Category: NHL

San Jose Sharks Podcast with Mary Lisa Walsh: Sharks face a hot Stamkos and Kucherov with Lighting tonight at SAP Center

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AP File photo: Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91) shoots the puck past Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, of Russia, (72) for a goal in a shootout of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017, in Tampa, Fla. The Lightning won the game 5-4. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

On the San Jose Sharks Podcast with Mary Lisa Walsh:

1 The Sharks got by the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday 2-1. The Sharks Joel Ward got a late game third period goal to tie the game and force a shootout

2 The Sharks got the tie breaker in the shootout when Joonas Donskoi found the back end of the game winner

3 Anaheim Ducks goalie Ryan Miller was great on defense despite the loss and stopping 44 shots

4  Sharks goalie Martin Jones stopped 25 of 26 shots and had a great night in net

5 The Sharks missed two of their key players Saturday night Paul Martin and Marc Edouard Vlasic but younger players Dylan DeMelo, Tim Heed, and Joakim Ryan filled in and held off the Ducks

6 The Sharks host the hottest team in the NHL the Tampa Bay Lighting tonight at SAP Center. The Lighting in first place in the Atlantic Division 11-2-2 have some offense led by Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov both are one and two in scoring with 25 and 23 in the NHL

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

 

San Jose Sharks Podcast with Len Shapiro: Heed big factor in last two Sharks wins; SJ tries for five straight against Tampa Wed night

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AP File Photo: Nashville Predators’ Frederick Gaudreau, left, is defended by San Jose Sharks’ Tim Heed (72) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017, in San Jose , Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

On the Sharks Podcast with Len Shapiro:

1 The Sharks extended their win streak to four straight with a 2-1 win over the Ducks last Saturday night at SAP

2 The Ducks Corey Perry scored in the first period for Anaheim and Joel Ward scored in the third period for San Jose to tie it up 1-1 and in the shootout Joonas Donskoi broke the deadlock

3 For San Jose goalie Martin Jones stopped 25 shots and the Ducks Ryan Miller stopped 44

4 How much pressure is it without Marc Edouard Vlasic and Paul Martin in the line up on younger players Joakim Ryan, Tim Heed, and Dylan DeMelo

5 The Sharks get ready for Tampa Bay on Wednesday night at SAP Len talks about how this one will come out

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

 

 

 

Sharks Beat Ducks in Shootout 2-1, Extend Win Streak to Four

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Photo credit: San Jose Sharks

by M. Walsh

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Sharks defeated the Anaheim Ducks 2-1 in a shootout on Saturday. Corey Perry scored for the Ducks early in the first period, while Joel Ward scored late in the third for the Sharks. Joonas Donskoi scored the difference-maker in the shootout. Martin Jones made 25 saves for the win, while Ryan Miller made 44 saves for Anaheim.

After the game, Jones said:

I thought we played really well tonight. If you look at the really high quality scoring chances, I mean I could probably count them on one hand, for the ones we gave up. So, it was a really solid game for us, I mean we could have run away with that one if Miller doesn’t play the way he does. So it was a good game.

The win represents the Sharks fourth in a row, their first real win streak of the season.

Despite the lukewarm start to the season, Joe Pavelski said that the team is feeling no panic:

I don’t know if you guys are panicking, I mean your questions are kind of sounding like that. There was no panic on the bench, there hasn’t been. We believe we’ll score, we’re getting a little bit of depth scoring right now, we’re winning games. We’re playing with the lead, we’re doign a lot of stuff that we’re trying to accomplish out there.

Both teams were missing key players on Saturday. The Sharks went into the game without Marc-Edouard Vlasic or Paul Martin, putting added pressure on the younger blueliners Joakim Ryan and Tim Heed. Dylan DeMelo entered the lineup after sitting out the last 10 games. On the Ducks’ side, Ryan Getzlaf, Cam Fowler and Ryan Kesler were absent. The lone Sharks goal from Joel Ward and Barclay Goodrow would be some of that depth scoring that Pavelski spoke of. Goodrow has only played two games this season, and Ward has only played eight of the team’s 13.

Sharks head coach Pete DeBoer chose to put Goodrow at center on Saturday, though he has mostly played on the wing for the Sharks.

DeBoer explained that decision after the game:

I talked to him a little bit about it. He admitted he hadn’t played there in a long time but he had taken some draws recently for us in some games and did a good job and he’s a smart player. The way we play, we’re interchangeable down low. I thought that he could do it and help us and he did.

