San Jose, CA - Curtis Brown's return to the Sharks was a
slamming success, as he scored the winning goal 2:12 into overtime in a 5-4
victory over the St. Louis Blues in the season opener for both teams.
Joe Thornton, starting his first full season in San Jose, had three assists.
Milan Michalek scored twice for the Sharks, who beat the Blues for the sixth
time in the last seven meetings. San Jose also extended St. Louis' winless
streak to nine in season openers, which is the longest active string in the
league.
Brown, who spent the stretch run of the 2003-04 season with the Sharks before
joining Chicago for last season, was signed as a free agent by San Jose in
July. His return paid off in a big way, as he poked the puck away from a
defender behind the net. Steve Bernier passed the puck from behind the net to
Matt Carle in the left circle. Carle's shot was stopped by Manny Legace, but
Brown was in front to poke in the rebound.
Bill Guerin scored the tying goal with 5.6 seconds left in the third period
for the Blues.
Vesa Toskala made 31 saves for the Sharks, while Legace stopped 29-of-34
shots.
'I thought we played extremely well,' Legace said. 'I had a couple of
breakdowns and we got to tighten up but we're there. We can play with the best
in the league. Five goals (allowed) isn't a good game.'
It was a game full of oddities and controversy. The Sharks seemingly scored
the go-ahead goal with about 12 minutes left after the puck went off a
defender and into the net, but view replay officials ruled the puck never
completely crossed the goal line.
Thornton, who anchored San Jose's rags to riches run to the playoffs last
season, helped the Sharks to a 4-3 lead with 5:42 left in the third after the
team capitalized on a 3-on-1 with Mark Bell, acquired from the Blackhawks in
the offseason, getting the goal.
St. Louis then tied it in the waning seconds of regulation. The Blues had
Legace out of the net in the final minute and the pressure paid off after an
icing call on the Sharks. Keith Tkachuk had the puck at the left of the net
and flipped it off Toskala and into the crease where Guerin deflected it into
the net.
With 13:26 left in the third period, San Jose's Jonathan Cheechoo slid into
the boards and his skate went right through it, causing an oval-shaped hole.
There was a delay for more than 10 minutes as the arena crew worked to fill
the gap.
'We managed to find a way to win with the distractions of the delays and
things like that,' Sharks head coach Ron Wilson said. 'We still stayed focused
and then give up a goal, late like we did, we still found a way to get it done
in overtime. I'm really happy and I'm happy for the newer guys who contributed
a lot tonight too. Mark Bell and Curtis Brown scoring the goals they did.
That kind of welcomes them into the Sharks family.'
The Blues held a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes. Dan Hinote scored 36 seconds into
the game on a tip-in, but Carle lit the lamp just over two minutes later.
Jamal Mayers gave St. Louis the lead 63 seconds later.
Michalek scored twice in a span of 46 seconds in the second, both on two-man
advantages. The latter, at 6:57, came on a redirection in front.
Lee Stempniak tied the game at 3-3 for the Blues at 13:48 of the second on
another questionable call. Guerin shot the puck from the high slot and
Stempniak lifted his stick near his shoulder in the low slot with the puck
deflecting past Toskala.
Game Notes
Referee Rob Martell was hit by a puck in the third period and skated off the
ice with blood streaming above his left eye.
The Sharks have won just three
of their 15 all-time season openers.
St. Louis was 0-for-3 on the power play,
while San Jose was 2-for-8.
© 2006 The Sports Network
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