Category: NHL

~ AP Photo/ Jeffrey T. Barnes

~ By Pearl Allison Lo

~ Evander Kane chose the perfect moment to score twice, completing a third period comeback in overtime, as the Buffalo Sabres defeated San Jose 5-4 Tuesday.

Kane scored off a 2-on-1 against Marc-Edouard Vlasic with teammate Jack Eichel just 1:05 into the extra frame.

San Jose is now 2-15-2 in Buffalo. Joe Pavelski said, “One of those games, for them to come back, everything worked out just perfect.” Head coach Pete DeBoer remarked, “I felt like Dan Quinn on Super Bowl Sunday…Thank God it wasn’t the finals.”

Kane had two goals and led with seven shots on goal. Ryan O’Reilly had a goal and assist and Eichel, Brian Gionta and the Sharks’ Brent Burns had two assists each.

After San Jose went down 1-0 in the first, they scored two more in the period and created a 4-1 lead during the third.

Matt Moulson gave the Sabres their only lead until overtime at 7:24 of the first.

Joel Ward and Logan Couture made it 2-1 in just over three minutes at 17:13. It was Couture’s second goal and third point in two games.

Melker Karlsson scored at 11:23 of the second. Marcus Sorensen, who was recalled Thursday got his first NHL assist and point.

In the first two periods, the Sharks outshot Buffalo 31 to 18. In the third period, the Sabres outshot San Jose 17-9. It was also their turn to score three unanswered.

At 6:07, the Sharks scored on the power play. Burns in the high shot gave the puck to Pavelski in the right faceoff circle.

The tide turned when O’Reilly, Kane and Kyle Okposo scored in three and a half minutes. O’Reilly’s power play was the second man advantage goal for Buffalo in the game.

Game notes: San Jose had 40 shots for the second game in a row. The Sharks will face the Boston Bruins next Thursday at 4pm.

Arizona Coyotes goalie Mike Smith (41) celebrates after the Coyotes beat the San Jose Sharks in an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017. The Coyotes won in a shootout, 3-2. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

The San Jose Sharks Timo Meier had a chance in last Saturday’s game to tie the game or put the Sharks ahead but there was the Arizona Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith stopping many of the Sharks shots in the 3-2 Arizona win in a overtime shootout. Also in the face of it the Coyotes had been very physical in the game all of a sudden Max Domi of the Yotes was back for that game he had been out for awhile he broke a finger.

Domi was back in action and the started throwing his weight around which is not much. Then there was the Sharks Logan Couture and Couture got a little off his game because of Domi. If you add up all those things it was the Coyotes to the rescue.  The Coyotes Shane Doan also scored the first goal of the game and would you know it there was a fight going on during his goal and the score counted. The Coyotes have owned the Sharks thus far in the season in their three meetings the Yotes have won all three games.

Len Shapiro does the San Jose Sharks podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Arizona Coyotes goalie Mike Smith (41) blocks a shot attempt by San Jose Sharks center Patrick Marleau (12) during a shootout in an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017. The Coyotes won in a shootout, 3-2. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Patrick Marleau has inspired the San Jose Sharks with his recent offense his four goal game, then the next night he scores another goal, then Marleau hits one for his 500th. He’s also playing with some of the best guys in the game that he gets a pass from like Joe Thornton or Joe Pavelski. Marleau gets those opportunities when the ice opens up and he can take a shot at the net.

Marleau is playing like he knows where the net is and he’s always there those times which is a very big positive. The Sharks as a team have opened up a lead over Anaheim and things are clicking for the team things are a little bit storied eyed their looking pretty good and moving the puck around. Again when everything clicks on the a team they make the moves in the NHL.

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

 

Arizona Coyotes goalie Mike Smith, right, is congratulated by teammates after the Coyotes beat the San Jose Sharks in an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017. The Coyotes won in shootout, 3-2. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

By London Marq

SAN JOSE–It was a brawl at the SAP Center as the San Jose Sharks hosted the Arizona Coyotes in a Pacific division first versus worst matchup. The Desert Dogs have handed the Sharks two losses previously this season and Saturday night was no exception with a 3-2 shootout overtime loss at SAP Center.

The gloves came off early as Brendan Dillon came to the defense of teammate Tomas Hertl. Dillon gave the crowd something to cheer about as he and Arizona’s Lawson Crouse traded blows just to the right of the Sharks bench. The game continued to be physical throughout the contest, with 11 total penalties through two periods. The Coyotes kept the Sharks from being as sharp as normal with rough, chippy play.

