Author: M Walsh

Sharks Fend Off Bruins in 3-2 Win

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By Mary Walsh

AP photo: The Sharks Logan Couture (39) battles with the Bruins Ryan Spooner for the puck during a second period face off on Tuesday night

SAN JOSE– For the second time this season, the San Jose Sharks defeated the Boston Bruins. The score was 3-2, with Sharks goals from Joonas Donskoi, Melker Karlsson and Brent Burns. With his 26th goal, Brent Burns tied the Sharks record for goals scored by a defenseman in a season, set by Sandis Ozolinsh. With 11 goals and 31 points, Donskoi is the highest scoring Sharks rookie since Logan Couture.

James Reimer made 21 saves on 23 Boston shots for the win. David Krejci and Loui Eriksson scored for the Bruins, with Tuuka Rask making 24 saves for Boston on 27 San Jose shots.

Melker Karlsson opened the scoring for the Sharks at 8:44. After winning the puck along the boards, Karlsson dropped it to Logan Couture and went to the front of the net. Couture sent the puck behind the net to Donskoi, who passed it ahead for Karlsson to put away. Assists went to to Donskoi and Couture.

The Bruins answered back at 11:26. David Pastrnak got by the Sharks defense and took a shot into Reimer’s pads. Reimer kicked the puck back out but right in David Krejci’s wheelhouse. His quick shot went under Reimer to tie the game. Assists went to Pastrnak and Torey Krug.

The first penalty of the game came with just 2:54 left in the first period. It was a hooking call against Jimmy Hayes. The power play did not go very well for the Sharks, and 39 seconds in, Boston scored short handed. Loui Eriksson broke away,and it was the second Boston breakaway in that power play, to beat Reimer and give the Bruins the lead.

The Sharks had one second of five on three, and then the rest of the period five on four against Boston. At the end of the first penalty, David Krejci finished up another breakaway with a slash to James Reimer, after the whistle blew.

The period ended with the Bruins up 2-1 and the Sharks ahead in shots 12-10.

The Sharks finished the remainder of that power play to start the second period. They did not give up another short handed goal and they did add a couple of shots to their tally.

At 11:46, Brent Burns tied the game. Burns made a pass through the slot in the direction of Thornton, but instead the puck hit Ryan Spooner and bounced into the net.

The game winner did not come until the third period, during the dying seconds of another Sharks power play. Jimmy Hayes was in the box for an illegal check to the head of Sharks defenseman Justin Braun. The Sharks’ first power play unit had been unsuccesful, allowing another short-handed chance, this time to Brad Marchand. Marchand also made some little extra contact with Reimer after his shot was stopped. That drew some reaction from the Sharks. The second unit came on with 1:22 left in the power play, with Tomas Hertl taking a defensive zone draw. The Sharks controlled the puck but after their first dump-in the Bruins pushed the puck back out quickly.

Donskoi dumped the puck in on their next entry and the Sharks retrieved the puck along the end boards. A pass from Vlasic to Burns wound up on Burns’ skate. Burns moved the puck from skate to stick, and found Joel Ward on the far side of the slot. Ward waited a beat and picked his shot. Donskoi was in front of the net, with his stick on the ice in front of Rask. The deflected shot went just under the diving goaltender and in the net. Assists went to Ward and Burns.

The Sharks took their first and only penalty at 10:20 of the third period. Donskoi went to the box for holding the stick, but the Bruins power play did not change the score, and the Bruins did not get any shots despite a couple of good attacks.

Back at even strength, the Bruins made a push in the final minutes of the game but the Sharks held them off for the win.

The three stars of the game were Joonas Donskoi, Melker Karlsson and David Krejci.

Sharks forward Tommy Wingels was off IR Tuesday, but did not play.

The Sharks next play on Thursday in Arizona, against the Coyotes at 7:00 PT.

Barracuda Fall to Reign Again

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By Mary Walsh

photo credit: San Jose Barracuda

The San Jose Barracuda lost by a score of 4-1 to the Ontario Reign on Sunday. In ten games already played against Ontario, San Jose has just two wins and two overtime points. The teams will play two more times, on March 16 and March 30, both at SAP Center.

Ontario’s Peter Budaj stopped 18 of 19 shots, while Troy Grosenick made 19 saves on 23 shots for San Jose. Neither team scored on the power play, though the Reign only had one chance while the Barracuda had four. Micheal Haley and Kurtis MacDermid had the only fight in the game, though MacDermid also went to the box two other times, once for diving and once for delay of game.

