European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 18, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday april 18 2007 stars and stripes Page 35 Akes 21 Lead in series by Greg Beacham the associated press san Jose Calif Joe Thornton specializes in stunning passes and crushing hits yet he loved play ing without much Flash while his san Jose Sharks jumped ahead in their playoff series against Nash Ville we just wore them Down last seasons map said Milan Michalek and Ryane Clowe scored Sec on period goals and the Sharks pounded Nashville with 41 shots in a methodical 31 Victory in game 3 on monday night Captain Patrick Marleau scored the clinching goal with to play and Evgeni Nabokov made 19 saves behind the Sharks relentless offensive attack to take a 21 Lead in the Besto seven series after an initial surge of Energy from its frenzied sellout crowd san Jose calmed Down and took control even with Thornton leading the attack there want much Glitz to this Victory the intensity and imposing physical game common to the Sharks Best performances when were on top of our game we get the puck deep and try to Wear other teams Down Sharks coach Ron Wilson said i thought we did a pretty Goodjon Otthat game 4 is wednesday night at the shark tank with game 5 Back in Nashville on Friday after a double overtime thriller and a bruising re match in Nashville both 51victory clubs were More Mellow on the West coast but there was nothing Lidback about the Sharks Effort though the Sharks vaunted Power play is an inept lfor18 against Nashville hard work turned game 3 in san Joses favor during an 18shot second period Ryan Suter scored his first nil playoff goal for the predators who still Haven won a Road playoff game in six tries Over three seasons Tomas Vokoun stopped 38 shots in another solid performance but the predators spent too much time scrambling Back on defense Paul Nashville goalie Tomas Vokoun blocks a puck during the third period of mondays first round Western conference playoff game against san Jose we got outplayed Plain and simple Vokoun said they were a better team and the score shows it and every stat you look at shows it sometimes that1 s not exactly the Story always but certainly it was today Steve Bevier was Back in the Sharks lineup after leaving game 2 following a Blindside bit by Rookie Forward Alexander Radulov who was suspended for the predators first game in san Jose Scott Hart Nell got the series bad feelings started in game 1 with a knee Oknee hit on Jonathan Cheechov both teams still played a physical game Nashville Winger Martin Erat left the ice in the second period after receiving a hard hit from Bernier and Trotz said hell be reevaluated tuesday we knew the Energy level would be great in this building Nashville coach Barry Trotz said i thought we had a pretty Good first period for coming into a Tough place in the second period the Sharks got momentum a couple of penalties nil scoreboard Eastern conference Buffalo is by islanders thursday april 12 Buffalo 4 by islanders 1 saturday april 14 by islanders 3 Buffalo 2 monday Buffalo 3 by islanders 2 Buffalo leads series 21 wednesday Buffalo at by islanders Friday by islanders at Buffalo sunday Buffalo at by islanders if Neces sary tuesday april 24 by islanders at Buffalo Ted if necessary new Jersey is Tampa Bay thursday april 12 new Jersey 5 Tampa bay3 saturday april 14 Tampa Bay 3 new Jer sey 2 monday Tampa Bay 3 new Jersey 2 Tampa Bay leads series 21 wednesday new Jersey at Tampa Bay Friday Tampa Bay at new Jersey sunday new Jersey at Tampa Bay if Nec Essary tuesday april 24 Tampa Bay at new Jer sey if necessary Atlanta is by rangers thursday april 12 by rangers 4 Atlanta 3 saturday april by rangers 2 Atlanta 1 by rangers Lead series 20 tuesday Atlanta at by rangers wednesday Atlanta at by rangers Friday by rangers at Atlanta if Neces sary sunday Atlanta at by rangers if Neces sary monday by rangers at Atlanta if Neces sary Ottawa is Pittsburgh wednesday april 11 Ottawa 6 Pittsburgh 3 saturday april 14 Pittsburgh 4 Ottawa 3 sunday Ottawa 4 Pittsburgh 2 Ottawa leads series 21 tuesday Ottawa at Pittsburgh thursday Pittsburgh at Ottawa sunday Ottawa at Pittsburgh if Neces sary tuesday april Pittsburgh at Ottawa if necessary Western conference Detroit is Calgary thursday april 12 Detroit 4 Calgary 1 sunday Detroit 3 Calgary 1 Detroit leads series 20 tuesday Detroit at Calgary thursday Detroit at Calgary saturday Calgary at Detroit if necessary sunday april 22 Detroit at Calgary if Nec Essary tuesday april 24 Calgary at Detroit if Nec Essary Anaheim is Minnesota wednesday april 11 Anaheim 2 Minnesota 1 Friday april 13 Anaheim 3 Minnesota 2 sunday Anaheim 2 Minnesota 1 Anaheim leads series 30 tuesday Anaheim at Minnesota thursday Minnesota at Anaheim if Neces sary saturday Anaheim at Minnesota if Neces sary monday april 23 Minnesota at Anaheim if necessary Vancouver is Dallas wednesday april 11 Vancouver 5 Dallas 440t Friday april 13 Dallas 2 Vancouver 0 sunday Vancouver 2 Dallas 1 