Category: NHL

Sharks Lose to Blue Jackets 4-1

Published on by M WalshLeave a comment

Photo credit: @SanJoseSharks

By Mary Walsh

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Sharks fell to the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets Thursday by a score of 4-1. Despite outshooting Columbus 45-27, beating them soundly in the faceoff circle and taking the early lead with a goal from Kevin Labanc, San Jose could not beat the Blue Jackets’ defense or goalie again. Columbus goals came from Anthony Duclair, Seth Jones, Nick Foligno and Josh Anderson. Columbus goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 44 shots for the win. Sharks goaltender Aaron Dell made 23 saves for San Jose. The special teams were all penalty killers: the Sharks’ power play had three tries and did not score, and the Blue Jackets also failed to score with their power play.

After the game, Sharks captain Joe Pavelski said:

You look up at the end of the night and we have those shots. Didn’t probably feel like a 45 shot night. You know… the energy level was just a little bit off for us. But throughout that game we were right there at times, we just never found that spark we needed.

Logan Couture was asked about the ice, as the puck was bouncing a lot. He did not consider that a valid explanation: “Can’t blame the ice. Both teams play on it. It’s simple: we just didn’t play well enough. There’s no excuse of the ice being bad. We weren’t very good.”

When asked to elaborate, Couture said: “We weren’t good. We didn’t pass well, we didn’t play hard enough. We didn’t spend enough time in their end, we didn’t forecheck, we turned pucks over. I mean, you go down the list, we did a lot of things wrong tonight and we got what we deserved.”

The first period was balanced in scoring and shots. The Sharks spent a spell in the Columbus zone before finally scoring first at 11:50 of the first period. Couture was in front of the net, trying to get a shot off but the puck slipped away from him. Labanc was right on the spot to catch it and take the shot. Assists went to Couture and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. It was Labanc’s second goal of the season.

The Blue Jackets tied it up at 16:30 with a goal from Anthony Duclair. The goal came after a lot of pressure from the Blue Jackets all around the Sharks’ zone. Ryan Murray sent the puck down from the blue line to bounce off the back boards where Duclair picked it up and took it behind the net for a wraparound. Assists went to Murray and Alexander Wennberg.

Columbus scored twice in the second period, the first at 9:15. Duclair, near the goal line, moved the puck out in front of the net where it went off the skate of Seth Jones as Jones was stopping in front of the blue paint. Assists went to Duclair and Lukas Sedlak.

Foligno gave the Blue Jackets a two goal lead at 18:40 of the period. Erik Karlsson’s pass to Vlasic along the blue line missed and went off the boards to Markus Nutivaara. He made a quick pass up to a fast-moving Foligno in the neutral zone. Foligno skated in and beat Aaron Dell on the left side.

The only goal of the third period came with just 1:01 left in the game, a short-handed, empty-net goal from Josh Anderson.

The Sharks ended the game with a 5-on-3 power play, but it only lasted 22 seconds before they ran out of time.

The Sharks will host the Philadelphia Flyers for their next game on Saturday at 7:30 PM PT.

San Jose Sharks podcast with Mary Lisa Walsh: Sharks aim to make amends tonight after loss to Rangers last Tuesday

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

mercurynews.com photo: Sharks forwards Logan Couture (39) and Tomas Hertl (48), seen here celebrating in a game last season, will start Thursday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets with Kevin Labanc on their right wing. (Josie Lepe/Bay Area News Group)

On the Sharks podcast with Mary Lisa:

#1 The second place San Jose Sharks (6-3-3) came up short in a shootout with the New York Rangers (4-7-1) last Tuesday. The Sharks got goal help from Tomas Hertl early on. Hertl’s goal contributed to a tie at the time 3-3.

#2 The Rangers came back and got goals from Chris Kreider, who scored twice, and Nats Zuccarello.

#3 The Sharks’ Timo Meier and Brett Burns also scored for the Sharks.

#4 In the shootout, goalie Martin Jones stopped all but one shot. The Rangers’ Kevin Shattenkirk scored the game-winning goal in the shootout.

#5 The Sharks take on the Columbus Blue Jackets (6-5-0) tonight at SAP Center. Mary Lisa sets this one up.

Mary Lisa Walsh does the San Jose Sharks podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Hertl Beats the Clock, but Hank Is King in the Rangers’ 4-3 Shootout Win Over the Sharks

Published on by Matthew HarringtonLeave a comment

Photo credit: @NYSportsNews365

By Jerry Feitelberg

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Sharks fell to the visiting New York Rangers 4-3 in a shootout Tuesday night, but in many ways they should feel fortunate to walk away with even the loser point. Tomas Hertl with less than two seconds left and the Sharks’ net empty to tie the game at 3-3. Chris Kreider scored twice for the Rangers and Mats Zuccarello netted a goal for the Blue shirts. Timo Meier scored his team-best ninth goal of the year for the Sharks and Brent Burns scored his third of the year.

