Sharks-Flames: Flames Extinguised Early and Often, Fall to San Jose, 6-1

Ever since the beginning of the season, Sharks fans have been looking for their team to dominate a game from start to finish. This past Thursday, the Sharks did just that, dominating the Calgary Flames by a final score of 6-1.

Dan Boyle returned to the ice against the Flames after missing Tuesday's game against the Predators to be with his wife Amber who gave birth to their first child, a baby-girl named Easton Sky Boyle.

I think the day off to celebrate gave Boyle a jump-start Thursday, as he contributed with three assists from the blue-line in his return to the lineup.

Boyle wasn't the only Sharks defenseman who had three assists against the Flames; both Rob Blake and Christian Ehrhoff did, as well. In fact, the Sharks set a franchise record of nine points from the defense in a single game. 

Todd McLellan's system that incorporates defense from the offense seems to be getting through to his team.  It's still early, but in my opinion, McLellan ought to be the front-runner for coach of the year.

The one weakness the Sharks may have had coming into Thursday's game was their power-play. A power-play that had only been successful 16.2 percent of the time. 

That would change dramatically against the Flames when San Jose finished 4-9 with the man advantage and at one point were 4-4 after scoring on a 5-on-3 advantage.

Joe Pavelski gave the Sharks the early lead at 8:04 of the first period. Only seven seconds after Calgary's rookie defenseman Adam Pardy was called for hooking, Pavelski put the Sharks on the board.

After winning the face-off back to Ehrhoff, Pavelski drove to the net and was the beneficiary of a rebound off a Rob Blake point shot, Joe-Pa slid it into the wide-open net giving the Sharks a 1-0 lead.  

Less than 30 seconds later, with the same line still on the ice, Milan Michalek gave the Sharks a 2-0 advantage. Michalek took a feed from Pavelski, burned the Calgary defense on the outside, faked a slap-shot and got Flames goal-tender Miikka Kiprusoff to bite on it. Milan then took an extra stride and wristed one short-side for the 2-0 lead.

At 15:02 of the opening period it was Patrick Marleau's turn to cash in on the power-play. After the Flames were caught with a too many men on the ice penalty, Marleau converted with three seconds remaining on the power-play, once again off a Rob Blake point shot.

A little over a minute after Marleau scored, Flames forward Todd Bertuzzi was called for high-sticking and the Sharks went back on the power-play.  This time it was Joe Thornton, as the No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks from the 1997 NHL Draft switched places.

Joe followed Patty this time with his third goal of the season at 17:42 of the first. Boyle guided the puck towards the net where Setoguchi got a stick on it and then Thornton put home the garbage.

4-0 after one period of play.

In the playoffs last season, the Sharks squandered a 3-0 lead against the Flames and ended up losing Game Three, but San Jose would have none of that this time around.  Early in the second period, Milan Michalek scored his second of the game after receiving a cross-ice pass from Christian Ehrhoff and backhanding the puck into a gaping Calgary net.

In the third period, Joe Pavelski joined Michalek in the two-goal club with his seventh of the year, converting on a five-on-three advantage, once again putting home a rebound from a point shot, this time from Dan Boyle. (Rob Blake was credited with the secondary assist on the play.)

Pavelski's goal made the Sharks perfect on the power-play, 4-4 at the time, although San Jose failed to score on the remaining five-on-four power-play.  They finished the power-play 4-9 on the night, not scoring on the last few mostly due to the fact that they had Jody Shelley taking penalties while on the power-play.

The Flames ruined Brian "Bobby" Boucher's attempt at a third shutout at 10:13 of the third, as Michael Cammalleri scored on the power-play for the Flames.

That was it for the scoring though, as the Sharks cruised to a 6-1 final, improving their record to 14-3-0-1. Unlike Tuesday when they set a franchise record in shots on goal and lost, this time their nearly two-to-one shot advantage benefited in their favor as they scored early and often, chasing Miikka Kiprusoff to the bench after the opening period.

The Sharks will now head out on the road for a short two game trip. They will play back-to-backs starting Sunday in Chicago and then Monday in Nashville, finally returning home to take on the Washington Capitals on Saturday the 22nd.