The first goal of the game was scored by Brett Sutter, acquired near the trade deadline by the LA Kings from the Minnesota Wild. It was his first goal for Ontario, in his fourth game with them. Andrew Crescenzi picked up the assist.

The second period saw more goals for the Reign. At 1:09, Michael Mersch, the team’s leading goal scorer gave Ontario a two goal lead. Assists went to Nic Dowd and Sean Backman, the team’ points leader. The Reign added a third goal at 13:15, this time from Dowd, with assists going to Mersch and Backman.

The Barracuda finally got on the board in the third, with a goal from John McCarthy. It was his 14th of the season, and the only point earned by a Barracuda player in the game.

Ontario extended their lead to three again, at 14:58. While Ontario defenseman Andrew Forbot sat in the box for tripping, Justin Auger scored shorthanded. Crescenzi picked up an assist.

San Jose is not out of playoff contention yet, they are getting close. They sit fourth place in the Pacific Division, five points behind the third place San Diego Gulls. The new AHL playoff format allows the fourth place team in the Pacific into the playoffs if they have more points than the fifth place team in the Central division. The Barracuda would need even more points to catch the Charlotte Checkers.

The Barracuda next play on Wednesday at 7:30 PT. As mentioned above, they will face the Reign again at home.

Sharks Take Washington 5-2

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By Mary Walsh

AP photo: The San Jose Sharks goalie Martin Jones stops one of 23 shots against by the Washington Caps on Saturday night

SAN JOSE– The San Jose Sharks defeated the visiting Washington Capitals by a score of 5-2 on Saturday. A wide variety of goals came from Joe Pavelski, Patrick Marleau, Brenden Dillon, Brent Burns and Joe Thornton. A power play goal, a short-handed goal, two even strength goals and an empty netter, combined with a strong defensive game showed the Sharks to advantage against the best team in the NHL. One more win will clinch a playoff berth for the Capitals, but they would not get it Saturday.

Goaltender Martin Jones made 23 saves for the Sharks, and some of those saves were more harrowing than others. He stopped a shot from a two-on-none breakaway in the second period. He stopped a penalty shot. He stopped a couple of shots that looked fairly unstoppable. He stopped almost everything the Caps threw at him. At the other end, Philipp Grubauer also made 23 saves, but the Sharks took more shots.

Tomas Hertl drew the first penalty of the game, a slashing penalty to Jason Chimera at 5:02. The Sharks power play was not systemically weak, but they seemed to have a lot of trouble handling the puck, as if it were bouncing or sticking unexpectedly. The Capitals did not have the same problem, so one could assume the problem was the opponent and not the ice. The Sharks had two shots on goal in the power play, but no goal.

The Sharks did score first, during some confusion at the Washington end of the ice. Joe Thornton was not confused, nor was Brenden Dillon, who sent the puck to the net and created a rebound for Thornton to pick up. Assists went to Dillon and Tomas Hertl.

The Capitals responded with several good chances of their own, but the Sharks minimized their time and space. On one play, a Shark lost his footing at the Caps blue line, allowing Ovechkin to escape through the neutral zone. Some good hustle from the Sharks defense got in his way before he could get a shot off.

Despite the pressure from the Caps, the Sharks maintained a small 11-9 lead on the shot clock as the first period wound to a close. With 14 seconds left in the period, Nick Spaling was called for a high stick against Jason Chimera.

The Sharks started the second period on the penalty kill and added a second penalty just 20 seconds in, a delay of game to Brent Burns. The three defenders for the Sharks were Joel Ward, Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Justin Braun. They stopped a couple of shots but eventually the skilled Washington power play was too much and TJ Oshie tied the game. Assists to Niklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin.

The Sharks went back on the penalty kill at 3:39, a boarding call against Joe Thornton. Couture, Martin, Burns and Karlsson started the kill, cleared the puck, and made way for a second unit of Vlasic, Braun, Marleau and Ward. The latter two broke away in the final 30 seconds of the kill for a two on one and a short-handed goal. The goal was Marleau’s, due to a last-second pass from Ward. A second assist went to Vlasic. It was Marleau’s 476th goal, putting him in 51st place among NHL all-time goal scorers.

The Caps had another excellent breakaway chance, with two skaters crossing the Sharks blue line without an escort. Sharks defenders got back in time to give the puck carrier a little grief, but he got a pass away to Matt Niskanen, who had time to take a shot. Martin Jones handled the shot cleanly and held on to the puck.