San Jose now moves into a tie for first place in the Pacific Division with Calgary, each team boasting 15 points–though, the Sharks have a game in hand. The Rangers pick up a fourth win in their 12th game of what looks like it will be a long season.

Burns opened the scoring just 3:22 into play, beating Henrik Lundqvist for a 1-0 Sharks lead. That’d be the last thing to go right for the Sharks in the first after Zuccarello found the equalizer a minute later. New York outshot San Jose 17-6 in the period.

The otherwise lifeless Sharks picked up the pace in the second, peppering Lundqvist with 14 shots to just six on their keeper Martin Jones, but neither team could break the stalemate. Kreider opened the third with his fifth goal of the season one-timer just 1:13 into the period before Meier stepped up.

The power forward continued his breakout year coming in on a 2-on-1 8:14 into the third. Instead of passing the puck, Meier ripped a lethal snipe to tie the game. Kreider would again provide a dagger with 9:55 left in the period. Hertl beat lundvist with Jones pulled to tie the game at three-all with just 1.6 seconds left in regulation.

In the shootout both goalies stood tall. Jones, after making 34 saves in regulation and overtime, stopped all but one of the shooters he faced. Kevin Shattenkirk was the lone man to beat him, but Hank was also up to the challenge and didn’t let up a single shootout goal after making 31 saves over regulation and overtime.

The Sharks continue a three-game homestand, taking on the Columbus Blue Jackets Thursday night before welcoming in another Eastern Conference foe, the Philadelphia Flyers Saturday night.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Sox were unstoppable; Kershaw, Dodgers couldn’t do anything with Sox lineup; plus more

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @MLB

On That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast:

#1 The Boston Red Sox did what so many clubs couldn’t do–win an amazing 108 games.

#2 They cut through the playoffs and World Series like butter.

#3 With the World Series now over and the 2018 season, will the A’s add to what was a successful season to their roster?

#4 In football, the Oakland Raiders lose another tough one Sunday to the Indianapolis Colts 42-28. Another tough home loss at the Coliseum.

#5 The San Jose Sharks continue their success with a win Sunday in overtime past the Anaheim Ducks at the Honda Center 4-3. The Sharks are showing why they’re a first place club.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Museum and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Meier gets his second goal after all; Sharks pull off OT win 4-3 over Ducks

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @NBCSSharks

By: Pearl Lo

ANAHEIM, Calif. — After an overturned goal, Timo Meier scored the game-winner in a 4-3 victory Sunday over the Ducks.

It was Meier’s second career multi-point game and fourth straight game with at least one goal. Meier scored his second of the night at 13:06, but it was ruled offsides after a Coach’s Challenge.

In overtime, Meier passed behind to Joonas Donskoi before falling after he was hit by Ryan Getzlaf. Meier then received the pass after getting back and shot at goalie John Gibson. The three Anaheim players on the ice plus Donskoi also got involved in the battle of the puck before Meier won at 2:12.

Joking occurred in the locker room after, as Evander Kane interjected, “You’re welcome for dinner last night,” and Meier echoed that was the “…success. That’s what helped…”

It was a bit of familiar territory with San Jose’s second straight game beyond regulation after losing a two-goal lead.

Head coach Peter DeBoer commented, “I don’t know about a comeback. I thought we deserved to win. There was a big swing in the second period when our goal was disallowed and then they got the ‘seeing eye’ one. I thought we had an opportunity there to probably put them away and we wouldn’t have come down to what it did, but that’s hockey. You gotta give them credit for hanging around. Gibson gave them the chance to do that. I liked our 60 minutes. Unlike Carolina, where we started to panic a little with the puck and feed into what they were doing, I thought we did a much better job tonight.”

The Sharks got back to their shooting ways, sending 49 pucks Gibson’s way after putting up 23 shots on net versus the Hurricanes.

It was a game that pitted two teams at both ends of the shot spectrum.

The Ducks went back to three years ago, having now lost five in a row like that stretch as they fell beyond .500. During their current stretch in a game, Sunday’s three goals are the most they have scored, but they are also still giving up at least three. San Jose now have points and have scored at least three goals in their last five games. It was Martin Jones’ fourth straight win in net, as he made 27 saves on 30 shots.

