Category: NHL

Sharks Fall 3-1 in Florida, Still Winless After six games

Published on by M WalshLeave a comment

Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) is floored by his goal on San Jose Sharks goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood (29) at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise on Tue Oct 24, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks fell 3-1 to the Florida Panthers in Sunrise on Tuesday. Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Reinhart and Kevin Stenlund scored for Florida and Anthony Stolarz made 27 saves for the win. Fabian Zetterlund scored for San Jose and Mackenzie Blackwood made 32 saves in the loss.

After the game, Sharks forward William Eklund talked about his linemate, Tuesday’s lone goal-scorer, Fabian Zetterlund: “He’s always first in the corner, always first on the puck, always hitting guys, you know, creating chances for us, so I think he’s played really great today.”

Sharks Head Coach David Quinn talked about the good he saw in the Sharks’ game: “I thought our third period was our best period,.. I thought as the game went on we started finding our footing and did a better job on break outs and establishing some forecheck, just too little too late.” The bad, Quinn described as: “I just though we kept giving the puck away, I didn’t think we were committed in our battles, and against a team like that you’re gonna spend a lot of time in your end and give up chances and that’s kinda what happened. But as the game went on, that happened less and less.”

The first goal of the game came at 8:30 of the second period. Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson went to the penalty box for holding Tomas Hertl. With just five seconds left in the power play, Zetterlund scored with a wrist shot off a reverse pass from Eklund behind the net. Assists went to Eklund and Thomas Bordeleau.

The lead lasted less than two minutes, when Carter Verhaeghe scored a very similar goal, off a pass from below the goal line. The shot went into traffic, and may have gone off of a Sharks skate. Assists went to Matthew Tkatchuk and Eetu Loustarinen.

The Panthers scored again on a power play late in the period. It was a chaotic power play with a second penalty called in the first minute, delayed more than ten seconds. The teams played 5-on-3 for about four seconds before the Panthers were called for hooking. It was during the 4-on-3 that Sam Reinhart scored off a bouncing rebound. The assists went to Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Evan Rodrigues.

Though unable to score, the Sharks and their goalie delayed the Panthers’ third goal until the final seconds of the game, when Kevin Stenlund scored into and empty net to make it 3-1.

The Sharks were again out-shot, 35-28. Their face-off numbers were excellent, winning 62% of the draws. They killed three of four Florida power plays and scored on one of three power plays.

Veteran Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic was a scratch Tuesday, and defenseman Jan Rutta missed the second part of the first period with an undisclosed injury. Rutta returned for the second and third periods.

The Sharks next play on Thursday in Tampa at 4:00 PM PT against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Sharks Start Road Trip With 5-1 Loss to Predators

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Nashville Predators center Tommy Novak (82) smiling is congratulated by his teammates after scoring a second period goal. All the San Jose Sharks goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood (29) can do is look on the celebration at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Sat Oct 21, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks extended their start-of-season losing streak to five games with a 5-1 road loss to the Nashville Predators. Nashville goals came from Samuel Fagemo, Kiefer Sherwood, Luke Evangelista and Tommy Novak, who scored twice. Juuse Saros stopped 31 shots for the win. San Jose’s Tomas Hertl scored his first of the season, preventing a shutout. Mackenzie Blackwood made 29 saves in the loss.

After the game, Tomas Hertl said:

“I think we played a pretty good game, you know, and in the second like we stopped playing for one minute and it kind of changed the game. But even after that I think the 20 minutes in the second period we got pretty good looks, we should score some goals. You know, power play finally looks better. but still it’s not enough. I just don’t like the last ten minutes because we just left [Blackwood] alone.”

Nico Sturm said: “I think our inability to execute for 60 minutes is pretty apparent. We do a lot of good things but we don’t do it the whole game. That costs you in the National Hockey League.” He went on to describe the frustration the team is facing during this bad start to the season:

“Sometimes it feels like we’re taking one step forward and two steps back. It’s a little bit… obviously, it’s tough. I wish I had the magic formula. But we’ll stick together, show up for practice. That’s the biggest thing is not letting these things drive us apart as a group and everything else hockey-wise we’ll sort out.”

The first Nashville goal of the game came late in the first period. Alexandre Carrier caught the puck on the blue line and sent it back down to Gustav Nyquist on the boards. Nyquist passed it quickly across the ice to Samuel Fagemo for the shot.