The Caps tied the game again just past the midway point. After a series of fumbles by the Sharks, from overskating the puck to drop-passing it to no one, the Caps launched a brief attack that ended with the puck taking an odd bounce off a skater in front of the net, and over Martin Jones’ pads. The goal went to Justin Williams, with assists to Evgeni Kuznetsov and Andrei Burakovsky.

The Sharks finished up the period with a power play, a hooking penalty to Kuznestov, drawn by Joonas Donskoi. The Sharks power play was interrupted when Jay Beagle earned a penalty shot when Burns slashed him during a short-handed breakaway. Jones stopped the shot and the Sharks power play carried over to the third period.

Joe Pavelski was not having a particularly good game, but 49 seconds into the third period he scored a power play goal. A fairly straight-forward play started with a pass from Brent Burns to Joe Thornton. Pavelski caught the pass from Thornton and backhanded it past Grubauer for the Sharks’ third lead of the game.

Another player’s game improved dramatically early in the third: Brenden Dillon’s. Although he already had a point, he did not have a good second period. At 2:51 of the third, however, he picked up Tierney’s pass on the blue line and sent a hard shot at the Washington net. The puck laced its way through traffic and gave Dillon his second goal of the season. Assists went to Tierney and Roman Polak. That was Polak’s first point since joining the Sharks jst before the trade deadline.

Couture had a chance shortly after that, finding himself briefly one on one with Grubauer. Grubauer snatched the puck out of the air and kept the score 4-2 Sharks.

Just past the midway point of the period, Joonas Donskoi blocked a pass with his stick and the puck deflected onto the Sharks bench, hitting Paul Martin. He left the bench with a trainer but returned to the ice during the next commercial break.

With a little over three minutes left, the referees drew the crowd’s ire after Mike Weber spent some time shoving Melker Karlsson’s face into the ice while kneeling on his back. It looked very much out of order but no penalty was called.

An empty net goal from Brent Burns closed it out.

The Sharks next play on Tuesday against the visiting Boston Bruins.

Barracuda Down Condors 4-2

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By Mary Walsh

photo credit: San Jose Barracuda

SAN JOSE– The San Jose Barracuda climbed a little closer to a playoff spot with a 4-2 win over the Bakersfield Condors. Petter Emanuelsson scored two goals for San Jose, while John McCarthy scored the game winner and Jeremy Morin added an insurance goal into an empty net. Joel Rumpel made 24 saves for the Barracuda in his first AHL game. After the win, he said that he was “a little bit nervous before the game. But the guys let me feel the first couple from the outside, so it was easy from there.”

The teams took ten penalties in the first two periods alone, not counting fighting majors. The only goal scored during any of those penalties was a short-handed goal by Bakersfield’s Jujhar Khaira. After the game, John McCarthy explained how that takes a toll on a team, even when the penalty kill is successful:

It kind of gets in way of the flow of the game. We’re not really rolling our lines when that happens so that’s something we’ve got to work on going forward. I think even last game, first period we took too any penalties. There’s a lot of guys who aren’t killing penalties then they’re kind of out of the flow of the game.

Some players, though, thrive on the penalty kill. After the game, assistant coach Ryan Mougenel said of McCarthy:

One of Mac’s biggest strengths is the penalty kill. I think it’s really kind of translated into his offense. Sometimes it’s little things, like some guys at practice have to watch pucks go in the net to have success, to score, like Goldobin. He [McCarthy] builds his confidence through the pk and he’s one of our most consistent guys.

The penalties started early and came often after that. The first was a cross-checking penalty to Bakersfield’s Rob Klinkhammer at 4:18. San Jose had a couple of shots and the Condors only cleared the puck once, but the Barracuda could not get a puck past goaltender Eetu Laurikainen.

That came a few seconds after the penalty expired. It was not a beautiful zone entry, but the Condors fumbled an interception at their blue line, putting the puck in front of Petter Emanualsson. He got moving quickly and before the defenders could get after him, he had taken his shot and scored.

Half way through the first period, the shots were 9-5 Barracuda. The shots stayed that way even when the Condors scored the tying goal. A strange bounce sent the puck into the blue paint, off of a body and into the net, surprising even the Bakersfield player who was on his way behind the net to collect the puck. The goal went to Mitch Moroz, with an assist to Dillon Simpson.

Fighting majors took Gus Young and Kale Kessy out of the game for five at 12:04. Karl Stollery and Andrew Miller joined their teammates in the box with coincidental minors for slashing and roughing respectively.

