Tag: Calgary Flames

Flames avoid burnout vs. Sharks 7-5

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Photo credit: Al Charest/Postmedia

By Pearl Allison Lo

The San Jose Sharks and Calgary Flames went toe-to-toe through the first two periods, but the Flames prevailed in front of their home crowd Tuesday night at Scotiabank Saddledome.

After losing 5-4 in overtime on Monday, Calgary looked no worse for the wear. San Jose last played Saturday but had to make the trip northeast.

San Jose is now 4-for-4 in the preseason in terms of scoring at least four goals per game. Calgary also done the same in their first three games played.

Calgary had more regulars dressed but it was still a shootout. The first and second period were both marked by 4-1 scores for each side.

The Flames went ahead 6-5 in the third at 5:33 while the Sharks were blanked by Jon Gillies after 15:22 of the second period. San Jose was held to four shots in the third and their last shot came with 6:49 left in the game.

The Sharks’ Lukas Radil had a goal and assist and the Flames’ Johnny Gaudreau scored twice.

“Each line contributed offensively. It was a good team win, ” Gaudreau remarked.

Both teams played tic-tac-toe in a variety of ways during the night and switched out goalies. Sharks goalie Aaron Dell was pulled after five goals in favor of Antoine Bibeau. Flames goalie David Rittich left after four goals for Gillies.

The Sharks scored first with Barclay Goodrow getting his third goal of the preseason.

San Jose went on the power play at 12:10. Six seconds later, Rourke Chartier followed suit with the teams’ first power play goal of the preseason, making them 1-for-12. Less than 40 seconds later, Gaudreau scored Calgary’s only goal of the first. He, Brett Kulak and Sean Monahan got their first points of the preseason in the game. Then, just eight seconds after, Radil scored unassisted.

The Sharks’ Marcus Sorensen had a goal, but it was disallowed for goalie interference, even after a Coach’s Challenge.

San Jose’s Maxim Letunov capped off the first period, scoring his first preseason goal at 16:18.

Both sides played a little penalty tic-tac-toe after. The Sharks were called for a penalty at 16:47. Less than 30 seconds later, the Flames nullified their own power play and then less than 30 seconds later again, San Jose got the high-sticking call.

The Flames played their period a little differently in the second, scoring three straight goals before the Sharks did.

All of the Flames’ three goals came in the slot near the left faceoff circle, Matthew Phillips at 7:05, Monahan at 9:47 and Matthew Tkachuk at 12:38.

Alexander Chmelevski scored San Jose’s sandwich goal at 15:44 with his first goal.

Gaudreau topped off the period with another goal 10 seconds before the middle period ended, leaving both teams heading into the third with a 5-5 tie. He and his teammates had Bibeau caught looking back and forth between the pipes before scoring.

Sam Bennett got Calgary their first lead and the game-winner with the first goal of the third period.

The Sharks’ Kevin Labanc tried to fight Austin Czarnik away from the empty net with time running out, but Czarnik got his stick ahead for the 7-5 score at 18:46 to seal the deal.

Up Next: The Sharks will face the Flames again, but on their own ice Thursday night at 7:30 pm PDT.

Sharks Win Seventh in a Row, Trounce Flames 5-1

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Photo credit: @SanJoseSharks

By Mary Walsh

SAN JOSE — The San Jose Sharks won their seventh straight game 5-1 against the Calgary Flames Saturday. Sharks goals came from Brenden Dillon, Jannik Hansen, Evander Kane, and Justin Braun. Brenden Dillon came away with a Gordie Howe hat trick, while Kane missed one by an assist. The lone Flames goal came from Michael Stone.

Sharks goaltender Martin Jones made 37 saves for the win, while Flames goaltender David Rittich made 28 saves in a losing effort.

Of the importance of this winning streak, Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer said:

I think this is the time of year you want to be playing well, you want to get hot. For me, it’s about our game. You know, the results are nice, the wins are nice. You know, out of the seven games, this was probably our sloppiest of the seven but we found a way to win and our goaltender was great. So we’ll clean a few things up but you’re never going to complain too much about winning.

