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  Friday, Oct. 20 8:00pm ET
Nolan returns in Sharks' win
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Like most NHL teams this season, San Jose is taking more penalties. Like few teams this season, the Sharks are also killing more penalties.

Such was the case Friday night, as opportunistic special-teams play lifted the Sharks to their first road win of the season, 3-1 over the Minnesota Wild. San Jose (3-2-0), which killed six Minnesota power plays, scored both short-handed and power-play goals.

Aaron Gavey
Wild center Aaron Gavey takes a hit from San Jose's Scott Hannan, right, after the whistle.

"Our penalty killing has been excellent, but it's had to be excellent, because we've taken a lot of penalties early," Sharks assistant coach Rich Preston said. "Throughout the league with the way they're calling slashing and holding, you'd better have good special teams. Our power play has been average, but our penalty kill has been very good."

Leading 2-1 late in the second period, Sharks center Patrick Marleau tipped Shawn Heins' shot between the pads of Minnesota goalie Jamie McLennan. It was only San Jose's second power-play goal of the season.

Evgeni Nabokov stopped 21 shots and McLennan finished with 30 saves for Minnesota (1-5-1). The Sharks outshot Minnesota 13-4 in the third period.

San Jose forward Jeff Friesen needed less than a minute to score his second goal of the season. After sneaking behind the Wild defense in the neutral zone, Friesen took a pass from Vincent Damphousse and charged to the net, beating McLennan with a wrist shot.

"Vinny made a nice little one-touch pass to me, and I just saw a hole and broke for the net," Friesen said. "I feel fortunate that the lane was there, and I just let it fly."

The Sharks' penalty-killing unit entered the game leading the league in efficiency, and had plenty of work in the opening period. San Jose killed all four penalties in the period, allowing only one shot and scoring a short-handed goal.

With Friesen in the penalty box for tripping near the midway point of the first, Sharks forward Niklas Sundstrom stole the puck from Wild center Stacy Roest deep in Minnesota's zone. Sundstrom flipped a pass to Mike Ricci, whose high shot caught the upper left corner of the net. It was Ricci's second goal of the season and the team's third short-handed goal in five games.

Minnesota's lone goal came with one minute left in the first period when left wing Matt Johnson followed his own rebound and tucked the puck behind the sprawled Nabokov. It was Johnson's first goal of the season.

San Jose's tight defense stifled Minnesota's attempts to get back into the game.

"They did a good job of putting a blanket on us," McLennan said. "It seems like every time we made a pass they were right there in the neutral zone."

Game notes
Sharks captain Owen Nolan made his season debut after signing a multiyear contract last week. ... San Jose called up defenseman Greg Andrusak from the Kentucky Thoroughblades of the American Hockey League. Andrusak, 30, played in nine games for the Toronto Maple Leafs last season. He did not suit up for the Minnesota game. ... After scoring the first game-winning goal in Wild history Wednesday night, rookie left wing Marian Gaborik switched jersey numbers from 10 to 82, in honor of the year he was born. ... Wild defenseman Brad Bombardir left in the second period with a strained groin muscle. ... The Sharks' roster boasts five players under the age of 25 who have at least three seasons of NHL experience (Friesen, Marleau, Marco Sturm, Todd Harvey and Alexander Korolyuk).
 


ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard

San Jose Clubhouse

Minnesota Clubhouse


RECAPS
Anaheim 2
Buffalo 2

NY Islanders 5
Atlanta 3

San Jose 3
Minnesota 1

Dallas 5
Chicago 1

Calgary 3
Boston 2

AUDIO/VIDEO
video
 Jeff Friesen scores on a breakaway goal.
avi: 778 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1

 Mike Ricci scores a short-handed goal.
avi
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1