Tag: edmonton oilers

McLellan to Coach Oilers, Babcock Decision Soon

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By Mary Walsh

As predicted by many, the Edmonton Oilers named Todd McLellan as their new head coach. McLellan and Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli spoke in a press conference Tuesday. Of his decision to join the Oilers, McLellan said:

When it came down to it, there’s a number of tremendous opportunities that exist in the National Hockey League right now and there’s a great coaching pool out there. After meeting with Peter and asking him… well, we asked each other some pretty direct questions. I liked the answer and the direction that Peter was taking the conversation and obviously Peter liked my end of it so we took it from there.

A lot of times when you’re a coach and you’re going to join a team, the manager’s been in place for a number of years and he has and idea of the organization. We’re both in it together here brand new. And I think that’s a good thing right now. We get to leave our mark, and we get to formulate an identity without any preconceived notions of individuals or partners on the D or lines anything like that. It’s brand new, everybody gets a fresh start.

With a new general manager and new head coach, the Oilers can look forward to a change of fortune in the coming seasons. In one respect their fortunes have not changed at all, as they are expected to use the first overall draft pick this summer to choose Connor McDavid. McLellan will have a formidable offensive corps to work with, though the team has had some issues on defense.

Another team that has struggled over the past several seasons is the Buffalo Sabres. Reports have them meeting with Mike Babcock to fill their head coach position. Babcock was to talk to the Sharks this week, and the St Louis Blues have also been in play. It is still possible that he will decide to remain with Detroit. Babcock told Pierre LeBrun that he wants to make his decision by Wednesday.

The Sharks have also met with Dan Bylsma, who last served as head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Another possibility is Peter DeBoer, who was head coach of the Florida Panthers and the New Jersey Devils. Another name that came up in TSN’s list is Dave Lowry, 2013-14 WHL Coach of the Year. Of his candidacy, he said “it is all rumors.” Read more about that here.

The list of coaching possibilities for the Sharks is no doubt longer than rumors can gauge. In some cases, like Babcock and Bylsma, permission has to be given by the coach’s previous employer to speak to them. In cases where no such permission is needed, it is harder for news to leak out.

It does seem that Wilson may decide on a hire sooner than later. It would be to everyone’s benefit if the new head coach were in place before the draft.

Todd McLellan at Top of Oilers’ List

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todd-mclellan-added-for-edmonton-oilers-head-coach-nhl-2015

By Mary Walsh

There is good reason to suppose that Todd McLellan will be the next coach of the Edmonton Oilers. At the end of the season, McLellan stated that his immediate focus would be his job as coach of Team Canada at the World Championships, so it is reasonable to assume he won’t announce a decision before that job is done. He did meet with the Oilers during the tournament, and there have been no reports of in person meetings with any other team.

McLellan has had a chance to work with some of the Oilers (Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle) this month. He has also been coaching some Flyers (Claude Giroux, Sean Couturier) and other players on NHL teams that are looking for new coaches. One could imagine that announcing his choice before the end of the tournament could be a distraction for his players. That would be regrettable, as the team is having a better tournament than they have had in years. Saturday, they defeated the Czech team 2-0 for a spot in the gold medal game Sunday. It was Canada’s first shutout of the Czechs in the world championships since 1958.

Coaching Team Canada has been just the ticket for McLellan. He anticipated a positive experience, and he is having one. He told the Edmonton Sun’s Terry Jones:

When I went through my departure with the Sharks in San Jose it was emotional and it was empty. To come here, it was like getting refreshed again. With a different coaching staff, different people, a different approach, and a different country has been a really good experience.

As for what comes next, back in Aprils McLellan explained what he is looking for in his next head coaching position:

I would like to coach a great group of hockey players next year. And Connor McDavid, everybody is talking about him and his ability to come and have an impact. I’m assuming that the Oilers will pick him number one. But. one thing that I have learned: you can have the best player and still not have the best team. It’s about team, it’s about a group, it’s about the whole organization, the culture of the organization and Connor is going to be a very exciting player to watch, again I’m assuming in Edmonton, and he’ll have an impact on the league for years and years to come. But it’s often bigger, the bigger story is the group as a whole.

Edmonton may not seem like everyone’s idea of an ideal destination, but McLellan might be the coach to turn that around. The Oilers have a lot of forward talent and they have a new arena in the pipeline. Edmonton is also a little closer to California and McLellan’s family is staying in San Jose for the time being. Being a time zone or two closer to home can make a difference.