Despite the recent additional injuries, the Sharks have kept up their momentum with the help of some good depth. Stepping in for Joakim Ryan is Paul Martin, who has missed most of this season with an injury.

Brenden Dillon scored the first go, at 7:52. Chris Tierney caught a short pass from Timo Meier and made a beautiful behind the back pass to the trailing Dillon, setting the Sharks defenseman up perfectly in the slot. It was Dillon’s fourth goal of the year. After the game, Chris Tierney talked about how he saw that play: “I just saw him coming in late and Timo dropped it too me and I thought their guy was kind of stepping up on me. So I thought he’d be the trailer coming in late, hopefully, he found it.”

Jannik Hansen scored next, his second of the season, and his second in the last three games. Hansen deflected a Burns shot that was going well wide of the net. Hansen’s deflection was at such a sharp angle that Rittich did not see it in time. Assists went to Burns and Barclay Goodrow.

Michael Stone got Calgary on the board at 12:17 with a slap shot from the blue line that found its way through a lot of traffic. Assists went to Micheal Ferland and Chris Stewart.

At the end of the first, the shots on goal were 11-9 Calgary.

The next goal came in the second period at 8:26. The Sharks were on a power play when Kevin Labanc was called for holding, ending the power play and putting the teams on a four-on-four. Neither team scored then, but after the Calgary penalty expired and the Sharks were short-handed, Chris Tierney skated almost to the goal line with the puck. He hovered around there for a bit, looking like he might take the shot, but instead he made a pass to Evander Kane who had an open net. It was Kane’s fourth short-handed goal of the season.

In all, the teams took eight penalties in the second period, after taking none at all in the first. Two of those penalties overlapped at least in part, and two went to Evander Kane as double minor for roughing. Despite the overlaps, it was a rowdy period.

The shot count for the second period was 17-14 Calgary.

Evander Kane’s trips to the penalty box were not over with the second period. He went back there at 3:15 of the third for a fight with Travis Hamonic. In addition, both Hamonic and Kane received minors for unsportsmanlike conduct. None of those penalties resulted in a man advantage. Before those penalties had expired, Mark Giordano was called for cross-checking Melker Karlsson–awarding the Sharks the first power play of the period–for the fifth penalty of the period.

Justin Braun extended the Sharks lead to 4-1 at 10:09 of the third period. Braun caught the puck just as it crossed the Calgary blue line and, after just a couple of strides, took the shot from above the faceoff circle. The shot beat Rittich over the right shoulder. Assists went to Logan Couture and Melker Karlsson.

San Jose’s lead grew again at 12:10. Joe Pavelski tipped a Dillon shot at the net from a ways out, using Evander Kane and Hamonic as a screen. The puck touched Kane on the way in, giving him his second of the game. Assists went to Pavelski and Dillon.

Brenden Dillon left the game a bit early after a fight with Garnet Hathaway at 15:02 of the third. Both left the game as the fight took place in the final five minutes.

The Sharks next play on Monday at 5:00 pm PT in Chicago against the Blackhawks.

Evander Kane Scores Four Goals and Nets First Career Hat Trick, Sharks Douse Flames 7-4

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Photo credit: @SanJoseSharks

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks defeated the Calgary Flames 7-4 at the Scotiabank Saddledome  on Friday night. The Sharks scored seven goals compared to the Flames’ four goals. New Sharks left wing Evander Kane scored four of those goals, tying the Sharks’ record for most goals in a game. The other Sharks who scored that many goals were Owen Nolan, Tomas Hertl and Patrick Marleau.

Hertl, Kevin Labanc and Eric Fehr scored the remaining balance of goals for San Jose. Johnny Gaudreau, Troy Brouwer, Mark Jankowski and Michael Ferland scored for Calgary.

After the game, Sharks captain Joe Pavelski said this about Evander Kane:

It’s always a special night when someone can score three, and then for him to get that fourth, you know, it’s pretty cool to see. He’s definitely made a huge impact on us as a team, on his teammates. And, you know, he’s been one of those guys driving the bus here for the last week or two and he came through big for us tonight.