The Ducks got on the board first with a goal from Corey Perry. Perry caught a long pass through and across the neutral zone from Grant. This gave him a clean breakaway. Jones almost stopped the shot but it trickled through his pads and sputtered into the goal. The first period ended with the Ducks leading 1-0 and the shots 12-7 Sharks. The Sharks had two power plays in the first period, but did not score.

The Ducks were very organized in their own zone. It was rare to see any space for the Sharks to work with. Through most of the game, the Sharks seemed to be struggling to execute.

Pavelski did not see it as struggling:

I don’t know if we struggled. I think there was a couple times we maybe got caught trying to do too much or trying to be a little aggressive and gave up some odd mans, which we haven’t done, you know on the road trip and in the previous couple of games. It’s just something you have to stay on top of, but overall I liked the effort, liked a lot of the plays we had. Just gotta find a way.

By the middle of the second period, the Sharks had taken eight more shots to the Ducks’ four but the score was unchanged. No penalties came, no goals. The period dragged on.

The Ducks had their only power play in the middle of the third period. At the very end of that power play, Joel Ward and Barclay Goodrow caught a break and escaped through the neutral zone with just one Duck back to defend. Ward’s pass got by the defender, and Goodrow took the shot. Miller stopped it but Ward right on top of him to pick up the rebound and put it home. Goodrow received the only assist.

The game remained tied through the third and overtime. During the overtime period, the Sharks got credit for four shots and the Ducks none. In a six round shootout, Joe Pavelski scored on the Sharks’ first shot, while Joonas Donskoi scored on their sixth. For the Ducks, Rickard Rakell scored with a reaching backhand.

Up Next
The Sharks next play on Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Puck drop at 7:30 p.m. PT.

Sharks Streak at 3 With 4-1 Win Over Western Conf. Champs Nashville

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Photo credit: San Jose Sharks

By Jerry Feitelberg

SAN JOSE–It wasn’t a perfect night for the San Jose Sharks, but it came pretty close. The Sharks thumped the reigning Western Conference Champions the Nashville Predators 4-1 Wednesday night at the SAP Center, receiving goals from Joonas Donskoi, Joe Pavelski, Mikkel Boedker and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Joe Thorton collected career point number 1,400 on what else but an assist. Joakim Ryan set a franchise record with nine blocked shots for San Jose.

Pavelski dropped the gloves against Ryan Johansen for the team’s first fighting major of the season after Johnasen boarded Vlasic in the third period. Vlasic would not play the remainder of the game after the hit.

San Jose scored the first goal on a tic-tac-toe goal after Donskoi battled along the boards to hang onto the puck. He then fed the puck to Boedker who got the puck to defenseman Tim Heed just outside the faceoff dot to Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne’s left. Heed went cross-crease to give Donskoi the tap-in for his fourth goal of the year with 4:11 left in the first.

Pavelski scored in typical fashion to double the lead in the second period. Pavelski stood in the lane while defenseman Brenden Dillon blasted a point shot on Rinne off a Thornton feed. Pavelski tipped the puck past Rinne for his fourth goal of the season after a slow start. The Thornton pass wound up Jumbo Joe’s 1,400 NHL point.

Nashville’s star defender Roman Josi tied the score just 4 seconds past the halfway mark of the second period, working the puck into an opening using two Sharks as a screen before roofing a backhand over Martin Jones’ shoulder. Vlasic would answer later in the period, scoring the Sharks lone power play goal despite seven man-up opportunities, for a 3-1 lead with 26:10 left in play. Donskoi assisted on the goal for a multi-point night.

Boedker’s goal in the third period broke open a game that was already turning very physical. Both teams combined for 14 penalties in the third, including Pavelski’s fight with Johansen and Johansen’s boarding penalty on Vlasic. Jones finished the night with 19 saves in total while Rinne made 19.

The Sharks look to continue their now four-game win streak when they Welcome the Anaheim Ducks to SAP Center for the first meeting of the season between Pacific Division Foes. The contest will be just the second in-division contest for the Sharks on the year to continue a 5-game homestand with three games remaining at SAP.

San Jose Sharks Podcast with Mary Lisa Walsh: Sharks who have won two straight hope to keep it going against Nashville tonight

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San Jose Sharks’ Tim Heed (72) during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Toronto Maple Leafs Monday, Oct. 30, 2017, in San Jose , Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

On the Sharks podcast with Mary Lisa:

What an ovation what a warm reception for ex Shark Patrick Marleau earlier this week on Monday after his return to San Jose since signing on with the Toronto Maple Leafs. His tribute before the game was celebrated by the host team and his former team the Sharks with a video screen tribute.

