10/18/08 5-4 OT Loss SCORING 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total PHI 1 2 1 0 - 4 SJS 0 2 2 1 - 5 _______________________________ SHOTS 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total PHI 7 4 6 0 - 17 SJS 10 19 15 1 - 45

*** PostGame Interviews & Coach’s Press Conference ***

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San Jose, CA (Sports Network) – Dan Boyle scored 1:25 into overtime, as the San Jose Sharks downed the Philadelphia Flyers, 5-4, in the opener of a home- and-home series at the HP Pavilion.

Boyle added two assists for the Sharks, who are 6-0 with a pair of ties in their last eight tilts with the Flyers. Jonathan Cheechoo and Christian Ehrhoff both registered a goal and an assist, while Evgeni Nabokov allowed four goals on 17 shots.

“We have to tighten up in that area,” Sharks coach Todd McLellan said of his team’s defensive play. “I still want us to have our foot on the gas pedal offensively, but also making better decisions when we don’t have the puck.”

Daniel Briere found the back of the net twice for Philadelphia, which is winless (0-3-2) through its first five games for the first time since the 1999-2000 campaign. Jeff Carter had a goal and an assist, and Mike Knuble and Kimmo Timonen each collected two assists. Antero Niittymaki stopped 40-of-45 shots in defeat.

San Jose trailed 3-2, but Joe Pavelski evened the score, notching a goal 5:43 into the third period. Pavelski dumped the puck harmlessly on goal from the offensive blueline, outraced the defense and buried the rebound.

The Flyers regained the lead at the 11:11 mark, as Briere took a feed from Knuble, skated in alone and beat Nabokov on a backhand-to-forehand deke.

San Jose, though, tied the game again with 4:44 remaining. Jeremy Roenick’s shot from the left boards was deflected in front and Niittymaki made the initial save, but Devin Setoguchi pounced on the loose puck and slid it under the arm of the sprawled netminder.

Late in regulation, Niittymaki made a spectacular glove save on Cheechoo while on a odd-man rush with Patrick Marleau to preserve the 4-4 tie.

In the extra session, Joe Thornton dished across the slot to Boyle, sneaking in from the right point, and the offensive defenseman deposited the puck in the back of the net.

“I really liked the effort tonight,” said Flyers coach John Stevens. “It’s just one of those games when you get the lead in the third period you want to lock it up and put it away.”

Briere scored first for the Flyers, backhanding a puck past the glove of Nabokov with 5:09 remaining in the first. With the clubs skating four-on- four, Braydon Coburn put Philadelphia up 2-0, ripping a backhander from the slot past the San Jose netminder 31 seconds into the second period.

Ehrhoff lit the lamp 1:23 later, letting go a shot from the point that made its way through traffic and in behind Niittymaki. Shortly after Philadelphia killed off a 5-on-3 for two full minutes, rookie defenseman Luca Sbisa, the Flyers’ first-round pick in the 2008 draft, was whistled for hooking. Carter then raced down the right wing and fired a wrister from the faceoff dot that beat Nabokov on the glove side.

While on the power play, Cheechoo redirected Marc-Edouard Vlasic’s point shot past Niittymaki, cutting the deficit to 3-2 with 1:40 remaining in the middle stanza.

Game Notes

These two clubs will meet again on Wednesday in Philadelphia…Vlasic recorded two assists…The Flyers have not beaten the Sharks since December 21, 2000, a 4-3 triumph at home. They have not won at San Jose since November 5, 1999.

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Scoring

Philadelphia Flyers:
1. D. Briere (1) (M. Knuble (2), K. Timonen (3)) 14:51 1st Pd
2. B. Coburn (1) (J. Carter (1), K. Timonen (4)) 0:31 2nd Pd
4. J. Carter (3) 6:48 2nd Pd
7. D. Briere (2) (M. Knuble (3), S. Gagne (1)) 11:11 3rd Pd

San Jose Sharks:
3. C. Ehrhoff (2) (R. Clowe (2), M. Grier (2)) 1:54 2nd Pd
5. J. Cheechoo (4) (M. Vlasic (3), D. Boyle (3)) 18:20 2nd Pd
6. J. Pavelski (2) (J. Cheechoo (2), M. Vlasic (4)) 5:43 3rd Pd
8. D. Setoguchi (3) (J. Roenick (1), D. Boyle (4)) 15:16 3rd Pd
9. D. Boyle (1) (J. Thornton (5), C. Ehrhoff (3)) 1:25 OT

Penalties

Philadelphia Flyers:
S. Downie (Roughing) 9:40 1st Pd
R. Cote (Fighting) 15:16 1st Pd
M. Richards (Roughing) 17:44 1st Pd
B. Coburn (Stick Holding) 17:44 1st Pd
S. Hartnell (Roughing) 17:44 1st Pd
S. Upshall (Roughing) 20:00 1st Pd
S. Upshall (Hooking) 3:07 2nd Pd
S. Eminger (Interference) 3:07 2nd Pd
L. Sbisa (Hooking) 6:27 2nd Pd
. Team (Too many men) 9:54 2nd Pd
S. Downie (Slashing) 16:59 2nd Pd
D. Briere (Holding) 6:14 3rd Pd

San Jose Sharks:
R. Blake (Roughing) 9:40 1st Pd
J. Shelley (Fighting) 15:16 1st Pd
D. Boyle (Roughing) 17:44 1st Pd
M. Grier (Roughing) 17:44 1st Pd
M. Goc (Roughing) 20:00 1st Pd
D. Boyle (Tripping) 14:29 2nd Pd
R. Blake (Interference) 18:43 2nd Pd

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 19th, 2008 at 5:57 AM and is filed under Antero Niittymaki, Braydon Coburn, Danny Briere, Flyers, Game Recaps, Jeff Carter, Kimmo Timonen, Luca Sbisa, Mike Knuble, Regular Season, San Jose Sharks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.