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Also in Prague this weekend, defenseman Brent Burns was named one of Team Canada’s bext three players of the tournament. Claude Giroux and Mike Smith were the other two. Ben Smith has two goals for Team USA in the tournament. Tomas Hertl has been conspicuously absent from the Czech bench, twice listed in the lineup only to not play. He was listed in the lineup for the games against Latvia on May 2nd and on May 14th against Finland, but saw no ice time in either game. In the bronze medal game Sunday, Hertl was not in the lineup.

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.”

Oilers Slip By Sharks 2-1

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AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jason Frans

By Mary Walsh

A 2-1 loss in Edmonton ended the San Jose Sharks’ winning streak at four, and the Oilers’ losing streak at eleven.

As they have done often lately, the Sharks started slow in Edmonton. A poor first period did not seem to hurt them much, as they finished tied at zero. But their sluggish start may have given the Oilers some much needed confidence. Fairly solid defense in the third allowed the Oilers to hang on to a 2-1 lead and break their eleven game losing streak. It was also the Oilers’ first win this season over a western conference team.

The game winning goal went off of Sharks’ defenseman Brenden Dillon. After the game, he said: “A shot like that, it’s going wide, I’m kind of almost just trying to get out of the way, it hits me perfectly and just goes in.”

The Sharks’ lone goal was scored by Tye McGinn, in his first game since November 29. He described the goal after the game:

I just tried to get to the net. Paddy’s a great player, he can find you pretty much anywhere you are on the ice, so I tried to go to the net as quick as I could and he made a great pass.

It was a great pass, a very pretty backhand pass from the corner. Marleau had a very good game in general. He led the team in shots, had a couple of breakaways, and created several good chances for his team.

The Oilers goals were scored by Nail Yakupov and David Perron. Devan Dubnyk made 21 saves for the win, while Al Stalock made 22 saves on 24 shots. It was Stalock’s first game after returning from a knee injury.

The Oilers outshot the Sharks 11-2 in the first period. That may have helped goaltender Al Stalock find his game in a hurry. After the game, Stalock said as much: “I felt good, got some work early, got into the game, got my legs under me and got into it. So it was good that way.”

The first period saw Tomas Hertl miss a few shifts with an arm or wrist problem after he fell over an Oiler, but he was back in play before the end of the first.

The first penalty of the game went to Mirco Mueller for delay of game. That was almost 15 minutes into the period. A close call during the power play had Al Stalock scrambling but alert. He did stop it in his skates. Another Edmonton chance found Stalock out of the net and playing the puck. The Sharks finished killing the penalty off without incident.

6:18 into the second period, James Sheppard and Keith Aulie went to the penalty box with fighting majors and minors for roughing (Sheppard) and boarding (Aulie). Neither team got a power play out of that but just over a minute later Brenden Dillon was called for holding.

Seconds into the power play, Jordan Eberle skated through the paint in front of Stalock as the goaltender came out to freeze the puck. After the game, Stalock explained how he and Eberle ended up tangled up away from the net: “He had his stick under my glove and I was trying to freeze it and he wanted the puck and he won the battle.”

That became more complicated when Justin Braun, skating backwards, fell over Stalock, leaving the net open and two Sharks out of play. The Oilers managed to capitalize on that and take the lead with a power play goal. Nail Yakupov was the beneficiary, with assists going to Eberle and Jeff Petry.

A couple of minutes after that vaudevillian moment, the Sharks came back with a goal from Tye McGinn off a very slick backhand pass from Patrick Marleau in the corner. It was McGinn’s first of the season and as a Shark. Assists went to Marleau and Brent Burns.

By the end of the second, the Sharks had nine shots for the period, to the Oilers’ seven.

Early in the third period, Logan Couture drew a high sticking penalty against Boyd Gordon. The Sharks power play did not go particularly well, despite a good start. Once the Oilers got the puck out, the Sharks could not get set up again. Edmonton responded with some aggressive offense, keeping the Sharks on their heels for several shifts. That ended with a roughing penalty to Oilers forward Steven Pinizzotto at 5:30. This Sharks power play was a little more tenacious. Even after the penalty expired, the Sharks continued to attack for several shifts.