The first goal of the game came courtesy of Shane Doan of Arizona in the second period. Controversy on the goal as it looked as if play was about to be halted due to fighting. Play continued however, as the puck flew past Martin, who looked like he had momentarily had taken his eyes off the puck in the confusion. Once again it was Brendan Dillon to the rescue, this time with a goal, his first of the season. It came just shy of five minutes after the first goal, on the feed from Patrick Marleau and Logan Couture. They have 10 and 18 assists respectively on the season.

Though the Sharks had flashes of excellent play, they continued the trend of sloppy play against teams that are low ranked with less talent. A goal a piece was scored in the third period, leaving the score tied 2-2 at the end of regulation. Despite having a power play less than two minutes into extra time, the Sharks failed to push a goal across past the Coyote goalkeeper Mike Smith.  Jones made the highlight reel with a save with less than 20 seconds left in overtime to keep the score tied.

The game would go to a shootout, where Coyotes goalie Smith who saved two goals, and Jones let two goals in. The Arizona Desert Dogs complete the upset over their division leading rivals. They’ve now won 3 of 4 games against San Jose this season.

Final/SO Arizona Coyotes def. San Jose Sharks3 – 2

 

 

 

~ Photo credit: Comcast Sports Net’s Brodie Brazil’s Twitter photo

~ By Pearl Allison Lo

~ In a 4-1 win, the San Jose Sharks’ Patrick Marleau reached what many were eager to observe, illustrious Goal #500, against the Vancouver Canucks Thursday.

It started October 19, 1997 and on February 2, 2017, with his left hand holding his stick in the air, followed by a right hand fist pump, Marleau celebrated his 500th goal that culminated with congratulations on the ice by teammates.

Logan Couture scooped up the puck for Marleau, and thanks to his mic, relayed on the bench, “…watch the replay, when you got the puck, I had my hands up already.” Mikkel Boedker joked, “Hey, now we can stop looking for you?”

After the game, Marleau reminisced, “When you hit a mark like this, you start thinking about everybody who’s kind of helped you along the way” and commented on “even getting congratulated from some of the other guys on the other team.”

It was his seventh goal and eighth point during his five game point streak, as Marleau became the 45th NHL player to accomplish the 500 goal feat. If you narrow it down to players who stayed with just one team, he becomes just the 10th player, according to Sportsnet.

Boedker drew the penalty at 9:15 of the first. 15 seconds later, it paid off.

The two recent NHL All-Stars who helped Marleau get Goal 499 added their magic. Brent Burns made the longer pass, as he went behind the net on the other end of the ice and passed it to Joe Pavelski before the far blue line. Just before Pavelski reached the far left faceoff circle, he made the shorter pass passed to Marleau in the right faceoff circle.

The call this time from Randy Hahn was, “Patrick Marleau, Mr. San Jose Shark, scores his 500th National Hockey League goal!”

Not to be forgotten, Pavelski was involved with his fourth goal since returning from the All-Star break. If you include the All-Star games, he has three goals, four assists and seven points during his four game point streak.

San Jose started the game with a 3-0 shot advantage until Vancouver got their first shot with 15:25 left to go in the first frame.

Marleau’s goal came on the team’s fifth shot.

Chris Tierney had his first two goal game, scoring his first of a rebound from David Schlemko’s shot from the point. It came at 15:59 of the first.

Period two featured the Sharks’ Martin Jones versus the Canucks, as Vancouver more than doubled their shot total from the first, with a total of 16 shots. The Canucks had three shots and a block when they were shorthanded during an Alexander Edler penalty. Making 32 saves, Martin Jones’ .970 save percentage tonight was his best since November 23rd.

Burns scored his eighth straight goal on the road 53 seconds into the third period, when he was fed by Tomas Hertl and Joe Thornton.

Philip Larsen broke Jones’ shutout bid with the 3-1 goal at 6:35.

Tierney sealed the win at 14:41 on another power play. It was challenged first but then overruled. Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Joel Ward earned the assists.

Game notes: Boedker and Tierney led with five shots. Teammate Justin Braun led with five blocks. Vancouver’s Ryan Miller has given up at least two goals in each of his last three starts (all losses), facing at least 30 shots apiece. With this just the first of five matches versus the Canucks and two more of them in Vancouver, the fact that San Jose had their ninth straight win in Vancouver, the most by any opponent (EliasSports), bodes well if things continue. Next up is Arizona on Saturday at 7:30pm.

