Evgeni Nabokov stopped 27 shots for his second
shutout of the season, and the San Jose Sharks used a balanced attack to crush
the Pittsburgh Penguins, 5-0, at HP Pavilion.
Joe Pavelski, Dan Boyle and Manny Malhotra each had a goal and an assist for
the Sharks, who have won seven of eight and have at least a point in all eight
of those contests. Dany Heatley and Jamie McGinn also scored in the resounding
win.
Sidney Crosby has now gone four straight games without a point, and Pittsburgh
has dropped three of four. The Penguins have lost two straight road games
after starting the season 7-0-0 away from home. Marc-Andre Fleury was pulled
early in the second period after giving up three goals on 14 shots, and Brent
Johnson allowed two goals on 21 shots.
McGinn put the Sharks on the board 3:27 into the game on a shot that banked
off of Fleury's leg, and San Jose, which had three power plays in the first
period, took advantage of their third opportunity.
Boyle rocketed a slapshot from the point, and Pavelski was there to tip it
into the air and past Fleury for a 2-0 San Jose lead at the 16:04 mark of the
opening period.
Boyle got on the board after skating into the offensive zone, putting a nifty
move on a defender and firing a wrist shot from the right circle past Fleury
at the 1:41 mark of the second. The Penguins pulled Fleury after the tally.
Brent Johnson didn't fare much better, as less than two minutes later, Heatley
got on the scoreboard with his 11th goal of the year for a four-goal lead.
Malhotra put the Sharks ahead by five with a power play goal midway through
the third, and San Jose cruised to victory from there.
Game Notes
The Sharks have won six of the last seven games against the
Penguins...Pittsburgh continued to play without Evgeni Malkin and Sergei
Gonchar...The Pens are 0-8 with a tie in their last nine trips to San Jose.
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