Bakersfield’s Jujhar Khaira thought had scored the go-ahead goal, but he had done so over the prone body of the Barracuda goalie. Rumpel was thus prone only because Dillon Simpson had skated into and fallen over him seconds earlier. The goal was disallowed for goaltender interference and the Barracuda got a power play. The final 30 seconds of that power play were amplified into a five on three when Matthew Ford also went to the box, this time for cross-checking.

The Barracuda found themselves on the other end of a five on three early in the second period. At 1:43, Nikolay Goldobin went to the box for tripping. Just under 90 seconds later, Stollery joined him after being called for interference. San Jose escaped the penalties unscathed, and drove the play to the other end to rebuild their shot lead.

By the middle of the second period, the Barracuda again had the shot lead at 22-18, and again took the lead on the scoreboard. A good rush from Ryan Carpenter on the wing and Petter Emanuelsson up the middle beat the Condors to the punch. Assists went to Carpenter and Gus Young.

The Condors responded by taking an interference penalty. Kessy had been in the box for less than a minute when Khaira won a race to the puck and went all the way down the ice to tie the game again. Kessy got out of the box just long enough to take two more penalties and sit for four minutes, called for high-sticking and unsportsmanlike conduct.

With 2:30 left in the four minute power play, the Barracuda lost Jevpalovs to a penalty. With less than two minutes left in the Bakersfield penalty, Jeremy Langlois went to the box for kneeing, putting the Barracuda down 3-4. San Jose weathered that too, but had squandered a perfectly good power play.

The Barracuda were back on the penalty kill less than two minutes into the third period. Julius Bergman went to the box for holding at 1:06.

Eventually, the penalties burned themselves out and with just over four minutes left, John McCarthy won the race to a puck as it exited the Barracuda zone: “I think somebody was catching up to me on my inside so I didn’t have time to move it to my forehand and shoot. So I just got it to the net and hopefully if it didn’t go in maybe we would have got a second whack at it. But it went in.” It squeaked by on the short side, bouncing off of the goaltender’s back. Assists went to Parkes and Stollery.

The Condors pulled their goaltender withe less than 90 seconds remaining and Morin scored the empty netter with six seconds to go.

The Barracuda next play on Wednesday at 7:00 PT against the Heat in Stockton.

Sharks Acquire James Reimer and Jeremy Morin

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By Mary Walsh

photo credit: galleryhip.com goaltender James Reimer dealt from the Toronto Maple Leafs to the San Jose Sharks will not be joining the team on Sunday night in Vancouver

The San Jose Sharks have acquired goaltender James Reimer and forward Jeremy Morin from the Toronto Maple Leafs, in exchange for goaltender Alex Stalock, forward Ben Smith, and a conditional fourth round pick in the 2018 NHL draft. The move is a good one for San Jose. It adds depth up front and experience in net that the team needed, in exchange for players who were not getting much ice time with the Sharks.

From today’s press release:

“James is an experienced NHL goaltender who will help add to our depth at that position as we head down the stretch run of the season,” said Wilson. Jeremy gives our group another versatile forward and a player that our coaching staff is familiar with.  We’re excited to add them both to our organization.”

Reimer, 27, has played in 207 NHL games with Toronto, posting a .913 save percentage and 2.83 GAA. He has 11 shutouts and played in seven playoff games in 2013.

Morin, 24, has played this season with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, and previously played 82 NHL games with the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Chicago Blackhawks. He was drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2009 and played under Sharks assistant coach Steve Spott with the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL.

Goaltender Al Stalock played in 62 games for the Sharks and posted a .911 save percentage and a 2.37 GAA for a record of 24-19-7.  Ben Smith was acquired last Spring from the Chicago Blackhawks and scored two goals and three assists in 25 games. Of the departing players, the press release said:

“Alex and Ben have both been important members of our team on the ice but even more importantly, they are both tremendous teammates and first-class individuals,” said Wilson. “They will be missed and we want to thank them for everything they have  given to the San Jose Sharks organization and our fans.”

Sharks Lose to Buffalo in Penalty Free Game

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By Mary Walsh

AP Photo: Buffalo center Sam Reinhart (23) and Justin Bailey (56) celebrate the fourth goal of the year by Zach Bogosian (47)  scoring on San Jose in the third period on Friday

SAN JOSE– The San Jose Sharks lost to the Buffalo Sabres by a score of 3-1 on Friday. The game was remarkable for being a loss the Sharks could ill afford as the regular season ticks away. The game was also noteworthy for being the first in Sharks history without a penalty called on either side. Head coach Pete DeBoer had some thoughts on how the teams got through the game without drawing or taking any penalties:

We’ve gone two games now without drawing a penalty. So I think that’s… we’ve got to figure out why. Obviously we’re not attacking enough holes, we’re not creating enough chances. That’s when you draw penalties. You have the puck, you get people in bad positions, you attack a hole and somebody has to haul you down. So we’re not doing enough of that.

