Calgary, AB (My Sportsbook) - Evgeni Nabokov made 28 saves to help the San Jose Sharks take a 2-1 win over the
Calgary Flames in a battle of division leaders at Pengrowth Saddledome.
Dany Boyle and Jonathan Cheechoo each had a goal for the Sharks, who have won two straight. Joe Thornton assisted on both goals.
"We are playing well as a team right now," said Nabokov. "We're playing disciplined and not letting the other team get any momentum. We gotta keep up this kind of play when the playoffs start."
Jarome Iginla scored the lone goal while Miikka Kiprusoff stopped 15 shots in the loss for the Flames, who have dropped three of their last four.
"We just gotta make plays and not think too hard about these losses," said Calgary forward Mike Cammalleri. "I would say that we definitely wanted a different result tonight. But, we're just gonna regroup and come back for our next game."
The win moves San Jose to 111 points on the season and the team has a four- point edge on Detroit for No. 1 overall in the league. Calgary sits atop the Northwest Division with 92 points, but is just one ahead of Vancouver with six games to play while the Canucks have seven games remaining.
The Sharks drew first blood courtesy of a 5-on-3 power play. Work around the perimeter resulted in Thornton getting the puck at the low right side of the net and he flicked it out to the left circle for Boyle, who fired a one-timer past Kiprusoff just 6:11 in.
However, the Flames tied the game with 4:51 left in the first as Iginla took a pass and skated to the top of the left circle where he slammed on the brakes and snapped a wrist shot into the net.
San Jose took a 2-1 lead at the 12:24 mark of the second period as Brad Lukowich threw a shot on net from the high point that was tipped in by Cheechoo for his 10th goal of the season.
The Flames were unable to get any consistent pressure on net in the third period and what shots they did have, 12 in all, were easily turned aside by Nabokov to give the Sharks the victory.
Game Notes
It was the first goal in 22 games by Boyle while it was the first time Iginla lit the lamp in seven games...The Flames play in Dallas on Thursday...San Jose plays in Edmonton on Thursday...Each team won twice in the season series...San Jose went 1-for-2 on the power play while Calgary failed to score on either of its two chances.
