Category: NHL

~ (AP Photo/ Mark J. Terrill)

~ By Pearl Allison Lo

~ LOS ANGELES– As the regular season matchup came to a close on Rivalry Night, it was another close scoring game as San Jose emerged on top, 3-2 Wednesday versus the Los Angeles Kings.

Four out of the five-game series were one goal games, including the last three. The Sharks never trailed, but held a two-goal lead only for 5:19.

Both San Jose’s Joe Thornton and the Kings’ Dustin Brown had two assists apiece.

The Sharks’ Logan Couture missed his first game of the season, giving birthday boy Ryan Carpenter the opportunity to start.

“…we called some guys up and had a little bit of a thin line up, but I thought we competed our ass off. We played hard, this isn’t an easy building to win in. They play a physical game and we stood in there and played a real, complete game,” said San Jose coach Peter DeBoer. Joe Pavelski echoed, “It was a good feeling in this room when we came in here…you just felt like you put in a complete effort.”

The Sharks struck first when Brent Burns sniped the top right corner of the net through traffic at 3:31. Melker Karlsson got the puck along the boards and sent it to Joe Thornton. Thornton eventually turned around and made his way to the blue line, passing the puck to Burns. The puck went off Los Angeles’ Anze Kopitar on its way to its destination.

Then in less time than San Jose’s first goal took, the Kings tied the game. After Brown’s pass, Derek Forbort, in a similar position to Burns, sent the puck  to the net. Tanner Pearson in front, pushed Justin Braun aside to bat the puck into the net at 5:46. The goal was challenged for goalie interference, but it remained a 1-1 game.

The Sharks tacked on another goal with an odd man rush. Tommy Wingels finished the pass from Micheal Haley across Jake Muzzin’s stick and let the puck fly at 15:42.

Both teams traded penalties again in the second period, but this time San Jose capitalized on their side. Not too long after the faceoff, Joel Ward deflected Thornton’s shot to the backboards and Pavelski jammed the puck under Peter Budaj’s leg 10 minutes into the period for the 3-1 lead.

13 seconds after penalties that left Los Angeles shorthanded ended though, they inched back closer. The Kings took several shots at Martin Jones within the midst of a sea of Sharks and Marian Gaborik scored with Thornton in net at 15:19.

It was surprising that each team only scored one goal apiece in the period. There were a total of 10 penalties in the middle frame, with the period ending on a penalty to Patrick Marleau, an illegal check to the head.

In the third, action included a Haley shot that hit the post, three wrist shots saved by Jones in a matter of 10 seconds and a Mikkel Boedker breakaway attempt.

When asked if glad to be done with Los Angeles already, DeBoer concurred, “If we don’t see them again, I’ll be alright with that.”

Game notes: San Jose’s Marc-Edouard Vlasic had a game-high six hits. San Jose next plays the Lightning Thursday at 7:30pm.

San Jose Sharks defenceman Brett Burns (88) takes a shot against Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, ON, Canada. Burns scored the winning goal in overtime to give the Sharks a 5-4 win. (Photo by Dan Hamilton/Icon Sportswire) (Icon Sportswire via AP Images)

It was a huge relief for San Jose Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer and the players after getting that huge three goal victory against the Winnipeg Jets on Monday at SAP Center 5-2. The Sharks were coming off a two game loss streak where they lost by a goal in Calgary on Wednesday Jan 4th and then a 4-0 shutout to the St Louis Blues. It all turned around for the Sharks on Monday when they got some offense from Chris Tierney, Joel Ward and Timo Meier.

Their production against the Blues was immediate and they wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. It was retribution for those loses last. The Sharks have their work cut out for them as they open up the next five games against the LA Kings, Tampa Bay Lighting, Colorado Avalanche at home on Saturday and in Colorado on Monday followed by a game in Winnipeg.

Len Shapiro is the former director of media relations for the California Golden Seals the Bay Area’s first team

San Jose Sharks’ Timo Meier (28) celebrates his goal against the Winnipeg Jets during the second period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Jan. 16, 2017, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

By Matthew T.F Harrington

SAN JOSE–The goal for the San Jose Sharks heading into the offseason was to find a way to match the team that eliminated them in the Stanley Cup Final. In an attempt to replicate the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Sharks looked to make a deep roster that could have every line contribute. Monday afternoon at the SAP Center, the blueprint was actualized, with five different Sharks scoring and nine different skaters collecting points in a 5-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets.

