Sandis
Ozolinsh show the way for Ducks past San Jose in OT
Wednesday,
March 8th
Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Sandis Ozolinsh lifts the Mighty Ducks
of Anaheim to a 5-4 victory over the San Jose Sharks at the Pond, by
scoring 58 seconds into overtime.
Andy McDonald scored two goals for Anaheim, which has won four of its
last six games. Corey Perry and Joffrey Lupul also scored while Jean-Sebastien
Giguere made 44 saves in the victory.
Joe Thornton, Jonathan Cheechoo and Christian Ehrhoff each registered a
goal and an assist for the Sharks, who are winless (0-2-1) in their last
three after a four-game winning streak. Steve Bernier also scored for
San Jose.
Evgeni Nabokov allowed five goals on 27 shots in the losing effort.
Less than a minute into the extra session, Ozolinsh fired a one-timer
from the top of the right circle. Nabokov made the save, but the puck
squirted out to the low right slot. Sharks forward Patrick Marleau
corralled the puck and was headed behind his own net for a rush the
other way, but Ozolinsh slapped his stick onto Marleau's and the
collision caused the puck to slide past a surprised Nabokov for the
game-winner.
"I can't believe it went right in the net," Marleau said. "I don't know
what to say. I thought I was going to pick it up and go behind the net.
I went to make a move, and all of a sudden I hit it straight in."
The Mighty Ducks have now won three of the last four meetings.
"I don't know what happened," Ozolinsh said. "It was a lucky break for
us, and we'll take it. It was an important game for us."
The Sharks entered the third period trailing by one, but quickly tied it
up at the 2:43 mark. A slap shot from the top of the left circle hit
traffic in front, and the rebound caromed over to the left half-wall,
where Ehrhoff quickly sent a one-timer past Giguere for his third goal
of the season.
Perry's power-play goal with 7:09 remaining in the third put the Ducks
back on top. He stole the puck from San Jose's Tom Preissing along the
right half- wall, skated into the low slot, and followed his backhander
for a rebound goal and a 4-3 Anaheim lead.
Just 62 seconds later, though, the Sharks once again knotted the contest
when Bernier's wrist shot from the lower left circle beat Giguere low to
the far side.
Lupul's slap shot from the high right slot midway through the first
period opened the scoring.
It took the visitors just 40 seconds into the second stanza to knot the
contest at 1-1. An off-balanced slap shot from the left point by Ehrhoff
was deflected home at the left post by Thornton.
At the 7:16 mark of the second, San Jose took a 2-1 lead on a power-play
goal by Cheechoo. Giguere made a pad save on a shot from the point, and
the rebound was stabbed at several times in front before Cheechoo
finally poked it home near the left post.
However, two goals by McDonald in the final five minutes sent the Ducks
into the second intermission with a 3-2 edge.
The Mighty Ducks were skating 5-on-3 after minor penalties to Marcel Goc
and Marleau. While Anaheim worked the puck around the perimeter, San
Jose defenseman Josh Gorges lost his stick. Scott Niedermayer held
control in the high slot and fed to McDonald, who corralled the puck
down low beneath the right circle and beat Nabokov through the five-hole
at 15:35.
"This win was huge for us," said Niedermayer. "We've got to find a way
to get the two points each night."
Less than two minutes later, McDonald struck again. Teemu Selanne sent a
great outlet pass through the neutral zone to McDonald, who broke in all
alone and fired home a wrist shot with 2:50 to play in the frame.
Game Notes
Niedermayer recorded his 400th NHL assist...The Mighty Ducks ended their
five-game homestand with a 3-1-1 mark and are now 19-9-5 at home this
season...San Jose fell to 11-16-4 on the road...Anaheim ended 2-for-4 on
the power play, while San Jose scored once on six chances with the extra
skater...Attendance was 15,488.
Source: Vipsports
Other articles:
Gambling is Money
Management
Daytona 500
- The Great American Race
Montreal's Theodore out 6-8 weeks
with injury
Brown to call it a
career
Now Steelers join elite class with XL
win over Seattle
|
 |