The Sharks started the game on the right foot. Just five minutes in, Timo Meier seemed to have scored, but his stick was above the crossbar when he touched the puck.

Undeterred, Kane scored only a minute later. Kane took a rising wrist shot from just below the blue line as he raced into the zone. Mike Smith missed the puck with his glove as it fell toward the goal. Jannik Hansen got the lone assist.

The Sharks had a power play after Mikkel Boedker was tripped up on a breakaway 37 seconds after the goal, but they did not get a shot on goal.

Gaudreau left the ice briefly after a collision with two Sharks players, seeming to severe  his arm or hand, but nothing was wrong and he quickly returned to the ice.

Brouwer tied it up with 3:18 left in the period. Sharks goalie Martin Jones had come out to handle the puck, but he was back in the net before Brouwer took his shot from the slot. Curtis Lazar made the pass to Brouwer from below the goal line. Assists went to Lazar and Matt Stajan.

The Flames took the lead at 2:10 of the second period. Mark Jankowski was high in the faceoff circle when Meier pulled the puck out of a crowd and tried to pass it to some Sharks defensemen in the middle of ice. Jankowski intercepted it and took a quick shot that went over Jones’ shoulder. A lone assist went to Garnet Hathaway.

The Sharks’ Melker Karlsson drew a holding the stick penalty that gave the Sharks their second power play at 2:45. This time, they did get a shot on goal, but they also gave up a two-on-one short-handed chance.

After the power play, Tierney was moved to the top line with Pavelski and Kane. With that line on the ice, Dylan DeMelo took a shot from the blue line and Kane tipped it in to tie the game again at 6:29. DeMelo and Brenden Dillon picked up the assists.

Sharks head coach Pete DeBoer made another line change, putting Fehr, Karlsson and Meier together. They created a good chance almost eight minutes into the second, getting two shots on goal.

The Flames took the lead again at 10:16. Gaudreau skated in with the puck, handled it around two Sharks players near the boards, then darted to the slot before taking the shot. Assists went to Ferland and Michael Stone.

Labanc tied it again at 11:42, with a wrist shot from the left side, using a Calgary defenseman as a screen. Brent Burns got the lone assist.

The Sharks found themselves on the wrong side of two penalties close together, starting at the 12:24 mark. They had to defend 45 seconds of five-on-three after Kane joined Tierney in the box. The Sharks killed all of that off, but they seemed to have burned some fuel doing so.

With a little over three minutes left in the second, Tierney got control of the puck behind the net after Pavelski pushed it through a board battle. Tierney found Kane in front of the blue paint with a quick pass. Kane took a shot, then caught the rebound and took another shot to net his first NHL hat trick.

The Sharks extended their lead with only 1:58 left in the second period. Justin Braun carried the puck in along the boards and sent the puck to the net. Hertl was right there at the crease to tap the puck under the goaltender. Assists went to Braun and Marc-Edouard Vlasic.

The third period went all wrong for the Flames. Pavelski took a shot from the blue line just as Mike Smith was getting settled after a trip behind his net to retrieve the puck and play it not very well. Kane was standing by to deflect it in for his fourth of the game, just 1:02 into the period. With that goal, Kane tied the Sharks record for most goals in a game.

That was it for Mike Smith. David Rittich came in to replace him.

Calgary coach Gen Gulutzan decided to pull his goaltender for the extra skater with almost six minutes still to go. The move paid off with Micheal Ferland parked in front of the net while the Flames moved the puck relentlessly around the Sharks’ zone. When the shot finally came, Ferland put the puck in with a backhand shot from a tight angle.

Fehr scored the Sharks’ seventh goal into the still empty net at 16:02. Hertl got an assist on that one.

The Sharks next play on Saturday in Vancouver at 7:00 pm PT.

After being injured Wednesday in Edmonton, Joonas Donskoi remained out and was replaced by Jannik Hansen for tonight’s game. There was no timetable for Donskoi’s return yet.