Nashville’s second and third goals came in quick succession early in the second period. Roman Josi carried the puck into the Sharks zone where Nico Sturm knocked him down. The puck came loose to Kiefer Sherwood high in the zone. He passed it down and across the ice to Tommy Novak who tipped it in at 2:06.

12 seconds later, Sherwood scored another. Tyson Barrie won a race to the puck and sent it up the ice to Luke Evangelista. His quick pass back down the ice found Sherwood in the faceoff circle for the shot.

Novak scored his second on a power play at 2:47 of the third period. Nyquist caught the puck near the goal line and dropped back while Novak got to the front of the net for a close-in shot. A secondary assist went to Juuso Parssinen.

Tomas Hertl got the Sharks on the scoreboard with a goal at 10:33 of the third. Mario Ferraro sent a shot from the blue line past the net and off the boards for a bank pass to Hertl, who was closing on the net and shot it in easily. A secondary assist went to Nikolai Knyzhov.

Luke Evangelista made it 5-1 at 13:26 with a break away goal. Dante Fabbro got the assist.

Sharks Head Coach David Quinn described it as “a game of extremes. You know, I thought there were some really good things going on for a while, then, you know, when we’re bad we’re bad.” Nonetheless, the Sharks improved on previous games by staying close on the shot clock, with 32 shots to Nashville’s 34. The Sharks power play went 0/2, but they killed three of five Nashville power plays. The Sharks won 56.1% of their faceoffs.

The Sharks next game will be at 4:45 PM PT on Tuesday in Sunrise against the Florida Panthers.

San Jose Sharks podcast with Mary Lisa: After losing 4 straight at home can Sharks turn it around on upcoming 5 game road trip

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Jose Sharks defenseman Marc Edouard-Vlasic (44) reaches his stick underneath the Boston Bruins center Trent Frederic (11) to get at a puck in the first period at SAP Center in San Jose on Thu Oct 19, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the SJ Sharks podcast with Mary Lisa:

#1 The Boston Bruins came into San Jose on Thursday night and got scoring help from Brad Marchand and James van Riemsdyk and wasted no time doing it scoring 21 seconds apart in the first period.

#2 The Bruins David Pastrnak added the third and final goal and goaltender Linus Ullmark stopped 26 Sharks shots.

#3 This was the final game of the Sharks four game homestand where they were swept for the entire four games to start the season. How surprising or not surprising was it that the Sharks lost all their games on home ice to start the season.

#4 The Sharks join two other teams in NHL history to open at home and lose four straight games. The 1971-72 California Golden Seals with two loses and two ties and the 1997-98 Calgary Flames lost three and had a tie.

#5 The Sharks open a five game road trip starting tonight in Nashville after seeing what happened in the last four games in San Jose how difficult do you see it for the Sharks to win this one tonight and the rest of the four games that’s waiting for them on this trip.

Join Mary Lisa does the SJ Sharks podcasts each Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sharks Still Winless To Start Season Lose To Boston Bruins 3-1

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Jose Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro (38) scrambles for the puck as the Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) is just behind Ferraro at SAP Center in San Jose on Thu Oct 19, 2023 (AP News photo)

Thursday, October 19th, 2023

By Troy Ewers

San Jose, CA – The first four games for the San Jose Sharks have been against the current division leaders. Vegas, Colorado, Carolina, and now Boston. Described to some as the toughest beginning for a Sharks season in their history based on the strength of their opponents this early in the season, each game feeling harder than the last.

This feeling was no different with the San Jose Sharks against the Boston Bruins in the SAP Center and the Sharks coming off a loss against Carolina where they saw six goals pass Mackenzie Blackwood, who despite the score was having a great outing against the Hurricanes.

In this game’s postgame presser, Sharks coach David Quinn made it very clear how he felt his team played, quoted saying “I didn’t like the way we played for most of the night” and also saying “It’s certainly way too soft and way too slow.” This quote brings us to tonight’s game against the Bruins where the focus was to be more physical while not committing as many penalties as they did against the Hurricanes. 

A first period where the San Jose Sharks were going shot for shot with the Bruins and both goalies looking like the heroes this early in the night until Brad Marchand scored his first goal of the season in a shot that surprised the crowd when they saw the puck pass Kaapo Kahkonen. 1-0 Boston.

