February 11, 2009 9:36 PM
- Text
Jackets Halt Sharks Streak
(AP)
In bits and pieces of three years in the NHL, Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre never heard the horn signal that he scored.
"I finally got it out of the way," he said Thursday night after scoring once and assisting on another goal as the Columbus Blue Jackets ended the San Jose Sharks' nine-game unbeaten streak with a 5-2 victory.
"It's a great feeling," said Grand-Pierre, who spent parts of the last two seasons with Buffalo before being acquired by the Blue Jackets in a draft deal this summer.
The five goals were the most in the expansion franchise's short history.
The Sharks were 7-0-2-0 during the streak and allowed only 25 goals in their first 13 games. The Blue Jackets came in with the fewest points in the Western Conference.
Columbus' Ron Tugnutt turned away 29 shots and was relieved by the potent offense.
"When you score five goals, you should win," he said. "I've got to say, it's nice to have a three-goal lead with six minutes to play."
Sharks goalie Steve Shields, making his first appearance after sitting out with an ankle injury, was victimized for all the Columbus scoring on 31 shots. Shields replaced Evgeni Nabokov, who was in goal for all of the Sharks' streak. Nabokov had 35 saves in a 3-1 win at Nationwide Arena on Oct. 25.
"We knew it was Shields' first start in something like 30 days so we tried to get some traffic," Columbus center Tyler Wright said. "When someone doesn't play for that long, you're always going to be a little rusty."
Shields made no excuses.
"I'm not going to use that as a reason I didn't play well," Shields said. "I didn't give us a chance to win the game and that was the difference."
The Sharks came from behind to take a 3-2 overtime victory at Chicago on Wednesday night. They played their third game on a six-game road trip.
"Our defensive performance wasn't there tonight," San Jose coach Darryl Sutter said. "The bottom line was that we were going to lose at some point."
With the score tied 2-2 midway through the second period, Kevin Dieen put Columbus ahead to stay. Grand-Pierre's one-timer from the right wing was deflected by Shields, but Dineen wrapped the puck around Shields for his third goal.
The Blue Jackets made it 4-2 when Tyler Wright, who also had an assist, converted with 15:40 remaining. David Vyborny dropped a pass inside to Wright who ripped the puck in.
Grand-Pierre closed the scoring with his first NHL goal, a slap shot from just inside the blue line off a faceoff.
"The passes were crisp and we put more shots on goal," Grand-Pierre said. "You do that and you're going to score more."
Geoff Sanderson's tying goal in the first period gave him goals in four of Columbus' last five games and offset Jeff Friesen's opening goal for San Jose. Columbus made it 2-1 later in the period when Bruce Gardiner dumped a pass onto Serge Aubin's stick. Aubin tallied with a left-handed wrist shot that beat Shields on the glove side at 13:21.
The Sharks tied it on Matt Bradley's first career goal a quick stab into the net off Vincent Damphousse's centering pass. The goal came in Bradley's sixth NHL game and on his fourth career shot.
Columbus missed a chance to score on Robert Kron's penalty shot at 5:34 of the first period. Kron, scoreless on the season, was denied on a breakaway when a Sharks defender flipped a stick at the puck.
On the penalty shot, Kron beat Shields on the left side, but his shot slid inside Shields' right skate and glided through the crease, missing the right post by two feet.
"It's chemistry and confidence," Tugnutt said to explain the victory. "We're starting to realize we're in every game now. You do that and you'll get your share of wins."
Thirteen of the Blue Jackets' first 16 games have come against teams that were in the playoffs last season. San Jose RW Owen Nolan missed his seventh straight game with a sore abdomen. The penalty shot was the second of the season for Columbus. Vyborny scored on one in the franchise's fifth game.
©2000 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed
"I finally got it out of the way," he said Thursday night after scoring once and assisting on another goal as the Columbus Blue Jackets ended the San Jose Sharks' nine-game unbeaten streak with a 5-2 victory.
"It's a great feeling," said Grand-Pierre, who spent parts of the last two seasons with Buffalo before being acquired by the Blue Jackets in a draft deal this summer.
The five goals were the most in the expansion franchise's short history.
The Sharks were 7-0-2-0 during the streak and allowed only 25 goals in their first 13 games. The Blue Jackets came in with the fewest points in the Western Conference.
Columbus' Ron Tugnutt turned away 29 shots and was relieved by the potent offense.
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Sharks goalie Steve Shields, making his first appearance after sitting out with an ankle injury, was victimized for all the Columbus scoring on 31 shots. Shields replaced Evgeni Nabokov, who was in goal for all of the Sharks' streak. Nabokov had 35 saves in a 3-1 win at Nationwide Arena on Oct. 25.
"We knew it was Shields' first start in something like 30 days so we tried to get some traffic," Columbus center Tyler Wright said. "When someone doesn't play for that long, you're always going to be a little rusty."
Shields made no excuses.
"I'm not going to use that as a reason I didn't play well," Shields said. "I didn't give us a chance to win the game and that was the difference."
The Sharks came from behind to take a 3-2 overtime victory at Chicago on Wednesday night. They played their third game on a six-game road trip.
"Our defensive performance wasn't there tonight," San Jose coach Darryl Sutter said. "The bottom line was that we were going to lose at some point."
With the score tied 2-2 midway through the second period, Kevin Dieen put Columbus ahead to stay. Grand-Pierre's one-timer from the right wing was deflected by Shields, but Dineen wrapped the puck around Shields for his third goal.
The Blue Jackets made it 4-2 when Tyler Wright, who also had an assist, converted with 15:40 remaining. David Vyborny dropped a pass inside to Wright who ripped the puck in.
Grand-Pierre closed the scoring with his first NHL goal, a slap shot from just inside the blue line off a faceoff.
"The passes were crisp and we put more shots on goal," Grand-Pierre said. "You do that and you're going to score more."
Geoff Sanderson's tying goal in the first period gave him goals in four of Columbus' last five games and offset Jeff Friesen's opening goal for San Jose. Columbus made it 2-1 later in the period when Bruce Gardiner dumped a pass onto Serge Aubin's stick. Aubin tallied with a left-handed wrist shot that beat Shields on the glove side at 13:21.
The Sharks tied it on Matt Bradley's first career goal a quick stab into the net off Vincent Damphousse's centering pass. The goal came in Bradley's sixth NHL game and on his fourth career shot.
Columbus missed a chance to score on Robert Kron's penalty shot at 5:34 of the first period. Kron, scoreless on the season, was denied on a breakaway when a Sharks defender flipped a stick at the puck.
On the penalty shot, Kron beat Shields on the left side, but his shot slid inside Shields' right skate and glided through the crease, missing the right post by two feet.
"It's chemistry and confidence," Tugnutt said to explain the victory. "We're starting to realize we're in every game now. You do that and you'll get your share of wins."
Notes
©2000 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed
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