San Jose Sharks Podcast with Mary Lisa Walsh: Sharks prepare for three-game road trip starting tonight in Edmonton

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Photo credit: nhl.com/sharks

On the San Jose Sharks Podcast with Mary Lisa:

1.The Sharks are coming off two wins out of their last four games. The Sharks got a 5-3 win past the Detroit Red Wings on Monday night. What a relief it was as San Jose recently struggled on home ice with losses to the Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals.

2. The Sharks improved their power play with a power play goal last Thursday against the St. Louis Blues after going 0-30 on their 32nd try they lit the lamp to snap the drought.

3. The Sharks face the Edmonton Oilers, a team they handled without a problem on Tuesday, February 27th, but after the convincing win past ex-coach Todd McLellan and company, the Oilers will be out for revenge on their home ice tonight.

4. The Sharks also have to contend with Connor McDavid, who dominates in Edmonton and leads the Oilers in goals. Will the Sharks’ double team him to slow down his offense?

5. The Sharks conclude their road trip Friday and Saturday with back-to-back nights in Calgary and Vancouver. How do you see these match ups this weekend?

Mary Lisa Walsh is the San Jose Sharks beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

NHL Podcast with Daniel Dullum: Kadri takes part of Thornton’s beard off; Jagr to be released by Flames; Breakthrough for Byfuglien first goal in 33 games

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Photo credit: @BarDown

1 Leafs’ Nazem Kadri tugs at Thornton’s beard; Toronto beats Sharks

2 Jamr Jagr of the Calgary Flames will be released by the club he is age 46 and the Flames plan to pay for the rest of the year

3 Jets star defenseman Dustin Byfuglien scores first goal in 33 games

4 Golden Knights get 9th win in 10 games, beat Blackhawks in Chicago

5 Longtime NHL referee Bruce Hood dies at 81

Daniel Dullum does the NHL Podcast each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

 

 

Jones’ 32 saves, Donskoi’s goal gives Sharks shootout win against Flames 3-2

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San Jose Sharks right wing Joonas Donskoi (27) celebrates his game winning goal with teammate Brent Burns (88) during a shootout in an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 28, 2017, in San Jose, Calif. San Jose won 3-2. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

By Ben Leonard

SAN JOSE—The end of the road to Martin Jones’ 100th win was rocky.

Heading into December, Jones sat at 98 career wins, but struggled mightily, losing five of his first six games and allowing four or more goals in all of them. Second-year goalie Aaron Dell blew him out of the water during that stretch, allowing just seven goals in four games.

But once he hit the century mark with a shutout against the Kings Dec. 23, he seems to have turned a corner.

Jones recorded 32 saves in San Jose’s 3-2 shootout win against the Calgary Flames, including one after Joe Pavelski’s goal to start the shootout to give the Sharks an early advantage. After Burns and MIkael Backlund missed in succession, rookie Joonas Donskoi scored to seal the victory and give Jones victory No. 101.   

It wasn’t easy for San Jose, which battled back from a 2-1 first period deficit to cap off a 4-1-1 stretch against Pacific Division rivals. Calgary owned the boards, beating the Sharks in hit count 28-11, but San Jose found a way to become more physical later in the game and push it to overtime.

“We just started winning more puck battles on the wall and started to manage the puck a bit better,” Jones said when asked what changed for San Jose. “But when you go for three days of not skating and getting just one practice in, it can be hard to start the game. But we did a good job fighting through it and sticking with our game to get two points.”

Timo Meier erased the 2-1 deficit that had stood for nearly 35 minutes midway through the third period with a goal, sending the Sharks (20-11-4) to overtime, where Jones made four saves. San Jose’s deficit wasn’t for a lack of chances—it put up 21 shots in the first two periods, including 13 in the second, before Meier’s goal in the third.

“You didn’t sense any panic on the bench,” head coach Peter DeBoer said. “That comes from the fact that we had some really good looks. We only had one goal in the first two periods, but we felt that there was a goal there somewhere, we just didn’t stick it in the net. There was a feeling that if we just kept with it, eventually we would get one.”

