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Sharks win in overtime over Stars
By Dave Fowkes March 28, 2008 |
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(San Jose, CA) -- Joe Thornton scored two goals including the game winner with a two-man advantage in overtime to lead the Sharks to a 3-2 win over Dallas. Joe Pavelski had a goal and Evegeni Nabokov made 23 saves as the Sharks continue to steam roll toward the playoffs. With the win, the Sharks now have points in a franchise best 17 straight games. On top of that, the Sharks clinched home ice in at least the first round of the playoffs. “We have been playing real good hockey to put ourselves in this position and we just need to continue,” Thornton says of the point streak which has now reached 15-0-2. “We have played great at home here lately so it will be good to have home ice for the first little bit, now we have to keep going to get that second spot. We are not satisfied just having home ice in the first round.” The game was played under playoff intensity. After a slow start both teams really muscled up and threw their bodies around in the second period. While the Sharks have been sailing up the standings, the Stars have been diving. This was Dallas first point in their last five games. “There were some positive things in taking a step forward and battled hard, but mental mistakes are shooting ourselves in the foot. That has been our MO lately. And it bit us again,” Stars coach Dave Tippett said. “And the Marty one, I don’t know what he is thinking, maybe he is protecting himself? I don’t know what he is thinking but those are just mental mistakes that have to come out of our game.” It was the Dallas penalties that led to the Sharks win. It started 1:45 into overtime when goaltender Marty Turco stuck his stick into the face of Joe Pavelski as he skated by. The hit drew blood and that meant a 4-minute power play. But in case that would not be enough for the Sharks, Trevor Daley drew a hooking penalty a short time later. That set up a two-man advantage which is just what the Sharks needed. ” We are all responsible for the things we do,” Turco said of his mistakes. “For me in the overtime right there is nothing short than dumb. I have no excuse, it was what it was. I was trying to help my guys out but in that case they did not even need any, it was a reaction and something that is easily stopped.” With the two man advantage, Patrick Marleau set up right in front of Turco. Thornton from the side threw the puck into the pack and it deflected in traffic past Turco for the win. “I was just aiming for Patty’s stick. I am not sure if he touched it or not, but he had good position and it was one those you just throw it out front and hopefully gets a stick on it and gets it in the back of the net and I think that was the case.” The goal was originally credited to Marleau but upon further review it was decided he never touched it. Either way, the Sharks were looking at the 3-2 win. “We got the job done when we needed it against a very desperate and talented team,” Coach Ron Wilson said. “Let’s face it, until their goalie imploded at the end I was not sure which way the game was going to go.” The fans were into it and so were the players. It was the Stars that would strike first. Just 6 seconds after an expired power play that saw the Stars dominating the offensive zone, Mike Modano had a point blank shot that Nabokov made a huge save on as he fell to the ground. The rebound went to his left to Brenden Morrow who swept it up and rocked the shot off the fallen Nabokov into the net. Things really heated up in the second period with both teams throwing their bodies around. First Kyle McLaren and BJ Crombeen dropped gloves. With the Sharks on a resulting power play, Patrick Marleau sent a great cross ice pass to Joe Pavelski who one-timed the shot from just below the left face off circle past Turco on his stick side. Goal 3 would belong to Dallas. Already short handed the Sharks had too many men on the ice which set up a 5-3 power play for the Stars for 50 seconds. The Stars took advantage. Much like the Sharks goal, Ribeiro was set up below the right face off circle. He passed the puck cross ice to Jere Lehtinen in the slot who drilled the one-timer past Nabokov on his stick side for the 2-1 lead. In the third the Sharks would tie the game with Joe Thornton’s 25th goal. Mike Grier brought the puck into the offensive zone and as the defense shifted to his side he had a nice back hand pass toward center ice where he found Thornton skating in for the one-timer that beat Turco in the 5-hole. Joe Thornton now has five goals in his last two games. The Sharks hit the road Friday night for a game in Anaheim. The Sharks need 3 more points to beat out Anaheim for the number 2 seed in the Western Conference. GAME NOTES: Jonathan Cheechoo missed his second game in a row after getting hit in the back of his head by a stick on Friday vs Anaheim. Nabokov entered the game 12-0-1 with a 1.92 GAA since February 21st. Brenden Morrow’s goal extended his goal scoring streak to 3 games (3-0-3) Entering the game the Stars were 1st in the NHL on the penalty kill, the Sharks were 2nd. Sharks have received a point in their franchise best 17th straight game. (15-0-2) |
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