The second goal for Boston came so quickly that the first goal wasn’t even announced over the PA yet, but 19 seconds after the first goal James Van Riemsdyk scores by pushing a puck in that fans and even some Sharks thought was a frozen puck, but after further review it was a goal, 2-0 Bruins.

After this second goal an overwhelming number of Boston fans started chanting “Let’s Go Bruins” which then was followed by Sharks fans booing the chant from the opposing Boston faithful and then the first period ended with home fans feeling like they were in Boston after the SAP Center erupted for the Bruins.

The second period for Sharks fans can be classified as one word: embarrassing. A whole period went by and after 16:46 the reason the sold out crowd of 17,562 Sharks fans would deem the second period embarrassing would occur.

David Pastrnak went on the attack and bad defense caused Pastrnak to fall ad on the way down, he still accidentally knocked in the puck off of Kaapo’s skate and cheers from Boston fans overshadowed the boos from the Sharks fans and the rest of the second period was a blur for the fans in teal as they were witnessing a 3-0 score going into the third period and it was further proof of this season being the “toughest beginning of a season” ever for San Jose. 

A sign of hope for San Jose came from the high profile offseason signing, Anthony Duclair and he got the goal after leading an attack and on attempted pass to Tomas Hertl, the puck bounces off a Bruins defender and in the goal for Duclair’s first goal as a Shark and San Jose’s first goal of the game. 3-1.

Dueling chants between San Jose and Boston fans serenaded the arena as the third period continued. The Sharks emptied the net to hopefully even out the score, but the deficit was too great as the Boston Bruins celebrated a win on away that felt like a home game for them. 

The Sharks since the start of the last season are now 8-25-12 and this record at home speaks to why this game in particular didn’t feel like the Shark tank advantage that Sharks fans grew up with. With no wins in the first four games of this season showcase the start of a long and grueling season for this team on a rebuild, but the positive in this game is the fact that Duclair got his first goal as a Shark and that should be a silver lining for a dark cloud on the current state of the teal.

The Sharks open a five game road trip in hopes of turning it around. The Sharks start the trip against the Nashville Predators this Sat Oct 21 for a 5:00pm PT puck drop.

NHL podcast with Len Shapiro: Sens Norris scores goal in first game since Jan 21st; Jets Vilardi out with knee injury; plus more NHL news

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Chad Ruhwedel (2) pushes the Ottawa Senators center Josh Norris (9) on Wed Jan 18, 2023 at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa. Norris had been out of action since Jan 21, 2023 due to a shoulder injury. Norris returned to action Wed Oct 18, 2023 against the Washington Capitals and scored a goal in the contest. (The Canadian Press via AP photo)

On the NHL podcast with Len Shapiro:

#1 Ottawa Senators center Josh Norris made his season debut Wednesday night at the Canadian Tire Center. Norris played in his first game since Jan 21 Norris had tweaked his shoulder just one week before training camp started. Norris had missed 90 games because of shoulder injuries.

#2 The Winnipeg Jets center Gabriel Vilardi is expected to be out four to six weeks due to a MCL in his right knee. Vilardi doesn’t need surgery and Jets head coach Rick Bowness said he’s glad that would have put Vilardi out for awhile and that this was the best case scenario.

#3 Len talk about the shot that Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Fredrik Andersen right between the eyes off the mask that took him out of the game from a San Jose Sharks Mario Ferraro shot in the first period on Tuesday night. Antti Raanta replaced Andersen. The Hurricanes called up Pyotr Kochetkov from their Syracuse AHL affiliate.

#4 The Nashville Predators defenseman Luke Schenn will miss four to six weeks due to a lower body injury. Schenn has been out of action since Oct 10th the Preds opening night when they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-3. Schenn leads the Predators in defense with four hits and one blocked shot.

#5 The NHL Heritage Classic this Oct 29th will mark the 20th outdoor game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames. The game will be held at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton. Commonwealth holds 57,000 fans. Two refrigeration trucks are helping getting the ice installed. The trucks traveled from Ontario to Edmonton.

Join Len Shapiro for the NHL podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sharks lose 6-3 to Hurricanes

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @SanJoseSharks

By Mary Anne

The San Jose Sharks continued their four-game homestand with game No. 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night. The Sharks lost 6-3 to the Hurricanes at SAP Center. San Jose fell to 0-2-1, while Carolina improved to 3-1-0.

