Tag: Preseason

Raiders fall short in 19-15 loss to Rams

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @Raiders

By Jeremy Kahn

In their first game back at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum since the end of the 1994 season, the Oakland Raiders return was spoiled by the current tenants, the Los Angeles Rams, on Saturday.

John Kelly ran for 56 yards and a touchdown, helping the Rams to a 19-15 victory on a balmy Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles.

After trailing 16-0, the Raiders came all the back to get within one point, as Chris Warren ran for 110 yards and a touchdown in front of a partisan Raiders crowd at the stadium that they called home from 1982-1994.

Kelly got the Rams on the board in the second quarter, as he scored on a two-yard run to give the Rams a 7-0 lead.

That Kelly touchdown would be the only one that the Raiders defense would allow, as it became a field goal for the Rams, who are coming off a NFC West Division a season ago.

Greg Zuerlein gave the Rams their next six points, as he nailed a 42-yard field goal with 2:05 remaining in the half and then kicked a 28-yard field goal to send the Rams to the locker room with a 13-0 lead.

Sam Ficken stretched the lead up to 16-0, as he nailed a 31-yard field goal straight thru the uprights for the Rams.

On their next possession, the Raiders finally got on the board, as Warren scored on a three-yard run; however, the Raiders attempt at a two-point conversion was not successful.

Mike Nugent, who is trying to make the team as the teams’ kicker behind rookie Johnny Townsend cut the Rams lead down to seven, as he kicked a 31-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.

James Cowser made the defensive play of the game, as he intercepted a Brandon Allen pass at the Rams’ 36-yard line and returned it to the 21-yard line for a 15-yard return.

Just four plays later, the Raiders pulled within one point, as E.J. Manuel found former Stanford standout Griff Whalen for a 10-yard touchdown pass; however, the Warren rush on the two-point conversion came up short and the Rams maintained their one point lead.

Following the Whalen touchdown, Allen drove the Rams all the way down to the Raiders’ 14-yard line and the Rams were held to a 32-yard Ficken field goal.

With a chance to win the game, the Raiders began their final drive of the game, but the offense stalled, as the Raiders could only get to the Rams 47-yard line and then Manuel was sacked for a 10-yard loss and that would be the last time that the Raiders would get the ball.

Following the Townsend punt, the Rams ran the ball and were able to run out the clock and give the preseason tilt to the Rams.

Without the services of David Carr, Marshawn Lynch, Amari Cooper and many other would be regulars, the Raiders were led by Manuel, who went 10-for-16 for 89 yards and a touchdown. Connor Cook started the game for the Raiders, and went 6-for-12 for 49 yards, as he competes with Cook for the backup quarterback position to Carr when the season begins on September 10 at the Oakland Coliseum.

Warren took advantage of Lynch not playing, as he carried the ball 18 times for 110 yards and a touchdown.

Both rookie Paul Butler and Jalen Richard each caught three passes for 35 yards for the Raiders, who fall to 1-1 on the preseason.

NOTES: The Raiders and the Rams will see each other once again in just 23 days, as the two teams will face each other in the season opener on September 10 in Oakland in the second game of the Monday Night doubleheader.

UP NEXT: After the short trip to Los Angeles, the Raiders return home for their home preseason finale on Friday night, as they will face the Green Bay Packers at the Oakland Coliseum at 7:30 pm PDT.

49ers and Texans to square off Saturday

Published on by jeremy2878Leave a comment

Photo credit: 49erswebzone.com

By Jeremy Harness

In the preseason, it is commonplace in the NFL for teams to hold joint practices in the days prior to linking up on the field for an actual game.

And oftentimes, those practices end up being more interesting that the game itself.

Wednesday’s proceedings were no exception to that, and the shenanigans started from the very first rep of practice. That’s when Houston Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins caught a short pass from quarterback Deshaun Watson, with 49ers cornerback Jimmie Ward defending.

Following the reception, Ward threw an open-handed jab at Hopkins, to which the wideout, who had his helmet knocked off even prior to the reception, responded with a shove of his own. Then Hopkins, in his infinite wisdom, decided it would be a great idea to throw a left hook at Ward, who still had his helmet on.

At that point, the only things he could have hurt were Ward’s feelings or his own hand, which a receiver sort of needs to make a living. In the process, Hopkins shamed both Houston coach Bill O’Brien and Floyd Mayweather.