Meier also had an assist, Logan Couture had a goal and assist and rookie Rourke Chartier scored his first career NHL goal. For Anaheim, Pontus Aberg scored two goals to bring Anaheim back into the game, Josh Manson scored and Ryan Getzlaf had two assists for the second time this season. The last time was versus the Sharks.

The first two periods had goals in the second and fourth minutes.

San Jose outshot the Ducks 19-8 in the first and had 11 of their shots blocked as both sides had early goals.

Couture led off at 2:34, scoring as the puck went off Gibson’s back. Tomas Hertl passed along the left boards to Brent Burns near the point, who bounced the puck to Couture off the boards. Hertl made his return from injury after missing the third period of the previous game.

Less than two minutes later, Manson potted his first goal of the year from the slot as it went through traffic on Jones’ stick side.

The Sharks started the second with another second minute goal to retake the lead. It started as Chartier won the race to the puck and passed to Hertl at the end boards. Hertl tried a wraparound goal and from Hertl’s rebound off Gibson, Chartier spun around in front of the net to score at 2:13.

San Jose then extended their advantage, unlike the first period. Meier shot from the slot through traffic, as the puck glanced Gibson’s upper left arm.

Aberg made it 3-2 when he took a pass from Getzlaf and shot, touching Burns and poked the top left corner of the net. It was Aberg’s first goal for Anaheim as a former Edmonton Oiler.

Aberg relayed, “I got a lucky bounce on the first goal. It was a confidence builder. It’s been a while since I’ve scored in this league. I’ve shown I can [score] in the American [Hockey] League.”

The Sharks fought off their first penalty that resulted in a power play starting at 4:02 of the third.

A scary moment happened when a puck hit Ryan Kesler up high with 13:33 left. Luckily, he was able to get up on his own power, but headed to the dressing room.

Aberg re-tied the game with his second goal of the night at 8:36, putting the puck behind Jones who was in front of the crease.

Less than a minute later, San Jose had opportunity as Brandon Montour took a hooking penalty. Kesler returned during the penalty kill with 9:56 left.

The Sharks outshot the Ducks 5-0 in overtime.

Up Next: San Jose returns home for four games, kicking things off against the New York Rangers Tuesday at 7:30 pm PT.

San Jose Sharks podcast with Len Shapiro: Sharks get lots of help, but Hurricanes just a bit better during shootout

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @NHLCanes

On the San Jose Sharks podcast with Len:

#1 The Carolina Hurricanes and San Jose Sharks forced a shootout. Both teams had very respective records going in.

#2 The Sharks got goals from Timo Meier, Antti Suomela, and Tomas Hertl. Hertl is listed out with an injury and is not expected to be in the line up for Sunday’s game in Anaheim.

#3 In goal, Aaron Dell made 38 saves on 41 shots for San Jose.

#4 The Hurricanes outshot the Sharks by 61% and the Canes beat the Sharks on the draw by 39%.

#5 The Sharks (5-3-2) head to Anaheim (5-5-1) for a Sunday Night draw.

Len does the Sharks podcasts each Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sharks Fall to Hurricanes in Shootout 4-3

Published on by M WalshLeave a comment

Photo credit: @SanJoseSharks

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks were defeated 4-3 in a shootout by the Hurricanes in Raleigh, North Carolina. Carolina goals came from Dougie Hamilton, Brock McGinn and Teuvo Teravainen, with the shootout winner also scored by McGinn. Petr Mrazek made 20 saves on 23 shots for the win. Sharks goals came from Timo Meier, Antti Suomela and Tomas Hertl. Aaron Dell made 38 saves on 41 shots for San Jose. The Hurricanes outshot the Sharks and beat them in the faceoff circle 61%-39%.

After the game, Sharks captain Joe Pavelski talked about the overtime point the team earned:

We win in a shootout there, you know we feel a little better about ourselves but we still understand that they took over the second half of the game. If we had the first, they took over the second. These points are big though.

Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer said:

What a tale of two games! I walked out at the end of the first period, I thought we could have been up four-nothing. And then we never won another race or a battle the rest of the night, or shift. So I guess the lesson in that is the NHL still plays 60 minute games not 20 minute games and our goalie got us a point for playing 20 minutes.

By the end of the first period, the Sharks had a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Antti Suomela and Timo Meier. Suomela’s goal, his first in the NHL, followed some pretty skating around two Carolina defenders. He took the shot while hopping over some skates for a nice flourish. Assists went to Evander Kane and Brent Burns.

Meier’s goal came on the power play at 8:16. Burns’ shot rebounded off the goalie’s pads and Meier was right in position to clean it up. The goal extended a six game point streak for Meier and was his sixth of the season. Assists went to Burns and Erik Karlsson.

