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BOX SCORE
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- With a big win over St. Louis two days
ago and a big meeting with Detroit two days in the future, the San
Jose Sharks thoroughly overlooked the Nashville Predators.
Denis Arkhipov had his second NHL goal and an assist, and Tomas
Vokoun stopped 26 shots as the Predators beat San Jose 5-3 on
Saturday night.
San Jose played two terrible periods against Nashville, and by
the time the Sharks woke up, it was too late to keep their
three-game winning streak alive. They admitted their focus was
lacking against the Predators, who have a terrible home record but
are one of the NHL's better road teams (12-10-1-1).
"They probably didn't think it was going to be that hard, but
we seem to play better against good teams than maybe the ones we
should beat," said Vokoun, who won for the first time since Dec.
10. "But (we) don't have any pressure. You just go out there, you
have nothing to lose.
"You're supposed to lose. You have fun and try to make it as
miserable as you can for them."
The Pacific Division-leading Sharks followed their impressive
6-3 win over the Blues on Thursday with a discouraging defensive
effort against the previously slumping Predators. Nashville jumped
to a 3-0 lead, and the Sharks' late charge came up short.
"We got outplayed in the first (period) and most of the
second," said Steve Shields, who made 26 saves. "You can't expect
to come back from a two-goal deficit in the third unless the other
team gives the game away. We tried to take it away, but we
couldn't."
Shields, who got his third start in five games for the Sharks
after sitting most of the season behind Evgeni Nabokov, allowed
soft goals by Marian Cisar and Drake Berehowsky.
Rob Valicevic and Scott Walker also scored for the Predators,
who won for just the third time in nine games. Rookie Scott
Hartnell had two assists as Nashville finished its four-game road
swing 2-2 and won in San Jose for just the second time.
Vincent Damphousse had two goals and an exceptional assist for
the Sharks, who lost for the first time on a seven-game homestand
that began with victories over Florida, Buffalo and the Blues. Jeff
Friesen, the Sharks' struggling first-line left wing, had a goal
and an assist for his second multiple-point game since Nov. 18.
"Nashville is a team that's going to work," said Damphousse,
the Sharks' leading scorer with 46 points. "We weren't ready to
work in the first period, and it cost us."
Hartnell, the sixth selection in the last entry draft, had just
two points in his previous 16 games, but he assisted on both of
Nashville's first-period goals. He helped set up Cisar for a goal
just 1:57 in, well before most Sharks fans had settled in their
seats.
Arkhipov, who scored his first goal just three days earlier, got
one midway through the first period. Valicevic made it 3-0 early in
the second.
After the Sharks muddled their way through most of the first two
periods, Damphousse scored on a goal-mouth scramble just 8.4
seconds before the end of the second.
Damphousse then made a beautiful cross-ice pass to Friesen, who
scored a breakaway goal five minutes into the third to make it 3-2.
Berehowsky scored on a slow shot between Shields' legs with 5{
minutes to play, but Damphousse kept it close by stuffing home a
wraparound goal a minute later. The Sharks got a handful of good
chances late, but Walker added an empty-net goal with 33 seconds
left.
"Now we have to do it at home. Now we talk about taking the
road show home," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "Our fans
deserve it. They've stuck by us. We've got to play the patient type
of game. We don't do it at home."
Game notes
Damphousse's goal was the 376th of his career, breaking his
tie with Butch Goring for 75th place on the NHL list. ... Walker
got his 100th career assist on Valicevic's second-period goal. ...
Patrick Kjellberg's assist on Walker's empty-netter extended his
point streak to three games. ... Owen Nolan's four-game point
streak was snapped.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Nashville Clubhouse
San Jose Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 4
NY Rangers 1
Montreal 5
Phoenix 2
Toronto 4
New Jersey 4
NY Islanders 6
Pittsburgh 5
Washington 4
Atlanta 1
Philadelphia 4
Florida 1
St. Louis 4
Los Angeles 2
Ottawa 5
Calgary 2
Nashville 5
San Jose 3
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Marian Cisar's goal quickly puts Nashville on the board in the first period.
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