Author: smallforce

~ Photo credit: AP/Fred Vuich

~ By Pearl Allison Lo

~ The Pittsburgh Penguins scored three unanswered goals to flip the game versus San Jose in the teams’ first meeting since Game 6 of the 2016 Playoffs Thursday.

The Sharks scored two goals in the second and avoided a Penguins’ power play goal. After review, the goal was turned over as it was ruled that Patric Hornqvist gloved the puck into the net. San Jose also outshot Pittsburgh, 17-4.

The Sharks then had a penalty kill starting at 4:10 of the third. However, 37 seconds later after the kill, Evgeni Malkin scored off a shot through traffic that went off Justin Braun. This was the start of the momentum train that propelled the Penguins.

Hornqvist was vital in the next two goals while San Jose hurt their momentum with penalties.

In the Sharks’ zone, Brenden Dillon gathered the puck and turned his back to the ice. A big hit by Hornqvist led to a loose puck. Teammate Scott Wilson scooped it up and scored to tie the game at 9:01 for his first goal.

After San Jose’s Paul Martin got a delay of game penalty, teammate Marc-Edouard Vlasic got a slashing call at 12:54, trying to stop a speedy Bryan Rust.  During the latter power play, goalie Martin Jones made a save off Phil Kessel’s shot. Hornqvist got the rebound and after hitting Martin’s skate, the puck went to the right goal post and just behind the goal line.

The Sharks’ Joe Pavelski said, “They got a bounce or two, but the position we were in, it shouldn’t matter how many bounces they get. We’ve got to seal that game.”

All three of Pittsburgh’s wins have been won 3-2 and this one ended a two-game losing streak, one in overtime. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury made 32 saves in his third win. Going back to the preseason for both goalies, Fleury has now faced at least 31 shots in six straight games. For Jones, his 20 shots against has been the fewest shots he has faced.

Three of the five goal scorers in the game, San Jose’s Tomas Hertl and Patrick Marleau and Hornqvist had a game-high five shots apiece.

Hertl scored his second in as many games at 5:04 of the second. Fleury had no stick due to a Brent Burns shot. Pavelski then shot at net and Hertl put in the rebound. Pavelski now has six points through a three-game point streak and Burns has eight points through a four-game assist streak

Marleau scored off a puck he stole before a back-and-forth exchange with Couture at 16:15.

Game notes: On the power play, the Sharks went 0-for-3 and the Penguins went 1-for-5. Pittsburgh was without regular goalie Matt Murray and star Sidney Crosby. San Jose will now take on Detroit Saturday at 4pm.

~ Photo credit: (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)

~ By Pearl Allison Lo

~ ANAHEIM– Corey Perry scored 1:13 in overtime to seal a 3-2 win over the San Jose Sharks in both teams’  preseason finale Sunday.

It was not the overtime win the Sharks wanted. With San Jose’s David Schlemko behind him and Chris Tierney charging, Perry made a move from the circle to the slot to slide the puck past Mikkel Boedker and goalie Aaron Dell. For Perry, it was his first goal of the preseason, as he was aided by Andrew Cogliano and Cam Fowler.

The lone wins for the Ducks this preseason (2-4-1) have come versus San Jose, as the Sharks ended with a 3-2-1 record.

Versus last game against Anaheim, San Jose rested all of its veterans. Patrick Marleau, Paul Martin and Joel Ward did not play.

Both teams took the intensity up a notch as the game featured 21 penalties, 13 in the first period. The Sharks killed six power plays during the game and ended with a perfect preseason on the penalty kill (24-24). Boedker replied, “I think that’s a big credit obviously to the system we have, and the coaches that put it into place, but also the players. They’re grinding out there and we’re doing a good job keeping the shots away and making sure that the goalies can see them. Overall, it’s been really good and hopefully we can continue that into the regular season.” San Jose Coach Peter DeBoer added, “It’s an area we’ve flagged for big improvement this year.”

Dell, in goal for the second time this preseason, had 20 saves and opposing goalie Jonathan Bernier had 30 saves.

Absent from the last game played were Pavelski, Marleau, Thornton, Martin, Vlasic and Burns

The Ducks had all four power plays in the opening period but the Sharks drew first blood.

13 seconds after San Jose killed off their first penalty, Joonas Donskoi withstood two defenders, got the puck to Bernier and then as Bernier went down to cover the puck, Donskoi put in his own rebound at 9:05. It was Donskoi’s second goal in as many games, as he was aided by Justin Braun and Tomas Hertl. The assist marked number three for Braun.

Dell robbed Cam Fowler with a high left glove save during Anaheim’s second power play which started at 13:54.

There was certainly no love lost between the teams.

The first of three official brawls in the period began when Cogliano knocked down Dylan DeMelo. Tommy Wingels attacked Cogliano in retaliation, Kesler came in and that brought in the rest of the two teams. Wingels received a double minor and Kesler roughing.

