San Jose beats Anaheim with a stick, 3-2 shootout win after Selanne called for a width violation
Beautiful exterior of the Honda Center in Anaheim. Inside the fans are right on the ice, stacked high in three levels with a sight line similar to that in San Jose. The boards and glass were worn, surprisingly so, and the condition of the ice was a concern on a very warm day.
Joe Thornton taking a faceoff in the second period. The Sharks dominated on the draw, winning 35 of 54. Anaheim scored the lone power play goal (Scott Niedermayer) of the game in the first period.
Ron Wilson called for Teemu Selanne's stick to be measured for an illegal (width) at the start of overtime. Craig Rivet had a minute 24 seconds left to serve in a late third period hooking penalty, and the teams would be even up for most of OT. Selanne asked for his stick back at the end of regulation and the referees repeatedly said no.
The Ducks outshot San Jose 6-2 in overtime, and all 6 were solid scoring chances in front of the Sharks net. Evgeni Nabokov came up huge on several point blank saves, often with a number of bodies in front of him.
Teemu Selanne lining up his overtime shootout attempt, which missed the net wide. The next Anaheim shooter, Andy McDonald, deked the puck right and then lost it off his stick trying to reverse the direction. Only one player got a shot on net for the home team.
Ryan Getzlaf scored the first goal on the first attempt for Anaheim. Evgeni Nabokov closed his legs early, and Getzlaf fired in an easy goal with no reaction. Jonathan Cheechoo and Ryane Clowe scored 2 shootout goals in 2 attempts for San Jose. Game over, 3-2 win for the Sharks. Anaheim wins the season series, but San Jose wins one for NoCal and gains a huge momentum boost heading into the second season.
[Update] "We had an inkling his stick might be too wide. When you look at it, it's almost the width of a goalie stick." - Ron Wilson
8 comments:
Actually, the measured the width of the stick, not the curvature. (And it wasn't close to being legal).
I haven't read anything about the game yet, but if was an illegal width infraction that is a pretty big call. An illegal curve you can at least feign ignorance.
But I can tell you they measured the curve as well, because I was right next to him as they did.
You were right, illegal width. Never seen that before.
"We had an inkling his stick might be too wide. When you look at it, it's almost the width of a goalie stick." - Ron Wilson
Great stuff, PJ. That was a great time, and glad you got some good shots, especially of an embarrassed Selanne. I really had nothing positive to offer him that time through the glass :)
For those of you who remember or follow closely, I sing in a church choir, so I've been pretty nuts with this Holy Week--I sang one service last night, one today, one tomorrow night, and three on Sunday, so rather than hijack this great post with a GDP, I'll just make my hasty notes in these comments:
*Ducks at Stars today
*Canucks at Sharks tomorrow
*Ducks at Blue Jackets tomorrow
*Blackhawks at Stars on Sunday
For Dallas to take the Pacific, they need to win out, and the Ducks and Sharks must get zero points the rest of the way.
For the Sharks to take the Pacific, they just need one more point from their one home game than the Ducks get in their two road games.
There are scenarios available that have the Sharks take the Pacific for about three hours tomorrow (given game times) that could put some pressure on the Ducks in the never-friendly Columbus barn.
Then again, a win over Dallas tonight clinches it.
Prediction: Ducks 3, Stars 1. Father Giguere returns; goals by Pahlsson, Pronger, and Perry.
Oh, and there is one scenario still where the Ducks could take the top seed in the west, but everything has to go right. If Ducks win both their games and the Red Wings lose to Chicago in regulation:
Both teams would have an identical 49-20-13 record. The season series between the teams was 2-2, and at this moment in time (using NHL.com's GF/GA) both have a goal differential of +50.
By virtue of the win/lose scenario, though, Ducks would get that tiebreaker. Still, that's a monster-long-shot, the least likely part being a Detroit regulation loss.
Actually, SJ has 51 wins already.
Also, I just read that Giguere will not be back for the Ducks last two games due to a non-threatening health condition with the new baby; he's staying at home with the family.
Actually, SJ has 51 wins already.
Reread my comment, I was talking about Anaheim and Detroit in terms of identical records (which now is impossible). SJ definitely has the tie-breaker over ANA, that has never been in question.
All you need to know is what time Detroit needs to start making golf plans. About 5 or 6 games in should be perfect.
Nice to get wind chill updates out of Detroit in April.
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