over, Barker found Toews open on the doorstep for his second goal of the night.

"Allowing just a single goal for five minutes plus, that's not too bad," Marleau said.

San Jose tied the game at 8:16 on a classic wraparound shot by Marleau, assisted by Setoguchi and Thornton, giving San Jose's entire top line a six-game points streak.

"Hard work by Joe got me the puck and I just took a little step around the back," Marleau said.

The Blackhawks were trying to win their fifth straight road game, something they have not done in over a decade.

"We weathered the storm and stuck with it," Toews said. "We had a good second period. We came back and gave ourselves a chance to win in the third period. It (stinks) we went down again but I think we can be happy about coming back and holding that team to two goals in regulation."

San Jose preserved its home streak by taking the game to overtime. The Sharks have not lost in regulation on home ice in 22 straight games dating to last season; the NHL record is 25 games.

"The Blackhawks have a lot of skilled players, a mobile defense, and they move the puck well. They are a very improved team," Marleau said.