The Flames (18-15-4) wasted no time building their early lead, scoring just over four minutes into the game on Garnet Hathaway’s second goal of the season. Pavelski answered three minutes later on a power play goal, but Backlund added a power play goal of his own just before the 16-minute mark in the first period.

Despite Backlund’s goal, the Sharks allowed Calgary to score just the one power play goal in three ties— they rank No. 2 in the NHL in penalty kill percentage. San Jose has also been solid itself a man up, ranking No. 6 in power play percentage.

The Sharks’ five-on-five offense, on the other hand, has not been stellar—they rank 22nd in the league in goals scored at 2.7 per game.

“It’s something we need to improve,” Donskoi said. “Our power play has been good, but we need to improve our five on five game and go from there.”

At a time in the year in which teams can separate themselves in division races, the Sharks are trending in the right direction. They’ve racked up three straight wins, but San Jose’s captain certainly isn’t satisfied.

“You’ve got to put some streaks together,” Pavelski said. “To win three in a row, you can’t be satisfied. You’ve got to go for four or five. I don’t know if this is the time or not, hopefully you can start creating a little separation.”

Joonas Donskoi scores two goals, Sharks edge Flames 3-2

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San Jose Sharks’ Joonas Donskoi, center, from Finland, celebrates his goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Calgary Flames in Calgary, Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

~ By Pearl Allison Lo

~ In his first game back from injury, San Jose Sharks’ Joonas Donskoi scored twice as the Sharks doused their division rival Calgary Flames 3-2 Thursday.

Donskoi’s game-winner came at 17:12, less than three minutes before overtime, as he made sure a loose puck under goalie Mike Smith went into the net. Joe Thornton and Justin Braun aided Donskoi as Thornton scored his sixth point in five games. Donskoi was playing for the first time since November 28.

Goalie Aaron Dell earned his third straight win as he made 32 saves back in his hometown of Calgary.    

Both teams came in tied for third in the division off shootout losses as each team scored in the opening and closing periods. The Sharks improved to 11-0 when leading after two periods.

San Jose’s Timo Meier and Donskoi had at least one goal and an assist apiece.

The Flames’ Michael Frolik picked up Tim Heed’s turnover in the Sharks’ end to score off Dell at 4:42 of the first.

Meier tied it later at 16:07, aided by Chris Tierney and Donskoi.

Special teams did not start off well for the Sharks. Their first power play in the opening period was cut short and  they then had a less than ideal first penalty kill in the second, in that it was cut short to where they were down 5-3. San Jose however had two shorthanded shots during the two-man advantage and another after. Logan Couture also had a chance which resulted in a power play for his team.

It was on the Sharks’ third man advantage they finally scored a power play goal for the fourth game in a row to make it 2-1. Tierney scored his first on the man advantage as he was helped by Meier and Kevin Labanc at 10 minutes of the second.  The play initially began back near the blue line when Brent Burns passed to Labanc and then Meier pushed the shot from Labanc back away after it hit goalie Mike Smith’s stick.  

San Jose re-tied the game at 7:39. The Sharks’ Marc-Edouard Vlasic lost the puck battle at the far blue line and Johnny Gaudreau converted on a 2-on-1 from Garnet Hathaway.

Game notes: Gaudreau had a game-high six shots. San Jose continues their three game Canadian road trip against the Vancouver Canucks Friday at 7pm.

 

Barracuda Left Winger Brandon Bollig – Profile

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Photo credit: NHL.com

By Alexandra Evans

SAN JOSE—First generation hockey player to Stanley Cup Champion. Not even Brandon Bollig himself could fathom such an accomplishment growing up.

Born and raised in St. Charles, Missouri, Bollig picked up hockey at the drop of a hat, making every team he tried out for in his youth.

The left winger, who is 6 feet 3 inches and 220 pounds, took his skills to the Lincoln Stars of the USHL, with whom he spent three years (2005-2008). Bollig then went on to play hockey for St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. In 2010, after his sophomore year, he signed with the Chicago Blackhawks as a free agent and appeared in three games with their minor league affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, that season (2009-2010).