Carolina started the second period very well, with a goal just 1:16 in from Hamilton. The Hurricanes had been in the Sharks’ zone for some time, moving the puck well and refusing to be pushed out. Micheal Ferland pulled the puck away from the boards and skated to the slot, then passed it to Hamilton who was ready just above the circle. His hard shot beat Dell over the shoulder. Ferland got the assist.

At 4:28, Lucas Wallmark went to the box for slashing Logan Couture, putting the Sharks on their second power play of the game. Burns kept the puck in as Carolina tried to clear it, and got it to Kevin Labanc along the boards. Labanc got it to Couture across the ice, who passed it quickly to Hertl, right in front of the blue paint. He to knocked it in before Mrazek could get across to stop him. Assists went to Couture and Labanc.

The Sharks successfully killed a slashing penalty to Karlsson, followed by a brief chance for Karlsson and Marcus Sorensen. The Hurricanes intercepted the pass and went the other way for a shot that Dell stopped. The Hurricanes then took up residence in the offensive zone and the Sharks could not get things going the other way.

Dell had just returned to the net after passing the puck to Karlsson up the boards. Karlsson sent it back around to Dillon on the other side of the net but it went off Dillon’s stick to the front of the net. In the scramble that ensued, Dell went down and Brock McGinn put the puck over him into the net.

Carolina completed the comeback at 15:14 when Kane’s pass went awry, right to Sebastian Aho, who gave it to Teravainen. Teravainen took a shot from the top of the faceoff circle and it went right by Dell, who had some traffic in front of him. Aho got the one assist, extending his point streak to ten games.

In the process of outscoring the Sharks 3-1 during the second period, the Hurricanes outshot the Sharks 16-5.

Hertl was missing at the start the third period, triggering some line adjustments.

After the game,  DeBoer said of Hertl’s absence: “He’s been dealing with something here most of the year. He’s been playing through it and he just re-aggravated it.”

Couture took the first faceoff between Kane and Joonas Donskoi. Pavelski then took a faceoff between Meier and Labanc. Each line generated a chance right away but the score remained tied. Suomela centered Sorensen and Karlsson.

At 7:13, Couture lost an edge and went into the back of the net. He consulted with the trainer and returned to the ice. Dell was busy early in the period, facing a couple of breakaways and some other good chances for Carolina. By the middle of the period, the Sharks were being outshot 6-1. The Sharks managed a flurry of offense near the midpoint, registering a couple of shots and wearing down the Hurricanes defense. Carolina pushed right back after the next line change, keeping the Sharks on their heels.

With 5:29 left, the Sharks had been trapped on defense for too long when they were called for icing. The Sharks got a partial change after Couture cleared the puck, but still needed some good saves from Dell to keep the game tied. They still had just three shots in the period. Their fourth and fifth came in the last two minutes of the period.

DeBoer put Karlsson, Pavelski and Meier out to start overtime against Jordan Staal, Warren Foegele and Brett Pesce–all of whom started for Carolina.

With 44 seconds left in overtime, Dell went down after Foegele caught him in the neck with his stick while trying to cut across the crease. After having the goalie checked out, play resumed with no penalty.

The Sharks got credit for two shots during overtime. It was their goalie who held them in it, making four important saves.

Justin Williams shot first for Carolina: a wrist shot right into Dell’s pads. Couture shot next: a very similar shot trying for the five hole.

McGinn shot second for Carolina: a hard shot through Dell, just inside his arm. Pavelski shot second for San Jose, trying a quick shot from in close, but he hit the post.

Aho tried the same thing, shooting third for Carolina. He also hit the post. Donskoi shot third for San Jose, trying his signature backhand from in close, but he missed the net.

The Sharks next play on Sunday in Anaheim against the Ducks at 5:00 PM PT.

San Jose Sharks podcast with Mary Lisa Walsh: Things falling into place for Sharks, who take on the Hurricanes next

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @evanderkane_9

On the San Jose Sharks podcast with Mary Lisa:

#1 The Sharks had an up and down road trip from October 5th through October 14th, but have turned it around since with wins on October 18th, 20th, and 23rd. That’s three in a row.

#2 How much of a difference did it make to have Logan Couture with a hat trick against Buffalo last Thursday lift up the team from that last road trip?

#3 In Nashville on Tuesday, the Sharks’ Brenden Dillion, Joe Pavelski, and Brent Burns all scored in the Sharks’ 5-4 win.

#4 What measure of success would you give the Sharks in their win over the Predators who had a five-game win streak?

