Music: {allcanada} Scrivens makes 59 saves as Oilers blank Sharks

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

{allcanada} Scrivens makes 59 saves as Oilers blank Sharks

EDMONTON -- Edmonton Oilers goaltender Ben Scrivens put on a goaltending clinic Wednesday, stopping 59 shots in a 3-0 shutout win against the San Jose Sharks.

It was Scrivens' first shutout with the Oilers, his fourth of the season and the fifth of his career.

Justin Schultz, Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle scored for the Oilers, extending their win streak to three games. It's the second time this season the Oilers have won three straight. They have not had a four-game winning streak.

The Sharks have lost two in a row, each by shutout. They lost 1-0 to the struggling Los Angeles Kings on Monday.

The Sharks took the play to the Oilers from the opening face off; they outshot Edmonton 20-7 in the opening period.

However, Oilers defenseman Justin Schultz scored the only goal in the opening period, floating a seeing-eye point shot past Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi at 10:51.

As good as Scrivens was in the first period, he was just warming up. It was in the second when the Spruce Grove, Alberta, native stole the show. Scrivens made 22 saves in the period, including an unbelievable glove stop on Bracken Kearns, a save on a shorthanded breakaway by Patrick Marleau, a sprawling pad save on Marleau moments later, and a quick glove save on Jason Demers.

Scrivens had 42 saves after two periods. His season high going into the game was 38 saves, coming against the Sharks as a member of the Kings on Nov. 27.

The 59 shots matched the most surrendered in Oilers franchise history. The previous franchise record for saves was held by Bill Ranford, who stopped 56 shots March 17, 1993, in a 4-3 win against the New York Rangers.

The Sharks had dominated the Oilers in their previous two games, outscoring the Oilers 8-2 in the process. They would have dominated on the scoreboard again Wednesday had it not been for Scrivens, acquired in a trade with the Kings on Jan. 15 for a third-round pick in the 2014 NHL Draft.

In the third, Hall increased the Oilers lead at 6:10, taking a cross-ice feed from Eberle and roofing a shot over Niemi,, who made 24 saves.

The Sharks continued to pour on the pressure, but were unable to beat Scrivens, regardless of the number of bodies they piled in front of the net.

Eberle scored at 18:40 on the power play to give the Oilers a three-goal lead.

The Oilers open a four-game road trip Saturday against the Boston Bruins. The Sharks conclude a two-game road trip against the Calgary Flames on Thursday.

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