Tag: Peter DeBoer

All Grown Up from 2014: Sharks far more business-like, focused in Game 4–up 3-0–this time

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By Morris Phillips

SAN JOSE–On the April 2014 night that the Sharks were supposed to send their old nemesis from La La land packing, a substantial project that was accomplished in 2011, but didn’t get finished in 2013–when the Kings escaped in Game 7 of the conference-semis–they were all over the place, hardly focused enough for the task at hand.

Most obviously, Antti Niemi’s goaltending wasn’t where it needed to be. Even as the Sharks raced to three wins in the first three games of the series, Coach Todd McLellan’s chirping about the goaltending could be heard loud and clear. But he wasn’t all that happy with his team’s penalty killing and physicality either.

Team leaders Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau butted heads with their coach frequently in then his sixth year of seven coaching the team, and they weren’t helping their individual causes by tearing up the Kings. While Thornton and Marleau weren’t no shows, both were on the ice too frequently for too many of the opponent’s goals in that series.

Dan Boyle was well on his way to a contentious, undignified end to his San Jose career. Younger stars Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture were in the midst of breakout years. Who’s team was it that season? With the new wave ascending, and the old guard aging, it was often hard to tell.

In Game 4 at Staples Center, the Sharks committed four of their whopping 10 penalties in the first period. But they survived, tied 1-1. But in the second, a couple more trips to the penalty box ignited the Kings who scored three goals, and then a fourth just 34 seconds into the final period. Down 5-2, McLellan pulled Niemi, and both teams tried to send messages with a couple of well-intentioned fights. The Sharks were still in control, up 3-1, but the Kings were well on their way to getting back into the series.

We all know what transpired next.  The Sharks shriveled, got shut out in Game 5, then scored just one goal each in Games 6 and 7. Jonathan Quick took over the series, and the Kings became just the fourth team in league history to brush aside a 3-0 deficit.

“When I look at it, I look at it as they fixed their problems, we didn’t,” McLellan admitted. “Our problems got progressively worse as we went along,”

Only six Sharks remain from Game 4 of that series four years ago. A seventh, Thornton, is injured, didn’t face the Ducks, and isn’t expected back for the start of the series to come with the Vegas Golden Knights. Couture, Pavelski, Thomas Hertl, Justin Braun, Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Brent Burns all have that 2014 series in their memory banks, and that seemed to fuel them on Wednesday. Pavelski took the lead, and put the mindset into words.

“The biggest lesson you can learn in the playoffs: the commitment level and what you have to sacrifice. Whether you win or lose, it has to be there on a nightly basis to give yourself the best chance,” Pavelski said.

“We asked them to come into this series and play with composure,” Coach Peter DeBoer said. “We knew what we were going to get, they were going to try to push us out of the series physically. We stood in there and did it without taking penalties and with discipline.”

In winning 2-1 to wrap up the series, and earn at least a week of recuperation and time to prepare for the Knights, the Sharks showed how they’re in a much better place.

Martin Jones, ironically the backup goaltender for the Kings four years ago, is standing on his ear.  Not only did he rack up the saves versus Anaheim, he came up with the biggest when the momentum could have shifted. On Wednesday, he came up big at the end of the second period, and then again, early in the third.  Jones had 30 saves in all.

The Ducks managed just four goals in the series, further illustrating Jones’ dominance.

Hertl came up with the game-winning goal–on an assist from Vlasic–less than 90 seconds after the Ducks broke through to tie it.  The goal helped illustrate how the Sharks are getting contributions from four lines, which DeBoer highlighted after the game.

Evander Kane is playing his part as the high-profile, late season acquisition. Pavelski and Couture are the leaders on and off the ice, and DeBoer isn’t a wearing voice.

In fact, he’s an occasionally funny voice.

“I know we’re going to be heavy, heavy underdogs (against the Pacific Division champion Knights). So hopefully, you guys will write that , and we’ll go from there,” he said.

 

Sharks Get Shutout by Capitals 2-0

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Photo credit: @SanJoseSharks

By Mary Walsh

SAN JOSE — The San Jose Sharks lost 2-0 to the visiting Washington Capitals at SAP Center Saturday afternoon. Nick Backstrom and Lars Eller scored for Washington, while goaltender Matt Grubauer made 24 saves.

For the Sharks, Martin Jones also stopped 24 shots. Marc-Edouard Vlasic led the Sharks in shots with five, and Brenden Dillon led in hits with five. It was just the second time this season that the Sharks were shutout at home.

After the game, Capitals head coach Barry Trotz talked about Grubauer and keys to the win:

Grubi was really solid. He didn’t have a lot of work the first two periods and then third period he had some work. But they make you nervous, the Sharks. They’ve always had great DNA around the net. They throw pucks and it feels like you’re under a lot more heat sometimes than you really are. But that’s part of their culture. And I thought we handled it pretty well, they didn’t have a lot of great looks and they didn’t have any seconds.