Immediately following the feeble attempt of a knockout blow, Ward took the helmetless Hopkins to the turf and landed at least two more shots before the two were separated. As a result, Hopkins was sent to the locker rooms while Ward spent the rest of practice on the sideline.

As for the real game, the teams will meet in Houston on Saturday, and the 49ers are already hurting, particularly at the running back position. Matt Breida suffered a shoulder injury in last Thursday’s 24-21 win over the Dallas Cowboys, and Jerick McKinnon went down with an injury of his own during Monday’s practice.

In the meantime, the team signed former All-Pro Alfred Morris to its roster to add some depth, even if it is temporary. Tight end George Kittle and linebacker Eli Harold are also out with assorted injuries suffered in last Thursday’s game, but they are minor and are expected to miss only preseason games.

Solomon Thomas, the team’s young prized defensive lineman, suffered a head injury in the first quarter of Thursday’s game and has been ruled out for Saturday.

Earthquakes shutout Reno 1868 FC 4-0 in preseason match

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Following a 1-1 draw with Real Salt Lake in Arizona, the San Jose Earthquakes returned home to Avaya Stadium to host the Reno 1868 FC in a preseason match on Saturday afternoon.

The Earthquakes were literally off and running from Avaya Stadium. Quakes forward Danny Hoesen slotted home a kick that went over the head of Reno goalkeeper Russ Klabough for a 1-0 lead at the fifth minute of the first half.

The Quakes didn’t take long to find the back of the net today. Hoesen kicked in his second goal of the match for a 2-0 lead at the 21st minute of the first. Just four minutes later, Quakes rookie Magnus Eriksson got his first goal of the preseason at the 25th minute of the first, giving his team a 3-0 lead.

Eriksson was a new striker, but he had no trouble in today’s match as he found the back of the net at the 37th minute. The Quakes grabbed a 4-0 lead, and carried the comfortable cushion to the locker room at halftime.

The Quakes made five substitutions at the 64th minute. Eriksson, Vako, Shea Salinas, Nick Lima and Florian Jungwirth left the match. Joel Qwiberg, Paul Marie, Luis Felipe, Chris Wehan and Mohamed Thiaw entered the match.

The Quakes took a big step forward in their affiliation with Reno. They displayed good sportsmanship by saying “good game” to the visiting team.

Final: Quakes shutout Reno 4-0.

Notes
Earthquakes’ starting lineup: Andrew Tarbell, Shea Salinas, Harold Cummings, Yeferson Quintana, Nick Lima, Vako, Florian Jungwirth, Fatai Alashe, Magnus Eriksson, Danny Hoesen and Chris Wondolowski.

The Quakes announced their theme nights this year.
https://www.sjearthquakes.com/post/2018/02/09/news-earthquakes-announce-2018-theme-nights

The Quakes extended their affiliate partnership with Reno.
https://www.sjearthquakes.com/post/2018/02/10/news-earthquakes-extend-affiliate-partnership-reno-1868-fc

Reno’s starting lineup: Russ Klabough, Jordan Murrell, Zach Carroll, Brenton Griffiths, Brent Richards, Guy Abend, Christian Thierjung, Seth Casiple, Lindo Mfeka, Antoine Hoppenot and Brian Brown.

Up Next 
The Earthquakes conclude the preseason in Los Angeles, Calif., against the LA Galaxy on Saturday, February 17 at 2:30 pm PT.

Warriors kick it up a notch as they trounce the Timberwolves in Shanghai 142-110

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry gestures during the preseason NBA game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Shanghai, China, Sunday, Oct. 8, 2017. (AP Photo)

by Jerry Feitelberg

Shanghai, China- The Golden State Warriors won their first game of the preseason as they defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves by a score of 142-110. The Timberwolves scored early and often in the first quarter. The Wolves starting quintet of Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jimmy Butler, Jeff Teague, and Taj Gibson torched the Dubs as the raced to an early 16-11 lead. The Wolves kept the pressure on as they could not be stopped by the Warriors defense. They led 35-31 with 1:44 left in the quarter and were able to increase the lead for the first twelve minutes of play to 44-36.

