Sharks' Boyle scores goal in shootout win
Last Updated: Wednesday, November 4, 2009 | 11:24 PM ET
The Associated Press
San Jose defenceman Dan Boyle scored the lone goal in a shootout and Evgeni Nabokov stopped all three Columbus shooters to give the Sharks their sixth straight win, a 3-2 victory over the Blue Jackets on Wednesday night.
Nabokov made 26 saves in regulation and overtime, then stopped attempts by Nikita Filatov, Anton Stralman and Rick Nash in the tiebreaker to improve to 10-3-1.
"I never have any plan because the guys are so skilled," said Nabokov, who improved to 10-3-1.
"The guys have two or three moves — I never even scout to be honest with you. I just try to play, make sure my gaps are fine."
Joe Thornton scored and Dany Heatley added a power-play goal for San Jose. The Sharks have won eight of their last nine games.
"The whole night was a challenge," San Jose coach Todd McLellan said.
"It wasn't an overly pretty game to watch. They did a great job of playing a straightforward, hard game and we tried to match it."
Nash had a power-play goal and Jason Chimera also scored for the Blue Jackets. Stralman added two assists in his 100th NHL game and Steve Mason made 36 saves.
Columbus, which twice rallied from one-goal deficits, has lost four of five and six of eight since starting the season 5-1.
In overtime, Mason gloved Patrick Marleau's shot alone in the slot, and Thornton rang the puck off the crossbar with a minute left.
Tied at 2 entering the third period, San Jose outshot Columbus 13-6 in the final frame. But the most dangerous shot was from the Blue Jackets' Samuel Pahlsson, who hit the right post midway through.
Then with two minutes left, Columbus's Antoine Vermette nearly bull-rushed the puck over the line in a big scrum.
San Jose opened the scoring on Thornton's shot from a sharp angle near the goal-line at 6:32 of the first period. Seconds before the play, the 6-foot-4, 235-pound Thornton was pushed and fell on top of Mason, bending the goalie's head down.
The play seemed to daze Mason and he was slow to reposition himself. The goal was Thornton's fourth.
