Anaheim vs San Jose

Anaheim vs San Jose

12.11.08



Its the rivalry games that hurt the most. The Ducks fell to San Jose, 0-2, on the road after a physical game.



Jonas Hiller stopped 25 shots for the Ducks, but it wasn't enough to keep the game competitive. The Sharks were scoreless for the first 17 minutes of the game, but scored on a slapshot that got past Hiller. Their second goal was scored midway through the second, giving their goalie, Evgeni Nabokov, his first shutout of the season, stopping all 31 shot attempts.

If penalty minutes are any indication of a physical game, this looked to be more like a boxing match than a hockey game. The teams had a combined 57 minutes in the box, sparked by two fights, various hooking and holding calls, and one unsportsmanlike conduct. Each team earned a 10 minute misconduct in the last few seconds of the game for a fight that was started by a jab with a hockey stick.

A dissappointing loss, but we'll remember who had the better shutout of the two teams, wont we? And even if the Sharks take it all the way to the finals, we'll certainly remember who won Stanley first!

On a side note, Sean Avery will not return to the Dallas Stars after a six game suspension for uttering "sloppy seconds". Seems like the NHL refuses to put up with his antics anymore, and now he's looking for a new home team. Good luck finding one!