Category: NHL

San Jose Sharks Podcast with Mary Lisa Walsh: Avs get the lucky bounces in final road game for Sharks last Tuesday

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sjsharks.com photo: Action from Tuesday night’s San Jose Sharks and Colorado Avalanche contest at the Pepsi Center in Denver

On the SJ Sharks Podcast with Mary Lisa:

It was the battle of the LA backups in the San Jose Sharks at Colorado Avalanche contest on Tuesday night at the Pepsi Center. Avalanche goalie Jonathan Bernier’s stopped 39 Sharks shots. Both starting goalies Bernier and San Jose Shark goaltender Martin Jones are former LA Kings goalies. The Sharks Joel Ward goal scored to get the Sharks on the scoreboard.

The goal by Ward was flukey as the puck ended up by him and he ended up getting the puck in the net. Bernier got lots of protection as the defenders help Bernier stop shots and hits in front of the net. The Avs did a lot better job than the Sharks did in attacking the net and on defense the Avs did a better job protecting Bernier than the Sharks did protecting Jones.

Mary Lisa Walsh is a beat writer for the San Jose Sharks catch her coverage at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

Sharks can’t get enough offense; Bernier stops 39 shots for 3-1 Avs win

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~ Photo credit: NHL.com

~ By Pearl Allison Lo

~ The Colorado Avalanche’s Jonathan Bernier posted his best save percentage since January 4 as the San Jose Sharks fell 3-1 Tuesday night at Pepsi Center.

Bernier earned the first star of the game with a .974 save percentage, while the Sharks’ Martin Jones fired 39 shots.

Sharks coach Pete DeBoer joked, “Bernier’d be making $20 million a year if he was playing us every night.”

It was the least amount of shots Jones has faced since January 13 when he was pulled from the game.

With one game left between the teams, the Avalanche clinched the season series with another two-goal win versus San Jose.

Gabriel Bourque, J.T. Compher and Tyson Jost were the Avalanche’s scorers and Joel Ward put the Sharks on the board.

San Jose out-peppered the Avalanche 39-20 and 14-3 in the first period.

Things were looking good as Colorado was held shotless for ¾ of the opening period. The Sharks won faceoffs 72% to 28%, but the Avalanche blocked 11 shots. Four of those blocks came during the Sharks’ power play. San Jose’s Joonas Donskoi and Joe Pavelski each had three shots. Colorado’s Nikita Zadorov had five hits.

The Avalanche swiftly recovered in the second, though, creating an uphill battle for the Sharks.  

Brenden Dillon was on his way out to clear, but fell. Jost recovered the puck at the blue line before passing it to Compher. The swift pass helped enable a 2-on-1, which Compher used to his advantage. With Jones situated near him, Compher passed far side to Bourque, who sent the puck over Jones’ right pad to make it 1-0 at 2:31.

Colorado doubled their lead just over two minutes later using a pretty pass. The puck traveled from Girard at the far faceoff circle to Yakupov at the far blue line to Jost at the near blue line. Jost sped up before shooting past Jones.

San Jose slashed the lead in half at 13:29. Ward scored after the puck went off a defender as Ward hit the goal cam, but the tally was initially waved off. It was Ward’s first goal since November 22.

In the third period, Justin Braun and Jones helped prevent a 3-on-1 attempt. The Sharks’ Timo Meier also fished the puck off the tape to stop a goal.

Compher made it 3-1 with four seconds left with an empty-net goal.

Some of San Jose’s Logan Couture’s comments were, “some mental lapses, they’re a quick team, they’re quick in transition.”

Game notes: The Avalanche were without Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon this time.

The Sharks completed their five-game road trip with a 2-2-1 record.  They will now hold a two-game homestand. First up, the division-leading Vegas Golden Knights Thursday at 7:30pm.

San Jose Sharks Podcast with Len Shapiro: Sharks coming off two straight wins face off against Avalanche on Tuesday night

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Andy Cross Denver Post file photo: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon at the Family Sports Center Nov. 28, 2017

On the San Jose Sharks Podcast with Len Shapiro:

1 The San Jose Sharks after struggling early on in this current five game road trip managed to get two straight wins defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets and the  Carolina Hurricanes

2 Brent Burns who has three goals, 16 assists, five shots in the Columbus game and seven shots in the Canes gam. Burns got a goal and an assist at 2:03 in the second period for his ninth goal of the season

3 The Sharks got goals from Timo Meir and Chris Tierney to add to the Sharks 3-1 win totals

4 The Sharks goaltender in the Blue Jackets game Marty Jones stopped 29 shots and allowed just on goal in the Canes game Aaron Dell stopped 29 shots and allowed one goal the Sharks are getting their confidence in their goaltending again.

