La Voz

Issue date: 11/20/06 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Steven Cabana Sharks' goalie Vesa Toskala is congratulated by Milan Michalek after the game. Toskala stopped 17 shots and walked away with an easy win.

Media Credit: Steven Cabana Sharks Mark Bell drops the gloves against Flyers' Boyd Kanes. The fight was Bell's second of the night.

Media Credit: Steven Cabana Sharks forward Milan Michalek battles with Flyers' center Peter Forsberg in the second period. Michalek picked up his ninth goal of the season.

The San Jose Sharks ousted the Philadelphia Flyers Saturday night 6-1 with points coming from 12 different players.

After winning three of their last four games, the team wasn't too happy with their performance on the road. As a collective unit, they revamped their performance against the Flyers.

"It was a good start for us," said Sharks' forward Mike Grier. "We won three pretty ugly games on the road. We got back to basics and it showed tonight."

Grier picked up his fifth goal of the season on a short-handed opportunity midway through the first period. Linemate Curtis Brown intercepted a pass from Flyers' Peter Forsberg and chipped it off the boards to an already accelerating Grier to put the Sharks ahead 3-1.

"Brownie read [the play] and chipped it in," said Grier. "I was lucky enough to have the lead to make a decent shot there."

The Sharks started their attack early in the game with forwards Patrick Rissmiller and Milan Michalek each finding the net within five minutes. The two early goals led to the Flyers' taking an early timeout.

Rissmiller got credit for the first goal after a slapshot by linemate Ville Nieminen streamed by goalie Robert Esche. Originally Nieminen got the goal, but was later changed to Rissmiller after video replay showed Rissmiller put his stick on the already-in-transition puck to deflect it past Esche.

Michalek's picked his ninth of the season after he dropped the puck to Joe Thornton who sent it right back to Michalek for the goal at 4:46 in the first period.

The Flyers got their lone goal from Geoff Sanderson in between Michalek and Grier's goal in the first period. After Flyers' Mike Richards shot the puck that led to a rebound, Sanderson was parked right in front of the net. He put the puck past both a diving Rob Davidson and goalie Vesa Toskala.

Sanderson almost picked up his second goal in the first period again by playing off the rebounds, but Toskala managed to stop him. On the same play, Toskala robbed Flyer's defenseman Derian Hatcher on a desperation kick-save. On the ice, Toskala managed to put his leg up to stop the shot.

"It's nice to have those, but I don't like those, because those are the desperation saves," said Toskala who ended the night with 17 saves. "They aren't under control."

In the second period, the Sharks put three more goals into the net. Goals from Kyle McLaren, Ryane Clowe and Curtis Brown opened up the game enormously.

"It turned out to be that kind of game," said Sharks' head coach Ron Wilson. "You come out 3-1 and you're hoping we can get four or five and that gives me a chance to use everybody and spread the ice time around. A lot of the guys took advantage of the opportunities they were given."

The Sharks, known for their high-scoring offense, trampled all over the Flyers Saturday night. As of Saturday, the Flyers have given up 81 goals in the season -- the worst in the NHL. The win has come at a perfect time for the Sharks. They hope to take Saturday's momentum into Tuesday's much-anticipated game against the Pacific division rival Anaheim Ducks.

"Tonight was tougher than it looks," said Kyle McLaren. "It's a good tune up for Tuesday night. We have to be ready and play the same style."

This article appears exclusively on La Voz Online.

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