Category: NHL

Sharks’ Evander Kane to step into superstar role with long-term deal

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Photo credit: @NBCSSharks

By Marko Ukalovic

The San Jose Sharks are closing in on a seven-year contract with star forward Evander Kane that will keep the high-scoring forward off the free-agent market and for all intents and purposes make Kane a Shark for life, according to multiple reports.

Kane, who turns 27 in August, was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres at the trade deadline. Under the terms of that trade, the Sabres will now get a first-round pick in 2019 instead of a second-rounder because Kane signed with San Jose. The selection is lottery-protected, so it could be moved to 2020.

Kane’s status was one of the biggest questions heading into this offseason for the Sharks, who were knocked out of the playoffs in six games in the second round by eventual Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights.

What this means for longtime center Joe Thornton, the other prominent potential free agent on the team, is not clear but he has gone on record saying he’s willing to come back on a reduced one-year deal.

Kane had issues off the ice and with teammates at times during his stints with the Winnipeg Jets and Buffalo, but blended in well with a veteran Sharks team and got the opportunity to go to the postseason for the first time in his career.

Kane made an immediate impact in San Jose, stepping right onto the top line with captain Joe Pavelski and helping ease the loss of Thornton, who went down with a season-ending knee injury in January. Kane used his speed and physical play to deliver nine goals and five assists in 17 games and spark an eight-game winning streak that sent San Jose to the playoffs.

Kane shined in the first round with three goals and an assist during a sweep against Anaheim. But he struggled a bit against the Golden Knights, slowed by injuries to his knee and shoulder that lingered from the end of the regular season.

Even if the Sharks were to sign Thornton (imagine Kane on the number one line with Pavelski and Thornton), Kane will now be the face of the Sharks. With his speed, tenacity and scoring touch, Kane will be the star player for the Sharks for the next seven years as he is entering the prime of his career. The torch will be passed on to Kane once Thornton is gone.

It will be a role Kane will relish in as he likes the winning environment that the Sharks present with veterans Pavelski, Logan Couture and up and coming young players such as Tomas Hertl, Joonas Donskoi and Timo Meier as the core nucleus of the team.

Kane finished last season with 29 goals and 25 assists, his second-most productive season to his 30-goal, 27-assist campaign for the Jets in 2011-12. Kane has 186 goals and 168 assists in 574 career games since entering the NHL as the fourth overall pick by Atlanta in 2009.

NHL Stanley Cup Playoff podcast with Marko Ukalovic: 7th game between Washington and Tampa Bay to decide winner of Eastern Conference tonight

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Photo credit: @ESPNStatsInfo

On the NHL Stanley Cup playoff podcast with Marko:

#1 After taking the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals the Washington Capitals confidentially arrived in Tampa Bay for Games 2 and 3 and saw their chances to breeze through this one go the wayside losing Games 3 and 4.

#2 In Game 6, the goaltender for the Caps Braden Holtby stopped all 24 of the Lightning’s shots for the shutout 3-0.

#3 The Caps’ TJ Oshie scored two goals on Monday night to help the Caps get a three-goal victory past the Lightning.

#4 Tampa Bay’s top lines couldn’t do anything with Washington’s peppered offense and the Lightning couldn’t get on the scoreboard.

#5 So a Game 7 is forced and the Lightning will have home ice. Marko gives us his take on who wins this series.

Marko Ukalovic does the NHL Stanley Cup Playoff review each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

NHL Stanley Cup Playoff podcast with Mary Lisa Walsh: At this time last season, Knights players were all playing for different teams

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Photo credit: @GoldenKnights

On the NHL Stanley Cup Playoff podcast with Mary Lisa:

#1 Everyone that’s on this Vegas Golden Knights roster was somewhere else last season. Now each player represents an unbelievable fairy tale story of a team who started out 500-1 odds to make the finals in September and now their favored to go all the way.

#2 Marc-Andre Fleury, the Knight goaltender, has been amazing in goal and it’s as if he’s hasn’t missed a step as he’s now playing in his fourth final.

