Sharks Skate Past Buffalo In A Barn Burner
“It was a big win for us,”---Jed Ortmeyer

By Barbara Mason 01/23/2010
Bay Area Sports Drive/Raiderdrive.com

Saturday night the San Jose Sharks took on the Buffalo Sabres in the first of two meetings this year.  As has been the case all year, the game was enjoyed by a sellout crowd. This was the first appearance of Craig Rivet and Mike Grier since they were traded to Buffalo from San Jose.  This game would be fast paced giving the Sharks all they could handle. 

The first period gave the Sabres a number of scoring chances in the early goings with both teams going hard and fast. Turning over the puck in their own zone proved disastrous for San Jose as Buffalos’ Connolly scored the first goal of the evening for the early 1-0 lead.  At the time of the goal, the Sabres had outshot San Jose 10-2.  Puck management for the Sharks would be crucial, something they were having trouble with in the early goings.  San Jose’s first power play got the team a little more on course as they began to skate with more authority.  As the period ended, the Sabres had outshot the Sharks 14 to 5.  The first period was, as expected, a high powered start to the game with Buffalo taking away time and space from San Jose with their speed. 

San Jose started the second period with a hot hand indeed as Joe Pavelski scored at 2:07 to tie up the game 1-1   As the period began to wind down, Dany Heatley scored at the 14 minute mark assisted by Joe Thornton to take the lead for the first time in the game 2-1.  The Sharks took control keeping pace and then some with Buffalo.  Despite the Sabres taking 29 shots on goal to the Sharks 14, it was San Jose that was in control after two periods. 

The Sabres came out in the third period still on the power play and taking full advantage with their second score off the stick of Pominville and a tie game 2-2.  There were repeated heated exchanges in both zones, but it was San Joses’ Joe Pavelski who broke the tie squeezing the puck past Buffalo goalie Miller for the 3-2 lead.   San Jose kept up the frenzied pace giving another golden scoring opportunity to Jed Ortmeyer who cashed in for the fourth goal of the game and a 4-2 lead with more than half of the period gone.  The Sabres Craig Rivet blasted the puck at Nabokov late in the period being denied by a spectacular save up in the air by the San Jose goalie, just one of many incredible saves in the game by one of the leagues best.  As the game wound down, Buffalo pulled their goalie opening up a play by Jed Ortmeyer for the empty net goal and the 5-2 final score.