2 The Sharks Tim Heed helped out with a goal and an assist in helping the Sharks edge the Maple Leafs Monday

3 The Sharks also got goal help from Joe Pavelski and Joel Ward

4 The Leafs Austin “Powers” Matthews scored in the Leafs effort to catch the Sharks. Matthews is one of the key players on the Leafs that they’re looking forward to build on.

5 The Sharks play the second of their five game homestand on Wednesday night against Nashville

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

 

Sharks Spoil Marleau’s Return, Heed Emerges in 3-2 Win over Leafs

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Toronto Maple Leafs center Patrick Marleau raises his stick to the crowd as he is honored before an NHL hockey game against the San Jose Sharks, his former team, Monday, Oct. 30, 2017, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

By Matthew Harrington

SAN JOSE–The San Jose Sharks gave Patrick Marleau a near-perfect first trip to the SAP Center for the first time as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs after joining Canada’s team in the offseason. The Sharks played a tribute to Marleau before the game commemorating his two decades in teal then deprived the former Sharks captain and franchise points leader of a cherry on top of his sundae by beating the Leafs 3-2.

Tim Heed, teammates with Marleau for exactly one game last season, wound up the star after all the festivities. The rookie defenseman assisted on the goal and potted another on the power play. Joe Pavelski also scored and Joel Ward picked up the empty-netter, and ultimately the game-winner for San Jose. Auston Matthews scored for the Maple Leafs but his team struggled to just 19 shots against Sharks goalie Martin Jones.

The night opened with a video tribute to Marleau, showcasing some of the forward’s key moments with the club including his draft day, 4-goal period, overtime playoff series winner and many of his 98 game-winning goals. His wife, Christina and 4 children sat right on the glass as the spotlight shined on the former Mr. Shark. It was a perfect way to welcome back a team legend.

“It was extremely special to get an ovation like that,” said Marleau of the minute-and-a-half salute the SAP fans gave him. “To see all the signs and everything, it was really humbling. At the same time it was great to see.”

“It’s something special, something I’ll always remember,” he added.

His former linemate who matched up against him often Monday agreed on the scale of the tribute.

“It was great,” said Joe Thornton. “I had a tear in my eye.”

Once the puck dropped, focus turned to a player still building his resume for a career that should resemble Marleau’s when all is said and done. Auston Matthews, the first overall selection two drafts ago, opened the scoring in the 1st on a play that proves just how talented he is in just his second season.

The Leafs star got position underneath Logan Couture approaching the Sharks crease, then managed to kick the puck with his right skate to his stick blade on his left side. From there, the goal was wide open for Matthews to pot his 9th goal of the season and hand Toronto a 1-0 lead with 7:46 left in the 1st.

Heed helped the Sharks tie the game 7:58 into the middle period, taking a lesson from Brent Burns on point shots. Heed launched a rocket from the point right in Joe Pavelski’s wheelhouse, allowing the captain to tip the puck past Leafs keeper Frederik Andersen. Joe Thornton also assisted on Pavelski’s 3rd goal of the year to hold sole possession of 20th place all-time in points.

Heed showed how potent his point blast is 4:11 into the 3rd on a Sharks power play after the Swede launched an absolute bomb top shelf for a 2-1 San Jose lead and the rookie’s 2nd career goal.

“I think he’s gotten better and better like our team,” said Shark’s Coach Peter DeBoer. “I think we’ve incorporated some people at different position positions, some young guys, and I think we’ve all been building our game. We’ve been talking about it for 2 or 3 weeks where it’s getting better and I think tonight was our best effort of the unit and that included him”

Joel Ward netted the empty netter with 2:13 left in play, but Nazem Kadri scored with 1:10 left for the final score. The Sharks held on, riding a night of no penalties against them to ground one of the league’s best offenses.

After pulling past .500 for the first time all season, the Sharks have a tough task ahead of the Wednesday night. They’ll welcome the reigning Western Conference champions Nashville at home.