#3 On offense, James Neal and William Karlsson have been key on Vegas’ offense this postseason.

#4 It’s the first time that a first-year franchise team has gone this far.

#5 Can the Knights go all the way and what is the best thing the Knights have going for them?

NHL Stanley Cup Playoff podcast with Mary Lisa can be heard every Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Conference Finals podcast with Len Shapiro: Knights, first year expansion team, makes sports history; Caps-Lightning face off for Game 6 tonight

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Photo credit: @GoldenKnights

On the NHL Stanley Cup Playoff podcast with Len:

The Vegas Golden Knights continue to write sports history as they clinched Game 5 against the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 on Sunday. The Knights got past the Sharks to start the second round of the playoffs.

Then knocked off Winnipeg 4-1 in Round 3. The Knights have been dubbed “a band of misfits” they were castoffs from different NHL teams and were expected to finish in the dumper as a first year expansion team. But as the Knights say in their pregame light show earlier in the series “The Impossible happened.”

At the beginning of the season, the Knights were 500-1 odds of making it to the Stanley Cup Finals and now here they are just waiting for either the Tampa Bay Lightning or the Washington Capitals to finish off their series as they play Game 6 tonight with Tampa Bay in a 3-2 lead.

Len Shapiro does analysis of the NHL Stanley Cup post season each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

NHL Stanley Cup Western Conference Finals podcast with Matt Harrington: A Vegas win Sunday would make the Knights a first-time, first-year expansion team to go to the NHL Finals

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@GoldenKnights photo: The Vegas Golden Knights Reilly Smith who scored the game winning goal in the third period on Friday night at T Mobile Center in game 4 as the Knights take a 3-1 lead going back to Winnipeg

On the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs podcast with Matt:

The Vegas Golden Knights, who entered their first year expansion season, were even long odds in the their hometown at 500-1 to go all the way when they were chasing the puck in September during preseason. Now those same oddsmakers have the Knights favored to go all the way to win the NHL Stanley Cup, which would be a first in any sport for a first year expansion team.

The Knights down 1-0 to the visiting Winnipeg Jets on Friday night at the T-Mobile Center got their game plan together with goals from Reilly Smith who scored on a breakaway in the latter stages of the third period. The goal put the Knights a goal in front of the Jets and later for the win 3-2.

The Knights also got offensive help with goals from William Karlsson and Tomas Nosek. The Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 35 shots by the Jets in gGame 4 and moved into ninth place for wins by a goaltender in the NHL post season.

Matt Harrington is doing analysis for the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs each Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

NHL Stanley Cup Eastern Conference Playoff podcast with Joe Lami: Lightning strikes twice as Tampa Bay ties series with Caps at two apiece

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(Photo: Amber Searls, USA TODAY Sports) Ouch! Washington Capitals Alexander Ovechkin (8) feels the pain after the Tampa Bay Lightning put the stop to his attempts to score in the second period

On the NHL Stanley Cup Eastern Conference playoff podcast with Joe Lami:

Up 2-0 after the first two games in Tampa Bay, the Washington Capitals had a lot of confidence going back to Washington that this one was in the bag. A swagger and maybe some overconfidence during the morning skates before Games 3 and 4 and no idea what would be ahead after the conclusion of the two games on the Capitals’ ice.

In the first period of Game 4, the Lightning scored twice in the first period wasting no time as the Bolts’ Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos put the Lightning in the drivers seat. The Capitals would score only a goal in that first period and another in the second for all their offense on Thursday night.

In the third period, the Lightning’s Alex Killorn scored his fifth goal of the postseason and Anthony Cirelli found the back end of the net with his second goal of the postseason to put this one to bed for the 4-2 win.

Joe tells you about Tampa Bay’s success in coming back in this series with speed, shutting down Alex Ovechkin, and taking Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby out of his game. Joe also takes a look at going back to Tampa Bay and what Washington needs to do to get back into this series in Game 5.

