Jonathan Cheechoo will always be known for his goal scoring ability thanks to his 56-goal campaign two seasons ago. In the current playoff run, he has delivered four times in eight games, but two have come at crunch time.
The first occurred in Game 4 in Calgary. With the Sharks down one and just five minutes remaining in regulation, the Moose Factory, Ont. product roofed a shot in a spot with very limited room upstairs. The tally, plus a late goal from Joe Thornton, gave the Sharks the momentum needed to rally and win the series.
There was not a victory at the end for San Jose in Game 1 against Dallas, but again Team Teal was trailing late and again Cheechoo came through, as his tally this time forced overtime.
With just more than three minutes left on the clock, Cheechoo was hunting for some loose change round the net and when he locked in on the puck, he overpowered his defender and pushed the puck across the line just before Turco could control it.
“He is one of our hardest workers and a clutch performer,” said Game 7 hero Jeremy Roenick. “He can score ugly goals or pretty goals.”
Sharks Head Coach Ron Wilson liked that his right wing kept going in Game 1, even though he had been moved off Joe Thornton’s line.
