Mar-Leau Blow

Sharks 2, Blue Jackets 1

Both behind the bench and in the locker room, much had changed since the Blue Jackets last bout with San Jose. Leading up to the teams’ second meeting of the year, Columbus had buckled down and powered through each tribulation. However, the Sharks proved to be too much to handle on Saturday night as they sunk their teeth into the Blue Jackets’ core in the closing moments of the game.

In the end, it wasn’t a lopsided goal differential that separated the Western Conference foes, but rather one long rebound off Curtis Sanford’s steel blue pads.

San Jose, arguably one of the hottest teams in the league, wasted no time getting on the attack. Four minutes into the opening period, Rick Nash took a four-minute penalty for high sticking. Peppered with shots, Sanford aided his defenseman with a few flashes of greatness between the pipes.

Later in the period, another whistle put the Blue Jackets penalty-killing unit to the test. Although Columbus kept the Sharks honest on both power plays, the lack of discipline stifled the Blue Jackets’ ability to create momentum.

“We shot ourselves in the foot and put ourselves behind the eight ball with the penalties that we took,” said coach Todd Richards.

Skating at even strength, San Jose continued its relentlessness in the offensive zone. Rarely did the Sharks retreat to their bench without putting multiple shots on net.

In the second period, play was lackluster compared to the excitement of the first 20 minutes, but an illegal check followed by fisticuffs quickly changed the dynamic of the game.  

Three minutes into the second frame, Dane Byers delivered a hit in front of the home bench to which Brad Winchester took exception. In addition to fighting majors, Byers and Winchester were issued additional penalty minutes. Byers was ejected from the game.   

            Following the scrap, San Jose increased its pressure on Columbus and started to dictate the pace of the game. Then, with five minutes remaining in the period, the Sharks notched the first goal of the contest.

            On their fifth power play of the evening, the Sharks’ Ryane Clowe knifed a rebound out of the air, past Sanford, to make it 1-0. Although Sanford contested the legality of the goal, the call on the ice stood.

In the third period, the flow of the game shifted completely and the Blue Jackets took the upper hand. Columbus began to finish their checks and play with the same aggression and tenacity that earned them a victory Friday night against Phoenix.

Columbus’ hard work culminated at 6:53 of the period when Rick Nash busted across to blue line and unleashed a rising wrist shot over the left shoulder of goaltender Thomas Greiess.

            Nash’s 16^th tally of the season was a beauty, but it was merely a precursor for what was to come. With less than three minutes remaining in the game, Joe Pavelski and Patrick Marleau’s textbook rush up ice turned into the game-winning goal. It was a play characteristic of San Jose’s style.

“(The shot) was almost like a pass of my pad. It was a good shot by a good player but I wish I could have controlled (the rebound) a bit better,” said Sanford.

Unable to score with the extra-attacker, Columbus was stung with its 27^th loss of the season. But with a plethora of setbacks to choose from, this one did not seem as bad to Richards.

            “I’m disappointed with the result, obviously losing a game, but happy with the way the guys played” said Richards. “I thought the players put it on the line like as a coaching staff, we’ve asked them to do.”