Sharks 3, Blue Jackets 2

Saturday December 07, 2002

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) Teemu Selanne was impressed by Ron Wilson's ability to remember everybody's name in his first game as the San Jose Sharks' coach.

``He knows everybody pretty well. He wasn't confused at all,'' Selanne said after the Sharks' 3-2 victory over Columbus on Friday night. ``Not bad for a grumpy old man like that. It's a good start.''

Vincent Damphousse scored the winning goal with 1:45 remaining as the Sharks rallied to beat the Blue Jackets.

Selanne also played for Wilson in Anaheim.

``We had to go over some new stuff in a meeting before the game but everything else was normal,'' Selanne said. ``The bottom line is that we found a way to score two goals in the third period.''

Patrick Marleau scored a short-handed goal midway through the third period to tie the game. Scott Thornton also scored for the Sharks, who snapped a three-game home losing streak and improved to 5-0 at home against Columbus.

``You always want to make a good first impression,'' Sharks captain Owen Nolan said. ``There's a little bit of a new system and we had trouble adjusting to it but it was a good effort.''

Wilson took over for Darryl Sutter, who was fired last weekend, after Cap Raeder served as interim coach for one game.

``I didn't overwhelm them with too many things,'' Wilson said. ``I was an observer and I noticed things that I am going to work on changing over the next month.''

Geoff Sanderson scored two goals for Columbus, which lost its third straight and six of its last seven. Sanderson, who has 10 career goals in 21 games against the Sharks, snapped a personal seven-game drought with the pair of goals.

``We are struggling playing with the lead,'' Sanderson said. ``It has been a pattern throughout the season. We have to play a lot stronger when we have the lead. It is focus, hard work and doing the little things.''

Damphousse took a pass from Adam Graves and wristed it off the left post from 10 feet out for the winner.

Marleau scored from 10 feet out after Selanne picked up the puck near the left circle and passed it to him.< ^Notes:@ The Sharks expect D Dan McGillis, acquired in a trade with Philadelphia, to be in uniform and ready to play Saturday. ... Columbus F Jody Shelley served his one-game suspension for his altercation with Rangers F Ronald Petrovicky. ... Sharks RW Owen Nolan was back in the lineup for his 800th career game after missing a game to injury.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)