The Oilers got themselves together by the middle of the period, and after a long spell in the Sharks’ zone, took their second lead of the game. A shot from David Perron near the faceoff dot deflected off of Brenden Dillon and in. Assists went to Teddy Purcell and Mark Fayne.

Patrick Marleau led the Sharks in shots with five. Brenden Dillon led the team in hits with four. Brent Burns led the team in ice time with 24:33.

Tayor Hall led the Oilers in shots with three. Andrew Ference led is team in hits with six, and in ice time with 26:25.

With Matt Nieto out for a second game in a row, and Tyler Kennedy injured in Saturday’s game, the Sharks had all available skaters in the game with Tye McGinn and John Scott both playing.

The Sharks play the Oilers again on Tuesday in San Jose at 7:30 PT.

Pavelski’s 3rd Hat Trick Propels Sharks to 5-2 Win

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By Mary Walsh

Joe Pavelski has found the trick to three-goal games. Tuesday in Edmonton, he scored his third hat trick, after starting the season without even one hat trick in his NHL career. His three goals boosted the San Jose Sharks to a 5-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers.

Patrick Marleau scored the first Sharks goal of the game, and Martin Havlat scored the game winner in the second period. The Sharks scored three  goals on the power play (two were Pavelski’s). Edmonton goals came from David Perron and Taylor Hall. Antti Niemi made 28 saves for the win, Ben Scrivens made 29 saves for the Oilers.

It took the Sharks a full period to find their legs in the second part of back to back games in Alberta. The Oilers, rested after an embarrassing loss to Calgary, came out fast against the Sharks. They opened the scoring when David Perron brought the puck in while his teammates drove the Sharks’ defense back. Perron skated around Tyler Kennedy and shot around Brad Stuart to score at 4:11 of the first period. Assists went to Taylor Hall and Jeff Petry.

The Sharks’ fourth line responded well to that goal, gaining the zone and earning an excellent scoring chance, but Mike Brown lost the puck on a wrap-around try. In the same shift, a shot from Sharks’ defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic caught the Oilers’ Ryan Jones in the knee and sent him limping off the ice.

The rest of the first was marked by some good luck for the Sharks that defended them against several attacks from the Oilers. The period ended with the shots 11-10 Sharks.

The second period began with the Sharks outshooting the Oilers 6-1 in the first five minutes. The first penalty of the game was called against the Oilers when Ryan Smyth went to the box for holding. It only took the Sharks 37 seconds on the power play to tie the game. Oilers goaltender Ben Scrivens stopped a shot from Patrick Marleau but Joe Pavelski was in position to pick up the rebound and put it in to an open net. The assists went to Marleau and Joe Thornton.

A few minutes later, a good chance for the Sharks’ third line drew another penalty against the Oilers. Andrew Ference went off for holding James Sheppard. It took the Sharks considerably longer to score on this second power play, but the Sharks’ top power play unit of Thornton, Marleau, Burns, Pavelski and Boyle held the zone and fired a flurry of shots without losing possession. Finally a shot from Marleau went in, with assists going to Pavelski and Burns.

The Sharks took their first penalty at 11:43 of the second period, when Brad Stuart went to the box for hooking. The Sharks killed it off but shortly thereafter, Adam Burish blocked a shot and left the ice with what looked like a serious hand injury.

The Sharks had a few close calls later in the period, but with just 39 seconds left, the third line caught a break and Martin Havlat skated into the Oilers’ zone with Tommy Wingels two on one. Despite taking a slash to his stick, Havlat put a hard shot past Scrivens to give the Sharks a two goal lead.

Through the period, the Sharks had 17 shots to the Oilers’ 7.

Matt Nieto drew a penalty from Taylor Hall to start the third period. The second power play unit did not get a chance to play, as Pavelski scored just 46 seconds in, bouncing a shot off the inside of Scrivens’ skate. Assists went to Dan Boyle and Brent Burns.

Several minutes later, Pavelski made it 5-1 for the hat trick after the Sharks kept the Oilers trapped in their zone for too long. Assists went to Joe Thornton and Brad Stuart.

The Oilers got one back with just over five minutes left in the game. Some hard work on the boards sent the puck in front of Niemi, where a diving Taylor Hall was able to scoop in into the net. A hooking call against Matt Nieto gave the Oilers a second chance on the power play with less than a minute left in the third period, but they could not change the score from 5-2.

