Sharks Rally To Defeat Penguins In Shootout
SAN JOSE (CBS / AP) -- Ryane Clowe scored the lone goal in a shootout and Thomas Greiss stopped all three Pittsburgh attempts as the San Jose Sharks overcame a two-goal deficit in the third period to beat the Penguins 4-3 on Thursday night.
It was San Jose's eighth straight home win over Pittsburgh. The Penguins earned their first point in San Jose since a 1999 tie but still haven't won at the Shark Tank since a 5-2 victory Oct. 22, 1997.
Only three players from that game are still active in the NHL, including Sharks forward Patrick Marleau, who scored San Jose's first goal in this game.
After both teams failed to score in the first two rounds of the shootout, Clowe beat Marc-Andre Fleury with a forehand shot instead of going to his favorite backhand move.
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The victory was sealed when Greiss poke-checked the puck away from Pascal Dupuis. Greiss stopped 29 of 30 shots before the shootout after taking over for Antti Niemi just 2:04 into the game.
Clowe got the comeback started with his fourth goal midway through the third and Jamie McGinn tied it with 4:54 remaining as the Sharks returned from a 5-1 road trip to earn a hard-fought win.
Evgeni Malkin had two goals and an assist and Deryk Engelland scored 24 seconds into the game for the Penguins. Fleury made 34 saves.
After being thoroughly outplayed in the first period and falling behind, the Sharks battled back into the game and ended up tying it with two goals in the third. Clowe cut Pittsburgh's lead to 3-2 when he lifted a backhand shot that beat Fleury high to the stick side midway through the second.
The Sharks got the equalizer with a rare goal from one of their bottom two lines. Michal Handzus skated behind the net and fed McGinn at the top of the crease. McGinn knocked the puck past Fleury for his first goal of the season, tying it at 3 with 4:54 remaining.
Matt Cooke then hit the post for the Penguins about a minute later and Pittsburgh almost scored on a wild scramble in front of the net before the game went to overtime.
The Sharks looked like a tired team early in their first game back from the long East Coast trip. The Penguins scored twice in the opening 2:04 to chase Niemi in the shortest outing of his career.
The rough start was not necessarily Niemi's fault. He lost his stick on the first goal and was unable to block Engelland's shot from near the point 24 seconds into the game.
Exactly 100 seconds later, Malkin's centering pass deflected off San Jose defenseman Brent Burns' skate in the crease and into the net to give the Penguins a 2-0 lead.
Greiss came in and did a good job keeping the Sharks close as they were outshot 15-4 in the opening period.
Marleau and Malkin traded goals in the second before the Sharks staged their comeback.
NOTES: Penguins star Sidney Crosby is on this road trip practicing with his team as he recovers from two concussions sustained last January, but he won't play Saturday in Los Angeles. ... Penguins D Ben Lovejoy left in the second period with an upper-body injury. ... The Sharks honored captain Joe Thornton for playing in his 1,000th career game on the recent road trip and he was presented with a mammoth tusk. ... Pittsburgh forward Jordan Staal (lower body) missed his second straight game.
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