The first period went by without a goal. The Capitals started faster than the Sharks, but they took a penalty. The Sharks came out of the first with a 12-6 lead in shots, with shots from seven different players. Ominously, the Capitals won almost 70% of the faceoffs.  By the end of the game, the Caps had won 62% of the faceoffs.

After the game, Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer was asked about that statistic. He said: “I think the faceoff circle probably mirrored our game. They were hungrier than us and they won that area of the game, and you know they won a lot of other important areas of the game that we needed to be better in.”

In the second period, the Sharks were on their heels. The Capitals came out faster again. In the first four minutes, Washington outshot the Sharks 7-1. But the halfway mark, the Capitals were up 11-2. At 11:36, Tom Wilson went to the penalty box for the second time after clipping Evander Kane. It did not appear to cause injury to Kane, nor did it injure Washington. The Sharks did not get a shot on goal during the power play.

The Sharks’ woes persisted through the second period. With 1:28 left in the second, Backstrom scored from just above the faceoff dot, sending the puck over Jones’ left shoulder. Assists went to Brett Connolly and John Carlson.

Many thought that the play leading to the goal appeared to be offside. When asked about it after the game, DeBoer said this was not the case.

In all, the Sharks only got three shots on goal during that second period, while the Capitals had 12.

The late second period goal from Washington seemed to wake the Sharks up. They started the third period with renewed urgency. By the ten minute mark, they had a 7-3 shot advantage. That advantage started to slip as the period wound down and the Sharks could not get anything by Grubauer.

With a little more than two minutes to go, the Sharks pulled their goaltender for the man advantage. Soon after, Lars Eller scored into the empty net. Assists went to Dmitry Orlov and Matt Niskanen.

Up Next: The Sharks next play on Monday at home, against the Detroit Red Wings at 7:30 pm PT.

Sharks Lose Hertl and Then Lose 2-1 to Coyotes

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Photo credit: nhl.com/sharks

By Jerry Feitelberg

The San Jose Sharks’ depth took another major hit Tuesday night, forcing head coach Peter DeBoer to get a little creative with his lines. With Tomas Hertl exiting the game with an undisclosed injury, DeBoer moved reigning Norris Trophy Winner for best defenseman Brent Burns to the top line’s wings for alternating shifts. Burns’ move upfront wouldn’t be enough to spark the Sharks though, as Team Teal fell to the visiting Arizona Coyotes 2-1 at the SAP Center.

The Sharks outshot the Desert Dogs 41-26, but goals from defensemen Kevin Connauton and Alex Goligoski proved to be the difference makers. Former Coyote Mikkel Boedker scored for the Sharks, but Scott Wedgewood and Antti Raanta combined to snap the Sharks win-streak at two games. The Sharks powerplay went 0-4 in the loss, failing to gain ground with the teams directly behind them in the standings, Los Angeles and Calgary losing to Eastern Conference teams.

Connauton opened the scoring 7:58 into the game, crashing the net on a Nick Cousins point shot, tipping home the loose puck while another Coyote crashed into the far post behind Sharks goalie Martin Jones. The net was knocked off its moorings, but the collision had no effect on the result of the play, so a brief discussion between the officials confirmed a good goal.

Boedker responded just 1:20 later, channeling team captain Joe Pavelski by tipping a Justin Braun point blast past starting goalie Wedgewood to tie the game. Marc-Edouard Vlasic joined d-partner Vlasic in picking up the assist on Boedker’s strike.

Goligoski, appearing in his 700th game, picked up the game-winner for the Western Conference cellar dwellers. Goligoski took advantage of a powerplay opportunity, blasting a point shot 9:35 into the second period for a 2-1 lead.

First star Wedgewood took a puck off the helmet in the second, but was near perfect through two periods. He made 28 of 29 saves, but exited the game early in the third period after his defenseman pushed a Sharks player on top of him. The collision caused Wedgewood to hit the crossbar with his head, leading to his exit from the game.

The Sharks tested Raanta immediately, sneaking the puck behind him on their first shot. Goligoski was there to pull it off the line before the Sharks could tie the game. Raanta made 12 saves to finish out the win.

The Sharks get to face another struggling western conference team in game two of a three-game homestand. The Vancouver Canucks come to town Thursday before the Dallas Stars stop by for a Sunday start. Coach DeBoer hasn’t ruled out if Burns would make an appearance at forward if Hertl is unavailable.