San Jose Sharks Podcast with Len Shapiro: Marleau paid tribute before Leafs-Sharks game; 19 years of memories and highlights

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San Jose Sharks right wing Joonas Donskoi (27) skates the puck during the first period of the NHL hockey game between the San Jose Sharks and Buffalo Sabres at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo , N.Y. (Nicholas T. LoVerde/Cal Sport Media) (Cal Sport Media via AP Images)

On the SJ Sharks Podcast with Len:

1 Saturday’s game with the Sabers was close, did the Sharks appear to be laboring in getting a one goal win 3-2 against the Sabers

2 The Sharks did get goals from Logan Couture, Joonas Donskoi, and Chris Tierney

3 The Sabers on the other hand  got goals from Ryan O’Rilley and Jason Puminville

4 How much of a difference did Sharks goaltender Aaron Dell make stopping 31-33 shots

5 Patrick Marleau and the Toronto Maple Leafs are paying a visit to the San Jose Sharks tonight. Marleau who played in San Jose 19 seasons will be paid a tribute by the Shraks organization in honor of his many accomplishments with San Jose.

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

 

Sharks End Road Trip With 3-2 Win Over Sabres

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Photo credit: San Jose Sharks

by Mary Walsh

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The San Jose Sharks defeated the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 on Saturday afternoon. The win extended their win streak to three against a team that was once nigh unbeatable for the Sharks, at least in Buffalo. Sharks goals came from Logan Couture, Joonas Donskoi, and Chris Tierney. Sabres goals came from and Ryan O’Reilly and Jason Pominville. Sharks goaltender Aaron Dell made 31 saves on 33 shots for the win, while Sabres goalie Robin Lehner made 28 saves on 31 shots.

The game concludes a five game road trip for the Sharks, during which they added three wins to their record. After the game, Sharks forward Tomas Hertl said: “Six points on the road trip is huge for us but we have to be ready coming home we got a lot of good teams like Tampa, Nashville and we have to win home. It’s like our building, our tank and we have to play better there.”

Sharks head coach Pete DeBoer said, of the six points:

We’ll take six. You know, six, seven, eight, I mean you want as many points as possible but I like how we’re starting to play. I think the majority of our play is heading in the right direction and we’re giving ourselves a chance to win every night which is a big part of it.

The game marked a significant improvement in the Buffalo power play, ranked 27th in the NHL before Saturday. Though they only scored once in five chances, the Sabres showed signs of returning to last season’s top ranked power play. The Sabres’ power play goal ended the Sharks’ impressive streak of 16 consecutive penalties killed on the road trip. The Sharks had three chances on the power play but did not score, and at even strength each team had dangerous moments. Both goaltenders had their work cut out for them, but neither team was especially sloppy on defense.

In a near miss for the Sharks, a Buffalo goal was called off with 2:48 left in the first period for goaltender interference. Sam Reinhart caught Dell’s leg and then blocker while skating through the blue paint, turning Dell away from the play and making it harder for him to get back in position. After the game, DeBoer said of the decision to challenge that goal:

It was a great challenge by Dan Darrow and Johan Hedberg who handle that end for us. That helped us get a little momentum too early… When you look at it, I don’t have those feeds, those guys do. But it’s clear that’s what the rule is in place for, for exactly that situation. So I’m glad they got it right.

The first goal came at the tail end of a Buffalo power play, when Joonas Donskoi came out of the penalty box and catch a stray puck that Matt Tennyson failed to stop at the Sharks blue line. Donskoi broke away with a step on the Sabres defense and had room to pick a spot just wide of Lehner.

The second goal of the game came on the first Sabres power play of the second period. Joel Ward was in the box for hooking. Both teams were on their way into the zone after Timo Meier’s short handed chance. O’Reilly came in as the trailer and beat Dell from above the faceoff circle. Assists went to Kyle Okposo and San Reinhart.

The Sabres took the lead with a goal at 14:51 of the second. Evander Kane pushed the puck down low to Jack Eichel, who passed it back up to Pominville. Pominville got his shot around both Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Justin Braun for his third goal of the year against the Sharks. Assists went to Eichel and Kane.

The Sharks tied the game back up with just 12 seconds left in the second period. Their power play had just expired. Chris Tierney, Melker Karlsson and Timo Meier had just come on the ice. Meier carried the puck behind the net under pressure from Rasmus Ristolainen. Melker Karlsson trailed the pair, pulled the puck off the boards and took a hard shot from just above the goal line. The puck went off of the goalie and Tierney was on the other side to knock it down and in the net. It was Tierney’s second goal of the season. Assists went to Meier and Karlsson.

Logan Couture’s game winner came 16:08 into the third period. He fought his way through a check from Jake McCabe to catch a pass from Tomas Hertl. McCabe followed after Couture and gave him a shove while he took the shot. No matter, the shot went in anyway. Assists went to Tomas Hertl and Justin Braun.

