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Coyotes outlast the Sharks in a double shutout |
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The Coyotes just waited around for a point and ended coming away with two as these teams played to a 0-0 tie and a shootout win for Phoenix.
Mikkel Boedker scored the shootout winner to even the season series at one each after the Sharks were unable to light the lamp for the first time this year.
It was a game that the Sharks played well in and created more scoring opportunities than their competitors but didn’t come out on the right end of the score sheet.
Head Coach Todd McLellan has juggled the lines lately to try and get certain players going including Ryane Clowe. He actually played a pretty good hockey game. Clowe skated as well as we’ve seen him this year and had a number of good scoring chances which is reason to believe he will break out and find his way into the goal scorers column soon.
“Getting chances around the net is something I really focused on, that’s how you’re going to score a goal” said Clowe after the game. “I can’t really ask for much more.
“The biggest difference tonight was moving my feet and driving the net and driving out wide. I’m just trying to play that power forward game that I need to play to be successful.”
Clowe, Thornton, and Pavelski looked better as the game went on controlling the puck in the offensive zone for almost every shift in the third period. They gelled as a line the more they played together and if they keep going in that direction will have a break-out game on the upcoming six game road trip.
Everybody in the HP Pavilion was happy to see the return of number 88 Brent Burns to the lineup. Burns has been out with a sports hernia injury and wasn’t expected back until later in the month. His 6’5 -230 pound frame was a welcome site to the team as well.
“Burns is big and strong and he skates real well. He had a couple of chances tonight. For his first game in a long long time he looked impressively well tonight” is how Joe Thornton described his teammates play.
Burns has the ability to skate the puck up ice and his boom of a shot can only help a struggling power play. Burns eased himself back into the speed of NHL play by taking short shifts and for the most part looked good on his return.
To make room for Burns the Sharks scratched Douglas Murray. The big Swede isn’t used to being benched, but after last game’s performance I don’t think anybody is surprised. There was talk of a slight flu but if you read between the lines he rode the pine.
In this shortened season many predict lots of action leading up to the trade deadline and there were representatives in the press box from the Montreal Canadians, Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Philadelphia Flyers.
This of course is worth mentioning because the west doesn’t play the east this year so these reps weren’t here to scout the team as a whole.
This afternoon’s tilt was what you would expect from a Coyotes Sharks game. There was no scoring after sixty-five minutes of play and the few chances the teams had were far from great. Most of the oohs and aahs from the crowd came from bouncing pucks around the net.
After the Coyotes blew a two goal lead entering the third period the last time these teams faced off we knew that they would be hungry for a win and much more disciplined in their own end.
Phoenix’s goaltender Mike Smith came into today’s game with subpar numbers, but that didn’t stop the man behind the mask from stepping up his play against the Sharks. Coyote fans hope that this is a sign that Smith is back to the form that took his team to the Conference finals last year.
“I haven’t played my best hockey as of this year so far and this was a great test for me to come into this building and not worry about anything else. It seems like they get better and better the longer the game goes on and I prepared myself for that and tried to make saves at important times” said Mike Smith after the game.
The Sharks got off to a slow start today and half way through the first frame they trailed on the shot clock 8-3. After that point the San Jose carried the play and created some decent scoring opportunities. They had their chances but couldn’t solve Smith as he recorded his fourth career shutout against the Sharks.
Scoring details
1st period
No scoring
2nd period
No scoring
3rd period
No scoring
Overtime
No scoring
Shootout
PHX - Mikkel Boedker
PHX – Radim Vrbata
Turning point
The turning point in this game was the first player of the shootout Mikkel Boedker and he was credited with the game winner.
Contenders & Pretenders
Contenders
Mike Smith – looked like his old self against the Sharks today stopping thirty-three shots for the shutout. Smith was the busier of the two goalies and flashed his leather making plenty of great glove saves.
Antti Niemi – is also on the contender’s list for recording his first shutout of the season. Niemi was good after long periods without any action.
Pretenders
Scott Gomez – is on the list on a day when it was tough to label anybody with a bad game, but the Sharks are the league leaders in turnovers and Gomez is a major reason why. He has become predictable at crossing the blue line and stopping to make a pass. That makes for turnovers and also makes him easy to defend against.
The Sharks embark on a six game road trip as the SAP Open tennis tournament hits the HP Pavilion.
Keep your sticks on the ice,
Cam Gore
San Jose Sharks Blogger • 
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