Sharks Continue to be Road Warriors

Video Highlights from Last Game

This afternoon, the San Jose Sharks took to the ice against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the third game of their current six-game road trip and defeated the hometeam by a final score of 3 - 2. With the victory, Team Teal is guaranteed a .500 record on this 11-day tour of the NHL's East Coast...which is awesome. However, I think that most would agree with me when I say that the win wasn't pretty.

In the first period, San Jose came out looking a bit tired and sloppy as Toronto peppered Evgeni Nabokov with 13 shots on goal. Though Number 20 did his best to stop all of the rubber headed his way, the Maple Leafs were able to get one for the first goal of the game. Fortunately, that is all of the scoring that Toronto saw that period thanks to Nabby's strong performance.

In the second period, San Jose got a couple of goals from Olympians Dan Boyle and Joe Pavelski. Both tallies looked like relatively harmless shots on net, but somehow, Giguere was beaten twice. This quick turnaround seemed to energize San Jose as the pace picked up again and the Sharks started to work hard down low and along the boards. However, this new found energy did not keep Toronto from tying the game late in the period. While on the powerplay, Toronto forward Phil Kessel scored his 21st goal of the season with less than a minute left on the clock...somewhat of a kick in the gut.

In the third, it was more of the same dump and chase...grind it out...take it to the net type of strategy by San Jose. Luckily, this approach led to the go ahead goal scored by Ryane Clowe...his 15th of the season. Thanks to Devin Setoguchi's deflected centering attempt from behind the net, Clowe found himself staring at an open goal mouth with the puck on his tape and Number 29 didn't let the opportunity pass him by.

For the last six minutes of the game, Nabokov shut things down and led his team to their 9th straight road win. Again...not pretty, but still a win.

Game Notes:

Jody Shelley's fight against Colton Orr in the first period was simply awesome as Number 45 connected with a strong right hook that dropped Orr to the ice.
Niclas Wallin looked pretty steady...nothing flashy...just steady...which is good.
Seto continues to skate hard out there and it's resulting in goals for San Jose which should please Coach Todd McLellan.

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