Wes Walz and Stephane Veilleux each had a
goal and an assist, and the Minnesota Wild rebounded from their
first loss with a 4-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday
night.
Manny Fernandez made 31 saves as Minnesota easily won a meeting
of 6-1 teams, slowing the Sharks' best start in franchise history
with four goals on just 14 shots in the first 47 minutes of the
finale of a three-game California road trip.
One night after their unbeaten season ended in Anaheim, the Wild
outclassed the Sharks with superior skating, passing and defence.
Mark Parrish and Brian Rolston also scored, while Fernandez was
outstanding before losing the chance for his second shutout of the
season on captain Patrick Marleau's goal during four-on-four play
with 6:20 left.
And the Wild did it without star right wing Marian Gaborik, who
sat out after straining his groin in the third period Friday night.
The Slovakian scorer sat out 17 games last season because of two
abdominal injuries, including a strained groin.
Evgeni Nabokov, who stopped 14 shots, has been in net for both of
the Sharks' losses this season in his every-other-game platoon with
Vesa Toskala, though Nabokov also has two shutouts in his four
starts.
But while Nabokov gave up two soft goals, the Sharks rarely even
threatened Fernandez in their first home loss of the year.
Reigning NHL MVP Joe Thornton has a minus-4 rating and still
doesn't have a goal this season, and San Jose went 0-for-4 on the
power play after tying the franchise record with five man-advantage
goals against Detroit on Thursday night. The Sharks' vaunted top
line of Thornton, Jonathan Cheechoo and Mark Bell failed to score a
goal for just the second time in its five games together.
Minnesota scored before the first stoppage of play when Brent
Burns stole the puck behind San Jose's net and fed Parrish for his
second goal of the season.
Veilleux scored early in the second period, flinging a quick shot
under Nabokov's pads from the slot when the Sharks got lost
defensively. Walz added another nearly 4 minutes later, tipping home
Nick Schultz's long shot off a faceoff.
Rolston added his sixth of the season on an easily stoppable slap
shot that somehow eluded Nabokov with 12:59 to play.
Notes: The Sharks are headed on a five-game East Coast road swing.
In all, nine of their next 12 games are on the road. ... The Wild
said Gaborik would return to the Twin Cities with the team Sunday to
be evaluated by team doctors. ... Walz returned to the lineup after
missing two games with a hip injury.
