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 Sandis Ozolinsh also scored and Evgeni Nabokov made 28 saves for the Sharks, who improved the Western Conference's worst home record by holding on through a tense third period against the Blackhawks, whose four-game winning streak ended. San Jose fell out of first place during its longest skid of the season, but regained its form with a solid defensive game against a surging opponent.
Adam Burish scored his first NHL goal midway through the third period for the Blackhawks, who are winless in nine straight meetings with the Sharks, including seven straight trips to San Jose. Jack Skille also scored, and Patrick Lalime stopped 20 shots in his first regulation loss since Dec. 16.
San Jose's win and Dallas' loss to Columbus again tightened the three-team race atop the Pacific Division. The Stars lead with 61 points, while Anaheim has 60 and San Jose 59.
Several Sharks saw their four-game homestand before the All-Star break as a measure of their readiness to earn a top spot in the Western Conference, but San Jose opened the series with decisive losses to Dallas and Detroit last week. The Sharks finish the homestand against St. Louis on Thursday.
Nabokov had allowed 15 goals in three games since sitting out for the first time this season last Tuesday. But the All-Star was spectacular against the Blackhawks, diving and scrambling around his crease for several jaw-dropping saves.
After Skille scored for Chicago less than 5 minutes in, the Sharks equalized when Ozolinsh flipped home a backhand for his first goal since Dec. 8. The veteran defenseman was benched for seven of San Jose's previous nine games.
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San Jose went ahead late in the second period on a heady play by Pavelski, who caught prized Chicago rookie Patrick Kane loafing on the point during a power play. When Kane was slow to retrieve a loose puck, Pavelski scooted past him and beat Lalime for his 10th goal of the season, his first shorthanded.
Ehrhoff then scored a power-play goal less than 3 minutes later when his shot from the blue line slipped underneath Lalime, who was screened by Joe Thornton. Ehrhoff's defense has improved this season, and he ranks third on the team with 16 assists
-- but the German defenseman hadn't scored a goal in his first 44 games of the season.
The teams played a chippy game, with several scrums after whistles. Duncan Keith, the Blackhawks' All-Star defenseman, got a four-minute roughing penalty in the third period for a gloved punch to Pavelski's head after the whistle.
Right after the penalty ended, Burish capitalized on some defensive confusion to sneak behind three Sharks for his first goal in 58 career NHL games. Burish captained the University of Wisconsin's 2006 NCAA championship team, which also included Pavelski and Skille.
Notes: The Blackhawks return to San Jose on Feb. 2. ... C Tomas Plihal made his season debut for the Sharks, centering a line with underachieving veterans Patrick Marleau and Jonathan Cheechoo. San Jose recalled Plihal, who played his first three NHL games with the Sharks last season, on Sunday after Curtis Brown injured his hand. Plihal made the Sharks' roster out of training camp, but spent two months on injured reserve before going to the minors. ... Chicago RW Martin Lapointe missed his fourth straight game with a bruised kidney.
[Associated Press; By GREG BEACHAM]
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
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