Sharks Lose to Golden Knights 5-4 in OT

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Vegas Golden Knights center Jonathan Marchessault (81) celebrates after scoring the game-winning goal against the San Jose Sharks during overtime of an NHL hockey game Friday, Nov. 24, 2017, in Las Vegas. Vegas won 5-4. (AP Photo/John Locher)

by M. Walsh

The San Jose Sharks lost 5-4 in overtime to the Las Vegas Golden Knights Friday. After trailing 3-1, the Sharks came back to tie the game, with goals from Mikkel Boedker, Chris Tierney, Tomas Hertl and Brent Burns. The five Las Vegas goals came from Shea Theodore, James Neal, two from William Karlsson, and the overtime winner from Jonathan Marchessault. With the win, the Knights added to their already astonishing first season record of 14-6-1.

Neither team was at their best defensively, which made for a wide-open game. Both teams changed goalies at some point in the game. After the game, Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer said:

It was a track meet, it was pond hockey out there. The offense came, I think, because it was loose. We don’t want to play that type of game. We had to, we were forced to because of how we started and found a way to get a point out of it. That’s about all the good that came out of it.

Of coming back from a 3-1 deficit, Sharks forward Logan Couture said: “Yes, I guess pretty good but not good enough. We put ourselves in that hole. I thought they were better than us. We had some jump for a small period of time and that was it.”

The Knights jumped out to a fast start, scoring twice in the first period. Shea Theodore’s goal came just 2:33 in, with assists to Cody Eakin and Brendan Leipsic. The second goal came in the middle of the period, on a power play. James Neal’s goal came after a lot of movement from the power play, with several cross ice passes that drew Sharks goalie Martin Jones across the goal mouth more than once. When the shot came, it was over Jones’ shoulder just under the bar. Assists went to Erik Haula and Jonathan Marchessault.

Tomas Hertl scored late in the first off an impressive feed from Joonas Donskoi. Donskoi first jumped to catch the puck out of the air, then had to recover after being knocked down by Knights goalie Maxime Lagace. His quick reverse pass still connected with Hertl in front of the net. Assists went to Donskoi and Marc-Edouard Vlasic.

William Karlsson scored twice in the second period, the first only ten seconds in. Still on a carry over the power play from the first period, the Knights pushed the play into the Sharks’ zone in a somewhat chaotic scramble. A bouncing puck found its way to Alex Tuch below the face-off dot. His shot bounced some more as it crossed the goal mouth to Karlsson, who knocked it in. A second assist went to Reilly Smith.

The Sharks replaced goalie Martin Jones with Aaron Dell at that point, only to see Karlsson score again at 6:55, when he tipped a Marchessault shot from the blue line.

Of the goaltending change, DeBoer said: “It’s too bad we didn’t start on time. That’s the disappointing part. It didn’t help Jonesy at all and I got him out of there just because I didn’t want him to have to play a whole night in front of that.”

Just a little over a minute later, Brent Burns scored his first of the year with one of his trademark blasts from the blue line. The lone assist went to Joe Thornton.

Chris Tierney scored his fifth of the season not long after the Sharks’ first power play of the game. The Knights had just iced the puck and the Sharks gained control after the faceoff. Joel Ward won a puck battle in the corner, allowing Tierney to send the puck up to the blue line. Justin Braun took a wide shot and Tierney got to the net in time to redirect it in. Assists went to Braun and Ward.

The tying goal came with less than a minute left. Joe Pavelski’s shot got caught in traffic but bounced out to the slot where Mikkel Boedker caught it and shot it in before Lagace could get set to stop it.

The Golden Knights changed goaltenders in the third period, replacing Lagace with Malcolm Subban. There were no goals scored in the third, but late in the period, Logan Couture had a goal called back. The explanation given was that Joonas Donskoi touched skates with goaltender Malcolm Subban in the crease.

Marchessault scored the overtime winner 1:22 into overtime. Brent Burns had just broken a stick and gone to replace it. The remaining players held off the goal for several seconds before Marchessault’s shot went into defensive traffic and off of Joe Thornton’s skate into the goal.

The Sharks next play on Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets, in San Jose at 7 pm PT.

Sharks See Pair of Goals Overturned, Fall to Panthers 2-0

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Photo credit: San Jose Sharks

By Matthew Harrington

SAN JOSE, Calif. – In the battle of mentor vs. student, score one for the student. In the first head-to-head meeting between teams, former assistant coach Bob Boughner and his Florida Panthers scored a 2-0 victory over Peter DeBoer and the San Jose Sharks. Colton Sceviour and Nick Bjugstad scored for the Panthers while DeBoer protégé Boughner challenged not one, but two Sharks goals, proving victorious on both to help give netminder Roberto Luongo the 35-save shutout for career win number 457.

With neither team looking in sync with a number of passes not connecting throughout the game, it was clear if any team was going to score, it wasn’t going to be a highlight reel strike. Colton Sceviour lit the lamp one minute into the second period, using a gritty effort to jam home a wraparound and beat Martin Jones for his fourth goal of the season. Sceviour had circled the cage after taking a Connor Brickley feed, while Vincent Trotcheck added the secondary assist on the game-winner.