#5 The Sharks (4-3-1) go to Carolina (5-3-1) on Friday night. The Hurricanes a first place team. How much of a test will it be for San Jose?

Mary Lisa does the Sharks podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sharks spark turnaround win with short-handed goal to defeat top Predators 5-4

Published on by smallforceLeave a comment

Photo credit: sjsharks.com

By Pearl Allison Lo

The San Jose Sharks’ Brenden Dillon, Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns completed the comeback Tuesday to break the Nashville Predators’ five-game winning streak at Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday night.

Things were looking grim with the Sharks down two in the third. as they encountered their second penalty of the period at 9:57. However, Dillon scored San Jose’s fourth short-handed goal as he went from one end of the ice to the other solo, shooting from the left faceoff circle to score from the left faceoff circle under Juuse Saros’s right arm at 11:40. It was a grand goal for Dillon’s first of the season. Burns Tomas Hertl gave the assists.

Sharks head coach Pete DeBoer issued a statement regarding Dillon: “Obviously he got us back in the game. Couldn’t be a more deserving guy. Probably the best teammate we have in there from a do anything for the group (standpoint).”

36 seconds later, Pavelski replied in kind. Evander Kane made a strong move from the other end and when reaching the offensive zone, passed to Logan Couture, who passed to Pavelski. It was a similar goal to Dillon’s that went far side to tie the game again since the first half of the second.

The piece of resistance was then set in play when Viktor Arvidsson was called for a high stick. Seven seconds before the power play expired, Burns one-timed the game-winner. He was helped by fellow defensemen Kane and Erik Karlsson.

It was a long time coming for Burns and the Sharks in Nashville regarding the regular season. Burns had not scored a goal a similar goal since November 16, 2006 and San Jose had not won since October 25, 2011.

The Sharks now have won three straight, their highest win streak of the season.

It was Saros’s first loss of the season as he made 27 saves. Saros finished playing his second full game since starter Pekka Rinne left Friday’s game and was placed on injured reserve Saturday.

The Predators scored consecutive goals twice in the game. Each of their goals featured at least one player from their top line of Arvidsson, Filip Forsberg and Ryan Johansen.

Arvidsson received the second star of the game with a game-high three points, two goals and an assist.

Each team scored in the first period.

San Jose’s Timo Meier started things off with his second goal in as many games at 6:58, aided by Joonas Donskoi and Burns on the power play. Meier’s points streak is now at a career-high six.

Arvidsson tied the game at one apiece at 11:14.

In the second, each team started off trading goals.

Nashville got their first lead just 21 seconds in when Forsberg scored, helped by Johansen and Ryan Ellis. It was Forsberg’s sixth goal and Johansen and Ellis’s sixth assists.

Hertl re-tied the game at 7:51, assisted by Couture and Meier.

Arvidsson struck again at 10:45 though, as the Predators regained the lead. He was aided by his fellow linemates this time, Forsberg and Johansen.

Nashville then built a two-goal lead with 15 seconds left in the period. It was a case of 2-on-1 crossbars having different results with Barclay Goodrow missing off the crossbar and after at the other end, Craig Smith scoring off it to make it 4-2.   

Up Next: The Sharks will play the middle game of their three-game road trip Friday at 4:30 pm PT versus the Carolina Hurricanes.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Will Sharks do Spanish radio again after 23 years?; World Series kicks off tonight at Fenway Park

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

tsn photo: San Jose Sharks fans received Los Tiburones jerseys on Hispanic Heritage Night Sat Oct 20th at SAP Center in San Jose vs. the New York Islanders

On That’s Amuary’s podcast:

#1 Last Saturday at SAP Center in San Jose, the San Jose Sharks hosted their second straight Hispanic Heritage Night. Is this an indication that the Sharks are going to get serious about the Hispanic community as part of their media demographic?

#2 You remember when the Sharks started at the Cow Palace in 1991-92 they moved to San Jose from Daly City in 1993. The Sharks did have Spanish radio in 1995 with former Oakland A’s broadcaster Erwin Higueros. Could the Sharks possibly consider doing Spanish radio in the future?

#3 Would this be an economic benefit for the Sharks to have the largest demographic Spanish radio, which is number one in the South Bay and would be a marketing essential for the team?

#4 The Boston Red Sox pretty much dominated the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros through the playoffs. How do you like their chances?

#5 The Los Angeles Dodgers took four out of seven from the Milwaukee Brewers to land their second straight World Series, which starts tonight at Fenway Park in Boston for game one.

Join Amaury for all the latest in sports headlines on That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradiosercvice.com