Tag: Andrei Vaasilevskiy

NHL podcast with Len Shapiro Fri Mar 28, 2025: Pens Sid the Kid sets point per game record for most seasons; Sens Ullmark 31 saves edges Red Wings 4-3; plus more NHL news

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Pittsburgh Penguins Sid Crosby (87) prepares to face off against the Buffalo Sabres at Key Bank Center in Buffalo on Thu Mar 27, 2025. (AP News photo)

NHL podcast with Len Shapiro Fri Mar 28, 2025

#1 Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins broke former NHL great Wayne Gretzky’s record for having the most seasons (20) averaging at least a point per game. In spite of the record breaking performance the Penguins lost to the Buffalo Sabres 7-3 at Key Bank Center on Thursday.

 #2  Linus Ullmark saved 31 shots for the Ottawa Senators and the Senators were able to stop the Detroit offense for a 4-3 win at Little Caesars Pizza Arena on Thursday. Ullmark said after the game that the Senators played a lot of good minutes and the Wings were a desperate team but the Sens responded well.

#3 Tampa Bay Lightning Nikita Kucherov scored a goal and had three assists, Bolts goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy threw a 8-0 shutout against the Utah Hockey Club at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay on Thursday, Vasilevskiy stopped 25 shots. It was the sixth shutout of the season for Vasilevskiy and his 40th of his NHL career.

#4 The Philadelphia Flyers Brad Shaw picked up his first win as Flyers head coach against the Montreal Canadiens 6-4 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Thursday. Shaw who was an assistant coach was promoted to head coach after the Flyers fired head coach John Tortorella on Thursday. The Flyers were on a six game losing streak when Tortorella was fired. Was Torts mainly fired because the Flyers just couldn’t get on track or was he fired because he lost the dressing room?

#5 Minnesota Wild’s Matt Boldy scored a goal and had an assist as the Wild overcame the visiting Washington Capitals in a comeback on Thursday night at the Xcel Energy Center. With just 8.5 seconds left in the second period Boldy would score what would be the game winner putting the Wild on top 3-2 for the eventual 4-2 win.

The Caps Alexander Ovechkin didn’t score a goal and still remains six goals behind Wayne Gretzky for 894 career goals record.

Len Shapiro does the NHL podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Lightning Scorch Sharks 8-1, Score Five in First period

Published on by M WalshLeave a comment

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Emil Lilleberg (78) knocks the puck away from San Jose Sharks Ty Dellandrea (53) in first period action at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay on Thu Dec 5, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks were defeated 8-1 by the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday. Cam Atkinson, Conor Geekie, Brandon Hagel, Jake Guentzel, Anthony Cirelli, Nick Perbix, and Nick Paul scored for the Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 20 saves for the win. Alexander Wennberg scored for San Jose. Vitek Vanecek made 7 saves in the first period. Mackenzie Blackwood made 20 saves in the second and third periods.

The Sharks gave up a stunning five goals in the first period. The Lightning outshot the Sharks in the period, but not by an enormous margin (12-9). “Not a great start. I don’t know, we didn’t play to our identity tonight at all. We kind of took our foot off the gas on a lot of little things,” said Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro. Of the team’s defensive woes, Ferraro said “I feel like most of it was the chances we gave up were sort of grade A, some shots from the point. So it has a lot to do with our box-outs and then when we recover the puck to be able to get the puck out. “

Sharks Head Coach Ryan Warsofsky described the game as a reality check: “When you don’t skate, and you don’t compete against really good hockey teams or any team in the National Hockey League, this is what’s going to happen.”

Cam Atkinson tipped in a shot from Conor Geekie 1:26 into the game. Geekie took a pass from Atkinson at the Sharks blue line, then carried the puck in and scored on the blocker side at 7:29. Victor Hedman also got an assist on that goal. That second goal triggered a flurry of three goals in less than 90 seconds.

Brandon Hagel scored at 8:32. Shortly after an offensive zone faceoff, Hagel caught a pass from Jake Guentzel on the blue line. He skated in front of the goal and then backhanded the puck in. Ryan McDonagh got a secondary assist.

Brandon Hagel scored again just 23 seconds later. This time he carried the puck in from the blue line, skated across in front of the goal to the other side before backhanding the puck in. Erik Cernak got an assist.

Jake Guentzel made it 5-0 with a power play goal at 17:45 of the first period. Guentzel tipped in a shot from Victor Hedman with Brayden Point picking up an assist as well.

The Sharks changed goaltenders after the first period, putting Blackwood in net.

Anthony Cirelli made it 6-0 at 4:16 of the second period. He tipped a shot from Ryan McDonagh and Brayden Point picked up another assist.

Nick Perbix made it 7-0 at 18:32. Brayden Point pass the puck up out of the faceoff circle to Perbix high in the slot. Perbix scored with a wrist shot. Point and Emil Lilleberg got the assists.

Alexander Wennberg scored the only Sharks goal 14 seconds into the third period. Fabian Zetterlund carried the puck into the zone, then found Wennberg with a pass in the faceoff circle. Wennberg carried it across the slot and scored with a wrist shot. Assists went to Zetterlund and Jan Rutta.

Nick Paul made it 8-1 at 6:01 of the third. Paul caught a cross-ice pass from Brayden Point, then skated in to score with a backhand shot. Point and J..J. Moser got the assists.

The Sharks next play on Saturday in Sunrise against the Panthers at 3:00 PM PT.