Reilly
11-02-2005, 03:21 AM
Nashville Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326) (8-2-1) at San Jose Sharks (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66317) (6-5-1).
TIME: Wednesday, 10:30 p.m. EST.
The San Jose Sharks (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66317) will shoot for their season-high fourth straight win and try to remain unbeaten at home when they host the suddenly struggling Nashville Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326).
San Jose extended its winning streak with yet another thrilling effort in a 3-2 shootout win over Calgary (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66302) at home on Saturday.
Jonathan Cheechoo (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/109945) and Brad Stuart (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/66752) scored in the final 4:34 of regulation, and Nils Ekman (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/66630) netted the clincher in the franchise's first-ever shootout game.
Cheechoo, who has scored a goal in four straight games, had the winning goal with 3.7 seconds left in the Sharks (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66317)' 5-4 victory at Los Angeles on Friday, the finale of a season-high six-game road trip.
The weary Sharks (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66317) had arrived at Oakland Airport in the wee hours Saturday, but mustered the energy to improve to 3-0-0 at home this season.
"If we had lost, I wouldn't have had a complaint because of the way we battled back to get a point," Sharks (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66317) coach Ron Wilson said. "And then we ended up getting two points. Our team just seems to find a way at times, and obviously won't give up. That's three games in a row where we've been battling right at the end to make a difference."
San Jose, which has played an NHL-low three home games, will play five of its next seven at the HP Pavilion. The defending Pacific Division champions went 24-8-7-2 at home in 2003-04.
Nolan Schaefer (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/343287) looks to continue his strong play for the Sharks (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66317), who also won three straight from Oct. 8-Oct. 15. He made 23 saves Saturday to improve to 3-0-0 with a 2.63 goals-against average in three appearances, including two starts. The 25-year-old netminder was recalled from the Sharks (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66317)' top affiliate in Cleveland because of injuries to goalies Evgeni Nabokov (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/66749) and Vesa Toskala (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/109926).
Yanic Perreault (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/343163)'s 200th NHL goal couldn't prevent Nashville's third straight loss, a 4-1 defeat to Anaheim on Tuesday. The Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326) had been 8-0-0, one of only three teams in NHL history to open a season with eight straight victories, joining the 1934-35 Maple Leafs (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66320) and 1975-76 Buffalo Sabres (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66301).
Tomas Vokoun (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/66954) made 31 saves for the Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326), who went 0-for-7 on the power play on Tuesday and are 2-for-22 with the man advantage over the last three games.
San Jose has lost the first two meetings of the series with Nashville, both on the road.
STANDINGS: Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326) - 17 points, 2nd place, 7 PB, Central Division. Sharks (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66317) - 13 points, 3rd place (tied), 3 PB, Pacific Division.
TEAM LEADERS: Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326) - Steve Sullivan (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/66409) and Perreault, 5 goals; Sullivan, 8 assists and 13 points; Jeremy Stevenson (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/110044), 44 PIM. Sharks (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66317) - Patrick Marleau (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/66745) and Cheechoo, 6 goals; Marleau, 9 assists and 15 points; Kyle McLaren (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/66338) and Rob Davison (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/115008), 18 PIM.
SPECIAL TEAMS (through Oct. 31): Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326) - Power play: 18.1 percent (12 for 66), 14th in NHL (tied). Penalty killing: 84.6 percent (55 for 65), 9th (tied). Sharks (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66317) - Power play: 14.8 percent (12 for 81), 24th. Penalty killing: 82.0 percent (55 for 67), 15th.
GOALTENDERS: Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326) - Vokoun (7-2-1, 0 SO, 2.67 GAA); Chris Mason (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/110014) (1-0-0, 0, 3.69). Sharks (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66317) - Schaefer (3-0-0, 0, 2.64); Dimitri Patzold (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/354319) (no appearances).
SEASON SERIES: Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326), 2-0.
LAST MEETING: Oct. 22; Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326), 2-1. At Nashville, Vokoun stopped 37 of 38 shots and stayed in the game for the final two minutes despite taking a puck to his neck.
ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326) - 3-1-1 on the road; Sharks (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66317) - 3-0-0 at home.
TIME: Wednesday, 10:30 p.m. EST.
The San Jose Sharks (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66317) will shoot for their season-high fourth straight win and try to remain unbeaten at home when they host the suddenly struggling Nashville Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326).
San Jose extended its winning streak with yet another thrilling effort in a 3-2 shootout win over Calgary (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66302) at home on Saturday.
Jonathan Cheechoo (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/109945) and Brad Stuart (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/66752) scored in the final 4:34 of regulation, and Nils Ekman (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/66630) netted the clincher in the franchise's first-ever shootout game.
Cheechoo, who has scored a goal in four straight games, had the winning goal with 3.7 seconds left in the Sharks (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66317)' 5-4 victory at Los Angeles on Friday, the finale of a season-high six-game road trip.
The weary Sharks (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66317) had arrived at Oakland Airport in the wee hours Saturday, but mustered the energy to improve to 3-0-0 at home this season.
"If we had lost, I wouldn't have had a complaint because of the way we battled back to get a point," Sharks (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66317) coach Ron Wilson said. "And then we ended up getting two points. Our team just seems to find a way at times, and obviously won't give up. That's three games in a row where we've been battling right at the end to make a difference."
San Jose, which has played an NHL-low three home games, will play five of its next seven at the HP Pavilion. The defending Pacific Division champions went 24-8-7-2 at home in 2003-04.
Nolan Schaefer (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/343287) looks to continue his strong play for the Sharks (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66317), who also won three straight from Oct. 8-Oct. 15. He made 23 saves Saturday to improve to 3-0-0 with a 2.63 goals-against average in three appearances, including two starts. The 25-year-old netminder was recalled from the Sharks (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66317)' top affiliate in Cleveland because of injuries to goalies Evgeni Nabokov (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/66749) and Vesa Toskala (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/109926).
Yanic Perreault (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/343163)'s 200th NHL goal couldn't prevent Nashville's third straight loss, a 4-1 defeat to Anaheim on Tuesday. The Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326) had been 8-0-0, one of only three teams in NHL history to open a season with eight straight victories, joining the 1934-35 Maple Leafs (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66320) and 1975-76 Buffalo Sabres (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66301).
Tomas Vokoun (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/66954) made 31 saves for the Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326), who went 0-for-7 on the power play on Tuesday and are 2-for-22 with the man advantage over the last three games.
San Jose has lost the first two meetings of the series with Nashville, both on the road.
STANDINGS: Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326) - 17 points, 2nd place, 7 PB, Central Division. Sharks (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66317) - 13 points, 3rd place (tied), 3 PB, Pacific Division.
TEAM LEADERS: Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326) - Steve Sullivan (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/66409) and Perreault, 5 goals; Sullivan, 8 assists and 13 points; Jeremy Stevenson (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/110044), 44 PIM. Sharks (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66317) - Patrick Marleau (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/66745) and Cheechoo, 6 goals; Marleau, 9 assists and 15 points; Kyle McLaren (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/66338) and Rob Davison (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/115008), 18 PIM.
SPECIAL TEAMS (through Oct. 31): Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326) - Power play: 18.1 percent (12 for 66), 14th in NHL (tied). Penalty killing: 84.6 percent (55 for 65), 9th (tied). Sharks (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66317) - Power play: 14.8 percent (12 for 81), 24th. Penalty killing: 82.0 percent (55 for 67), 15th.
GOALTENDERS: Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326) - Vokoun (7-2-1, 0 SO, 2.67 GAA); Chris Mason (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/110014) (1-0-0, 0, 3.69). Sharks (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66317) - Schaefer (3-0-0, 0, 2.64); Dimitri Patzold (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/354319) (no appearances).
SEASON SERIES: Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326), 2-0.
LAST MEETING: Oct. 22; Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326), 2-1. At Nashville, Vokoun stopped 37 of 38 shots and stayed in the game for the final two minutes despite taking a puck to his neck.
ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326) - 3-1-1 on the road; Sharks (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66317) - 3-0-0 at home.