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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Like most NHL teams this season, San Jose
is taking more penalties. Like few teams this season, the Sharks
are also killing more penalties.
Such was the case Friday night, as opportunistic special-teams
play lifted the Sharks to their first road win of the season, 3-1
over the Minnesota Wild. San Jose (3-2-0), which killed six
Minnesota power plays, scored both short-handed and power-play
goals.
|  | | Wild center Aaron Gavey takes a hit from San Jose's Scott Hannan, right, after the whistle. |
"Our penalty killing has been excellent, but it's had to be
excellent, because we've taken a lot of penalties early," Sharks
assistant coach Rich Preston said. "Throughout the league with the
way they're calling slashing and holding, you'd better have good
special teams. Our power play has been average, but our penalty
kill has been very good."
Leading 2-1 late in the second period, Sharks center Patrick
Marleau tipped Shawn Heins' shot between the pads of Minnesota
goalie Jamie McLennan. It was only San Jose's second power-play
goal of the season.
Evgeni Nabokov stopped 21 shots and McLennan finished with 30
saves for Minnesota (1-5-1). The Sharks outshot Minnesota 13-4 in
the third period.
San Jose forward Jeff Friesen needed less than a minute to score
his second goal of the season. After sneaking behind the Wild
defense in the neutral zone, Friesen took a pass from Vincent
Damphousse and charged to the net, beating McLennan with a wrist
shot.
"Vinny made a nice little one-touch pass to me, and I just saw
a hole and broke for the net," Friesen said. "I feel fortunate
that the lane was there, and I just let it fly."
The Sharks' penalty-killing unit entered the game leading the
league in efficiency, and had plenty of work in the opening period.
San Jose killed all four penalties in the period, allowing only one
shot and scoring a short-handed goal.
With Friesen in the penalty box for tripping near the midway
point of the first, Sharks forward Niklas Sundstrom stole the puck
from Wild center Stacy Roest deep in Minnesota's zone. Sundstrom
flipped a pass to Mike Ricci, whose high shot caught the upper left
corner of the net. It was Ricci's second goal of the season and the
team's third short-handed goal in five games.
Minnesota's lone goal came with one minute left in the first
period when left wing Matt Johnson followed his own rebound and
tucked the puck behind the sprawled Nabokov. It was Johnson's first
goal of the season.
San Jose's tight defense stifled Minnesota's attempts to get
back into the game.
"They did a good job of putting a blanket on us," McLennan
said. "It seems like every time we made a pass they were right
there in the neutral zone."
Game notes
Sharks captain Owen Nolan made his season debut after
signing a multiyear contract last week. ... San Jose called up
defenseman Greg Andrusak from the Kentucky Thoroughblades of the
American Hockey League. Andrusak, 30, played in nine games for the
Toronto Maple Leafs last season. He did not suit up for the
Minnesota game. ... After scoring the first game-winning goal in
Wild history Wednesday night, rookie left wing Marian Gaborik
switched jersey numbers from 10 to 82, in honor of the year he was
born. ... Wild defenseman Brad Bombardir left in the second period
with a strained groin muscle. ... The Sharks' roster boasts five
players under the age of 25 who have at least three seasons of NHL
experience (Friesen, Marleau, Marco Sturm, Todd Harvey and
Alexander Korolyuk).
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
San Jose Clubhouse
Minnesota Clubhouse
RECAPS
Anaheim 2
Buffalo 2
NY Islanders 5
Atlanta 3
San Jose 3
Minnesota 1
Dallas 5
Chicago 1
Calgary 3
Boston 2
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Jeff Friesen scores on a breakaway goal.
avi: 778 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Mike Ricci scores a short-handed goal.
avi
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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