Devils Beat Sharks in Front of 5,142 at Sports Arena
The National Hockey League made a lackluster appearance at San Diego Sports Arena on Friday, with 5,142 hockey die-hards watching a 3-0 victory by the New Jersey Devils over the expansion San Jose Sharks.
San Diego has hopes of getting an NHL expansion team for 1994, and one official of the San Diego Gulls said Friday’s game “was San Diego’s chance to show its support of the NHL.”
If the turnout was middling, so was the game.
New Jersey dominated the toothless Sharks, who had only 11 shots on goal. The Devils kept the pressure on Sharks goalie Artur Irbe, scoring seven minutes into the first period on John MacLean’s power-play goal and building the lead to 2-0 late in the second period on a Tom Chorske goal off a flurry in front of the net. MacLean added another goal 11 minutes into the third period. Former Gull Alain Chevrier recorded the shutout.
The Devils outshot the Sharks, 37-11. New Jersey improved to 4-5, while San Jose fell to 2-5-2 in exhibition play.
Go beyond the scoreboard
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