of Vancou ver leads series 21 tuesday Vancouver at Dallas thursday Dallas at Vancouver saturday Vancouver at Dallas if Neces monday april 23 Dallas at Vancouver if necessary Nashville is san Jose wednesday april 11 san Jose 5 Nashville 420t Friday april 13 Nashville 5 san Jose 2 monday san Jose 3 Nashville 1 san Jose leads series 21 wednesday Nashville at san Jose Friday san Jose at Nashville sunday Nashville at san Jose if necessary tuesday april 24 san Jose at Nashville if necessary monday lightning 3 devils 2 new Jersey 0 1 12 Tampa Bay 1 0 23 first Tampa Bay Lecavalier 4 St Louis second new Jersey Madden 1 Brylin 1727 third Tampa Bay Richards 1 St Louis new Jersey Parise 4 Zajac 5 Tampa Bay Prospal 1 Lecavalier St shots on Goa new Jersey 981532 Tampa Bay 591024 Power play Jersey 0 of 4 Tampa Bay i of 5 Jersey Brodeur 12 24 shots21 Tampa Bay Holmqvist 21 a20219 sabres 3 islanders 2 Buffalo 0 3 03 by islanders 0 2 02 second period1 Buffalo Mair 1 Drury Buffalo Vanek 1 Roy of 3 by islanders Hunter 2 Smyth Buffalo Briere 1 con Nolly 5 by islanders Smyth 1 shots on Goa Buffalo 991735 by is Landers 1010222 Power play 1 of 4 by islanders oof 4 goalie Buffalo Miller 21 22 shots20 by islanders Dipietro 12 a16234 t234 Sharks 3 predators 1 Nashville 1 0 01 san Jose 0 2 13 first period1 Nashville Suter 1 leg Wand second san Jose Michalek 2 rivet 3 san Jose Clowe 2 Carle third san Jose Marleau 1 shots on Goa Nashville 77620 san Jose 11181241 Power play 0 of 2 san Jose 0 of 6 goalie Nashville Vokoun 120 41 shots38 san Jose Nabokov 210 a17496 sabres forwards emerge in Victory Over islanders the associated press Uniondale Buffalo sabres big toppers Are Back and so is Home ice advantage unheralded Forward Adam Mair bristled at the notion that the High flying forwards were Ever missing Mair got buffaloes offence Roll ing with a rare goal before Seri Ous scorers Thomas Vanek and Daniel Briere finished off a Sec on period spurt that carried the sabres to a 32 Victory Over the new York islanders on monday night that was just enough offence to give Buffalo a 21 Lead in the first round Eastern conference playoff series the sabres split two games at Home but Only got two of their six goals from for wards i didst even know that said Mair who had two goals in the regular season we dont really care who scores were just focused on winning the game he might not care but if the to seeded sabres Are going to build on their presidents trophy Victory and make a run toward their first Stanley cup title they will need Guys like Vanek Briere and Chris Drury to score Drury was the Only Forward to do it for Buffalo at Home in these Ries netting two in the sabres game 1 Victory Vanek and Bri Ere the clubs top two scorers Dur ing the season joined the fun on Long Island we want to see More offence from our forwards Briere said the first couple of games we were throwing a lot of pucks away but tonight we did a better Job protecting the pucks thais the Way we have to keep it going because these Guys Are Tough and playing us hard the eyes of the nil including commissioner Gary Bettman were on the sabres who suddenly were in trouble after leading the league with 53 victories Buffalo scored an no lest 308 goals this season including 112 by Vanek Briere and Drury and needed to flex its offensive muscle before the upstart Island ers gained too much Confidence we have depth of scoring throughout our lines that have kept teams a Little bit on their buffaloes Daniel Briere 48 is congratulated by his team after scoring against the new York islanders during the second period of mondays first round Eastern conference playoff game in Uniondale by heels sabres coach Lindy Ruff said we can get rolling and it can come from any line at any time you dont have to look any fur ther than Mair who landed a hit shortly before a deft redirection off a feed from Drury the sabres scored All their goals in a Span of in the second period Trent Hunter and Ryan Smyth answered in the Frame that Fea tured All the scoring but the is Landers never caught up after fall ing behind 10 we have to get Back to basics and get the puck to the net said Smyth who made it 32 with 8 seconds left in the second period it comes Down to execution its a Long series there a Good hockey team game 4 of the Besto seven series is wednesday on Long is land game 5 is Back in Buffalo on Friday lightning 3 devils 2 at Tampa Fla Vincent Lecavalier scored his fourth goal of the play offs and Brad Richards and Vinny Prospal each tallied their first in helping the Host lightning beat new Jersey Johan Holmqvist who has re bounded from a shaky nil Post season debut to outplay devils goalie Martin Brodeur the past two games stopped 30 shots for the seventh seeded lightning Brodeur who entered the play offs with a 189 career goal against average has Given up three goals in each game of the series Tampa Bay also won three of four regular season meetings against Brodeur who won a league record 48 games John Madden and Zach Parise scored for the devils