Tag: Jeremy Swayman

NHL podcast with Len Shapiro: Bruins Swayman looking for long term contract; Sens Ullmark will be a UFA after this season; plus more news

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Boston Bruins are hoping to have restricted free agent goaltender Jeremy Swayman in the line up by opening night. Both sides are still negotiating financial terms of Swayman’s contract. Swayman is seeking an eight year deal. (AP News photo)

On NHL podcast with Len Shapiro:

#1 The Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman is a restricted free agent. Swayman is seeking a eight year contract. The Bruins are seeking a long term deal with Swayman as well. The only hang up is agreeing on the value price of the contract. The Bruins are hoping to get Swayman signed before opening night.

#2 The Ottawa Senators Linus Ullmark is about to become a unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. Ullmark has had a great pre season and had his best game against the Buffalo Sabres last Thursday night stopping 28 out 29 shots.

#3 The Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty is going through more testing after sustaining a lower body injury in pre season action against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday. Doughty hurt his leg when he was slammed against the boards by the Knights forward Tanner Pearson in the first period.

#4 Matvei Michkov the Philadelphia Flyers top prospect performed as expected getting an assist and scoring an empty net goals against the New York Islanders. Michkov 19, had his best game of the three pre season game on Thursday. So far Michkov has two goals and three assists.

#5 The Edmonton Oilers goalies going into camp last season that of Jack Campbell and Stuart Skinner battled for the starting job that was up for grabs. Campbell started opening night. Both Campbell and Stuart struggled that first month but later Stuart got on track and later became on of the NHL’s top five starting goaltenders. This season Stuart is the clear starting goaltender and that’s partly awarded after Stuart and Oilers had a successful post season.

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

NHL podcast with Len Shapiro: Gauthier leaves Flyers, coach called him a cancer, fans sent him death threats; Blackhawks Bedard out 6-8 wks; plus more news

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Former Philadelphia Flyer Cutter Gauthier received death threats from Flyer fans and head coach John Tortorella said he was a cancer was dealt to the Anaheim Ducks for Jamie Drysdale and a second round draft pick on Wed Jan 10, 2024 (Getty image)

On the NHL podcast with Len Shapiro:

#1 Two questions Len how surprised were you that Cutter Gauthier (goat-chee-a) wanted out of Philadelphia. Gauthier was reportedly was not happy in pre season camp. Gauthier is going to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a second round pick. A source said that head coach John Tortorella and other team leaders felt he was a cancer in the dressing room. Cutter was soured on the team and there is not much surprise that he and Tortorella were not happy with each other. Tortolrella can have a salty personality and Gauthier was not happy with his style of coaching. Gauthier had also received death threats from fans according to one story.

#2 The Chicago Blackhawks took a big hit when they learned that their No.1 pick Connor Bedard will be out for six to eight weeks with a fractured jaw. Bedard was injured when he took a hit by New Jersey Devils defenseman Brandan Smith on Jan 5th Bedard skated into the offensive zone and was holding his mouth. Bedard was leading the Hawks and all NHL rookies with 33 points.

#3 The Boston Bruins lost their goaltender Linus Ullmark when he suffered a lower body injury at 2:40 of overtime in a 4-3 loss to the Arizona Coyotes at Mullet Arena in Tempe last Tuesday. Ullmark stretched out on a shot by the Coyotes forward Logan Cooley which went over the crossbar. It would appear that Ullmark suffered a pull. He had saved 32 shots before the injury. His back up Jeremy Swayman allowed a goal on the first shot he faced.

#4 The Flyers Jamie Drysdale didn’t waste anytime getting to work after joining the Flyers from Anaheim in the Gauthier exchange. Drysdale had an assist in setting up the tying goal and the Flyers went onto defeat the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 in a shootout. On the other hand the Habs goaltender Cayden Primeau stopped 37 shots.

#5 The Dallas Stars Nils Lundkvist scored a goal and an assist. The contest wasn’t even close on Wednesday night at the Stars took no prisoners in their 7-2 blasting of the Minnesota Wild. It was the Wild’s Jesper Wallstedt’s NHL debut at the American Airline Center in Dallas. Wallstedt faced 34 shots and allowed seven goals.

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

Sharks Shut Out 3-0 by Bruins; Brief SJ two game win streak comes to an end

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The Boston Bruins center Pavel Zacha gets a top shelf third period goal past San Jose Sharks goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood (29) and defenseman Kyle Burroughs (4) at TD Garden in Boston on Thu Nov 30, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks fell 3-0 to the Bruins at TD Garden Thursday. Danton Heinen, Jake DeBrusk and Pavel Zacha scored for Boston. Jeremy Swayman made 28 saves for the shutout win. MacKenzie Blackwood made 32 saves in the loss. It was the fourth time the Sharks have been shutout this season, and all of those have been on the road.

