60 points! Happy New Year!

YEEEEEE HAAAAAAW!!!!! Everything feels bigger in Texas – including SIXTY POINTS!

Hey, someone had to break Dallas’ point streak, right?

Couple of firsts tonight – penalty shot (Turco blocked Patty, no biggie), and our first empty-netter.  (Trivia – which teams still don’t have one?)

OH YEAH – and we had to post THREE DIFFERENT THREADS because we had a grand total of 965 comments (and presumably growing).  Next time kiddies, we’ll crack 1,000.  Take THAT, St. Louis Game Time!  (hey, 565 is still respectable – which is why we’ll see you on March 12).

Jonathan Cheechoo stepped in on the first line, replacing Devin Setoguchi, who is mourning the loss of his grandmother.

Fabian Brunnstrom was also out of the lineup for his team.  However, Jere Lehtinen WAS in the lineup tonight for his first appearance against San Jose this season.  Additionally, Stephane Robidas was wearing his cage again… some things never change.

FIRST PERIOD HIGHLIGHTS

• Evgeni Nabokov and co. battle a flurry of activity in front of the net around 5:10, which features two quick toe saves from Nabbers.
• Penalty = Tomas Plihal is called for tripping at 8:47.  Dallas gets off 1 shot during the full 2 minutes.
• Penatly = Mike Ribeiro boards Tomas Plihal at 11:11 – should be a major penalty, in my opinion.   During power play, Sharks get 1 shot, then Dallas gets 3-on-2 shorthanded opportunity, and a shot.
• GOAL – Dan Boyle, 4th shot on goal for SJ, 15:10.  Assisted by Joe Thornton, who fed it to the point for Boyle, as well as former Star Brad Lukowich.  Joe Thornton fed the puck to Dan Boyle at the point, who shot it on net.  Jonathan Cheechoo deflected it in from the slot, at 15:10.  Nice, simple play, and VERY fortunate for the Sharks, who were being outshot 8-3 before that.  Boyle’s 12th goal of the season keeps him tied with Nashville’s Shea Weber for most goals amongst defensemen.  Jonathan Cheechoo’s 6th goal of the season is his 5th point in 4 games.
• Plus-one = Marleau, Thornton, Cheechoo, Boyle, and Lukowich.
• Minus-one = Petersen, Richards, Eriksson, Niskanen, and Sydor.
• Shots on goal for the period = 6-9, Dallas.
• Faceoff wins = 7-8, Dallas (San Jose was down 1-7 at one point, if that provides a mental image).
• Hits = 5-12, Dallas./

SECOND PERIOD HIGHLIGHTS

• Penalty – Mike Ribeiro, tripping against Marcel Goc on the faceoff, at 1:40.  Shots still 6-9, Dallas.  The Sharks get off three shots in the first 90 seconds of the power play.
• The Stars’ fourth line (Krys Barch-Brian Sutherby-Landon Wilson) looks especially dangerous in our zone, cycling the puck while the Sharks’ fourth line works to get it out.
• Delayed penalty – Brad Lukowich, interference, at 5:35.  Stars go on their second power play.  Marc-Edouard Vlasic is then called for hooking because Mike Ribeiro (sneaky fox) grabs onto his stick, drawing the penalty at 6:40.  Just under a minute of 5-on-3 action for Dallas.  Douglas Murray perhaps preserves the 1-0 lead during the 5-on-3 by deftly breaking up a pass towards the net.  Critical penalty kill for San Jose.  Shots 9-14, Dallas, heading back to even-strength.
• Dan Boyle is high-sticked in the back of the head by James Neal just moments after the Dallas power play goes to even-strength, and the Sharks go on their third power play at 8:58.  Strong penalty kill for Dallas, who limit San Jose to just 2 shots (though Rob Blake should have had a goal against the wide-open Marty Turco – but his shot went high).
• As James Neal breaks out of the box, he finds himself positioned for a breakaway, which is mercilessly denied by Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who sweeps away the puck from behind.
• Nabokov reminds us why we love him so much, once again stopping a couple of shots at 13:13 (Robidas and Eriksson), and again on James Neal’s shot at 13:54, and AGAIN at 14:01 on Landon Wilson’s shot.
• Alexei Semenov did a great job against Krys Barch against the boards, stripping him of the puck without taking a penalty, around 17:45.
• Shots for the period = 6-10, Dallas, for a total of 12-19.
• Faceoff wins = 16-18, Dallas (9-10 for the period)
• Hits = 11-20, Dallas (total, but 8-6 San Jose for the period)
• Leading their teams with SOG after 2 periods… Mike Modano with 4, and Dan Boyle with 3.
• Leading their teams with TOI minutes after 2 periods = Stephane Robidas (17:33) and Dan Boyle (17:17)/

