Sharks Defeat Predators

SAN JOSE, Ca – The San Jose Sharks got off to a lackluster start in tonight’s game against the Nashville Predators, but were able to bring home the win, 4-3.
 
It wasn’t a pretty game. “We had to come back from behind,” said Sharks Coach Todd McClellan.   “There were far too many turn-over’s with the puck and we ended up having to chase it down.”
 
The first period consisted of lots of skating back and forth against the boards.   But about mid-way through the period, Dany Heatley skated the puck along the boards, to the back of the net, passing to Patrick Marleau. Marleau paused briefly, behind the net, drawing the defense off the net, and then fed a short pass to Joe Pavelski to bury the puck to the stick side of the net, past Dan Ellis for the first goal of the game.  
 
The Predators answered back at the 18:20 mark, with a sloppy shot by Michael Santorelli that appeared to hit Thomas Greiss in the back shoulder area and bounced into the net.   Martin Erat and Andreas Thuresson received assists on the play.   The teams were tied at one-apiece.
 
Devin Setoguchi commented on Greiss in the net, “he had a great game. He had some huge saves in the first period that kept us in the game.”
 
At 2:33 into the second period, Jamie McGinn scored on a wrist shot just outside the circle past Ellis to put the Sharks up 2-1.   Assists on the play were provided by Brad Staubitz and Marc-Edouard Vlasic.  
 
Former Sharks player, Marcel Goc scored for Nashville at 14:49 into the period to even the score on a left-handed shot from the circle that went to the far-side of the net past Greiss.   Jordan Tootoo was credited with the assist on the play.
 
The Sharks had only seven shots on goal during the period, while Nashville had four.
 
Nashville ’s Patric Hornqvist scored the go-ahead goal at 9:29 into the third period.   The tip-in shot went past Greiss, who was crowded in the crease.   But the lead was cut short, on a slap shot from the top of the circle past Ellis by Setoguchi assisted by Dan Boyle, to tie the teams up at 3-3.
 
But it was Boyle again to wrist-shot the winning goal with a minute remaining in regulation.    Greiss had to make a series of breath-holding blocks in the last minute to seal the deal, handing the Sharks the 4-3 win over the Predators.
 
Greiss stopped 23 shots, while Ellis had 25 saves.
 
Setoguchi was back in the line-up tonight after a brief injury.   “There’s always some rustiness. I didn’t have the step I wanted on the ice, but I stayed to battle through it.” he said of his start tonight.
 
The Shark’s skipper, McClellan added, “We’ve done a lot of good things as a team. It’s the little things like blocking, winning face-offs, and the grunt work along the boards – defensive hockey.   We let that get away from us tonight.”
 
Tonight’s win for the Sharks was at HP Pavilion before a crowd of 17,562 (a sell-out). The Sharks are now 13-4-2 with 28 points, leading the Pacific Division.   The Predators trail in the Central Division with 7-8-1 and 15 points. But the season is still early.
 
The Sharks go on to play their next home game against the Dallas Stars, while the Predators head to visit the St. Louis Blues, on Thursday the 12^th.
 
 
 
Contact the author at: shellie.lima@prohockeynews.com  
Contact the photographer at: jack.lima@prohockeynews.com