Sharks Head Coach David Quinn summarized the game as follows:

“I thought we had a good first period, played a pretty good tempo, I thought our puck play was good, you know, played smart hockey, played with the right intentions. And I thought it really got loose in the second period. I thought our turnovers really hurt us and really ignited their game. I though they brought it to another level once that period got going and we weren’t able to control it really.”

Probably the most disappointing moment in the game was when the Sharks failed to score with a two man advantage. That power play ended the second period and started the third. After the game, Tomas Hertl talked about that power play:

“We just, like, nobody wants to take the shot, everybody tried passing and we have zero shots, five entries and that’s a tough situation. We have to be quick, put something on the net you know because we have two extra guys so we should get a rebound and stuff, but we couldn’t even get a shot.”

The Sharks went into the second period in a decent position. Each team had a power play in the first, neither scored. The shots were relatively even at 10-9 Boston. The second period would not be so balanced.

Danton Heinen broke the 0-0 tie just 1:39 into the second period. Matthew Poitras took advantage of an offensive zone turnover by the Sharks, who looked tired after being trapped in their own zone for too long. Poitras found Heinen in the faceoff circle for a quick shot that sent the puck between Blackwood and the post.

Jake DeBrusk made it 2-0 at 8:10 of the period. While Pavel Zacha carried the puck over the blue line, DeBrusk entered the zone across the ice and around the Sharks defense. Zacha passed the puck to him and he was able to carry it to the net for a backhand shot. Zacha and David Pastrnak got the assists.

The Sharks finished the second period with a shot deficit of 18-6 as well as the goals surrendered. They did get a two-man advantage at the end of the period after a series of skirmishes. The power play carried over to start the third but did not change the score.

Instead, the Sharks took a penalty early in the third and gave up a power play goal from Zacha. Pastrnak carried the puck in and found Zacha skating right up the slot for a close-in shot. Assists went to Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy.

The Sharks did make a push, out-shooting Boston slightly, 11-8 in the third. But the score did not change. The final shot count was 37-26 Bruins. In the faceoff circle, the Sharks won 47.3% of the draws.

After the game, Tomas Hertl explained that his absence from the previous game was due to a kidney stone. He said that he had surgery for that last Monday.

The Sharks next play on Friday in Newark, New Jersey against the Devils at 4:00 PM PT.

Sharks Fall 3-1 to Bruins

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Boston Bruins left wing Taylor Hall (71) goes after the puck and San Jose Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro (38) slides into the dash boards at SAP Center in San Jose on Sat Feb 26, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Mary Walsh

SAN JOSE- The San Jose Sharks fell 3-1 to the visiting Boston Bruins Saturday night. The Bruins got two goals from Brad Marchand and one from Patrice Bergeron. Jeremy Swayman made 15 saves for the win. Timo Meier scored for San Jose and James Reimer made 34 saves in the loss.

The Sharks have not beaten the Bruins since 2016, and this year’s Boston team is clearly a contender. So the loss was not surprising. But it did highlight some ongoing issues for the Sharks. The Sharks had just 16 shots on goal in the game, a low for the season. Their power play, however, continues to produce at a good clip, with nine goals in their last nine games. But their inability to score first is looming large. They have given up the first goal in eight games in a row.

Defenseman Mario Ferraro had to be helped off the ice midway through the second period. The Sharks have used eleven defensemen this season. Nicolas Meloche is also out with injury now, and Erik Karlsson is still recovering from surgery.

Also in the troublesome injury category is the fact that James Reimer played his tenth game in a row Saturday, and may play his eleventh tomorrow. It would not be unreasonable to expect to see Zach Sawchenko in net Sunday, if Adin Hill is still not recovered from his injury. If ever there were a good reason to put an untested goalie in net, ten starts in a row would be it.

Brad Marchand gave the Bruins a lead at 14:24 of the first period. Jake Debrusk carried the puck in with Marchand two-on-one. Debrusk made the pass and Marchand put it past Mario Ferraro and Reimer for his 22nd of the season. Assists went to Debrusk and Erik Haula.

The Sharks tied it up at 12:50 of the second with a power play goal from Timo Meier. Brent Burns, midway up the slot, faked a shot before making a mass to Meier in the face-off circle. Meier’s one-timer beat Swayman on the glove side. Assists went to Burns and Logan Couture.

Early in the third period, Brad Marchand scored his second of the night to make it 2-1 Bruins. Taylor Hall made a backwards pass from the goal line to the left of the net across to the circle on the right side of the net. That is where the pass found Marchand for the game-winning shot. Assists went to Hall and Craig Smith.

Patrice Bergeron added another for the Bruins with just 40 seconds left in the game. David Pastrnak skated in as if to shoot, but then centered the puck for Bergeron. Bergeron put it past Couture and Reimer both for his 14th of the season. Assists went to Pastrnak and Marchand.

The Sharks next play on Sunday at 7:00 PM PT, in San Jose against the Seattle Kraken.