It was an off night for Pacific Division teams. For the Sharks, a regulation loss was exactly what they did not need, and more disappointing: they lost the Buffalo Sabres. Down south, the Anaheim Ducks also underperformed somewhat, needing overtime to beat the Edmonton Oilers by a score of 2-1. Instead of creeping closer to second place in the division, the Sharks lost ground for a second game in a row.

The Sharks line adjustments featured Patrick Marleau moving to the wing again, with Logan Couture at center and Joonas Donskoi on the other wing. After the game, coach DeBoer was asked about the new lines. He said: “It was a tough night to judge lines. I thought they were really good defensively. I thought we worked at it. Again, we got one goal from a defenseman so it’s not a good night to ask me how the lines looked.”

The Sharks seemed to be off to a good start in the game. They scored the first goal just 1:28 in. Matt Nieto’s pass across the slot found Marc-Edouard Vlasic. After the game, Nieto confirmed that his pass was meant for Nick Spaling, who over skated it. Luckily, it was well-placed for Vlasic to collect as the fourth man in. He took the puck a little ways back to the slot and put it on net. It went by Buffalo goaltender Chad Johnson’s shoulder and in. It was Vlasic’s eighth goal of the season and Nieto’s eighth assist. That was into the first period.

The Sabres went to the room leading on the shot clock by one, but trailing on the scoreboard.

The Sabres tied the game well into the second period. The puck skipped by Brenden Dillon’s stick and was picked up by Brian Gionta. Martin Jones stopped Gionta’s shot but it slipped under him and sat near the goal line behind him long enough for Larsson to get to it. He had to dive for it and was tripped on the way, but Larsson did get his stick on the puck and push it in before Jones could get a glove on it. It was Larsson’s third goal of the season and Gionta’s 13th assist, at 13:38.

The teams were tied at the second intermission: 15-15 in shots and 1-1 in goals.

Dillon was not the only one having trouble catching long passes. The puck was bouncing pretty badly all night, and by the third period both teams were being more conservative with their passes and even their shots. Still, it was Zach Bogosian’s shot from the point that broke the tie. The puck went off of Tomas Hertl’s skate and seemed to hit Sam Reinhart too before going into the Sharks net. The goal was given to Bogosian with assists to Zemgus Girgensons and Reinhart.

The Sharks pulled their goaltender with just over two minutes left in the game. The additional skater did not help their passes connect or their shots improve. With 1:19 remaining, the puck bounced past Brent Burns at the Buffalo blue line and Evander Kane caught it bouncing through the neutral zone. He put it in the empty net. An assist wet to Zach Bogosian.

The Sharks now fly to Vancouver to play the Canucks on Sunday at 4:00 PT.

Sharks Acquire Defenseman Roman Polak

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By Mary Walsh

USA Today photo Roman Polak dealt to San Jose for Raffie Torres and draft picks

In a press release today, the San Jose Sharks announced that they had acquired defenseman Roman Polak and forward Nick Spaling from the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Maple Leafs received forward Raffi Torres and two second round draft picks in exchange. “Roman and Nick are both quality, character players that will complement and enhance our current roster,” said Wilson. “Our existing group of players has battled hard and they have earned the right to have every chance to succeed this season.”

The press release goes on:

Polak (POH-lahk), 29, has played in 535 NHL games with Toronto and St. Louis, posting 101 points (19 goals, 82 assists) and 423 penalty minutes. This season with the Maple Leafs, he has scored 13 points (one goal, 12 assists) and 56 penalty minutes, along with a + 8 rating in 55 games. He is 5th in the NHL in hits (220), T-37th in blocked shots (102), averaging 19:44 per game with the Maple Leafs. The six-foot-one, 236-pound native of Ostrava, Czech Republic was originally drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the 6th round (180th overall) in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. He has represented the Czech Republic internationally several times, including the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Spaling, 27, has played in 414 games with Nashville, Pittsburgh and Toronto, scoring 118 points (50 goals, 68 assists) and 114 penalty minutes. This season with the Maple Leafs, he has played in 35 games, posting eight points (one goal, seven assists) and 18 penalty minutes. The six-foot-one, 201-pound native of Palmerston, Ontario played under current Sharks Head Coach Peter DeBoer in Kitchener of the OHL. He was originally a third round selection (58th overall) of the Nashville Predators in the 2007 NHL Draft .