Tim Heed appeared to have the answering tally 4:37 into the middle period, plucking a puck off the blue line for a blistering slap shot that beat Luongo to the glove side. Boughner challenged that the puck came out of the offensive zone, risking taking a penalty if the call on the ice was not overturned. The replay officials determined the puck did come out of the zone, wiping out the tying goal for what would have been the Swede’s third marker of the year.

Another defenseman posited the theoretical tie-breaker 5:16 into the 3rd when Marc-Edouard Vlasic jammed a puck off Luongo’s left pad into the net in a goal mouth scramble. Boughner again challenged the play after his goalie jumped up incensed and making a shoveling motion with his stick. The officials agreed with Bobby Lou, saying that his pad was pushed over the goal line illegally. The goal was washed out.

The turnovers finally caught up to the Sharks with 7:37 left in the third after Tim Heed turned the puck over in the offensive end to Radim Vrbata, Vrbata passed the puck to ex-Shark Jamie McGinn who whirled a backhander cross-crease to Nick Bjugstad. Bjugstad had no trouble beating Jones for his fourth goal of the year and a 2-0 Cats lead.

DeBoer tried to create some offense as the game wore on, moving Joonas Donskoi down to the second line and auditioning Timo Meier and Melker Karlsson as the other wing on the top line with Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski. Karlsson ultimately stuck, with Kevin Labanc finding himself on the fourth line but the Sharks couldn’t crack the stingy Panthers defense. Neither could the two Sharks power plays where they generated six shots on goal.

The Sharks have the opportunity to bounce back when they welcome the depleted Boston Bruins to the SAP Center Saturday night. The Bruins may be without Brad Marchand, David Krejci, Torey Krug, Anders Bjork, Adam McQuaid and David Backes, who all are nursing injuries.

Sharks’ slow start leads to first loss at home this season, 3-2 to Calgary

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tkachuk-scores

By Morris Phillips

Peter DeBoer wasn’t fooled.  The scoreless period-and-a-half of hockey at the SAP Center on Thursday night between the Flames and the Sharks wasn’t a mid-point draw.  To DeBoer, the scoreless tie meant one thing from his perspective, his Sharks were behind, symbolized by the lack of physicality he’s always pointed to as an integral component to winning NHL games.

“We lost because of a lack of a 60-minute commitment from everybody,” DeBoer said, no doubt pointing to the stat sheet that showed his Sharks registered just one hit in the first 20 minutes of play against Calgary.  “The desperation level of the teams we’re playing is really high, and we need to understand that.”

Two goals—93 seconds apart—late in the second period gave the Flames the implicit lead on the scoreboard as well, and they would go on to hand San Jose its first home loss of the season, 3-2.

Calgary rookie Matthew Tkachuk scored twice for the first time in his career, coming up with the game-winner on a nifty pass from Michael Frolik with less than five minutes remaining.  Frolik dropped a perfectly timed cross in front of the net, and Tkachuk did the rest, patiently maneuvering around goalie Martin Jones before lightly touching the puck into the net.

The Sharks answered Calgary’s second period goals with two of their own in the first half of the third period, only to see Tkachuk win it with his second goal.  Still the Sharks’ coach and his players pointed to the team’s slow start that failed to take advantage of Calgary’s leaky defense, which had surrendered 40 goals in 11 games to rank last in the Western Conference.

“Right now we’re a goal short, a shot short, and that’s on everybody,” Joe Pavelski said.  “The work ethic can go up.”

Pavelski, along with Joe Thornton, assisted on the Shark’s initial goal, a one-timer from the point off the stick of Brent Burns just 35 seconds into the third period.  Last than nine minutes later, the Sharks tied when Melker Karlsson willed the puck past Chad Johnson while operating in the Calgary goalie’s kitchen.

On a night where San Jose’s bigger names failed to make an impact, Karlsson may have been the Sharks’ best player, willing to mix it up inside despite seeing just over 12 minutes of ice time.

The Sharks committed a pair of third period penalties after scoring their initial goal, but the Flames failed to regain their two-goal lead before Karlsson tied it.  Chippy play in front of the net preceded Tkachuk’s game-winner, but the teams were skating at equal strength when the 18-year old rookie untied it.

Tkachuk is the son of Keith Tkachuk, best known for his stints with the Coyotes and Blues in a 19-year NHL career in which he played 1,201 games and scored 538 goals.  The 18-year old Tkachuk found out earlier in the day that he wouldn’t be demoted to the minors ostensibly to delay his free agency by one year.

“He’s getting better each night out,” Flames GM Brad Treliving said during the pre-game skate.  “And there’s always going to be bumps along the way with a young player.  But he belongs here.”