After the game, DeBoer gave his assessment:

Tough game, they’re a desperate team. We wanted to end this road trip right and we knew it wasn’t going to be easy. We shot ourselves a little I thought early in the game with the penalties but recovered and did enough to win, got a great performance from Deller. So it was a good win for us.

The Sharks next play on Monday in San Jose against the Toronto Maple Leafs at 7:30 PM PT. The game will be Patrick Marleau’s first visit to the Tank as a Maple Leaf.

Bruins Beat Sharks 2-1, Thornton Climbs to 20th in NHL Points

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Photo credit: San Jose Sharks

by Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks lost 2-1 to the Boston Bruins on Thursday. Rookie Danton Heinen scored both Boston goals, his first and second NHL goals. It was his fourth NHL game. Joe Thornton scored the lone goal for San Jose. The point moved him up to a tie for 20th place with Jari Kurri among the NHL’s all time points leaders. Boston goaltender Anton Khudobin made 36 saves on 37 shots for the win.

After the game, Sharks captain Joe Pavelski said:

I think we worked pretty hard. The ice was not great out there. We had opportunities, we just didn’t find a way to stick them in net. I think when we came out of our end we played down there. They’re a good strong team, they’re big and heavy. I think they stuck their nose in, wanted this one. You know, you get those opportunities on the power play, we’ve got to cash in there.

The game was a reversal of Monday’s game in New York, when the Sharks had to kill six penalties to the Ranger’s 1. In Boston, the Sharks only took two penalties to the Bruins’ six. The loss drops the Sharks to a 4-5-0 record this season, and 2-2-0 for this five game road trip.

Martin Jones made 31 save son 33 shots for the Sharks. Joel Ward was again in the lineup, while Barclay Goodrow was replaced by Timo Meier. Otherwise, the lineup remained the same as on Monday. Ward got credit for one hit and had 9:40 in ice time. In 11:49 of ice time, Meier had a hit and two shots on goal.

The first goal of the game was short-handed. The Sharks were having little luck getting set up and in the second half of the power play Boston’s Kevan Miller won a race to the puck and quickly sent it back to David Backes. Backes headed for the neutral zone, with Heinen was a few steps ahead of him. The Sharks had two players back but Backes’s shot got by them and Sharks goalie Martin Jones kicked the rebound out right to Heinen. Assists went to Backes and Miller.

Joe Thornton’s goal came on a power play in the second period. Boston goaltender Anton Khudobin got a piece of Brent Burns’s shot but it rolled over his toe. Thornton had just slipped behind defenders Zdeno Chara and Brandon Carlo. Thornton was able to turn and reach the puck in the blue paint and lift it in the net. Assists went to Burns and Tim Heed.

Heinen’s second goal was also in the second period. This time, the rebound came off the boards behind the net while Jones was still trying to come across. Assists went to Carlo and Tim Schaller.

Late in the third period, the Boston net came off of its moorings and was not called as a delay of game. The Sharks were already on a power play with just 1:17 left in the third period. After the game, Pavelski summarized the third period:

We made a little push trying to get that goal, I think we created some opportunities. It felt good. There was maybe a few plays where we’re trying to make something happen and they turn it over. In those situations, Joner made the saves. It felt good, felt like we were going to get one there at the end. Ran out of time.

The Sharks next play on Saturday in Buffalo at 10:00 AM PT.

San Jose Sharks Podcast with Mary Lisa Walsh: Sharks after splitting with NY Isles and NY Rangers head to Boston Thursday night

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San Jose Sharks’ Logan Couture (39) scores his third goal of the game past New York Islanders goalie Thomas Greiss in the third period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017, in New York. The Islanders won 5-3. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

On the SJ Sharks Podcast with Mary Lisa Walsh:

1 The San Jose Sharks got a convincing win over the New York Rangers on Monday with a three goal win 4-1 it was a needed win after the tough loss to the New Islanders Saturday 5-3

2 It was hard effort by Logan Couture getting a hat trick, The Islanders caught up to San Jose for the two goal win last Saturday for a 5-3 victory

3  They seemed to have woke up against the Rangers putting a great offensive effort together last Monday in the 4-1 win

4 The Rangers are having their own troubles with a 2-6-2 season record and goalie Henrik Lundqvist is struggling in net

5 The Sharks are in Boston Thursday night at TD Waterhouse Garden a place where anything could happen

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