Two days off at Christmas for the NHL includes the San Jose
Sharks positioned in fourth place in the bunched Western Conference
standings after holding off the Phoenix Coyotes 4-1 Thursday at
soldout HP Pavilion.
SAN JOSE
Two days off at Christmas for the NHL includes the San Jose Sharks positioned in fourth place in the bunched Western Conference standings after holding off the Phoenix Coyotes 4-1 Thursday at soldout HP Pavilion.
The Sharks struck for two power-play goals in the second period on the way to a fourth consecutive win for the first time this season. San Jose has 43 points, trailing conference co-leaders Detroit and Dallas, each at 46.
San Jose bids for a fifth straight victory Monday night against the visiting Los Angeles Kings. The Sharks begin a three-game road trip Wednesday in Minnesota.
Phoenix, the cellar club in the Pacific Division, called on former Shark Ray Whitney to open Thursday’s scoring.
Whitney, the 38-year-old centerman with his seventh team in an NHL career that began in 1992 with San Jose, scored on a power play 7:50 into the second period.
Devin Setoguchi was whistled for holding at the 6:41 mark, the third and final San Jose penalty of the contest. Whitney was unmarked low in the Shark zone when he received Keith Yandle’s soft pass from the top of the slot and whipped a shot under both defenseman Niclas Wallin and goalie Antti Niemi.
Whitney’s fifth goal of the season, the 329th of his career, was the only blemish on the night for Niemi. The 27-year-old finished with 24 saves in moving to 7-8-2 on the year.
Dan Boyle and Joe Thornton popped in power-play goals in the second period.
The Sharks wasted 1:48 of 5-on-3 power play in the first period, another 18 seconds of 5-on-3 in the second.
Boyle pulled San Jose even 19 seconds into a power play by snapping a long shot inside the left post past goalie Jason LaBarbera at the 9:05 mark. Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski earned assists.
Thornton finished a tic-tac-toe rush that started outside the blue line. Thornton one-timed Dany Heatley’s cross-ice pass into the top left corner of the net for his eighth goal of the season.
Thornton joined Heatley atop the team scoring list at 32 points with two assists on Marleau goals in the third period.
Marleau, moving to 333 career goals Thursday, made it 3-1 with 2:53 gone in the third period. Thornton’s pass from the left flank found Marleau open for a backhander past LaBarbera.
Thornton ignited another quick scoring play by San Jose early in another power play. San Jose needed 28 seconds to take a 4-1 lead after Coyote Derek Morris was called for interference. Thornton controlled the puck at the red line before feeding a streaking Marleau into the offensive zone. Marleau skated to the right dot before blasting a high shot past LaBarbera’s shoulder for his 13th goal of the year.
“Patty the last five or six games has found his stride again,” San Jose coach Todd McLellan said.
San Jose finished with a 39-25 edge in shots on net.
“”We took some unfortunate penalties,” Phoenix coach Dave Tippett said. “They played a very strong game. When you take those penalties, you limit your opportunities.”