The Sharks resume their home stand on Saturday night meeting the defending Stanley Cup Champion Penguins who captured the trophy in June, winning game 6 in San Jose.

Sharks Hang On To Beat Predators 3-2, Take 2-0 Series Lead

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By Mary Walsh

USA Today photo: San Jose Sharks Martin Jones stops a shot by the Nashville Predators in game two at SAP Center on Sunday

SAN JOSE–The San Jose Sharks took a 2-0 series lead with a 3-2 victory against the Nashville Predators. Four of the goals were scored in the second half of the third, three of those in the final three minutes. It was not the Sharks’ best game, defensively or offensively, but it got the job done. After the game, Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer said as much:

We won and in the playoffs you’ve got to win all kinds of different ways. I really liked our first period. I thought their desperation level was just a little bit higher than ours in the second and third. I think that’s what you saw, and rightfully so. You got a team that is facing going down two game and no one wants to lose the first two game of a series. We knew their desperation level was going to be high and we found a way to weather it and Jonesy was fantastic and the important this is we won.

The win was significant also for being a home game. Not only have the Sharks been better on the road, but the Nashville Predators have too, at least in the first round of these playoffs. The Sharks were out shot and out hit on Sunday but they won where it mattered. Goals were scored by Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture, and a game winner from Joe Thornton. Martin Jones made 37 saves for the win. Mattias Eckholm and Ryan Johansen scored for Nashville, and Pekka Rinne made 22 saves.

Craig Smith was back in the Nashville lineup after missing Game 1. The first period did not look anything like the first period of the first game. This time, both teams started fast and earned chances early. They were slim chances, with no one having much room to choose a shot or get in position to make a play.

The Sharks were the beneficiary of that speedy play, in the form of an early power play. Roman Josi was called for cross-checking Chris Tierney at 6:24. The Sharks’ power play started out very well, with the Predators giving San Jose plenty of room to get set up. A rather cavalier behind-the-back pass from Joe Thornton to Logan Couture exemplified how composed the Sharks were with the man advantage. Yet that excess of time and space did not benefit the Sharks in the most practical sense: they did not score.

At even strength, the fourth line was very effective, making the Nashvile defense burn a lot of defensive fuel and block shots.

The Sharks went on the penalty kill at 13:38 when Joel Ward was called for tripping. Karlsson got the first clear, Couture the second, Dillon a third. The Predators got three shots through to Jones but he stopped them.

As the first ended, the Predators led the Sharks in shots by 10-7. That count did not include the ten shots that Nashville blocked. The Sharks had blocked five.

The Sharks started the second mostly trapped in their own zone. When they finally escaped, they came out with their best chance to that point. Couture and Donskoi went fast down the left wing and Couture managed to get a shot off. Rinne kicked out a rebound but Donskoi could not elevate it enough to beat Rinne’s right pad.

As the second period wore on, the Predators dominated on the shot clock and continued to block shots. By the 13 minute mark, Nashville had 11 shots to the Sharks’ 4.

At 15:16, the Sharks were penalized for too many men on the ice. The penalty kill started out fairly chaotic, with a snarl of bodies just in front of the blue paint. Finally they got untangled, with broken sticks sliding around and no one really able to control the puck. From that helter-skelter start, the Sharks pulled off another kill that ended with a short handed chance. Matt Nieto and Marc-Edouard Vlasic made a nice play but Rinne stopped them.

The Predators took their own too many men penalty shortly thereafter. Trying to avoid the call, Roman Josi tried to get off the ice by climbing over the wall in front of the Sharks bench. That did not pass muster. After the game, DeBoer was asked about the incident: “I’ve never seen that before. 25-30 years of hockey, and I’ve never seen that situation before. I don’t know, it’s a good question. I’m assuming it’s a rule, that they’re not allowed to change into our bench.”

32 seconds into that power play, a Brent Burns shot produced a rebound for Logan Couture to put away. Couture had been lurking around behind the net, making an inconspicious pass or two, then moving in front of the net just as the puck made its way to Burns. Burns did not have to wait long after receiving the puck from Thornton before taking his shot. Pavelski deflected the shot which created a rebound for Couture, who had an open net. It was Couture’s fourth goal of the playoffs. Assists went to Pavelski and Burns.

At the end of the second period, the Sharks led 1-0, despite their shot deficit of 16-25 for the game. The Sharks had blocked ten shots in the second, while the Predators had blocked twelve.

The Sharks found themselves short handed again 6:34 into the third. Brenden Dillon was called for roughing. He Just 23 seconds into the kill, Marc-Edouard Vlasic was hit in the head by a Shea Weber shot. He stayed down for a spell before returning to the bench. He did not go to the room.

At 12:56 of the third, Nashville tied it up. Mattias Eckholm took a shot from the blue line, just as three skaters converged in front of Martin Jones. The shot went just wide of Jones’ glove.

