Sharks squeak past Nashville with last minute goal

The San Jose Sharks squeaked out a win over the Nashville Predators, 4-3, on a last minute goal from Dan Boyle. The game started with a new lineup in place for San Jose with Benn Ferriero and Logan Couture being returned to Worchester. Coming of the injured list and back into the lineup were Devin Setoguchi and Ryan Vesce. Torrey Mitchell's recovery also took the next step with him assigned to Worchester for a conditioning assignment. Jody Shelley was given the game off due to general body soreness. Thomas Greiss made his second start of the year.

The Sharks opened the scoring with a goal from Joe Pavelski. The play was set up by Patrick Marleau driving around the net and finding Pavelski in front. Pavelski had a little time and space to take the pass, then pick the top corner over Nashville netminder Dan Ellis's glove. Looks like a Nashville player decided to cover Marleau instead of Pavelski, leaving Pavelski all alone for his shot.


Late in the first period, Nashville was able to tie the game. Michael Santorelli beat Manny Malhotra to the front of the next, getting behind Greiss to put in the puck that bounced up and over. At first, it had looked like he might have played it with a high stick, but after looking at various replay angles, it looks like he didn't touch it up high, only down off the ice.


The teams entered the second period tied at 1. Again, San Jose struck first, this time from Jamie McGinn. McGinn came off the bench, replacing Manny Malhotra, while the puck was kept in the Nashville zone. Marc-Edouard Vlasic took a shot from the left point. The rebound went to the right wing side, where McGinn was just coming into the play from the bench. As no one from Nashville had picked him up, he had a clean chance to pop in the rebound.


Nashville would answer from former Shark Marcel Goc. Jordin Tootoo fed a pass across the neutral zone. Goc carried the puck in, working against rookie Jason Demers. Goc went to the outside, and took a shot that went in. It didn't look like anyone really made any mistakes. Demers looked okay, maybe just a little loose from Goc. Greiss was on top of the crease. Maybe he could have been out a little more, but he looked okay as far as being square. Maybe you'll look at the replay and see soemthing different, but it looked like one that just went in to me.


Shortly after this, Marleau nearly gave the sharks the lead again, but clanged the puck off the crossbar. The teams went in to the second intermission tied at 2 goals each. I thought here the longer the Sharks kept Nashville in the game, the more likely for this to turn in to a Nashville victory.

Nashville dominated play during the first half of the third period, and were rewarded midway through. The Sharks won a faceoff in their zone, but didn't really control the puck and the play. They sent it around to the left point, turning if over to Dan Hamhuis. Hamhuis' shot was deflect by Patric Hornqvist, possibly by Douglas Murray as well, and beat Greiss. With the deflection, it's almost impossible for the keeper to stop it.


The Sharks' broadcast team of Drew Remenda and Randy Hahn also pointed out that after they gave the puck away, their coverage to recover wasn't the best. Ryane Clowe was the closest man to Hamhuis when he was picking up the puck. Rather than pressuring him, Clowe button hooked to go back to the other point. Clowe might have been able to get into the lane, or at least force the shot faster than Hamhuis wanted to take it. That might have kept the screen from setting up. Instead, Hamhuis had plenty of time. Good catch there.

A couple of minutes later, San Jose tied the score off a goal from Setoguchi. Dan Boyle carried the puck up ice, driving with middle lane with speed. This seemed to back the Nashville defense off. Boyle dished off to Setoguchi on the left wing, continuing his drive up ice. Setoguchi took the shot and beat Ellis, tying the game.


After it looked like the game was going to overtime for sure, Boyle gets into the rush again, this time towards the right side. The play is a little sloppy. Boyle head mans the puck to Clowe at the line. Rather than send it back in a give and go, it looks more like it bounces off Clowe's stick, back towards Boyle. Boyle isn't able to pick it up clean, taking it in his skates. Joe Thornton is right around there as well, confusing things. Boyle carried it in a little farther, getting quite low before sending in a shot that looked pretty much like a waster. (A waster is one where you're just wasting the shot. You don't think you're going to score, but just want to put it at the net.) Boyle said in the post game interview he didn't expect to score. What happened? It eluded Ellis, finding the five hole and trickling through with 59 seconds and change left in the game.


The Sharks are then able to kill off the final minute for the win. Three stars went to Scott Nichol (great game with some nice defensive plays, great hustle to negate an icing and draw a penalty), Thomas Greiss, and Dan Boyle.

I did notice one thing in the third that had me curious. When Nashville was set up behind the net, waiting to break out, the Sharks didn't pressure the defenseman with the puck. This let him come out on the side he wanted to, so it was where he would have the puck on his forehand. The rule of thumb is to force him to his backhand. Most players aren't as good at passing with the backhand as they are with the forehand. Why? Most players haven't worked on it enough, and the curve on the sticks makes the backhand harder. If I were the coaching staff, it's something I would consider working on.

Riddle me this: why are the highlights from this game that are on the NHL web site from Nashville's broadcast? The NHL Network put the Sharks' coverage up in some areas. It was the home coverage. Yet the NHL's web highlights are from the visiting team.

For the Sharks, good to win, good to get some players back, but not completely happy with the way the game went. For Nashville, good to score, but they had a lead in the third, and had what looked like a sure point locked up until Boyle scored. So, they're definitely not happy with the results.