Sharks goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood made 36 saves in a losing effort, while Hurricanes goaltender Antti Raanta made 12 saves before exiting the game. Frederik Andersen made one save in relief of Raanta.

The Sharks drew first blood. Fabian Zetterlund helped the Sharks to an early 1-0 lead with a wrist shot 3:14 into the opening period. Tomas Hertl collected the lone assist on Zetterlund’s goal.

The Hurricanes tied the game 1-1. Seth Jarvis fired a wrist shot on the power play for a power play goal 4:06 into the first period. Michael Bunting and Teuvo Teravainen collected the assists on Jarvis’ game-tying goal.

The game was tied 1-1 after 20 minutes. The Hurricanes outshot the Sharks 18-5.

The Hurricanes took a 2-1 lead. Jaccob Slavin scored an unassisted goal, a short-handed one off a wrist shot, at 8:52 of the second.

The Hurricanes’ lead was short-lived. The Sharks tied the game 2-2 just 19 seconds later. Filip Zadina fired a wrist shot on the power play for a power play goal at 9:11 of the second period. Fabian Zetterlund collected the lone assist on Zadina’s game-tying goal.

The Sharks regained the lead 3-2. William Eklund fired a wrist shot on the power play for a power play goal at 16:06 of the second period. Henry Thrun and Tomas Hertl collected the assists on Eklund’s go-ahead goal.

The Sharks led 3-2 through 40 minutes. Carolina outshot San Jose 31-11.

The Hurricanes tied the game 3-3. Stefan Noesen fired a wrist shot on the power play for a power play goal at 9:08 of the third period. Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Brady Skjei collected the assists on Noesen’s game-tying goal.

The Hurricanes regained the lead 4-3. Seth Jarvis scored an unassisted goal on a slap shot on the power play at 11:51 of the third period. Brent Burns, a former San Jose Shark, collected the lone assist on Jarvis’ go-ahead goal.

The Hurricanes extended their lead 5-3. Martin Necas fired a wrap-around shot for a 5-3 lead at 14:53 of the third period. Michael Bunting and Brady Skjei collected the assists on Necas’ goal.

The Hurricanes expanded their lead 6-3. Brett Pesce fired a wrist shot for a 6-3 lead at 15:08 of the third period. Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Stefan Noesen collected the assists on Pesce’s goal.

The Hurricanes won 6-3. Carolina outshot San Jose 42-16.

Notes
With his 28th save of the game, Mackenzie Blackwood has now made the most saves by any Sharks goalie in his first two games with the team (79). Kaapo Kahkonen made 78 on March 24-31, 2022 (36, 42).

The Sharks’ November Breakaway Pass offers nine games for $89, including the Sharks and Golden State Warriors’ Bay Area Unite Night and SJSharksGaming Night. For more information, click here.

Up Next
The Sharks will wrap up their homestand against the Boston Bruins on Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. Pacific.

San Jose Sharks podcast with Charanbir Mahal (INDTVUSA): Despite Sharks hard efforts the loss to Avalanche a tough one to swallow

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Jose Sharks goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood (29) tries to stop the puck shot by the Colorado Avalanche’s right winger Mikko Rantanen (96) at SAP Center on Sat Oct 14, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the SJ Sharks podcast with Charanbir Mahal:

#1 Despite the hard efforts by San Jose Sharks goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood with his 51 saves the Colorado Avalanche pulled off a one goal shootout overtime 2-1 victory at SAP Center last Saturday.

#2 Charanbir, the Aves Cale Makar scored the tying goal of the game forcing the overtime 1-1. The Avalanche had to be relieved that the game didn’t get away thanks to Makar’s goal.

#3 The Makar goal couldn’t have come at a better time for the Avalanche with just a minute left in the regulation got a wrister shot that got past Blackwood. If not for that the Sharks would have won a remarkably played game by a 1-0 score.

#4 It’s amazing how the turn of events with the Makar goal can turn things around after the Sharks had carried the lead for all but the last minute of the game?

#5 The Sharks host the Carolina Hurricanes tonight. The Hurricanes went deep in the post season before being eliminated by the Florida Panthers and being disqualified from getting in the finals. The Hurricane are 2-1-1 coming into tonight’s game against the Sharks will this be another nail biter?