Chris Tierney, Joel Ward and Timo Meier each had a goal and an assist and Brent Burns and Joe Thornton also scored for the home team. Mark Scheifele and Josh Morissey were the only two Jets to beat Sharks net minder Martin Jones in a 26-save performance.

Ward opened the scoring with 8:06 remaining in the first period. Ward skated down the ring wing, going opposite corner to beat Jets goaltender Michael Hutchinson for his 4th goal of the season. Justin Braun grabbed the lone helper on the goal.

Ward started the next Sharks goal in the second period, taking a hit in the defensive zone to move the puck up the boards to Tierney. Tierney then spun a backhander to Meier breaking out over the center ice logo for a breakaway. The Swiss Rookie converted for his second goal of his career and a 2-0 lead just under three minutes into the second.

Despite being the Sharks goal-scorer with the most goals of the five, Brent Burns’ power play tally 7:08 into the period was anything but picturesque. Burns’ point shot went wide of the net, bouncing off the boards off Hutchinson’s backside for a 3-0 lead. Joe Pavelski and Patrick Marlene assisted on the goal.

The Meier-Tierney-Ward line got a goal from its center 11:41 into the third putting the game out of reach after Tierney picked up a Meier rebound for his fifth strike of the season.

Jones would be denied the shutout with 2:36 left in regulation after Morissey beat the All-star for his 2nd goal of the year after a number of players gathered by the net front.

If there was nothing Jones could do on the Jets first goal, the opposite could be said of their second. After coach Paul Maurice emptied the Winnipeg net in favor of an extra attacker, Jones saw an opportunity to fire a puck on the vacant cage and join the few goalies with an NHL goal. Scheifele had other ideas, blocking the shot and sending it into the sharks goal for a two-goal deficit with 19 seconds left.

Joe Thornton would continue his goal to not score on a goalie this year, instead putting his third empty net goal into the net with ten seconds left for a 5-2 win.

The Sharks travel to Southern California to face the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night for Rivalry Night before returning home Thursday night to face the Tampa Bay Lightning.

San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton (19) is escorted off the ice after being ejected for a game misconduct penalty during the second period of the team’s NHL hockey game against the St. Louis Blues in San Jose, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017. The Blues won 4-0. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

By Matthew T.F. Harrington

It was a highly-anticipated rematch of the 2016 Western Conference Final Saturday night at the SAP Center but the St. Louis Blues would get their revenge. The Blues shut out the San Jose Sharks 4-0 behind goaltender Carter Hutton (23 saves). Joe Thornton was assessed a game misconduct for spearing in the second period of a physical, heated contest.

Neither team scored in the first period, but the Sharks appeared poised to convert after drawing two penalties 19 seconds apart just 3 minutes into the middle period. Instead the Blues would be the beneficiaries after killing off one penalty then having the second one washed out on a Joe Pavelski interference call with 45 seconds remaining.

After the 4-on-4 proved fruitless for both sides, St. Louis made the most of its short man-advantage. Defenseman Colton Parayko ripped a point shot past Sharks netminder 5:27 into the period.

“The first half of the game it was going pretty good,” said Sharks captain Joe Pavelski. “They’ve had some chances and we’ve had some chances. A lot of the momentum shifted when we couldn’t get a goal on 5-on-3 and I miss an open net. We take a penalty and they get a quick one. We should have been up 1-0.”

The Blues doubled up just a second over the half-way point of the game after Jones failed to seal off the post. David Perron took advantage, flicking the puck through the opening for his 11^th goal of the season.

The goal, along with the physical play on both sides, forced the Sharks to a boiling point, with Joe Thornton and Paul Stastny trading blows. Thornton was the one who received the eyre of the officiating crew, receiving a 5 minute major and game misconduct for jabbing his stick blade into Stastny’s chest.

“The game declined from that point on,” Logan Couture said Sharks forward Logan Coutuer. “For guys like [Joe Pavelski], myself, [Patrick Marleau], we want to elevate our games at that point. The younger guys should try to elevate their games with the opportunity. It didn’t happen tonight.”