Tommy Wingels got credit for 12 hits, leading all skaters in the game in that statistic. Brent Burns and Joe Pavelski each had four shots. David Perron lead the Oilers in shots with six.

The three stars of the game were Joe Pavelski, Patrick Marleau and Taylor Hall.

The Sharks next play in San Jose on Thursday at 7:30 pm. They will host the Winnipeg Jets.

Sharks rebound against Oilers

Published on by Ivan MakarovLeave a comment
SAN JOSE, CA - JANUARY 02: Bracken Kearns #38 of the San Jose Sharks is congratulated by teammates after he scored a goal against the Edmonton Oilers at SAP Center on January 2, 2014 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SAN JOSE, CA – JANUARY 02: Bracken Kearns #38 of the San Jose Sharks is congratulated by teammates after he scored a goal against the Edmonton Oilers at SAP Center on January 2, 2014 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

By Ivan Makarov

SAN JOSE, CA — After splitting the series against their division rival Anaheim Ducks with a win and a loss, and ending it on a bad note, having suffered 6-3 loss in their last game, San Jose Sharks looked to redeem themselves against Edmonton Oilers back in San Jose on Thursday night. Coach Todd McLellan even addressed the team after a big loss, hoping to send a message to the team after allowing six goals.

San Jose proved they are a better team than Edmonton both through how they played and on the scoreboard, rebounding after poor play in Southern California on New Years Eve. Brent Burns, Patrick Marleau, Bracken Kearns, Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski scored for the Sharks, while Nail Yakupov scored for the Oilers in what ended as the home team sailed to a comfortable 5-1 win.

The game was never close, as Sharks got up 4-0 lead before the game was even half way over. They played a good game for most of the 60 minutes, and were all smiles in the locker room after the game – both the players and the coaches.

“We were ready to go as soon as the puck dropped,” said Sharks captain Joe Thornton. “For a full 60 we kept the pressure on and dictated a pace of the game. We are a team that when we lose one, we’d like to get back to the next one. We proved that tonight.”

Todd McLellan was likewise positive after the game, saying he felt his message after the loss to the Anahaim got through to the players. “Our role players played pretty good roles tonight. You saw shots blocked. There was some physicality. They won battles. We checked well, so that was a good sign. Then the go-to offensive guys were productive as well. It was a good effort.”

Sharks did not get the quick goals like they used to in many home games this season to kick things off, as they looked a bit rusty in the very beginning. But things started to click for them as the first period progressed. Sharks had no trouble entering the zone and setting up, and the goals came with time.

Brent Burns scored his 13th goal of the season at 14:37 mark after receiving a good setup from Joe Pavelski who saw Burns wide open to his right. Shortly after that goal, Patrick Marleau made it 2-0 as he stripped the puck from Nail Yakupov, whose defensive struggles are well documented this season by the media and his league worst -25 stat this season before this game. Sharks former captain zipped right past the Oilers defense and capped the play with a hard wrist shot past Devan Dubnyk.

Oilers did not put too much fight after that, but the Sharks kept pushing forward and had most of the scoring chances, which resulted in two more goals. Bracken Kearns continued his hot streak, scoring his third goals in just four games in the second period at 7:18 mark.

A minute later another defensive misread in the neutral zone gave Logan Couture a chance to shine on a clear breakaway, and also to continue his scoring streak at three games in a row. Sharks forward picked up the speed, and left Dubnyk no chance to make a save with his signature wrister into the top corner.  That kind of a goal came timely for Logan, as Team Canada is finalizing their roster for the Winter Olympic game in Sochi, which will be announced next Tuesday, with Logan no doubt improving his chances to make the team with plays like this.

Oilers went on to score on Antti Niemi as the embattled Yakupov made it 4-1 towards the end of the second period on a wrist shot in front of Antti Niemi. Russian forward celebrated his seventh goal of the season with quite the passion, getting on his knee and fist pumping. But Sharks are one of the best home teams in the league this season, and they just kept on doing what worked for them all game long – good forecheck, physical game, fast transitions and solid defense against young but struggling Edmonton team. That turned out to be enough to score another goal later in the third period, and seal 5-1 victory.

Sharks will play the next three games on the road in Denver, Nashville and Chicago before returning to face the Red Wings at home.