From: nlu@Xenon.Stanford.EDU (Nelson Lu)
Subject: Sharks lose to Senators 3-2
Organization: Computer Science Department, Stanford University.
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 07:47:53 GMT

Well, I guess all of you know this already (since ~36 hours have elapsed
already since the end of the game), but here's an attempt at a game report.
I wasn't able to catch the game (church), so here's a transcribed article from
the San Jose Mercury News.  Following are the usual Sharks info (mostly
courtesy to Scott Simpson, the Senators contact), and the box score.

By Mike Weaver.

	All conversations in which the Ottawa Senators are compared to
the worst team in NHL history must now also include the Sharks.
	The Senators, whose struggles in their first NHL season have
led to frequent comparisions to the 1974-75 Washington Capitals,
dragged the Sharks into those discussions Sunday by skating to a 3-2
victory before a capacity crowd of 10,500 at the Ottawa Civic Center.
The defeat was doubly painful for the Sharks because they also lost
forward Pat Falloon, who suffered a dislocated right shoulder.  The
extent of Falloon's injury was undetermined Sunday, but indications
were that he might be sidelined for three weeks.
	Falloon, the team's leading scorer last season and co-leader
in goals this season, was hurt when he was hip-checked by Senators
defenseman Brad Shaw at the end of the second period.  Falloon, who
missed only one game because of an injury last season, will return to
the Bay Area today to be examined by team physician Arthur Ting.
	The victory allowed the Senators (4-37-3) to pull within three
points of the Sharks (6-35-2) in the overall NHl standings.  It also
improved their chances of beating the 8-67-5 record posted by the
'74-'75 Capitals, the worst finish in NHL history.
	"We all knew this was an important game," said Senators winger
Bob Kudelski, who scored all three of his team's goals.  "We don't
want to come in last and be known as the worst team in hockey."
	Neither do the Sharks, but they're headed in that direction.
	"Both teams had a lot riding on this game," said Sharks winger
Jeff Odgers, who scored late in the third period to give the Sharks a
glimmer of hope.  "We wanted to win this game bad, but now we have to
put it behind us and look ahead to our next game."
	The Sharks, who have established a trend of falling behind
early in recent games, slipped into a 3-0 hold in the first period,
when Kudelski scored all three of his goals (two on power-plays) to
register the first hat trick in franchise history and give the
Senators their biggest lead of the season.
	"I don't know what it is, but we're not coming out of the gate
very well at the start of games," said Sharks goalie Jeff Hackett, who
faced 30 shots.  "It seems like we don't start to play until we spot a
team three or four goals, and we're not good enough to come back."
	The Sharks did cut their deficit to 3-1 when Dean Evason was
credited with a goal after a shot by Sharks defenseman Doug Zmolek
deflected off Evason's skate and into the Ottawa net with 5 minutes,
27 seconds left in the second period.  But the Sharks didn't score
again until Odgers beat Senators goalie Daniel Berthiaume on a rebound
for a power-play goal with 1:58 remaining in the third period.  The
goal by Odgers came after the Sharks had pulled Hackett to give
themselves a two-man advantage.
	The goal also came after the Sharks had been forced to kill a
five-minute major penalty against defenseman Neil Wilkinson, who was
charged with spearing Senators center Mark Freer with 8:16 left in the
third period.
	"It was a spear and it came at a very critical time," Sharks
Coach George Kingston said.  "But that didn't determine the outcome of
the game.  We didn't do a good job of finishing off our chances.
We're simply not shooting the puck enough.  We've been guilty since
the turn of the year of not taking the shots."
	Although Kudelski's hat trick was a first for the Senators, it
was his second against the Sharks.  He also had one while playing for
the Los Angeles Kings last season.
	"Sometimes a guy just seems to get a certain team's number,"
said Kudelski, whose first goal came while the Senators were enjoying
a two-man advantage.  "Right now, I'm happy to have anybody's number."

Today's lines:

Johan Garpenlov		Kelly Kisio		Rob Gaudreau
Ray Whitney		David Maley		Pat Falloon
Hubie McDonough		Dean Evason		Jeff Odgers
Yvon Corriveau		Mike Sullivan		Robin Bawa

Today's defensive pairings:

		Doug Wilson		Doug Zmolek
		Jayson More		Neil Wilkinson
		David Williams		Rob Zettler

Scratches:	Brian Hayward (hip), Sandis Ozolinsh (knee),
	Pat MacLeod (shoulder), Tom Pederson (back), David Bruce (groin),
	Mark Pederson (shoulder), Lyndon Byers, Michel Picard.  Bruce, who has
	missed 8 straight games due to the groin pull, was flown back to the
	Bay Area Sunday, to begin a two-week rest period to see if he'll
	respond.  If not, he might have to undergo exploratory surgery.

Notes:

1.	Doug Wilson returned after missing three games due to a swollen foot,
	at least partly due to the pressing needs on defense with Tom
	Pederson hurt.

2.	Sigh.  Hackett.  Irbe.  Ozolinsh.  Now Falloon.  When will it end?

3.	Arturs Irbe, after missing 19 games due to a knee injury, was back
	in uniform yesterday as Jeff Hackett's backup, but goalie coach Dave
	Prior said that Irbe is probably another week before being actually
	ready to play.  He also commented that Irbe probably could have played
	in an emergency situation, but was best kept on the bench.

4.	Dean Schoenewald, who was the original S. J. Sharkie late last season,
	now plays a lion at Senators games.  He originally signed a two-year
	deal with the Sharks, but the parties dissolved the relationship
	during the off-season, and Schoenewald, who said that the Senators
	are paying him three times as much as the Sharks did, was picked up
	by the Senators.  According to him, he also gets a percentage of the
	team's merchandise sales and the use of a car.

===============================================================================
GO CALGARY FLAMES!  Mike Vernon for Vezina!  Gary Roberts for Hart and Selke!
GO EDMONTON OILERS!  Go for playoffs!  Dave Manson for Norris!
===============================================================================
Nelson Lu (claudius@leland.stanford.edu)
rec.sport.hockey contact for the San Jose Sharks
Newsgroups: rec.sport.hockey