Sharks Start Slow, Finish Fast to Take Lead

A rough start turned into an easy finish for Evgeni Nabokov and the San Jose Sharks.

Nabokov gave up a goal to Shane Doan on Phoenix’s first shot, then made 35 saves as the Sharks beat the Coyotes, 4-1, Monday night at Phoenix to take a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven first-round Western Conference playoff series.

Mike Ricci had a goal and an assist, and Patrick Marleau, Adam Graves and Scott Thornton also scored for the Sharks, who scored only three goals in the first two games after finishing fourth in the NHL in goals during the regular season.

Game 4 is Wednesday night at Phoenix.

The Sharks knew what they had to do to regain the home-ice advantage--crash the net, create havoc to distract goalie Sean Burke and cash in--and they did.

The Pacific Division champions turned it up early in the second period after allowing the Coyotes to enjoy a 1-0 lead most of the first.

Marleau scored his second goal by taking advantage of a screen by Marco Sturm, who tangled with Daymond Langkow in front of Burke. Graves squeezed a shot between Burke’s arm and body from close in, and Thornton poked in a rebound to make it 3-1 at 7:20 of the third.

Nabokov, who had seven shutouts during the season, was strong after allowing Doan’s score 1:06 in.

He had four saves during a Coyote power play that began with 5:03 left in the second period, including a rejection of a shot by Langkow while falling and a kick save on Langkow’s rebound attempt.

Burke got an assist on Doan’s goal, clearing the puck to Todd Simpson, who passed to Doan in the Phoenix end. The power forward stepped past a defender at the blue line, raced down the right wing and fired from the circle, beating Nabokov on the far side.

But Marleau, who scored the winner in Game 1, tied it 3:40 into the second period. The Sharks got the lead at 5:38 when Graves whiffed on his first try at a shot, then got just enough on the puck to squirt it in off Burke’s jersey.

Ricci scored 23 seconds after Thornton, and the period degenerated into a series of penalties by the frustrated Coyotes. The Sharks had three of their eight power plays in the final 4:22.

Burke made 15 of his 30 saves in the third period.

Ottawa 3, Philadelphia 0--Radek Bonk got his first playoff goal, scoring on a power play 2:04 into the third period and Patrick Lalime got his second consecutive shutout as the Senators won at Ottawa. The Senators, who have given up no goals in regulation in this Eastern Conference series, hold a 2-1 lead.

“They’re playing as well as they have since they came into this league,” Flyer center Jeremy Roenick said. “It’s a credit to their coaches. We have to try to take a page out of their book.”

Bonk, who assisted on Ottawa’s first goal Saturday for his second point in 26 playoff games, fired a shot from the slot past goalie Roman Cechmanek and just inside the right post.

Marian Hossa scored into an empty net with 54.3 seconds remaining before a wild white towel-waving Corel Centre crowd of 18,239.

Daniel Alfredsson scored another empty-net goal 44 seconds later.

Lalime made 26 saves in his second career playoff win and shutout. He stopped 33 shots in a 3-0 win in Game 2 as the teams split the first two games.