The Sharks would not fare any better in the third period after Jori Lehtera tipped home a point shot past Jones for a 3-0 lead 9:16 into the third. Alexander Steen added the empty net goal with 5:23 left in regulation. Kevin Shattenkirk picked up an assist on the goal, his second of the game to join Parayko (1g, 1a) in the two-point club Saturday.

The Sharks will look to snap their two game skid in a Monday matinee against the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets boast a scoring sensation in rookie Patrick Laine, the third-leading scorer in the NHL with 21 goals. The Sharks will then face another top scorer in a Wednesday night rivalry tilt against Jeff Carter (23 goals) and the Los Angeles Kings. Following the contest the Sharks return home to complete the back-to-back, facing the Tampa Bay Lightning in their sole visit to SAP this year.

 

 

 

 

Calgary Flames’ Dougie Hamilton, center right, celebrates his goal with teammates during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017, in Calgary, Alberta. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

By Matthew T.F. Harrington

The San Jose Sharks scored twice in the first period Wednesday night at Calgary, looking on the verge of scoring five goals in a third-straight game. Goaltender Chad Johnson and the Calgary Flames shut out the Sharks for the final 40 minutes though and tied the game in the 2^nd period before netting a goal in the final 2:19 of regulation to win the contest. Brent Burns and Logan Couture scored for San Jose, with Burns also picking up an assist. Joe Pavelski, Mikkel Boedker and Melker Karlsson also collected points.

Couture netted his 14^th goal of the season with the Sharks on the power play 9:40 into the game. San Jose cycled the puck to Burns at the point with the defenseman ripping a trademark wrist shot. Couture, planted in the high slot, redirected the puck on net past Johnson for a 1-0 lead.

Michael Frolik pulled Calgary even on his 11^th goal of the season after Deryk Engelland’s shot produced a juicy rebound the winger could tap home. Matthew Tkachuk assisted on the goal 11:22 into the period.

Burns put the Sharks ahead once again with 3:54 left in the first, ripping a physics-defying shot that appeared to curve around Melker Karlsson’s screen and bac akround Johnson for goal no. 17 for the bearded one. Karlsson and Boedker assisted on the goal.

Tkachuk, a 19-year-old rookie, continued to torment the Sharks. The forward scored the tying goal on the Flames man-advantage with 32 seconds left in the second. Tkachuk now has four points in three games against the Sharks this season.

The Flames struck late again in the third period after beleaguered defenseman Doug Hamilton banked a puck along from just off the wall off the pipe and in past Aaron Dell for his 7^th goal of the season. Despite giving up the goal, Dell 25 saves.

The Sharks played the majority of the game with only five defenseman after the Flames coaching staff pointed out a descepency between the pregame roster submitted and players on the ice. After taking warm-ups, Paul Martin was scratched for Mirco Mueller, however the official lineup did not reflect the scratch, forcing Mueller out of the game. The Sharks were down another d-man after Dylan DeMelo was injured in the 5-3 win over Edmonton Tuesday. Tim Heed made his NHL debut in Demelo’s place.

After battling a pair of Western Canadian foes, the Sharks return home for a pair of games against Central division opponents. Up first is a Saturday match-up against the team the Sharks eliminated from the Western Conference Final, St. Louis. Next is a Monday matinee contest against the Winnipeg Jets.

San Jose Sharks’ Mikkel Boedker (89) is chased by Edmonton Oilers’ Kris Russell (4) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

By: Eric He

Mikkel Boedker hasn’t had many positive moments in a Sharks uniform, even sitting in head coach Pete DeBoer’s doghouse as of late as a healthy scratch.

Well, he played on Tuesday night against Edmonton, and he delivered with a hat trick in a 5-3 Sharks’ road win over the Oilers.

Boedker netted three of the Sharks’ first four goals to help San Jose stake out a 4-1 lead after two periods. Edmonton closed the gap to 4-3 less than four minutes into the third, but Logan Couture’s breakaway goal at 5:06 gave the Sharks a two-goal lead again that they held onto.