The Dubs kept pace with the Wolves in the second quarter. They were trailing by ten points when Steph Curry came back into the game. The Warriors were able to turn the game around, and they looked like the champions that they are. Steph and Klay led the offensive onslaught as they won the quarter 40-28 and led 76-72 at the half. The Dubs’ defense, fantastic last season, looked like they were back.

In the third quarter, Steph, Klay, and Kevin Durant wowed the 16,007 fans in attendance as they made several three-point shots and dominated play in the period. They outscored the Wolves 38-23 to put the game out of reach. Steph was done for the night, and he watched the game as he was sitting on the floor signing autographs for the fans.

The Warriors started Klay, Shaun Livingston, Andre Iguodala, David West, and KD in the fourth quarter. They increased the lead to twenty-six before being replaced by Omri Casspi, Patrick McCaw, and the rookie from the University of Oregon Jordan Bell. In the last six minutes of the game, Bell scored eleven points and blocked two shots. Bell’s play should get him some playing time when the season starts for real on October 17th.

Game Notes and Stats- Before the start of the game, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler each thanked the people of China for the terrific week the players experienced. The crowd enjoyed the show the teams put on, and it appeared the fans were a little bit louder when the Warriors had the ball. There was a stretch in the third quarter when the Dubs made five three-pointers in a row to blow the game wide open. The fans roared every time Steph lined up for a three and went ballistic when he made the shot.

Steph Curry was a man on a mission as he knocked down forty points and made at least six three-point shots. Klay Thompson knocked down twenty-eight, and KD had twenty-two. Draymond Green tallied eleven, and he blocked three shots.

Leading scorers for Minnesota were Andrew Wiggins with nineteen, Towns had sixteen, Jimmy Butler fifteen, Jeff Teague ten, Gorgui Dieng and Shabazz Muhammad each had eleven. The Timberwolves finished the preseason with a 2-1 record. The next game they play will be the first game of the 2017-2018 season.

The Warriors are 1-2 and meet the Sacramento Kings on Friday, October 13th, at the Oracle Arena at 7:30 pm. This will be the final preseason game for the Dubs. They play the Houston Rockets in Oakland on October 17th.

Denver Spoils Home Opener, Downs Warriors 114-103

Published on by swhelchLeave a comment

By Shawn Whelchel

The Golden State Warriors weren’t in championship form on Tuesday night, as sloppy play and a lack of defense spoiled the teams long awaited return to Oracle Arena in a 114-103 loss to the Denver Nuggets.

The Warriors defense looked uncharacteristically lethargic and porous, as the NBA champions failed to stop a rolling Denver offense that put up 63 first-half points. The Nuggets were able to use a 18-3 run late in the second quarter to give themselves a solid lead heading into the half and never looked back.

Klay Thompson had a particularly rough night for the Warriors, making just one-of-eight field goal attempts for eight points across 24 minutes of play. Draymond Green lead the starting five with 15 points on 5-of-13 shooting, while Steph Curry dumped in 14 points on a similar shooting line, going just 1-of-8 from behind the arc. Leandro Barbosa looked to be the most offensively consistent player for Golden State, adding a team-high 16 points off the bench on an efficient 5-for-8 shooting in just 15-minutes of play.

But while the Warriors failed to keep their foot on the offensive gas pedal throughout the middle-two frames of the game, the Nuggets, led by PF Kenneth Faried, took advantage of the spotty Warriors defense to score a preseason-high 114 points.

Faried led all scorers in the game with his double-double line consisting of 22 points and 12 rebounds. Five other Nuggets scored in the double-digits on the night, including four-of-five starters for Denver, and 16 points off the bench from PG Jameer Nelson.

Adding injury to insult, the Warriors lost Harrison Barnes in the second quarter after the small forward sprained his knee while running into a Denver player while running the floor in transition. The Warriors are expected to update his status on Wednesday.

After allowing the Nuggets to shoot 49.5 percent from the field on Tuesday, the Warriors will need to shore up their defensive effort before the Houston Rockets, and spurned MVP candidate James Harden, come to Oracle Arena on Thursday night.

