Malhotra fits right in on second line

By David Pollak, Contra Costa Times – The NHL’s best faceoff artists win slightly more than three out of every five draws.

All Manny Malhotra did in his first game after joining Joe Pavelski and Devin Setoguchi on the Sharks’ newly created second line was go a perfect 12-for-12. Pavelski did pretty well, too, winning six of eight.The NHL’s best faceoff artists win slightly more than three out of every five draws.

All Manny Malhotra did in his first game after joining Joe Pavelski and Devin Setoguchi on the Sharks’ newly created second line was go a perfect 12-for-12. Pavelski did pretty well, too, winning six of eight.

And, yes, coach Todd McLellan makes a connection between those numbers and the fact he finally got the secondary scoring that had been missing for two weeks.

“That line had the puck,” McLellan said Sunday. “That’s why they had the puck and that’s probably why Seto ended up in a situation where he had eight shots on goal.”

Two of those shots found the back of the net as Setoguchi scored twice Saturday in a 4-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers, ending a nine-game drought that had prompted him to shave his head in order to change his luck.

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MANNY MALHOTRA STORM BIO… Manny was originally selected by the Storm in the 1st round of the 1996 OHL Priority Selection… The Mississauga native was named the team’s Rookie of the Year following the 1996-97 season… Manny was drafted in the 1st round (7th overall) in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft and played with the NY Rangers the following season… Represented Canada at the World Junior Championship… Was returned to the Storm as a 19 year old to finish the 1998-99 season.