Boedker found the back of the net less than two minutes into the game, punching in a rebound into a wide-open net. After the Oilers evened it up, Brent Burns gave the Sharks a 2-1 lead going into the second period with a wicked wrist shot from the point. “Well, you play a game, and you go to the areas that they come,” Boedker said. “A game like that, when you score your first shift, you’re going to feel good the whole game. They came my way today, and it was three good goals.”

The second period was all San Jose — or, to be more precise — all Boedker. He cleaned up a loose puck to give the Sharks a 3-1 lead, and then extended the advantage to three goals with a tip-in off a shot from the point by Marc-Edouard Vlasic. San Jose head coach Peter DeBoer said Marc-Edouard Vlasic was also key who helped out on defense “He was outstanding. We probably don’t win without him,” DeBoer said. “Sit for as long as he did, played 25 minutes, blocked shots, two assists. He’s a real important piece for us, obviously. It’s nice to have him back there.”

The Sharks wound up being outshot 36-28 by the Oilers, but held on for their second straight win. Martin Jones made 33 saves while the Sharks blocked 25 shots.

San Jose heads to Calgary to play the Flames on Wednesday in the back-end of a back-to-back.

JANUARY 07: San Jose Sharks score as Detroit Red Wings goalie Jared Coreau (31) is screened by San Jose Sharks right wing Kevin Labanc (62) during the first period of the regular season game between the Detroit Red Wings and the San Jose Sharks held January 7, 2017 at the SAP Center in San Jose. Final score: Sharks- 6, Red Wings- 3. (Photo by Allan Hamilton/Icon Sportswire) (Icon Sportswire via AP Images)

The San Jose Sharks 50th Anniversary tribute to the California Golden Seals went over huge there was no question about that. The lines were very long for autographs for the Seals players and as a matter of fact they had to cut it off at one point so they can get the players down on the ice to be introduced. The Seals appearing were Bert Marshall, Norm Ferguson, Giles Meloche, Dennis Maruk, Gary Simmons, the first Seals broadcaster Tim Ryan and the last Seals broadcaster Joe Starkey with yours truly Len Shapiro former media relations director for the Seals.

In the San Jose Sharks last game on Saturday at SAP the Sharks offense exploded with six goals and they exploded with four goals in the first period and put Detroit on their heels. The young guys are doing very well for the Sharks Kevin LaBanc playing his best hockey. They were jelling well with the older players and showing the way and they really did a great job with Martin Jones in net with that 6-2 win.

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

 

 

By London Marq

San Jose Sharks’ Joe Pavelski, left, celebrates his goal with teammates Dylan DeMelo, center, and Brent Burns (88) during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Detroit Red Wings Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

SAN JOSE–It was just another day at the office for the San Jose Sharks as they looked to bounce back against the Atlantic Division bottom seed Detroit Red Wings. After the disappointing loss to Minnesota this past Thursday, San Jose held the number two seed in the Pacific Division entering play.

It was a scoring frenzy at the SAP Center with four goals scored on the first period, favoring the Sharks 3-1. Detroit seemed to be a fraction slower than the home team and while they were able to create chances, never had a grip on the game. The Sharks had goal help from Mirco Muller, Joonas Donskoi, Patrick Marleau, and Joe Pavelski who had two goals. “That’s how you get to that number, scoring a little bit more, is you get a lot of contributions from a lot of different guys,” Pavelski said of the season-high goal total.

Mueller who scored early with his first goal of the season and who had been in the Sharks minor league AHL San Jose Barracuda and called up recently said that he’s kept the passing simple and quick and that he’s had success thanks to linemate Dylan DeMelo, “I think we’ve kept things simple for the most part,” Mueller said. “Try and play quick, give the puck to the forwards. Try and get our shots through if we get a chance. I think that’s what we did tonight.”

The Sharks were not their usual selves on defense. This was especially true from the goalkeeping position, where Martin Jones allowed three goals. All things considered he still had a solid night that ended with him tallying 32 saves. Detroit would end up using two goalies (Petr Mrázek and Jered Coreau) allowed three goals apiece.

It was a lopsided shootout that ended with the Sharks on top, but left them asking questions about themselves defensively.

San Jose def. Detroit 6 – 3

Goal scorers: Detroit – Vanek, Mantha, Athanasiou; San Jose – Müller, Donskoi, Marleau, Bødker, Pavelski (2)