It took 10 games last year for the Sharks to taste defeat
at home for the first time. It looks as if they could go on another run at HP
Pavilion this season as well.
San Jose will try to wrap a three-game residency perfect tonight versus the
visiting Phoenix Coyotes.
San Jose began the season by losing two of three on the road, but skated to a
6-3 victory over the Blue Jackets last Thursday, getting a hat trick out of
Dany Heatley in his home debut. The Sharks then fell behind by two goals to
the Wild on Saturday, but scored three times in a 7 1/2-minute span in the
second period on the way to a 4-2 victory.
Patrick Marleau scored twice and Heatley also scored, as the two are tied for
the team lead in goals with five each. Jed Ortmeyer added a tally and Evgeni
Nabokov made 38 saves.
"I think [Nabokov] made some tremendous saves tonight," said Sharks coach Todd
McLellan. "He has very good making big ones when we needed them. He gave us a
chance to find our way in. He did a real good job tonight changing the
momentum."
San Jose went an NHL-best 32-5-4 as the host last year and won its first nine
home games to start last season. The club also picked up a point in each of
its first 22 games as the host, going 20-0-2.
The Sharks will have to wait to make a run at last season's home start, as
they play their next six on the road following tonight's battle.
One of San Jose's five regulation losses at home a season ago came to the
Coyotes, who split their six-game series with the Sharks. Phoenix has still
lost seven of its last nine in San Jose, though.
The Coyotes hit the road after getting blanked, 2-0, in their home debut on
Saturday, going 0-for-7 on the power play. Ilya Bryzgalov made 17 saves in the
loss, the second in a row for Phoenix after it opened the season with wins
over Los Angeles and Pittsburgh.
The Coyotes skated in front of their home crowd for the first time since owner
Jerry Moyes filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy back in May. But while the
franchise's future in Phoenix is in limbo, the club played in a sold-out arena
Saturday.
"[The sellout crowd] was excellent," said Phoenix head coach Dave Tippett.
"It's too bad we couldn't find something to make them erupt like they wanted
to. I think the players sensed that."
The Coyotes return home for four straight games following tonight's test.
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