Torres was acquired by San Jose from Arizona on April 3, 2013. He played in 16 regular season games, scoring 11 points (five goals and six assists).





			
		

	
	



			
				



			

			
				
			
		

	
	

		
		
Barracuda Beat the Heat 4-1

				

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By Mary Walsh


photo credit: San Jose Barracuda–The Barracuda get a split with a win against the Stockton Heat 4-1 on Sunday


The San Jose Barracuda defeated the Stockton Heat by a score of 4-1 Sunday. The loss ended the Heat’s 10 game home win streak and moved the Barracuda back into third place in the AHL’s Pacific Division.


In stark contrast to Saturday’s meeting, Sunday’s game started out as a low-scoring affair, with just one goal in the first two periods. The game opened up in the third, mostly for San Jose. Barracuda goaltender Aaron Dell deserves much of the credit for the win. His team was outshot 26-16 through the first two periods but he stopped them all until the third period. In all, he made 39 saves on 40 shots. John McCarthy scored two goals in the game, with goals also scored by Nikita Jevpalovs and Trevor Parkes. Freddie Hamilton scored the lone goal for the Heat and Stockton goaltender Kevin Poulin made 25 saves on 28 shots faced.


Nikita Jevpalovs opened the scoring Sunday, giving the Barracuda a first period lead. Nikolay Goldobin’s shot from the left side created a rebound for Jevpalovs to pick up and put away. Assists went to Goldobin and Mirco Mueller. Goldobin is currently working on point streak of six games, a season high for the team.


The second period did not start out as well as the first, with the Barracuda being outshot 7-1 in the first half. The rest of the period did not go much better for them, and Aaron Dell stopped 12 shots while his team only took 6. Still, Stockton had not scored and the Barracuda held on to their 1-0 lead.


The Barracuda started the third much better, taking a lead on the shot clock early, but at 5:16, the Heat tied the game with a goal from Freddie Hamilton. Assists went to Kenny Agostino and Garnet Hathway. It was Hamilton’s 14th goal of the season.


Gus Young was called for slashing at 6:18 of the third, and half way through the Stockton power play, Mirco Mueller was given an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty as well. Stockton took their time out to prepare for the five on three.


The Barracuda held on through the five on three and then, during the abbreviated five on four, John McCarthy escaped with the puck through the neutral zone and beat Poulin to give San Jose the lead back. The goal was unassisted.


Parkes was tripped at 9:53 by Gabriel Verpaelst, giving the Barracuda their first power play of the game. It was just their second power play of the weekend.


McCarthy scored again at 14:25, after Micheal Haley got the puck in while taking a hard hit. Trevor Parkes controlled the puck behind the net and got it to McCarthy who came in late to get to the net. Assists went to Parkes and Haley.


Parkes got the empty net goal at 17:40, with an assist to Joakim Ryan.


Raffi Torres played on Saturday but not Sunday, which was consistent with the team’s expectation that he would play in just one of the weekend games. Barclay Goodrow was also out of the lineup, possibly in case the Sharks had to call him up for Monday’s game. Mirco Mueller was in the lineup, having returned from his call up last week.


The Barracuda next play on Friday in Bakersfield at 7:00 PST.


			
		

	
	



			
				



			

			
				
			
		

	
	

		
		
Hurricanes Blow Out Sharks 5-2

				

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By Mary Walsh


AP photo Carolina Hurricanes John Michael Liles (26) pass puck by the San Jose Sharks Melker Karlsson (68) in the first period of Friday’s game


The San Jose Sharks ended a three-game winning streak with a 5-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday. Like the Sharks, the Hurricanes played the night before. Where the Sharks won their Thursday game in a shootout, the Hurricanes lost 4-2 in Ottawa. Friday, the Hurricanes bested the Sharks in every area of the game, in faceoffs, hits, shots, shot attempts as well as scoring.


Sharks coach Pete DeBoer described it as a well-deserved loss:


They took the game over, you know, we didn’t have an answer. We pretty much got what we deserved I think tonight. I think we lost too many of the tough areas: the faceoffs, special teams. When you lose three or four significant areas in the game, you’re not going to win. They deserved the win and we deserved what we got.


The Hurricanes are this season’s least penalized NHL team so the fact that the Sharks did not have a power play in the game is not very surprising. The Hurricanes got two goals from Jeff Skinner, and goals from Chris Terry, Joakim Nordstrom and Jordan Staal. Cam Ward made 22 saves on 24 shots for the Hurricanes. Sharks goals were scored by Brent Burns and Tomas Hertl. Martin Jones made 32 saves on 36 shots for the Sharks.