Bollig was called up for his NHL debut with Chicago on February 29, 2012 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He also made four playoff appearances that season.

With his hometown so close to St. Louis, Bollig grew up supporting the Blues, one of the Blackhawks’ biggest rivals.

“I got a lot of crap from my family and friends when I signed with Chicago,” Bollig laughed. “Whenever we played the Blues, they would always say, ‘We are rooting for you and only you. We hope you score some goals, but we want a Blues win.’”

Aside from the rivalry, Bollig’s family was immensely supportive. Around 50 members of his family would attend every Blackhawks vs. Blues game at home. His family would also travel from St. Charles to Chicago to watch Bollig play at the United Center.

Bollig’s greatest accomplishment was his Stanley Cup win with the Blackhawks in 2013.

“That was indescribable,” he noted. “It’s something you imagine a million times as a kid. Once you finally do it, it is better than you ever thought.”

Following the Stanley Cup win, Bollig played one more year with the Blackhawks before he was traded to the Calgary Flames at the start of the 2014-2015 season. He still received the same familial support when the Flames would visit St. Louis, though he noted that deep down, his family still hoped for Blues’ wins.

Most recently, Bollig played for the Stockton Heat, the Flames’ AHL affiliate, in 2016-2017.

Bollig’s objective for each game is to play one that is “sound.” His playing style focuses heavily on tending to the defensive zone, and on physical presence (Bollig does not have any fear of fighting). Putting up numbers, to him, is an “added bonus.”

San Jose closed a one-year deal with Bollig on July 4, 2017, three days after the free agency market opened. Thus far, it has been a pleasant experience for him. Off the ice, Bollig and his fiancee enjoy the friendly Northern California vibes, sunny weather, and various downtown San Jose activities, including those on Santana Row.

SJ Sharks Saturday game recap with Mary Lisa Walsh: Sharks Win 5-2 At Home

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By Mary Walsh

photo credit CSNBA of the SJ Sharks Tommy Wingels

SAN-JOSE- The San Jose Sharks played the Calgary Flames Saturday, and won 5-2. As if in honor of Ryane Clowe night at SAP, the Sharks played a strong, physical, wily game. Tomas Hertl probably had the most rough and tumble game of his career. Mirco Mueller went to the box with a fighting major. Tommy Wingels, the team’s habitual hits leader, changed things up and was the Sharks’ shot leader for the game.

The first two goals of the game, and the first and third stars of the game, went to the second line of Tommy Wingels, Tomas Hertl and Matt Nieto. Two-thirds of that line was benched in the third period of their last game, so it was rewarding for all involved to see them play so well Saturday. After the game, head coach Pete DeBoer said:

They were a key part of the game tonight, set the tone with the forecheck, got us those two first period goals, key part. We need those guys. Great response game by them and now we need to continue to build on it.

The Sharks won the game without the help of one of their top four defensemen. Justin Braun missed the game and is likely to be out for longer with an infected elbow. The last time the Sharks lost the services of a top defenseman, they struggled badly.

Asked after the game how the defensive corps made the adjustment, Marc-Edouard Vlasic said:

We played well as a team, we didn’t turn pucks over, good support in the d-zone. Good forecheck… I mean, you can be missing two of your top d-men but if you play the way we did tonight you’ll win.

The win seemed a long time coming, as the Sharks’ road record is much better than their home record lately. Additionally, The Flames have been struggling this season, especially in the area of special teams. They posed a perfect storm as a visiting, struggling team that the Sharks should be able to beat. That sort of opponent has long been poisoned bait for the Sharks. That the Sharks prevailed in a big way could mean that the team is breaking some bad habits.

While the shot clock showed the teams even, the first half of the first period found the Sharks more often in the Flames zone than vice versa. Obviously, the Flames had enough time to take their share of the shots, but the Sharks seemed to have the edge to start the game.

There were a couple of near fights, one near each net. Everyone got involved, leaving few skaters not in the fracas, but no penalties were handed out, no one got knocked down, and the game went on.