The Sharks got it back at 17:23. Thornton skated into the slot and passed the puck to Matt Nieto on the wing. Nieto waited until the last moment to take a shot. Rinne stopped the shot but it bounced off of a Nashville skater and landed in front of Joe Pavelski. He put it where it belonged. It was an unlocky bounce for Nashville, especially coming so late in the game. Assists went to Nieto and Thornton.

The Predators responded by pulling Rinne with more than two minutes to go. They sustained pressure for about a minute before a puck went over the glass and Nashville used their time out. When play resumed with a defensive zone draw for the Sharks, Pavelski controlled the puck and passed it out of the zone. Joe Thornton was on his way through the neutral zone when Pavelski’s pass found him. Thornton took his time and put the puck in the empty net.

Nashville responded with a furious attack on the Sharks’ net. With just 1.6 seconds to go, Ryan Johansen scored, making Thornton’s empty net goal the game winner.

The series now moves to Nashville for Game Three on Tuesday at 6:00 PT.

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In case you missed the black cat tale from Game 1, you can read the updated version with video at NHL.com here: Sharks working to find home for ‘Joe Paw-velski’

Jets Blow Past Sharks 4-1

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By Mary Walsh

AP photo & Winnipeg Free Press Winnipeg Jets Drew Stafford gets congratulated after finding the back of the net against the Sharks on Saturday night

SAN JOSE– On home ice Saturday, the San Jose Sharks fell by a score of 4-1 to the Winnipeg Jets. It was yet another disturbingly lackluster performance from the Sharks, seen almost exclusively at home this season despite a remarkably good road record. Of the overall performance Saturday, head coach Pete DeBoer did not mince words:

That was an egg, it was just… I don’t have an explanation. Top to bottom, really poor effort, poor execution, sloppy, soft, not enough adjectives to describe it. You have to give Winnipeg credit, they were desperate, they won all the races, they won all the battles, they won the goaltending battle, not much more then that, it pretty much sums it up.

The Sharks seemed to have the game well in hand for the first ten minutes. Outshooting Winnipeg and controlling most of the play, it was probable that they would have the first power play. They did.

At 12:05 of the first, Ben Chiarot went to the box for delay of game. The first minute of the power play went fine, but then the Sharks started having some trouble getting through the neutral zone. The Sharks’ game of keep away was interrupted by an interception of Joel’s Ward’s backhand pass. The interloping Blake Wheeler skated in with Drew Stafford for a two on none against Martin Jones. The short-handed goal went to Stafford. It was just the second short-handed goal scored against San Jose this season.

The Sharks did not score on that power play, and they were on their heels for most of the rest of the period.

As the second period began, the shots stood at 8-7 Sharks, the score 1-0 Jets. The first hits came in the Sharks’ zone, as the Jets made the first move. During a four player puck battle along the boards, someone caught Joe Thornton near the right eye, but nothing was called.

At 2:45, Joel Armia skated into the Sharks’ zone, went around Marc-Edouard Vlasic, and put the puck on net. Matt Halischuk was standing by at the crease. With Justin Braun on hand but unable to stop him, Halischuk scored his first of the season from very close range.

Penalties started to stack up then, with Toby Enstrom going to the box for interference at 2:58, and Joe Pavelski going for an illegal heck to Bryan Little’s head just 18 seconds later. The four on four time created by those penalties favored the Jets, and they passed the Sharks up on the shot clock.

Bryan Little did go to the room for further evaluation but returned to the game before the period was half over.

At 8:29, Dustin Byfuglien was called for slashing. Under a minute after that, Brent Burns got the Sharks on the board with a hard shot from just above the faceoff circle. Assists went to Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. The assist extended Thornton’s point streak to eight games.

On the next shift, the Sharks finally managed to stop the Jets in the neutral zone, and then Tommy Wingels tried to take the puck back the other way. Instead, he was tripped by Toby Enstrom and the Sharks went on another power play.

The power play started with a rush by the Jets into the Sharks’ zone. The Sharks stopped them from scoring another short-handed, but when they did get set up in the o-zone, San Jose’s plan seemed too complex to work. They made too many passes, too creatively executed, while time ticked off the clock. With 47 seconds left in the power play, they were taking a draw in the defensive zone.

With 5:31 left in the second, Justin Braun went to the penalty box for delay of game after sending the puck over the glass. It took the Jets 26 seconds to score on their power play. The goal was Mathieu Perrault, with assists going to Dustin Byfuglien and Blake Wheeler.

Joe Pavelski went to the box again witbh 4:02 left in the period, this time for too many men on the ice. The Sharks did kill that penalty, and showed a touch of vim in the final minutes of the period. Tommy Wingels even got tangled up with Dustin Byfuglien after the buzzer. Fortunately for the Sharks, nothing came of that as the officials intervened.