With less than 30 seconds left in the first period, two more fights made it to the stat sheet. It started with the Sharks’ Micheal Haley and Josh Manson fighting. Haley got an additional slashing penalty. The next fight almost concurrently along the boards involved recently recalled Dan Kelly and Kesler again. Both received a game misconduct.

Anaheim’s Kevin Bieska led the first period with three shots and San Jose was outhit 16-6.

Right before the first fight of the second period, the Sharks’ Melker Karlsson received a delay of game penalty. The fight came between San Jose’s Brenden Dillon and Nick Ritchie.

The Sharks’ second power play of the night came at 9:53. That then turned into a 5-on-3 when Ryan Garbutt kneed Schlemko. Schlemko capitalized on the opportunity. He passed down the left faceoff circle to Donskoi, who came back up ice to the middle of the circle and passed back to Schlemko, who then shot the puck under Bernier’s left arm. DeMelo got the second assist as San Jose scored their second power play goal of the preseason.

With 1:50 left in the middle frame, Jakob Silfverberg broke the shutout. The assist went to Antoine Vermette who won the faceoff right before the shot.

The Ducks’ Mason Raymond led with three shots in the second period.

Haley had his second fight, making it at least one fight each period for the teams, when he went against Jared Boll at 5:52 of the third.

The Sharks started with an 8-0 shot advantage, but Anaheim tied the game on their second shot of the period. Silfverberg stole the puck from Schlemko and with DeMelo to his left, scored five hole unassisted for his second straight goal of the night at 10:18.

Silfverberg led with three shots in the period.

Hertl had the first shot in overtime with a breakaway, but was stymied by Bernier. Bernier commented, “That’s three-on-three, so you’re going to get those two-on-ones and breakaways. You’re going to have to make those saves if you want to win. What a play by Perry, that’s for sure.”

Preseason at its end, DeBoer made reference to the final roster, “We’e got, in my mind, four or five forwards, two or three defensemen who aren’t going to make the team, but I’m going to have confidence bringing them up and putting them on the ice, which is a great luxury.”

Game notes: San Jose’s Ryan Carpenter who also played was recently recalled. The Sharks host their other California rival, the Los Angeles Kings, Wednesday at 7:30 for the teams’ 2016 season opener.

~ Photo credit: Canadian Press

~ By Pearl Allison Lo

~ Matt Nieto sealed the deal, in what seems to be typical preseason so far, with 39.6 seconds left, in the second 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks Sunday.

From the blue line, Brenden Dillon passed to Nieto and Vancouver made a line change. Nieto then made a quick pass up ice to Nikolay Goldobin and was able to take advantage and beat the two new players rushing in, setting up a 2-on-1. Goldobin passed back to Nieto as he sped in and did not miss the net. It was Goldobin’s second assist in as many games.

Nieto not only notched his first two goals of the preseason in the game, but he got San Jose its first power play goal.

The Sharks were outshot for the first time this season. They remain perfect on the penalty kill (11-11).

In San Jose goalie Martin Jones’ preseason debut he made key saves during his 26 of 28. The Sharks were outshot 12-3 in the third period as they committed two penalties.

Multiple players continued their success from the last time the teams met. For San Jose, Kevin Labanc had his second goal and second assist, Chris Tierney got his second assist and David Schlemko got his third assist. For the Canucks, it was Anton Rodin’s second goal.

There were a number of penalties during the game, the most coming during the second. The Sharks went 2 for 6 on the power play, while Vancouver went 0 for 5. .

San Jose had mixed results with their first two power play opportunities.

During the first, with the Canucks shorthanded, but the 3-2 man advantage on the play, Joseph Labate crossed the blue line with the puck. He then sent it across ice to Tuomo Ruutu, who scored from the left faceoff circle off the goalpost at 3:44.

The Sharks capitalized on their second power play though. Labanc passed the puck between two defenders to Julius Bergman, who shot at net. The puck ended up hitting Tierney and went straight to Nieto, who powered the puck past goalie Ryan Miller at 10:25.

Vancouver went back up at 16:22. Olli Juolevi fought past his defenders to send the puck along the boards to Bo Horvat. Horvat then sent the puck behind him Rodin right in front of net.

In the second, Jones saved four consecutive shots from 3:51 to 4:27.

The Canucks had a big shot advantage early in the period, but by the time it ended, were outshot 9-8.

San Jose did not get their first shot until 5:11 (Tomas Hertl) and had their second shot at 8:47 (Bergman).

The Sharks then scored their second power play goal, Labanc scoring just before the final minute of the period. He sent the puck along the boards to Tierney behind the net, who shot it back to Labanc behind him. Labanc got his own rebound as he went around Miller and put the puck into the net. Schlemko got the second assist.

Vancouver got their first shot in the third at 6:33. They had another sequence of four shots against Jones, though one was missed, from 6:33-7:06.

San Jose’s last clean shot in the frame came at 8:10.

The Canucks’ only clean shot in overtime came 57 seconds into the period.

Game notes: The Sharks next host the Anaheim Ducks October 5 at 7:30pm.