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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Owen Nolan and Steve Shields gave the
San Jose Sharks exactly what's expected from them.
Nolan had two goals and an assist, and Shields stopped 26 shots
for his first win since Nov. 28 as the Sharks beat the Florida
Panthers 3-1 on Saturday night.
"That's what you expected to see out of this team all along,"
Nolan said. "We scored some goals, got great goaltending and
played all right in our own end. We're happy with that."
Both Nolan, the Sharks' captain and leading scorer last season,
and Shields, their starting goalie last season, started the season
under a cloud of contract holdouts and injuries. But both had
strong games as the Sharks snapped out of a mini-slump with an easy
win over the Panthers.
Now that both are wealthy, healthy and back in top form, the
Sharks look even stronger than the team that already got off to the
best start in franchise history.
"It's easier to play when you can develop a bit of a rhythm,"
said Shields, who played in consecutive games for just the third
time this year. "It's good to be back."
The Sharks had won just two of their previous eight games in the
worst stretch of their successful season. Jeff Friesen broke a
15-game goalless drought with a second-period goal, and Gary Suter
had two assists.
Nolan had his seventh multipoint game of the season as the
Sharks' sluggish offense appeared revitalized. The Panthers, who
allowed 49 shots in Los Angeles on Thursday night, gave up 39 to
San Jose and dropped to 2-2-0-1 since Duane Sutter replaced Terry
Murray as coach last week.
The game matched Sutter against his brother, San Jose coach
Darryl Sutter.
"We couldn't score, but hey, they're the fourth-best team in
the league right now," Duane Sutter said. "I can't dispute the
effort at all."
Shields, the Sharks' starter last season, has been relegated to
a backup role ever since a sprained ankle allowed rookie Evgeni
Nabokov to become the NHL's winningest goalie.
But after Shields stopped 38 shots in a 2-2 tie with Colorado on
Thursday night, he was rewarded with another start despite being
winless in his last five appearances. He was barely tested by the
Panthers, who managed only a handful of decent scoring chances.
"When you work hard and you lose to a good team, then you have
to accept that," Florida's Ray Whitney said. "As long as we're
working hard, we're not going to get discouraged."
Mike Sillinger scored Florida's only goal with 3:49 remaining.
He prevented Shields from recording his ninth shutout with the
Sharks, which would have tied Mike Vernon's franchise record.
Pavel Bure was practically invisible. Playing under the watchful
eyes of Sharks defensemen Marcus Ragnarsson and Mike Rathje, the
Panthers' leading scorer didn't get a shot in the first two
periods. Viktor Kozlov, who got an assist, was the only Florida
skater with a noticeable jump.
Nolan opened the scoring midway through the first when he swiped
Lance Pitlick's pass, deked Trevor Kidd to the ice and shoveled a
backhand into the top of the net. Kidd stopped 36 shots, but fell
to 6-14-5.
"They're a very fast, quick team," Kidd said. "They sure
showed it. They caught us moving laterally quite a bit."
Nolan got his team-leading fifth power-play goal of the season
early in the second, thanks to two impressive assists. After Jim
Montgomery fought off two Panthers to free the puck, Suter threaded
an exceptional cross-ice pass through three players to Nolan, who
scored on a lightning-quick one-timer from 15 feet.
Nolan had a chance for a hat trick three minutes later, but Kidd
blocked Nolan's breakaway shot with his glove.
Friesen, who has had four straight 20-goal seasons but has
struggled to find his groove this year, got his first goal since
Dec. 4 in the second period. Nolan leaped into Friesen's arms in
excitement after Friesen scored on a quick shot from the slot.
San Jose increased its Pacific Division lead over Dallas to five
points, while Florida is just one point ahead of the Islanders for
the NHL's worst record.
Game notes
Late in the game, the Sharks flashed the score of the
Oakland Raiders' 27-0 win over the Miami Dolphins on the
scoreboard. Below, the screen read, "Bay Area 30, South Florida
1." ... Nolan's first goal was his first even-strength goal in 16
games. ... Montgomery's assist was his first point with the Sharks.
San Jose recalled the 31-year-old journeyman from its AHL affiliate
in Kentucky earlier this week.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Florida Clubhouse
San Jose Clubhouse
Melrose: A Sutter by any other name
RECAPS
New Jersey 5
NY Rangers 5
Colorado 2
Carolina 2
Phoenix 2
NY Islanders 1
Ottawa 4
Montreal 3
Atlanta 2
Philadelphia 2
Washington 3
Toronto 2
Dallas 4
Boston 0
Buffalo 2
Nashville 0
St. Louis 5
Minnesota 1
Los Angeles 5
Calgary 0
Vancouver 4
Columbus 3
San Jose 3
Florida 1
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