SAN JOSE, CA – The San Jose Sharks lost a heartbreaker in overtime last night and the men in stripes played a role on the winning goal.
It was a classic division rivalry last night in San Jose and only the second of the season for the Sharks. The Anaheim Ducks won 3-2 in the extra frame under a controversial set of circumstances. With just over a half minute left in sudden death Sharks forward Devin Setoguchi was interfered with at the red line while attempting to play the puck but no penalty was awarded to Anaheim. As a result of not playing the puck icing was called on the Sharks. On the ensuing draw the Ducks won the puck back to Lubomir Visnovsky on the point. Visnovsky moved along the blue line to a better shooting position and allowed his team mates to screen the front of the net before firing home the game winner at 4:27 of the overtime period.
Here are Setoguchiâs thoughts on the turn of events.
âI canât touch the puck if Iâm laying on my back. If you step up and hit the guy than itâs no icing so maybe he missed one there but itâs just the way it happened. You still have to win the draw and get the puck out of there. It was a tough call, I have to be able to touch the puck or make the play.â
Coach Todd MacLellanâs had this to say about the controversial ending to the game.
âThere is some doubt into the call that was made. The officials have a real tough job, it was a bang-bang play and they are two different wave lengths. The referee is there to call a penalty and the linesman is calling an icing so they arenât thinking the same thing, but in our opinion it has to be a penalty or a non icing call. It has to be one of those two.â
At the end of the day the Sharks got hosed on the call and when the dust settles at years end they all come out in the wash, you hope. That doesnât make it any easier to accept or swallow in the now. All things considered both Setoguchi and coach MacLellanâs post game responses were done admirably. They had every right to show more emotion than they did but their professionalism took precedent.
All controversy aside the Sharks had plenty of chances to put this game away in the third period. San Jose entered the third trailing 2-1. The team found an extra gear and peppered the Ducks goalie with 22 shots which resulted in just one goal. Setoguchi notched his second goal of the season to tie things up at 9:05. The Sharks attack was like great whites at seal island, it was relentless. The final shot count was 41-20 in favor of San Jose. They really turned things around in the third and applied the pressure.
Leading the brigade was Joe Pavelski with eight shots on net. Pavelski had the best chance to put the game on ice in the overtime period but Ducks net minder Jonas Hiller who was the games first star kept the sold out crowd at the HP Pavilion from erupting with one of many game saving stops.
Although Anaheim was out shot and in many facets of the game outplayed they did do a lot of things right to earn their fourth win in a row. The Ducks won numerous key face-offs in both ends of the rink and they did a great job of filling the shooting lanes particularly on the penalty kill.
The Ducks were opportunistic on the scoreboard as well. Their second shot on net was tipped by Jason Blake. In a game when you hold the line of Perry, Ryan and Getzlaf to one goal, which the Sharks did last night you have a good chance of winning. Perry tallied the Ducks second goal of the night picking up a rebound and backhanding it in over Antero Niittymaki.
For the Sharks Torri Mitchell opened the scoring at 1:42 of the first period when Ryan Clowe outworked three Ducks in the corner and centered the puck to a wide open Mitchell who one-timed a shot through the 5-hole of Hiller.
The two game suspension against Sharks captain Joe Thornton has been served and the team went 1-1 in his absence. Between the controversial call last night and Thorntonâs questionable suspension San Jose has endured their share of bad calls lately.
Rookie Logan Couture has been commended for replacing Joe on the top line. Against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday the rookie scored a goal and an assist for his first multi point game of his career. His line scored three of the teamâs five goals. Dany Heatley added to his season totals with a goal and an assist and Patrick Marleau had two goals one coming while shorthanded.
So far San Jose have seen the oppositions goalies step up and play their best hockey while facing the Sharks. It has become to common to be called coincidence. Teams get themselves pumped up to play against the Sharks especially the net minders. They see it as a challenge to shut down one of the most offensively gifted teams in the NHL and if the Sharks are going to turn things around they had better get used to it.
San Jose will have a chance to get back in the win column on Thursday night when the New York Islanders visit. They will have the teamâs leading scorer âJumboâ Joe Thornton back who is raring to go and get back on the ice. The puck drops at 7:30 (pst)
Keep your sticks on the ice, Contact Cam.Gore@prohockeynews.com
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