Sopel nets two in Canucks' overtime win
Canadian Press
2/27/2004
VANCOUVER (CP) - Brent Sopel's eyes grew as big as saucers when he saw the open net.
"It was just a yawning cage," the Vancouver Canucks defenceman said with a wide grin.
Sopel's second power-play goal of the game at 2:14 of overtime gave Vancouver a 3-2 NHL win over the San Jose Sharks Thursday.
The Sharks were forced to play shorthanded after being called for having too many men on the ice.
Sopel picked up the rebound of a Markus Naslund shot and fired it past Shark goaltender Vesa Toskala as the Canucks won their second consecutive home game.
"The defence were jumping in, creating some offence and chipping in here and there," said Sopel, who also scored on a power play in the second period.
"We did a great job of throwing pucks to the net and getting people in front. We just pecked away and finally it came."
Naslund, who returned to action after missing three games with a concussion, logged almost 21 minutes of ice time and earned an assist.
"I think my timing might be off a little bit and I think that's natural when you've been down for that period of time," said the Canucks captain.
"It takes a while to get going and it was good to get this one out of the way."
The penalty in overtime frustrated Sharks coach Ron Wilson, who thought Vancouver's Jarkko Ruutu should have been called for elbowing late in the game.
"Unfortunately in our league you have discretion on elbows to the head but not on too many men on the ice," sighed Wilson.
"What are you going to do?"
Canucks defenceman Mattias Ohlund forced the overtime by scoring with just over three minutes left in regulation.
Marco Sturm and Scott Thornton scored for the Sharks.
The Canucks outshot the Sharks 36-21. On the winning goal Toskala had little chance.
"The rebound went straight to his blade and it was almost an empty net," said Toskala.
"I couldn't get there."
It was the second consecutive win for the Canucks who are 3-4-0-1 in their last eight games. Vancouver is also 2-3 in its last five home games.
The victory improved Vancouver's record to 34-19-7-4 and leaves them just two points behind Colorado for first place in the Northwest Division.
The Sharks (30-17-11-5), are first place in the Pacific Division and the third seed in the Western Conference.
A sellout crowd of 18,630 welcomed back Naslund, who returned after suffering a concussion Feb. 16 in Colorado. Centre Matt Cooke was also back after serving a two-game suspension.
The Sharks lost two players in the first period when centre Mike Ricci and defenceman Kyle McLaren were both injured. Neither returned to the game.
Ricci suffered a shoulder injury when he was taken hard into the boards by Ruutu.<
Several minutes later McLaren was struck in the face by a shot from Canuck defenceman Sami Salo.
Vancouver continues its homestand Saturday against the St. Louis Blues.
Notes: Canucks defenceman Ed Jovanovski, out since Jan. 25 with a separated shoulder, has resumed skating and could begin practising with the team next week ... Vancouver centre Brendan Morrison, an avid angler, has donated money to The Land Conservancy of B.C. to buy and protect the Codd Wetlands near his home town of Pitt Meadows, B.C., which supports hundreds of wildlife species ... Prior to sitting out against the Canucks, Shark goaltender Evgeni Nabokov had made five consecutive starts.
Cheers,
Aquaman