5 The Sharks conclude this road trip with a game in Colorado Tuesday night. The Avalanche 28-19-4 and not one of the Pacific Division’s premier teams’ are not playing with Nathan MacKinnon whose currently suffering from a shoulder injury MacKinnon in file photo on the cover skated in the Aves practice facility on Tuesday. Team physicians say he’s on a two to three week disabled list.

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

Forgotten defense returns to vintage form, Sharks beat Hurricanes 3-1

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Photo credit: nhl.com/sharks

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks won their second game in a row, 3-1, against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena Sunday afternoon.

The Sharks’ goals came from Brent Burns, Timo Meier and Chris Tierney.

Sharks goaltender Aaron Dell made 29 saves, while Hurricanes goaltender Came Ward made 23 saves in a losing effort. Sebastian Aho scored the lone goal for the Hurricanes.

This second win was big for a road trip that started with losses in Pittsburgh and Detroit.

Sharks captain Joe Pavelski said this improvement is due to a commitment to defense:

Real big commitment, I think right from Pittsburgh, it’s been there. Didn’t get the result in the first couple games, but the effort by the goalies and the team defense it’s created offense for us, created a little bit of momentum. You know, everyone’s buying in, which is important, especially when you’re playing on the road.

Sharks forward Chris Tierney said that consistent defense is part of the team’s identity: “I think we just stuck to our game plan. That’s our identity, being able to win those tight games, tight checking and play well in the third and shut teams down. Just sticking to our game plan and working hard is what we do.”

Aaron Dell described what he saw from his team through the game: “We had lots of support tonight, guys were coming in and giving the other guys options and I think it really showed. We didn’t really give up a whole lot and we got out of our zone pretty easily all night.”

While Dell may have forgotten that the game was played early in the day, he did show up ready to play.

The Sharks opened the scoring just 4:06 into the first period. Timo Meier took a quick pass from Joonas Donskoi just above the goal line. Meier had been trailing the play after Donskoi, Burns and Logan Couture initiated the attack. Meier’s shot beat Cam Ward on the glove side. Assists went to Joonas Donskoi and Brent Burns.

The Hurricanes tied it up at one apiece with 2:02 left in the period. Danny O’Regan was just above the Sharks goal line when he turned the puck over to Jordan Staal. Staal’s pass to Danny Aho set him up perfectly to beat Dell.

The Sharks were not done with the period and regained the lead in the final minute. Melker Karlsson’s pass from the corner found Chris Tierney right in front of the net. He wasted no time and put it away. Assists went to Karlsson and Mikkel Boedker.

San Jose repeated that good start in the second period, but cut it almost in half. Just 2:03 into the middle frame, Brent Burns chased the puck down along the blue line and took a hasty, hard shot at the net. Cam Ward may have been somewhat screened by Barclay Goodrow and Brett Pesce battling in front of him. Assists went to Joel Ward and Joakim Ryan.

Brock McGinn and Brenden Dillon fought at 7:32, which started after a cross-check from Dillon. They went to their respective boxes, and Dillon was joined by Kevin Labanc, serving Dillon’s cross-checking penalty. That was the only penalty of the game, but it did not change the score.

Carolina made a good push at the start of the third, outshooting the Sharks 5-1 in the first six minutes. The Sharks put an end to that with a long shift at the other end, wearing the Hurricane defense down with an unrelenting assault. the Hurricanes broke out of that with a two-on-one but could not turn that into a goal.

Carolina pulled Cam Ward from the net with just over two minutes left in the period but the final score remained 3-1.

The Sharks will finish up this road trip on Tuesday in Denver against the Avalanche at 6:00 pm PT.

NHL Podcast with Daniel Dullum: Oshie gets fined for cross check; Vlasic nearly faces arrest for going to play in the PyeongChang Olympics; plus more NHL news

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NBC TV file photo: Marc Edouard Vlasic who skated at the 2014 Winter Olympics for Team Canada says that he and other NHL players shouldn’t be prohibited from going to the PyeongChang Olympics

On the NHL Podcast with Daniel:

1 Caps’ TJ Oshie fined $5,000 for cross-check; NHL suspends Sabres’ Larsson two games for cross-check

2 With NHL players out of the Olympics, Sharks’ Vlasic feels left out, has considered playing in Olympics despite potential arrest and contract termination

3 Eric Staal scores twice, Wild knock off road-weary Golden Knights

4 Report: Josh Leivo asks Maple Leafs to trade him

Catch Daniel with the NHL Podcast each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Categories NHL

Sharks down Blue Jackets 3-1; end four-game losing streak

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Photo credit: nhl.com/sharks

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 at the Nationwide Arena Friday. It was the Sharks’ first win since Joe Thornton suffered a knee injury four games ago. The Sharks’ goals came from Logan Couture, Kevin Labanc and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Sharks goaltender Martin Jones made 28 saves on 29 shots.