 

San Jose Sharks’ Patrick Marleau, center, celebrates a goal which was disallowed with teammates Mikkel Boedker (89) and Justin Braun (61) during an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

By Matthew Harrington

SAN JOSE–It had been a while since Tomas Hertl lit the lamp for the San Jose Sharks. In fact, when he last scored the Oakland Raiders seemed destined to move to Los Angeles, Hilary Clinton was the favorite to win the White House and Northern California was mired in a drought. The Czech forward ended his personal drought, scoring his first goal since October 27^th, the game-winning goal with 2:03 left in San Jose’s 3-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.

Hertl wasn’t the only one netting a goal of significance. Patrick Marleau scored his 499^th career goal, then he didn’t, then he did all over again. Joe Pavelski had a three-point night capped with an empty net goal and Martin Jones made 24 saves to open up the unofficial second half of the season with a win for team teal.

Hertl’s game-winner, his first since returning to the lineup in the game prior to Sunday’s All-star festivities, broke a 1-1 tie late in the third. Pavelski fed Brent Burns at the point, with #88 blasting a rocket that rebounded off the boards. Hertl had positioned himself in front of netminder Corey Crawford, finding himself in perfect position to bang home the rebound for his 5^th goal of the season. Pavelski would add the insurance goal, his 17^th of the year, with 46 seconds remaining.

The Sharks nearly had a 2-0 lead after the second period, but a series of events negated a Patrick Marleau goal. Marleau carried the puck into the offensive zone with just over 11 minutes gone in the middle frame. He took a shot and dug up his own rebound behind the net, slipping the puck past Crawford for a momentary 1-0 lead. After video review, Mikkel Boedker lifted his skate over the blue line, pulling the play offsides and negating the goal.

The hockey gods intervened, rewarding Marleau a few minutes later with no. 499. With Artem Anisimov in the penalty box for tripping, the Sharks first power play unit took advantage. Marleau won the puck along the boards and fed it to Burns at the point. Burns’ blast bounced off Crawford’s pad where Marleau converted on the rebound, netting his 18^th goal of the season with 5:54 left to play in the period. Pavelski and Burns each picked up their first of two assists on the play.

The lead would be short-lived with youngster Dennis Rasmussen going bar down to beat Jones for his 4^th goal of the season with 3:07 left in the 2^nd. The Sharks would hold on though, heading in to Thursday’s match-up with the Vancouver Canucks on a high note. This will be the first trip to Vancouver this season for the Sharks and the first meeting between the two teams.

December 17, 2015 file photo: San Jose Sharks forward Brett Burns (88) takes warm up prior to playing Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, ON, Canada. (Photo by Dan Hamilton/Icon Sportswire) (Icon Sportswire via AP Images)

A big week for the San Jose Sharks Patrick Marleau who scored a hat trick and an extra goal on the same night and then scored another goal  the next night. In all Marleau had five goals scored and six points in two games in getting the second star of the week for the NHL’s top three stars. The Sharks Brett Burns is a player that no has seen performed for the last 25-30 years he was one of three all stars last Sunday with teammates Joe Pavelski and Marty Jones. Also a look at the Sharks coming into the second half of the season are the Sharks ready to head into another finals.

 

 

LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 29: Metropolitan All-Stars stand across from members of the 100 greatest NHL players of all time for puck drop ceremony before the start of the 2017 NHL All-Star Game played on January 29, 2017 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire) (Icon Sportswire via AP Images)

~ By Pearl Allison Lo

~ LOS ANGELES– The Pacific cruised in the first semifinal and were technically in the game until the end of the final, but Ryan McDonagh and the Metropolitan team earned a 4-3 win for the cold, hard $1 million Sunday.

The two Ryan’s made an impact as Kesler scored after hitting McDonagh’s skates twice and the post before going into the net, but it was taken back for Connor McDavid being offsides. Coach Wayne Gretzky made the challenge.

It was crucial because later Cam Atkinson and Wayne Simmonds tied and scored the game winning goal five seconds apart. Seth Jones and Taylor Hall also scored five seconds apart in the semifinal.

Mike Smith was pulled with 53.1 seconds left for the extra skater. Afterwards, McDonagh made two saves to preserve the game.

Simmonds won a new truck as he overall scored three goals and had eight shots. He took the pass from Hall and hit the crossbar as the puck went into the net midway into the second.

Sidney Crosby got his first All-Star goal ever at 6:26 of the second half of the second semifinal.

Joe Pavelski finished with two goals and an assist and Brent Burns finished with a goal and an assist. Martin Jones made 12 out of 16 saves.

The ice was a bit more crowded pregame, as the NHL100 was present, taking fist bumps from the 2017 All-Stars in what was surely the longest line ever. For the puck drop, the NHL100 also each dropped one as the All-Stars faced them with their sticks.