The loss left the Sharks’ position in the standings unchanged from the night before, except for the loss of a game in hand over the Kings and the Ducks. The Sharks are still in third place in the Pacific Division, three points behind the Kings and one behind the Ducks.


After the game, Sharks captain Joe Pavelski addressed the question of whether the Sharks’ tough schedule on this road trip had something to do with the loss:


They were in a similar situation, coming back last night. We weren’t very good all night. I was awful. That’s one of the worst games I’ve had in a while. There were a few plays out there, a lot of plays I’d like to have back… You never let that affect you though, three games in four nights. You’ve got to manufacture your game.


Sharks head coach Pete DeBoer had a similar take on the game: “It’s one of those games. We’ve been consistently good for a long time, and you’re going to have those once in a while. It’s how we respond to it. I think we just have to throw it away and get ready for the next one.”


For the third game in a row, the Sharks gave up the first goal. This time it was a curious shot that bounced high off Chris Terry’s stick and over Martin Jones’ head. Assists went to Noah Hanifin and Riley Nash.


The Sharks got it back near the end of the period, when a nice pass from Joel Ward found Brent Burns high in the slot. It was Burns’ 19th goal of the season and his first in 19 games. Assists went to Ward and Matt Nieto.


The teams ended the period tied in shots was well as goals with eight each.


Early in the second period, the teams played four on four while Melker Karlsson and Eric Staal sat in the box for and embellishment respectively. Neither team scored.


The first power play went to Carolina in the second period, a delay of game penalty to Tomas Hertl after he swept the puck out of play during a frantic scramble in front of the Sharks’ net. Carolina had three shots during the power play and the Sharks cleared the puck out twice, though not until the final half minute of the penalty.


Carolina took the lead back at 12:25 of the second. Joakim Nordstrom crossed the blue line without any pressure and his shot from high in the slot blew by Jones as if unseen. The Sharks had three skaters back but none got in Nordstrom’s way. Assists went to Jordan Staal and Bret Pesce.


Instead of tying the game up again before the period ended, the Sharks finished the period on the penalty kill. Mike Brown took issue with a hit on Marc-Edouard Vlasic and three penalties resulted: Brown for holding Jordan Staal, Staal for roughing against Mike Brown and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to Brown.


The Sharks were badly outshot in the second period, 18-4. They were also losing in the shot attempts category 42-21 and the faceoff circle 21-6. It was hardly surprising that they were behind 2-1 on the scoreboard.


The Sharks started the third period with most of the Brown penalty still to kill. Before the first minute elapsed, Carolina seemed to score but the official called it back for incidental contact with the goaltender. Eric Staal seemed to hook Martin Jones under the pad and pulled him to the right while Jones was trying to reach to his left. Carolina challenged the call and the play was reviewed and the call was overturned.


The power play goal went to Jeff Skinner with assists to Eric Staal and Kris Versteeg.


10:38 into the third period, the Sharks cut the lead to 3-2. Patrick Marleau stole the puck from Carolina goaltender Cam Ward behind the net and passed it quickly to the front of the net. Tomas Hertl was there to tap it in. It was Hertl’s 12th goal of the season and Marleau’s 20th assist.


With just under five minutes remaining, Carolina took back their two goal lead when Jaccob Slavin’s shot bounced off a skate to Skinner in the slot. An empty netter from Jordan Staal sealed the deal at 17:35.


The Sharks next play in St. Louis against the Blues on Monday.


Forward Mike Brown was in the lineup for the first time since January 24, as Tommy Wingels was injured early in Thursday’s game in Sunrise. Melker Karlsson took the open spot on the third line with Joonas Donskoi and Logan Couture, and Brown took Karlsson’s spot on the fourth line with Chris Tierney and Dainius Zubrus. Brown had one hit and three blocked shots in the game. The top two lines remained as they have been, with Hertl, Thornton and Pavelski on the top line and Marleau, Ward and Nieto on the second line.


Sharks defenseman Brenden Dillon missed his fourth game. Matt Tennyson has played in his stead with Dylan Demelo on the blue line. Tennyson finished Friday’s game with a -1 rating , a blocked shot and a hit.