Join Joe Lami for the NHL Stanley Cup Eastern Conference Stanley Cup playoff podcast each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Western Conference podcast with Mary Lisa: Knights’ Marchessault has two goals in Game 2 to even series with Jets; Game 3 tonight in Vegas

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Photo credit: @JdeQuebec

On the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs podcast with Mary Lisa:

#1 The Golden Knights’ Jonathan Marchessault has been a huge plus for the offense. He proved that in round two against the San Jose Sharks and now in this series against the Winnipeg Jets he scored twice to help the Knights get the 3-1 win.

#2 The Jets’ Kyle Conner scored a goal in the third period to make it 3-1, but Marchessault scored 1:28 later to get the Knights back up with a two-goal lead.

#3 The Knights’ Marc Andre Fluery stopped 30 shots on Monday night and the Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck had 25 saves in the contest.

#4 Fleury said that the Jets came out with a lot of speed and the Knights forced the turnovers to get puck possession time.

#5 It’s Game 3 tonight in Vegas’ T-Mobile Center series tied at 1-1. How do you see things shaping up for tonight?

Mary Lisa Walsh does the NHL Stanley Cup podcasts on Wednesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Eastern Conference podcast with Marko Ukalovic: Lightning light the lamp in 4-2 win over Caps to even it up

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Photo credit: @PR_NHL

On the NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Eastern Conference podcast with Marko:

#1 The Tampa Bay Lightning got help from Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov in game three of Tuesday night’s playoff game in Washington. Both of the goals were power play goals.

#2 The Lightning have scored a power play goal in eight straight games and they were one-timers from the faceoff circle for both goals.

#3 The Lightning’s Victor Hedman said the Bolts need to keep it going after they were down 2-1. Now, it could be a new series after they meet again on Thursday for Game 3.

#4 Stamkos’ goal was shot over goaltender Branden Holtby left shoulder and the Lightning got off to a fast start.

#5 So it’s Game 3 Thursday night with the series tied at 1-1. How do you see this next one coming up?

Join Marko for the NHL Stanley Cup Playoff podcast each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

NHL Stanley Cup Playoff podcast with Len Shapiro: Caps off to a Lightning start, up 2-0; Tampa Bay struggling on defense

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Photo credit: nhl.com/capitals

On the NHL Stanley Cup Playoff podcast with Len Shapiro:

The Washington Capitals are off to a fast start with a series 2-0 lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Capitals dominated in Game 2 on the Tampa Bay ice on Sunday with a four-goal 6-2 win. Alex Ovechkin says the team doesn’t panic under pressure and say the Caps are playing the system and doing it the right way.

The Lightning down 1-0 saw the Capitals turn on the red lamp with three goals in the second period and two more goals in the third period. The Lightning just couldn’t get any kind of defense going nor could they get back into the game to answer the Capitals on their goal scoring.

The two clubs match up again on Tuesday night this time for Game 3 in Washington, which is a tall task to ask of the Lightning to try and come back down two. The Lightning more than likely will attack like a cornered animal and will need Game 3 to feel some semblance of this third round of the playoffs.

Len Shapiro does the NHL Stanley Cup playoff podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

NHL Stanley Cup Eastern Conference Playoff podcast with Matt Harrington: Capitals take early lead on Ovechkin’s goal; Lightning have been down 0-1 before

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Photo credit: @Capitals

On the Eastern Conference Finals playoff podcast with Matt:

#1 The Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin’s early game power play goal help the Capitals to a 4-2 win past the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night in Tampa Bay.

#2 It was 80 degrees outside of Tampa Bay’s Amalie Arena at the start of Friday night’s Game 1 contest. Both teams needed a lot of hydration before and during the game.

#3 The Caps’ Ovechkin, who got a power play goal and an assist on Friday was one of the key reasons why the Caps are this far in the Eastern Conference finals.

#4 The Bolts are not to be underestimated they lost the opener in Game 1 Round 2, but bounced back by winning four straight over the Boston Bruins to advance to Round 3.

#5 Talk about the Caps goaltender Braden Holtby’s job in net with one goal allowed in 19 saves.

Matt Harrington does the NHL Stanley Cup Playoff podcast each Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com