Al Stalock was in the Sharks’ net to start the third period. He had only been there for a minute and 13 seconds when he skated to the bench for a delayed penalty all. Blake Wheeler went to the box for tripping Tomas Hertl. The Sharks’ power play created a few chances but the Jets’ penalty killers broke up most of their attacks quickly.

Tommy Wingels and Matt Halischuk went to the box shortly thereafter for unsportsmanlike conduct. Two minutes of four on four did not produce any more goals.

Pete DeBoer has not done a lot of in-game line changes this season, but by the third period on Saturday, only one forward line and one defensive pair looked as it had during the first. When the game started, Melker Karlsson was on a line with Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton, Couture was back with Marleau and Ward. Hertl, Wingels and Nieto were a third line, while Donskoi, Tierney and Zubrus made up the fourth. Dillon was paired with DeMelo, Burns with Martin and Vlasic with Braun.

In the third period, Karlsson was with Tierney and Zubrus. Donskoi was up with Marleau and Ward, and Logan Couture was out with Thornton and Pavelski. On defense, Paul Martin ended up paired with Dylan DeMelo, and Brendan Dillon with Burns.

Of course, the netminders had also swapped positions.

Al Stalock tried a nice stretch pass to Joel Ward with about six minutes left, but Ward could not do much with it. The puck got to him but he didn’t have any help in the zone.

Al Stalock went to the bench for the extra attacker with nearly three minutes left in the game. With 2:43 left, the Jets scored into the empty net after handily escaping the Sharks in the neutral zone. The goal was Nikolaj Ehlers’ and it was unassisted.

The Sharks next play the Detroit Red Wings. That game will be on Thursday, January 7, at SAP Center, at 7:30 PT.

Sharks Break Buffalo Curse With 2-1 OT Win

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By Mary Walsh

photo credit AP Sharks Joe Pavelski scores first period goal vs. Red Wings

The Sharks finally defeated the Buffalo Sabres in Buffalo, breaking a ten year losing streak with an overtime win. Before Saturday, the Sharks had only won one game in Buffalo and that was in 2005. After the win, Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer said:

It’s a good feeling. It’s a big weight to carry around: ten years. I didn’t know it was that long until kinda dug into it here today, so I think the guys were happy to get that monkey off our back. It was a hard fought game, we pushed out early and they came back at us. Both goaltenders I thought were excellent. It was a good game.

Sharks captain Joe Pavelski picked up his 500th NHL point. It was just the second time that Sharks goaltender Martin Jones played in back-to-backs, and the second time he won both games. It was just the second time the Sharks went to overtime this season, and they won both games.

The game was remarkably even, though each team had moments of dominance. The shots were 32-31 Sharks, faceoffs were 31-29 Sabres. Each team had three power plays, and the Sharks scored on one. The teams were within one on giveaways and takeaways, and the Sharks blocked eleven shots to the Sabres’ eight. It was only fitting that such a close game go to overtime.

The Sharks drew a penalty in the first minute of play, when Tommy Wingels skated into the Buffalo zone and was slashed by Jake McCabe. As a result, the Sharks took the lead on a power play goal from Marc-Edouard Vlasic, at 1:48. Patrick Marleau screen Buffalo goaltender Chad Johnson. Assists went to Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns. It was Pavelski’s 500th career point.

The Sharks took their first penalty at 8:26, for having too many men on the ice. Just 34 seconds into that, Marc-Edouard Vlasic made contact with Ryan O’Reilly’s upper body, and was called for tripping. Martin Jones, Paul Martin, Joel Ward and Brent Burns weathered some close calls during the five on three time. Pavelski, Dillon and Hertl went out for the second part of the kill, and finished it off.

With 1:36 left in the period, Joe Pavelski was called for tripping Jake McCabe. The Sharks had a steady penalty kill, leaving the Sabres with just 26 seconds left of power play to start the second period. at the end of the first, the Sharks held a 9-8 lead in shots as well as the 1-0 lead on the scoreboard.

The Sabres took their second penalty at 7:34 of the second period. Carlo Colaiacovo was called for tripping Joe Pavelski. San Jose’s second power play was much less effective than their first. The Sabres penalty killers not only kept the Sharks out of the zone, but backed them into the defensive own zone and took a shot or two.

In the final four minutes of the period, Mike Brown went to deliver a check on Tyler Ennis. Ennis seemed to lose his footing before being hit and fell backwards awkwardly into the boards. He appeared to be shaken up but he did not leave the game.

The Sabres dominated play in the final minutes of the period, but could not beat Martin Jones. Except for the one penalty, the second period was quite even. The shots were tied at nine each for a total of 18-17 Sharks.