The line combination of Tomas Hertl, Matt Nieto and Tommy Wingels had started the game with a lot of jump, and at 9:03 of the period, Tommy Wingels opened the scoring with a tipped shot from Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Assists went to Vlasic and Tomas Hertl.

The second goal was Hertl’s, a beautiful wrist shot from the bottom of the circle. Brenden Dillon caught puck on its way, kept it in, and made a quick pass to Hertl for the shot. The only assist went to Dillon.

The period ended 2-0 Sharks with the shots at 11-10 Sharks.

Patrick Marleau was called for holding just 1:31 into the second, giving the Flames the first power play of the game. The Sharks had a lot of trouble clearing the puck in the first minute, and Jones had to scramble. Once the Sharks did get the puck out, they were able to handle the rest of the kill.

At 4:23, Mirco Mueller was called for charging. The Sharks executed the second penalty kill handily, but remained trapped in their zone for some time after it was over.

The sharks had their own turn on the power play at 8:16 of the second. Derek Engellund knocked Nieto down a bit late near the net, which moved Hertl to jump into the fray and just miss being called for something himself. Engellund went to the box for roughing.

Beforew the power play was over, was called for high-sticking Hertl. Hertl protected his face with a hand but the hand seemed to suffer the consequences. Hertl recovered and the Sharks had a short five on three power play.

Seconds into it, Joe Thornton sent a neat little pass across to Joel Ward, who was standing undisturbed in front of the net. Ward was able to tap it in past Hiller.

While the second penalty was still playing out, Patrick Marleau took a shot from the left circle and beat Hiller with the help of some traffic in front of the blue paint. Assists went to Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns.

The period came to an end with the Sharks leading by four goals and five shots.

Just before the middle of the third period, Mirco Mueller and Joe Colborne had a very brief scrap that landed them both in the box for five minutes. It was very brief, but may have had the desired effect, on the Calgary Fames. 41 seconds later, Marcus Granlund skated into the Sharks zone and took a wrist shot that beat Martin Jones. It was his first goal of the season. Assists went to TJ Brodie and Mark Giordano.

25 seconds after that, Tommy Wingels and Marc-Edouard Vlasic scored on a rush the other way. Vlasic took Wingels’ pass from the half boards and shot the puck under pressure from a Flames defender. Vlasic did fall in the end, but the puck went in. Assists went to Wingels and Nieto.

During a scramble around the net at 11:40, Brenden Dillon was called for hooking. The Flames did not score there but, with 1:17 left in the period, they did. After playing the puck behind the net and hastily returning to his net, Martin Jones stopped a couple of shots as Flames skaters moved in, but Michael Ferlund’s shot trickled by him. It was Ferlund’s first of the season, and an assist went to David Jones.

Final score: 5-2 Sharks.

The Sharks’ newest player, Dainius Zubrus, played 13:15 minutes on a line with Mike Brown and Chris Tierney, and 2:02 minutes on the penalty kill. He had two blocked shots and two hits to his credit.

Due to an injury to Justin Braun, Brenden Dillon was paired with Marc-Edouard Vlasic, while Matt Tennyson and Mirco Mueller made up the third pair. They played 14:13 and 11:47 respectively.

The Sharks next play on Tuesday at SAP Center, against the Pittsburgh Penguins at 7:30 PT.

Sharks and Others Moving AHL Teams West

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By Mary Walsh

SAN JOSE– The American Hockey League will be moving five teams into California beginning next season. This AHLien invasion was the result of extensive planning and negotiations between the NHL, the AHL, and five NHL franchises. For west coast hockey fans, and California fans in particular, it is goods news. For some AHL fans, it is a sad day.

On January 21st, Mark Purdy of the Mercury News reported that the Sharks’ AHL team will play next season at the SAP Center. Thursday, the AHL and the NHL added to this news by confirming that the Anaheim Ducks, the Edmonton Oilers, the Calgary Flames and the Los Angeles Kings will also be moving their AHL teams to California.