Charanbir Mahal is a anchor for INDTVUSA is a San Jose Sharks contributor for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podast: Sharks broadcast on Spanish TV on Los Tiburones Night

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Colorado Avalanche center Fredrik Oloffsson (22) tries to outskate the San Jose Sharks right winger Givani Smith (54) in second period at SAP Center in San Jose on Sat Oct 14, 2023 (AP News photo)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Los Tiburones Night will have a very Hispanic flavor. Sponsored by Milagro Tequila, everybody in attendance received a Luchador Goalie Mask on Los Tiburones Night presented by Milagro Tequila.

#2 The colorful mask was designed by local artist Luis Guardado. This Hispanic Night included a pregame music and the Star-Spangled Banner being performed by Mariachi Tequila de San José a local mariachi band. 

#3 On the concourse, arts and crafts with the Mexican Heritage Plaza and a specially designed mural backdrop located at the Hop Valley Bar above the South Entrance for fan photo opportunities.

#4 To the game the Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks the game you called in Spanish was a close one that went into a overtime shootout, the Aves won and the Sharks gained a point, you only get to do one Sharks TV Spanish broadcast, how was the broadcast?

#5 Sharks are looking to get that first win on home ice after losing on opening night to the Vegas Golden Knights and coming up empty handed on Saturday against the Avalanche. They host the Carolina Hurricanes tonight at SAP Center.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez for That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcasts Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Blackwood shines for Sharks in debut but falls to the Avalance in the shootout 2-1

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo courtesy of San Jose Sharks Twitter. Mackenzie Blackwood is dialed in (photo taken on 10/14/23).

By Titus Wilkinson (@TitusWisme)

SAN JOSE- Despite a stellar debut for Mackenzie Blackwood making 51 saves the Sharks still lost to the Avalanche 2-1 in the shootout.

Making his debut for Team Teal was Blackwood as he was acquired in the offseason. For the Avalanche Alexander Georgiev got the start.

This one would be a tight one all the way down to the wire all thanks to the heroics of Blackwood.

Thomas Bordeleau got the scoring going in the first on a tip-in as Matt Benning thew one to the front of the net.

After that things went quite offensively for both teams though the Avalanche would dominate in the shot totals period after period.

Colorado eventually broke through late in the third as Cale Makar scored his second goal of the season on a nice wrister from past the blue line.

That goal forced overtime though neither team was able to break through meaning the shootout was next.

In the shootout, no Sharks found the net but Mikko Rantanen would score, helping get the Avalanche the victory 2-1.

Overall Blackwood made 51 saves the most for a goalie in his debut since 1955. Both teams also could not score on the power play as the Avalanche went 0/5 while the Sharks went 0/4.

The three stars of the game were: 1st: Mackenzie Blackwood 2nd: Cale Makar 3rd: Thomas Bordeleau

The Sharks will look to get their first win of the season on Tuesday against the Hurricanes at home at 7:30 p.m.

San Jose Sharks podcast with Mary Lisa: Sharks try to get in win column tonight against Avalanche at SAP Center

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Logan Thompson (right) puts the stop on the San Jose Sharks center Luke Kunin (left) in the first period at SAP Center in San Jose on Thu Oct 12, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the SJ Sharks podcast with Mary Lisa:

#1 The Vegas Golden Knights got a come back on the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night at SAP Center when the Knights Nic Hague and Nicolas Roy scored in the last two minutes of the second period and it was pretty much icing on the cake for the Knights in their three goal 4-1 win.

#2 Mary Lisa, this game was pretty dead even with Sharks and Knights tied at 1-1 until the second period when Hague and Roy scored just 53 seconds apart.

#3 The Knights Michael Amadio scored a goal and Brayden Pachal picked up his first NHL career goal as the Knights now have won their second straight game.

#4 The Sharks were expected by the oddsmakers to be struggling team and head coach David Quinn said that the Sharks are still trying to put a lot of things together. Quinn did point out that for 38 minutes it was a 1-1 tie and the Sharks kept up with the Knights.

#5 The Sharks now face the Colorado Avalanche tonight at SAP. The Aves rolled over the Los Angeles Kings in their last game 5-2. The Avalanche like the Knights have some offense. They got two goals from Mikko Rantanen and a goal each from Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Miles Wood. It’s the Avalanche and Sharks tonight in San Jose how do you see this match up.

Join Mary Lisa for the SJ Sharks podcasts Saturdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com