Early in the third period, coach DeBoer started adjusting his lines, moving Matt Nieto into Goldobin’s spot and alternating others with the fourth line. Late in the second period, Goldobin lost track of the puck at an inopportune moment, allowing a dangerous scoring chance for Buffalo. That seemed like a forgivable offense but in general his play had not been as strong as prior games Saturday.

At 4:33, Buffalo defenseman Cody Franson left the game after sliding into the boards feet first.

While Goldobin’s second period miscues did not result in a goal against, the new second line was on the ice at 6:27 when Ryan O’Reilly won the puck away from Paul Martin near the Sharks blue line. O’Reilly had time to take a clean shot past Jones on the far side. Assists went to Rasmus Ristolainen and Josh Gorges.

At 14:35 of the third period, Tommy Wingels lined up Sabres center Zemgus Girgensons for an open ice hit, but Girgensons seemed to duck and Wingels sailed over him. Wingels may have caught Girgensons in the head with a knee as he fell over his target. Girgensons stayed down. Colaiacovo went after Wingels, and was called for the roughing. Girgensons went to the dressing room.

The Sharks power play started pretty well, and Brent Burns had a chance one on one with the goalie, but his shot caught the edge of the goalie’s pad and wound up hitting the post. The Sharks spent the rest of the power play in the offensive zone but could not score.

In the final 20 seconds of regulation, Jack Eichel took the puck and skated end to end around every Shark that tried to get in his way. Eichel did get a shot off but Jones stopped it. The Sharks that had been chasing Eichel almost ran over Jones as he tried to corral the puck. He did keep it out.

The teams headed to overtime three on three. DeBoer opted to start with Thornton, Pavelski and Burns. The Sabres started with Ristolainen, Gionta and O’Reilly. Hertl, Vlasic and Marleau went next for the Sharks, then Vlasic, Wingels and Karlsson. Cody Franson had to defend all three Sharks skating into the zone, and opted to fall over Wingels’s stick to prevent a shot or a pass.

With 2:10 left in overtime, Tomas Hertl had the puck along the boards. He fell but held on to the puck and managed to turn and skate into the slot to take a shot. The rebound started a flurry of shots from the Sharks. Vlasic took a slap shot from the blue line that created a rebound for Marleau to pick up near the net. He put the puck over Johnson for the game winner.

Patrick Marleau led the team in shots with five, Tommy Wingels led in hits with six. Martin Jones made 30 saves on 3 shots for the win.

The only change to the Sharks lineup was on defense, where Mirco Mueller got a look, in Matt Tennyson’s spot with Brenden Dillon. Mueller and forward Nikolay Goldobin, both rookies, skated very limited minutes in the game but neither were on the ice for goals against.

Zemgus Girgensons led the Sabres in shots with five, and Josh Gorges led the team in hits with four. Former Shark Jamie McGinn had three shots and three hits. Chad Johnson made 30 saves on 32 shots.

The Sharks next play on Tuesday in Boston against the Bruins at 4:00 PT.

Sharks Add Steve Spot, Bring Back Frazer McLaren

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By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks announced today that they have named Steve Spott as an assistant coach and signed Frazer McLaren.  Both spent last season with the Toronto Maples Leafs organization. Spott was an assistant coach last season, and the organization’s AHL head coach the season before. From the Sharks press release:

“I’m excited to work with Steve again,” said DeBoer. “We have a great relationship and he has grown significantly as a coach in the seven years since we last worked together. We are very fortunate he was available.”

A native of Toronto, Ont., Spott spent two seasons with the Maple Leafs organization, serving as the head coach of the Maple Leafs American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate Toronto Marlies in 2013-14. He led the team to a record of 45-25-2-4, winning the North Division title and earning a spot in the Western Conference Final, where the Marlies fell in seven games to the eventual Calder Cup-winning Texas Stars.

Spott has an extensive history with Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer. He spent eleven seasons as an assistant under DeBoer with the OHL’s Plymouth Whalers and Kitchener Rangers. Spott became Kitchener’s head coach and general manager in 2008, where he remained for five seasons. During that time, his team went to the playoffs four times and twice to the Western Conference Final.

Spott played 121  games as a forward for Colgate University and 20 AHL games before finishing his playing career with the Netherlands’ Heerenveen.

As reported by Curtis Pashelka and others last May, the Sharks obtained permission from the Toronto Maple Leafs to talk to Spott about an assistant coaching position early this summer.

The Sharks also signed forward Frazer McLaren to a one year contract. McLaren was drafted by the Sharks in the 7th round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. He spent almost six seasons with the organization before being claimed off of waivers by the Maple Leafs in 2013. He spent three seasons with Toronto, playing 62 games with the Maple Leafs and 28 games with their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies. His NHL career totals include four goals, seven assists and 261 penalty minutes.  As a Worcester Shark, he was the team’s all time leader in penalty minutes, and has 678 penalty minutes to his credit.