An 18,665 sellout crowd was present for the afternoon.

Semifinal #1

First up was Team Black (Pacific) versus Purple (Central). The Pacific got one step closer to successfully defending their win last year with a resounding 10-3 semifinal score.

It was a California fest with every single player scoring minus goalie Jones.

Every time the Central tried to cut the lead, the Pacific responded in less than a minute with multiple goals before the Central scored again. The Pacific outshot the Central 22-12.

Johnny Gaudreau was the only player to score multiple goals in the game. He led with five shots on goal and Cam Fowler led with three assists and four points.

The Pacific’s 2-0 lead came from two Southern California first-time All Stars.

Fowler got the first All-Star game goal as he took a pass across ice in front from” Gaudreau at 2:57.

Then less than a minute later, hometown fans got a treat as Jeff Carter doubled the lead. The play was created by a turnover from fellow Los Angeles Kings teammate Drew Doughty.

Jonathan Toews scored the first goal for the Central. On a 2-on-1, he went high on Corey Crawford.

Just six seconds later though, Connor McDavid took a Kesler pass from the right to score

Less than a minute later, Burns completed the California team circle with the 4-1 goal on a breakaway.

Hometown Doughty had to get in on the action and did so at 9:49. Pavelski must have felt like a King as the two #8’s connected with Pavelski getting the pass from Carter and going cross ice to Doughty.

In the second half, P.K.Subban got another goal on the board for the Central, as he made moves on Kesler to score versus Jones.

Just like before though, the Pacific answered as Gaudreau scored less than half a minute later, positioning the puck perfectly.

Carter dropped the puck back to Pavelski at 4:15 to make it 7-2.

Tarasenko traded passes with Tyler Seguin and from the right faceoff circle, hit top shelf shortside.

With just under a minute later apeice for both goals, Kesler and Horvat made it 9-3

13 seconds later, Gaudreau became the first player to score multiple goals in the game as he connected his diagonal shot.

 

Semifinal #2

In the second game, Team Gold (Atlantic) beat Team White (Metropolitan) by a score of 10-6. This was more of a back and forth affair until the Atlantic pulled away in the second half, thanks to three goals in 19 seconds. The Metropolitan pulled goalie Tuuka Rask for an extra skater.  

A number of players in this game scored multiple goals, two each, with Atkinson, Simmonds and Tavares scoring for the Atlantic and Nikita Kucherov for the Metropolitan. Each side got three assists apiece with Vincent Trocheck and Justin Faulk.

Kucherov scored amidst a Simmonds sandwich. The Atlantic became the first to string two goals together when Victor Hedman and then Erik Karlsson scored. Tavares gave the game its third tie at 8:45.

Rookie Auston Matthews scored from the slot and Metropolitan finally scored consecutive goals with the start of three goals in 19 seconds. After Tavares, this was when Jones and Hall scored five seconds apart. Coach Gretzky was having a blast on the bench. On Crosby, Gretzky said, “When you coach the best player in the game, it makes it a lot of fun and a lot easier.”

Braden Holtby moved from one side to the other, saving Brad Marchand’s hard shot up front with his left glove after Hall’s shot.

Kucherov stopped Metropolitan’s scoring with his second goal of the afternoon.

Crosby’s goal came by way of assists from Faulk and Alex Ovechkin. It made the score 7-5.

Atkinson strung two together as he moved his way in front of Rask and scored far side for the first. On the second, he scored on an empty net.

Trocheck scored his first goal, with none other than Kucherov to make it 9-6.

Crosby set up Ovechkin in the final second of the game.

Final

Both winning teams from the first two games each scored 10 goals. No one had multiple goals this came. Hall led with two assists.

Pavelski had the fastest time to open a period, 22 seconds in, scoring with the help of Doughty.

Like a final game though, Jones tied it just over a minute later.

Holtby clapped on the bench as fellow goalie Sergei Bobrovsky blocked Burns’ shot with the backhand of his glove.

Faulk gave Metropolitan the lead but McDavid cut another lead short, scoring on a breakaway against a sprawled out Bobrovsky.

The Pacific regained the lead as Gaudreau went around the net and fed Horvat.

Atkinson tied the game at three apiece when his puck hit Smith and Atkinson put in his rebound, as Smith rolled over in an attempt to save the puck.

Game notes: Coach Pete DeBoer, Pavelski, Burns and Jones will reunite with Toews, Kane, Crawford and Keith when they face each other in the season’s second half to close out January Tuesday at 7:30pm.