Sharks Defeat Coyotes in Shoot Out

SAN JOSE, Ca – The San Jose Sharks took a bite out of the Coyotes three-game winning streak and sent them packing in a 3-2 win following a shoot-out.      In the first period, both teams appeared to be ready to battle at HP Pavilion, before 17,562 fans.   The Shark’s Devin Setoguchi found the net first at the 2:54 mark, on a rebound that he tipped in past Ilya Bryzgalov’s extended leg.   The goal was assisted by Frazer McLaren and Rob Blake.   Late in the period, the Coyotes had their first power play opportunity of the night, on a slashing call to Setoguchi, but were held off by the Sharks defense.   The Shark’s Torrey Mitchell received a tripping penalty at 4:13 into the second period.   But it was a short-handed unassisted goal by Joe Pavelski that found the net, about a minute into the penalty.   As the puck was being cleared out of the Sharks zone, Pavelski happened to be in the right place, and took the puck straight up the middle from the center line, to send a wrister past Bryzgalov to the back of the net.   Phoenix ’s Petr Prucha took a pass from Ed Jovanovski at 9:20 into the period, that he sent from just inside the left circle, through traffic, into the back of the net, past Evgeni Nabokov, to put the Coyotes on the board.   A second assist went to Martin Hanzal.   The Coyotes goal spurred a momentum shift which led to a second goal at 18:22.   Scottie Upshall shot towards the net, which Nabokov deflected towards the back wall, bringing the rebound back up the side of the net, where Shane Doan poked in past Nabby.   The teams were tied at 2-2 at the end of the second period.   The Sharks began the third period on the power play as a result of a late second period penalty to Hanzal.   In a late hit after the whistle, Jovanovski received a roughing call, giving the Sharks a five-on-three advantage.   The Coyotes seemed to turn up the defense, and the Sharks came up empty handed.   There were many scoring opportunities, but the shots were just off the net in the late period barrage on Bryzgalov.     As the clock wound down on the third period, the Coyotes made a desperate attempt to the net, but between Nabby and the goal post, they were denied and the game would go into sudden-death overtime.   Early in the overtime, the Coyotes had a man-advantage, but again, Nabby made a tremendous save that got the crowd on their feet.   A second incredible save got the crowd chanting his name for the final minute of the overtime period.     In the end, Nabokov had made 31 saves, while Bryzgalov had 36, and the shoot-out began.   Nabokov blocked all three of the Coyotes tries from Peter Mueller, Radim Vrbata and Robert Lang.   The Shark’s Pavelski was the hero of the night, the first shooter, scored in a high wrist shot that sent the puck up and over the glove-side shoulder of Bryzgalov, to give the Sharks the win 3-2.   Sharks Coach Todd McLellan was pleased with tonight’s results. “This was a good game for us to play in and come out on the winning end of a shoot out; we haven’t done that for a long time.”   The strong defense of both teams was the key in this game.   Both team’s goalies were named earlier this week to the Russian Olympic team.   Additionally, Douglas Murray was also named to Sweden’s team.   More announcements from other countries, including Canada are expected later in the week.   Contact the writer at Shellie.lima@prohockeynews.com   Contact the photographer at jack.lima@prohockeynews.com