Boone Jenner scored the lone goal for the Blue Jackets. Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovski made 25 saves in a losing effort.

After the game, Martin Jones said:

It was a really strong game for us. This is a pretty tough road trip for us and we weren’t happy getting one point in the first two games. Obviously we thought we could have done a little better. It was a big win for us. I thought it was a really strong road game for us. We did a lot of good little things tonight.

Kevin Labanc has moved onto the first power play unit in Joe Thornton’s absence.

“He knows what he’s doing out there,” Logan Couture said of Labanc. “He put up a lot of points in junior and I’m sure a lot of those were on the power play. So, that usually translates over to the pro league. I didn’t think it’d translate over this quickly but he’s done a great job.”

The Sharks scored the only first period goal at 5:07. The Sharks were on the power play after Matt Calvert was called for tripping Brenden Dillon. Brent Burns was parked in front of Bobrovski when Logan Couture took a shot from the point. The puck might have been deflected by a Columbus player, as there were several between Couture and the goal. Assists went to Kevin Labanc and Tomas Hertl.

The Blue Jackets responded early in the second period with a goal from Boone Jenner. Jenner took a shot from some ways above the faceoff circle that beat Martin Jones on the left side. There were two Sharks defending, including Dylan DeMelo. The shot went off of Demelo’s stick and changed direction slightly on its way to the net. Assists went to Cam Atkinson and Dean Kukan.

The Sharks power play paid off again in the second period. This time with a goal from Kevin Labanc during a 13 second 5-on-3 at 10:20. After an especially contentious faceoff, Pavelski came up with the puck and sent it to Labanc who was waiting, unguarded, right in front of Bobrovsky.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic extended the lead at 6:51 of the third. Justin Braun sent the puck through the neutral zone, where Timo Meier touched it just enough for Vlasic to pick in up on his way into the offensive zone. Vlasic evaded the Columbus defense long enough to get a back hand shot off. The puck went in on the far side as Bobrovsky moved the other way to cover the shot. Assists went to Meier and Braun.

With 7:13 left in the third, Burns sent a puck around the boards and Couture caught it in the mouth and had to leave the ice. He did return to play before the end of the period.

The Blue Jackets had their only power play of the game at 14:34 of the third but failed to score.

Up Next: The Sharks next play on Sunday at 10:00 am PT in Raleigh, North Carolina, against the Hurricanes.

NHL Podcast with Joe Lami: Sharks Vlasic told to be quiet on Olympic complaints; Knights set all time franchise NHL record for wins 34; more NHL news

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Photo credit: @sportingnewsca

On the NHL Podcast with Joe:

1 The San Jose Sharks Marc Edouard Vlasic says he’s frustrated with who is not letting the players attend the games in PyeongChang at the Olympics

2 Vlasic says he and the players worked hard to get to this point in their careers and should be allowed to play in the PyeongChang Olympics

3 The Vegas Golden Knights set a NHL record Thursday when David Peron scored at 3:57 in overtime to best the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 for the Knights 34th victory the most by an NHL expansion team

4 The Dallas Stars Devin Shore got a goal and an assistant in visiting Dallas in the second period the Starts got three goals to beat the Arizona Coyotes 4-1

5 The Vancouver Canucks came back late in the third period with goals by Daniel Sedin and Bo Horvat for the Canucks fifth win in eight games 4-2 over the Chicago Blackhawks.

