Rookie on center stage is making it look easy

Team Infidel

Forum Spin Doctor


By Victor Chi

Mercury News

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- With family and friends in attendance, center Joe Pavelski continued his offensive exploits in the NHL.
Pavelski's third goal in four games since being promoted from the minors helped the Sharks handle the Minnesota Wild 2-1 on Wednesday.
``I don't know if it ever really comes easy, but they're coming right now, so that's good,'' Pavelski said of his scoring. ``It's just working hard, and a lot of credit goes to my linemates.
``It's not always going to be one chance and you score right away. You want multiple chances and you've got to keep going every shift.''
Steve Bernier netted the other goal for the Sharks, who enjoyed a 31-16 shot advantage but ran into stingy goaltending from Manny Fernandez.
``The only thing missing tonight was finish,'' Sharks Coach Ron Wilson said. ``We had a ton of energy and I was happy about that.''
The Sharks had the benefit of a relatively easy game Tuesday in St. Louis, allowing them to be fresh against the Wild.
Minnesota took a 1-0 lead on its first shot, which came from Mattias Weinhandl on a rush inside the right circle. That ended the Sharks' scoreless streak at 127:00, a stretch bridging four games. But the Wild managed just 15 more shots.
``We did all the little things we needed to do to offset a team like that,'' Wilson said. ``That's not turning the puck over in the neutral zone.
``That's as good as we've forechecked in a long, long time on a night when I wasn't sure what our energy level would be, especially because Minnesota hadn't played in a few days and they'd be prepared. We were all over them for the most part. Their goalie played incredible.''
Pavelski converted on a power play by tipping Matt Carle's point shot to make it 1-1 at 6:19 of the first.
``It was a broken play,'' Pavelski said. ``Matty jumped in. That's what he does really good: shoot for sticks. He's done it all year. He's done it in college. He found me and I tried to slide it in the short side.''
Pavelski, a Wisconsin native, said he was lucky that nobody asked him to buy tickets for the game.
``Everybody was on the ball,'' Pavelski said. ``They were calling me and telling me they were coming.''
The Sharks had gone 0 for 10 on the power play in the two previous meetings with Minnesota this season. The Wild entered the game ranked second in the league with an 89.9 percent penalty-kill.
Defenseman Christian Ehrhoff was involved in two key plays, one on defense and the other to set up the winning goal.
Ehrhoff prevented a goal by backing up goalie Evgeni Nabokov on a rebound opportunity for Minnesota forward Mark Parrish to keep the score 1-1 in the first.
``It's tough to get behind here in this building, especially after we came back from one,'' Ehrhoff said. ``I'm happy I can help Nabby out. He helps me out a lot.''
In the second period, Ehrhoff created Bernier's goal by fielding a flipped puck at the red line and quickly counter-attacking. He carried the puck deep into Minnesota's zone, then backhanded a centering pass that Bernier deposited for his eighth goal and a 2-1 edge.
``I thought that was going to be tough to handle,'' Ehrhoff said of the airborne puck. ``But I got it pretty good. I got my body in front of it. I had room, so I skated in.''
The Sharks had a chance to give themselves breathing room when they had a two-man advantage for 1:47 in the third period, but they didn't convert.
 
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