			
		

	
	



			
				



			

			
				
			
		

	
	

		
		
Barracuda Fall 4-2 to Condors

				

			Published on  by M WalshLeave a comment		

			



			


			
By Mary Walsh


photo credit: San Jose Barracuda–The Barracuda lose to the Bakerfield Condors 4-2 on Valentines day at SAP


SAN JOSE– The San Jose Barracuda fell to the Bakersfield Condors by a score of 4-2 Sunday. The game winner was scored by Ryan Hamilton. Anders Nilsson was in net for the win, making 21 saves on 23 shots. For San Jose, Aaron Dell made 22 saves on 25 shots faced. Both Barracuda goals were scored by Ben Smith.


San Jose and Bakersfield were playing for third place in the division on Sunday. When the game started, the Barracuda had a two point lead over the Condors but had played one more game. With the win, the Condors jumped the Barracuda for third place in the AHL’s Pacific Division.


I remember when the Bakersfield Condors wore grey and burgundy and had the names of local businesses on the tails of their jerseys. That was when they were an ECHL team last year. Now the Condors look pretty much like the Oilers, especially from a distance far enough to not see the emblem. They wear the same colors but they differ in one important respect: they are doing well in their division this season.


The Barracuda were first on the power play, into the first period. Bakersfield was called for too many men on the ice and Anton Slepyshev served the penalty at 11:47. San Jose did not score. Instead, Bakersfield scored at . Barracuda goaltender Aaron Dell stopped the first couple of shots during a Condor attack during which the Barracuda could not clear the puck out. Andrew Miller’s shot went over Dell’s shoulder from the slot to give the visitors the lead. It was Miller’s twelfth of the season. Assists went to Rob Klinkhammer and Jujhar Khaira.


The Condors kept the Barracuda on their heels for the rest of the period. With San Jose defenders stuck in their zone, they were lucky to make it to intermission down by just one.


At the end of the period, the teams were tied on the shot clock but the home team trailed by one.


The second period was marked by a lot of hits and questionable stick use. By the ten minute mark, the Barracuda had added two shots and the Condors just one. Near the eleven minute mark, the game’s first fight broke out behind the Barracuda goal line. The scuffle landed Andrew Miller and Joakim Ryan in the box with roughing minors. Miller got an additional two minutes, so Slepyshev joined him in the box and a Barracuda power play commenced.


San Jose still could not score, but they did keep the Condors on the defensive. And defend they did. The Baracuda had very little time to take the shots they got credit for and many that just missed the net. With six minutes left, Bakersfield still only had one shot in the period but they still had a one goal lead.


The Condors got their first power kay with 4:13 left in the second. San Jose’s Julius Bergman went to the box for slashing. During their power play they finally got a few shots on goal. Half way through the power play, Karl Stollerysent the puck out of play and was called for delay of game. San Jose managed the three on five penalty kill and the minute of four on five that followed.


At the end of the second, the score was still 1-0 Condors and the shots were 17-15 Condors.


The third period started with an early chance for the Condors that hit a post. That seemed to wake the Barracuda up and they responded with several good shifts in the offensive zone. When the Condors pushed back, they were wrapped up in extended board battles and had few chances to score again until the middle of the period.


At, the Condors extended their lead. A neutral zone breakdown gave the Condors a two-then-three on one with Julius Bergman as the one. Jujhar Khaira scored the goal with assists going to Andrew Miller and Griffin Reinhart.


The goal unsettled the Barracuda and inspired the Condors. The orange and blue attack continued with the Barracuda scrambling defensively.


The Barracuda recovered somewhat in the second half of the period. At 12:05 they scored after John McCarthy and Ben Smith combined to win the puck off the boards. McCarthy carried it behind the net and tried a wraparound. That did not work but Smith was on the other side of the crease to catch the puck and put it in. It was his seventh goal of the season in eleven games played with the team. McCarthy received the lone assist.


The Condors did not let that go and stretched their lead back to two with 3:40 left in the game. Entering the zone fast two one two, Ryan Hamilton and Tyler Pitlick gave the Condors their third goal of the game.


The Barracuda made a game of it with just over a minute left. A good four skater rush through the neutral zone and some give and go between Smith and Bryan Lerg resulted in another goal for Smith.


Barracuda coach Sommer opted to pull his goaltender after that and with 26.2 left in the game, the puck escaped the neutral zone and only the Condors’ Klinkhammer was near enough to catch it. He put it in the Barracuda net.


Final score: 4-2 Condors.


John McCarthy led the Barracuda in shots on goal with five. Mirco Mueller, called up to the Sharks briefly after Brenden Dillon’s recent injury, was back with the AHL squad in time for Sunday’s game.


Raffi Torres, still on the Barracuda roster, did not play for the second game in a row. He has played five games with the Barracuda this year.


The Barracuda hit the road next week and will face the Heat on Saturday and Sunday in Stockton.