Catch the NHL Podcast with Joe each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Categories NHL

San Jose Sharks Podcast with Mary Lisa Walsh: Defense lets down again Dell and Muarry getting cut down in front of the net by opposition

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photo by sjsharks.com: San Jose Sharks Logan Couture skates around the corner, Couture scored at 18:35 of the second period against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena

On The San Jose Sharks Podcast with Mary Lisa:

1 Tough loss in Pittsburgh to start five game road trip as the Sharks take a 5-2 loss and have lost three in a row

2 The Sharks who beat Pittsburgh earlier this month at SAP Center 2-1 couldn’t sweep the season meetings with the Penguins who lit up the lamp primarily in the third period scoring three times with the score tied 2-2

3 The Sharks did start the game with two power play goals from Logan Couture and Brent Burns to take a 2-1 lead but the same issue as was last Thursday’s game against the NY Rangers a lack of defense and the opposition took it to the Sharks defense again

4 Aaron Dell rested after getting walloped 6-5 by the Rangers last game Thursday and with Marty Jones in net for SJ the Pens just put it on net late in the game and when it was over Jones saw 30 shots and made 26 saves

5 Tonight the Sharks battle the Detroit Red Wings for a 5PM start as the Sharks play game two of this five game road trip and hope to snap this current three game losing streak

Mary Lisa does the Sharks podcast each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

Sharks’ glitches lead to Penguins’ gifts, wins 5-2

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~ Photo credit – NHL.com

~ By Pearl Allison Lo

~ The San Jose Sharks’s two turnovers tilted the game as the Pittsburgh Penguins earned a split in the season series with a 5-2 win at PPG Paints Arena Tuesday.

The Sharks had a 2-1 lead after a hard-fought period, but inadvertently gave the Penguins a hand to cancel the advantage they had as the momentum turned.

Evgeni Malkin earned a hat trick and fellow teammate Bryan Rust had two goals for Pittsburgh. Brent Burns and Logan Couture tallied for San Jose.

Both teams’ main goalies returned after extended absences, Martin Jones (physical) and Matt Murray (personal). Murray emerged the winner this time, as he made 40 saves.

Pittsburgh scored first. Chris Tierney tried to clear, but Ian Cole poked the puck away and Rust was the first to recover it. After he exchanged passes with Riley Sheahan, Rust charged the net and was able to avoid Justin Braun’s stick as Rust put the Penguins on the board at 11:09.

The second period was more of a mixed bag. San Jose was all business as they outshot 23-10 and scored two power play goals.

Burns continued where he left off, with points in eight straight now, 10 if you continue the two All-Star games. The shot from Burns went down the slot as players on both sides flinched at 10 minutes.

After a 5-on-3, the Sharks capitalized on the 5-on-4. when the puck traveled to Couture as he struck from the left faceoff circle. It was Couture’s 200th career goal.

Nearing the end of the period, Burns made a no-look pass, unfortunately to Phil Kessel. Kessel then sent the puck to Malkin, who made it 2-2 in front of Jones at 19:55.

The mishaps continued in the third.

Jones went to retrieve the puck and his pass was intercepted by a swiftly moving Patric Hornqvist. Hornqvist then made a slick pass to a wide open Malkin for the eventual game-winner.

Pittsburgh made it 4-2 at 13:58 and 5-2 at 18:47.

Kris Letang’s shot went off Jones’ pad and Tom Kuhnhackl shot the puck back between his legs to Rust who earned his second by lifting the puck into the net.

The last goal came on an empty-netter. Rust hit iron in his bid at a hat trick after a cross from Sidney Crosby before Rust passed to Malkin for a successful goal.  

Game notes: San Jose’s Dylan DeMelo played in his 100th NHL game. The Sharks held the Penguins scoreless on the power play (0 for 3).

Up next: San Jose will look to get back on track versus the Detroit Red Wings Wednesday at 5 pm PT.

San Jose Sharks Podcast with Len Shapiro: Jumbo problems for Sharks as they embark on five game roadie without Thornton

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insidethecagewithrossmckeon.com photo: San Jose Sharks Joe Thornton

On the San Jose Sharks podcast:

1 The Sharks who dropped two straight home games before Sunday’s All Star break are looking to make amends as they start back to back road games tonight in Pittsburgh and then in Detroit on Wednesday night.

2 With the knee surgery for the Sharks Joe Thornton the Sharks had to reshape their lines a bit. Don’t look for Sharks general manager Doug Wilson to rent a player for the post season

3 The Sharks defense was all the talk after last Thursday’s game at SAP Center after San Jose allowed six goals in the visiting New York Rangers 6-5 win as goaltender Marty Jones remains questionable.

4 It was a good night on offense for the Sharks goal scoring with Logan Couture who scored twice, Kevin LaBance three assists, Marc Edouard Vlasic, Tomas Hertl, and Barclay Goodrow all scored for San Jose

5 The Sharks fade the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight who they beat earlier this month 2-1 at SAP Center in San Jose. Len takes a look how both teams match up tonight

Len does the Sharks Podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com