Michalek Carries Sharks Past Flames
By Associated Press
12:18 AM EDT, October 23, 2007
CALGARY, Alberta - Milan Michalek scored twice, including a short-handed goal, to lift the San Jose Sharks to a 4-1 victory over the Calgary Flames on Monday night.
Michalek pushed San Jose's lead to 2-0 at 7:33 of the second period when he scored while the Sharks were killing a penalty.
Calgary used four forwards on the power play, but the move backfired when Alex Tanguay mishandled the puck at the Sharks blue line, allowing Michalek to break away down the wing.
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As Dion Phaneuf came across in pursuit, Michalek fired a shot that goalie Miikka Kiprusoff stopped, but he kicked out the rebound right onto Michalek's stick. Michalek fired the puck into the open side beyond Kiprusoff's outstretched pad.
Michalek added his second of the night and sixth of the season in the third period off a setup by Jeremy Roenick from behind the net.
Ryane Clowe and Steve Bernier also scored for San Jose (5-3-1), which began a four-game road trip that continues Friday in Detroit.
Daymond Langkow netted his eighth of the season for the Flames (4-3-2), who lost in regulation for the first time in six games (4-1-1).
Until Langkow's goal with 3:33 left, the only shot to get past Evgeni Nabokov came off the right arm of Eric Godard as he went to the net.
It was originally ruled a goal that would have given the Flames a 1-0 lead. However, replays indicated Godard slightly moved his arm toward the puck as he skated, so the goal was waved off at 16:01 of the first.
That proved to be important.
Shortly after, San Jose took advantage of the first power play of the game with Joe Thornton and Roenick combining to set up Clowe with 36 seconds left in the period.
It was a sweet turn of events for Roenick, who on his previous shift was booed off the ice by the sold-out crowd. Robyn Regehr had delivered a heavy bodycheck against Roenick at the Flames blue line that appeared to leave the Sharks forward a bit woozy. Roenick staggered slightly at the blue line after he got up, remained there for a couple of minutes, and was attended to by the before skating to the bench.
Bernier scored at 16:22 of the second when he tipped in Craig Rivet's point shot. Flames coach Mike Keenan pulled Kiprusoff for the first time this season and replaced him with Curtis McElhinney. Kiprusoff stopped 15 of 18 shots.
McElhinney faced only two in 23-plus minutes, giving up Michalek's second goal on San Jose's only shot of the final period.
Notes:@ Calgary RW Owen Nolan was honored before the game for appearing in his 1,000th NHL game. Among the gifts he received was an ATV from his Flames teammates, a commemorative painting, a silver stick, and a box of wine from his former organization, the Sharks. In eight seasons, Nolan played 568 games for the Sharks -- the third most in team history. ... Injuries to forwards David Moss (concussion) and Wayne Primeau (ankle) Saturday created a spot for LW Eric Nystrom, recalled Sunday from Quad City (AHL). It was the third career game for Nystrom. ... San Jose D Kyle McLaren (chest contusion) sat out. Alexei Semenov made his Sharks debut in McLaren's place.