The Oilers’ AHL franchise will play in Bakersfield, the Flames’ AHL team will move to Stockton, and the Kings’ AHL team will be in Ontario. As for the ECHL teams currently playing in those locations, Luc Robitaille of the LA Kings said that their Ontario ECHL team will be moving to Manchester to fill the void left by the Monarchs’ departure. How may others will follow that pattern has not been announced. The Ducks’ AHL team will move to San Diego.

During a press conference held at SAP Center, officials from the above NHL teams, as well as the NHL and the AHL spoke to the media about the moves. Bill Daly, NHL Deputy Commissioner and David Andrews, AHL President and CEO joined the Flames’ Brad Treliving, the Oilers’ Kevin Lowe, the Kings’ Luc Robitaille, the Sharks’ Doug Wilson and John Tortora, and the Ducks’ Bob Murray and Michael Schulman.

AHL President and CEO David Andrews opened the press conference, giving the audience a rundown of the development relationship between the AHL and the NHL. He thanked the fans of the teams being relocated for their support. Earlier this week, the Ducks purchased their AHL franchise, putting them in the same group as the Oilers, the Kings, the Flames, and the Sharks, as AHL team owners.

Sharks COO John Tortora spoke next, mentioning that the San Jose AHL team will need a new name that should be chosen in the next few weeks. He lauded the growth of hockey in California over the past decades. He then summarized the development advantages of having AHL Sharks train and play so close to the NHL Sharks. The fans will get to see the AHL players before they reach the NHL, expanding interest in the organization. The management and coaching staff will have greater access to prospects, and players will be better prepared for the NHL environment by living and working in it. On the decision to locate the team in San Jose, Tortora emphasized the organization’s desire to make the AHL franchise beneficial to the community, in terms of added jobs and opportunities in San Jose.

Tortora also thanked Worcester for being a supportive market:

We spent ten incredible years in Worcester, it is an incredible hockey market and should have a new hockey team in the near future. This relocation is not a reflection on the Worcester market, rather it is one where we look forward to ending our last season in Worcester making it a very successful one and then building the program here in San Jose.

After the presentation, Tortora answered a few more questions about the new venture. Tickets to the AHL games will be on a par with other AHL prices, making professional hockey more accessible to a new audience.

Having the AHL team play at SAP Center may not be a long-term arrangement but there are no plans at this time to move it elsewhere. I asked if the plans to expand the Sharks Ice facility were still in the works. Shark Ice is the Sharks’ practice facility that also has rinks for public use. A major expansion looks unlikely at this point, from Tortora’s answer:

We’ve looked at expanding Sharks Ice by two sheets of ice over the last three or four years, but the timing wasn’t right for us to do that. But we’re still looking to add more ice, in the Bay Area.

That leaves the question wide open: where in the Bay Area? How much? As much ice as a pro hockey venue? Bay Area communities can wonder and hope, but nothing has been decided yet.

“This is an unbelievable day for hockey in California,” began Ducks GM Bob Murray. He spoke to the importance of the AHL to the Ducks, pointing out that there are only two players on their current roster who did not play in the AHL at some point.

Kevin Lowe, Oilers President of Hockey Operations & Vice Chair OEG spoke next. The Oilers will not have their team close enough to drive to, but it will reduce travel time to games and allow for more practice time.

Flames GM Brad Treliving spoke next, re-emphasizing the value of the AHL to NHL player development. He praised Glens Falls as a hockey market, but came back to the disadvantage of cross-country travel for call-ups and management. He thanked the fans and others in Glens Falls, acknowledging that these moves mean some fans will lose their hockey teams.

Kings’ President of Business Operations, Luc Robitaille spoke next, saying how impressive it was that these five teams could work together for this move. He thanked Manchester too, and said that Manchester will be getting another team. As mentioned above, that team will be the one currently playing in Ontario.

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly spoke next. “It’s a great day for hockey, it’s a great day for the NHL.” He thanked Andrews for his efforts to coordinate the move, and thanked the five NHL clubs for their willingness to negotiate and get this done.”They presented a united front, and as a result we were able to get this done.”