After breaking their six-game losing streak, San Jose Sharks
coach Todd McLellan had stressed that his team wasn’t
”
out of the woods.
”
Monday, the Sharks proved they at least aren’t lost in the
desert. And a 4-2 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes for their
second-consecutive win is an indication that maybe the Sharks are
emerging from a brutal slump that has threatened to derail their
season.
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GLENDALE, Ariz.
After breaking their six-game losing streak, San Jose Sharks coach Todd McLellan had stressed that his team wasn’t “out of the woods.”
Monday, the Sharks proved they at least aren’t lost in the desert.
And a 4-2 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes for their second-consecutive win is an indication that maybe the Sharks are emerging from a brutal slump that has threatened to derail their season.
Patrick Marleau led the way with a goal in his 1,000th career NHL game and Logan Couture, Dany Heatley and Joe Thornton also scored as the Sharks (23-19-5) turned in perhaps their best all-around performance in weeks.
Adding to the good vibes was the fact that goaltender Antti Niemi overcame a shaky start with a 36-save effort and the Sharks were able to withstand a late third-period onslaught by the previously red-hot Coyotes.
“It’s definitely a better feeling when you’re winning again,” Marleau said. “It’s easier to get up in the morning with a smile. Guys are gaining some confidence and that’s what you really need because it’s going to be a sprint to the finish.”
Conventional wisdom is that if the Sharks are going to climb back into the playoff picture, their stars will have to lead the way. That was the case at Jobing.com Arena as Marleau, Heatley, Thornton and Dan Boyle all played like the same guys who were on the Canadian Olympic gold medal team a year ago.
“The big guys have to produce,” said Heatley, who had a goal and an assist. “We know that. We all were a little snake-bitten during that stretch when we weren’t scoring. But now pucks are starting to go into the net. And we had to play well to beat that team.”
While San Jose had tumbled into last place in the Pacific Division, the Coyotes (23-14-9) had surged from 13th to 4th in the Western Conference during a 6-0-2 run in their previous eight games.
Early on, it looked like they might extend that streak with Niemi yielding some juicy rebounds as the Coyotes peppered him with rocket shots.
But it was Marleau who made sure his 1,000th game was a memorable one when he opened the scoring with a laser of a slap shot at 3:45 of the first period that beat Coyotes goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov for his 18th goal of the season.
Phoenix then tied it up on a goal that wasn’t Niemi’s fault. A 59-foot shot by Derek Morris ricocheted off the skate of Sharks defender Kent Huskins, and the deflection gave Niemi no chance on the play.
In the second period, though, Niemi began to shine as the Sharks took control. The Coyotes were on the power play for six minutes—including a four-minute double-minor to Heatley for high-sticking. Niemi made six saves during that penalty-kill as he stopped several Grade A scoring chances.
Goals by Heatley and Couture meant the Sharks held a comfortable 3-1 lead with just eight minutes left in the game.
But the Sharks don’t do anything the easy way. San Jose has made an art form out of late-game collapses this season, and it appeared they might do it again.
Phoenix defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored his first career NHL goal at the 12:01 mark. Then the Coyotes went into full attack mode, crashing the net and forcing Niemi to make one stellar save after another in a crowded crease.
“There were a couple of shots there late that we thought we’re going in, but he made the saves,” Thornton said. “He really saved our bacon.”
Niemi then got some help from the team captain.
Thornton intercepted a Coyotes pass and tapped in an empty-net goal with 48.5 seconds left to seal the Sharks’ sixth-consecutive victory over Phoenix.
“Maybe we’ve remembered the things that have happened to us a few times before,” Niemi said. “We wanted to be extra careful at the end. I think our team has really learned something.”
Here’s something else the Sharks have learned: Two victories in a row is not a reason to celebrate.
“Two doesn’t get us out of the woods, either,” Heatley said. “We have to keep this up.”
— Story by Mark Emmons, San Jose Mercury News