THIRD PERIOD HIGHLIGHTS

• Joe Pavelski gets a shot through a screen at just 0:21, though it is blocked by Turco.
• GOAL = Milan Michalek, on ONE KNEE gets a masterful goal from the slot, at 3:55, on the Sharks’ 15th shot on goal.  Assisted by Joe Pavelski and Ryane Clowe.
• Plus-one = Michalek, Pavelski, Clowe, Blake, and SEMENOV.
• Minus-one = Grossman, Hutchinson, Lehtinen, Modano, Neal
• Douglas Murray – somehow injured?  Went to locker room.  Came back after the TV timeout.
• Penalty = Cheechoo, 5:06 for interference.  Fourth power play for Dallas.  Sharks go 4 for 4 on the penalty kill, limiting the Stars to just one s.o.g. by Loui Eriksson.  Shots 15-22, Dallas at the end of the power play.
• Big battle at boards betwen Grier, Jumbo Joe and Ott, Ribeiro, et al., around 9:30.
• Penalty = Rob Blake, delay of game, 10:37.  Fifth penalty kill for San Jose, fifth power play for Dallas.  Despite forcing the Stars to cycle repeatedly, it takes some time for the Sharks to get the puck out of their zone – 1:10 into the penalty kill.  Sharks go 5 for 5 on the p.k.  Shots on goal at end of p.k. – 15-23, Dallas.
• GOAL = Alexei Semenov reaches up on Matt Niskanen’s shot from the right boards, and the deflection his glove provides inadvertently ruins Nabokov’s shutout, at 14:57.  It takes 26 tries to finally crack Nabokov.
• Plus-one = Petersen, Richards, Eriksson, Niskanen, Sydor
• Minus-one = Michalek, Pavelski, Clowe, Boyle… and SEMENOV.
• Penalty = Dan Boyle, for closing his hand on the puck, at 16:08.  Sharks go on their 6th penalty kill.  Immediately, Patrick Marleau goes on a breakaway, and is slashed from behind by Stephane Robidas, leading to a…
• PENALTY SHOT = The first penalty shot of the Sharks’ season is… stopped by Turco.  Fudge.
• Sharks kill their 20th penalty in a row.  Correction – I counted 31.  Is the last power play goal against San Jose the one by Brad Winchester on December 13th?  If so… WOW.
• At 18:43, Turco comes out for the extra attacker…
• GOAL – Alexei Semenov makes up for his mistake big time by blocking a Dallas shot, leading to an empty-net goal by Ryane Clowe, assisted by Joe Pavelski.  This is the FIRST empty-netter of the season for San Jose.  Game… OVER.
• Plus-one = Clowe, Pavelski, Michalek, Lukowich… and SEMENOV.
• Minus-one = Modano, Ott, Ribeiro, Eriksson, Richards, and Robidas./

Final score = 3-1, Sharks.

Shots on goal = 19-28, Dallas.

Faceoff wins = 23-31, Dallas.

Leader in s.o.g. = Mike Modano (6).  Good for the third Star (yuk yuk) of the night.

Turco’s save percentage = 88.9%

Nabby’s save percentage = 96.4%   Good for the first star of the night.

Can you say… who’s your Nabby?

GO SHARKS.