 

Competition Too Close to Call for Sharks Blue Line

Published on by M WalshLeave a comment

By Mary Walsh

The preseason is well under way, and the NHL season looms large for the San Jose Sharks. Their training camp roster is still long enough to easily ice two squads, so it is reasonable to expect that there will be more roster cuts this week. The Sharks have a lot of decisions to make before opening night, DeBoer explained:

Some tough decisions, some really tough decisions. It’s tough getting from 34 to 26 or -7 or whatever number we’re going to go to, and it’s going to be even tougher to go down to 22 or 23. That’s a good thing though, it’s a good problem.

Dylan DeMelo stood out as one of the young players getting a lot of ice time in preseason games. There is a little room on the Sharks blue line, and a number of players competing for it. Asked to comment on that competition, DeMelo said: “I can’t speak for the other guys but I think I’m playing pretty well and I think I’m showing kind of what’s advertised in my game.”

After the game, Sharks coach Peter DeBoer was asked if Dylan DeMelo was likely to make the opening night roster. DeBoer declined to say yes or no:

I’m not prepared to hand this job to anybody yet. Everybody’s competing, everyone’s playing well right now. It’s too close to call to be giving anybody the job right now. We’re going to take all the time we have on our side.

DeBoer did concede that DeMelo is “right in the mix,” with other defensemen. As with other players seeing a lot of preseason ice time, DeMelo is no lock for a spot on the NHL roster.

Another player who is getting a long look in these games is Joonas Donskoi. Saturday, he played on a line with Tomas Hertl and Matt Nieto. Donskoi is probably closer to a spot than DeMelo is, but the fact that he is playing only means he’s getting look, not getting the job.

The Sharks lost Saturday’s preseason game to the Anaheim Ducks. The final score was 2-1, with goals scored by Joel Ward for San Jose, Corey Perry and Chris Wagner for Anaheim. The game was a fine preseason sample of games between San Jose and Anaheim: riddled with penalties, there was even a game misconduct handed out.

Martin Jones was starting his second of the preseason, and his first at SAP as a Shark. He was glad to have a chance to play at SAP during the preseason:

I’ve had a couple games here, playing in LA, so I know what the building’s about. Yeah, it was nice to get the first one out of the way at home. Obviously, not the result we want, but we’re working through it. It’s still preseason and we’ll work it out.

The Ducks took two penalties in the first eleven minutes of the game, one to Shea Theodore at 1:22 and one to Corey Perry at 11:07. The Sharks did not score on either one of those power plays, but seconds after the Perry penalty expired, the Sharks did score. The goal was scored by Joel Ward, with assists going to Paul Martin and Brent Burns.

The goal was a good example of Ward’s playing style, and the style that DeBoer is encouraging the Sharks to employ. Asked about the goal after the game, Ward said:

It’s no secret, I’m trying to get in front of the net. I think most of my goals in the past have been around that area. So there’s no secret I’m just trying to go to the net, trying to get pucks and rebounds.

Moments after the Sharks goal, Frazer McLaren was called for boarding. He was given a game misconduct and received a five minute major. Ryan Carpenter served the penalty for him. The hit sent Anaheim defenseman, Korbinian Holzer, to the dressing room. Holzer was kept out for the rest of the game for precautionary reasons, the Ducks announced later.

The Sharks killed off the five minutes and even managed a short-handed chance near the end.

It took the Sharks several minutes before they took a shot on goal in the second period. Through the period, the Sharks had six shots.

The Ducks tied the game just over three minutes into the third period. The goal was scored by Chris Wagner, unassisted. He skated into the zone mostly unfettered and took a shot from the half boards that seemed to catch Jones off guard.

Just past the ten minute mark of the third, Perry went to the box for the second time in the game, this time for high sticking.

Before the penalty elapsed, Joonas Donskoi went to the box for a high stick. The Ducks made the Sharks pay for that, taking the lead with a goal with 7:36 left. The power play goal was scored by Corey Perry. Assists went to Shea Theodore and Simon Despres.

The Ducks went right from the celebration to the penalty kill, with Shea Theodore back in the box for interference. This put the Sharks on their fourth power play.

That came to naught, and the game wound down. With under two minutes left, the Sharks pulled their goaltender for the extra attacker. Logan Couture, Brent Burns, Tomas Hertl, Patrick Marleau and Paul Martin made up the six players for the last minutes. Hertl made a nice pass after pulling the puck from a scrum along the boards, but Couture’s shot went just wide. After a time out, the same six returned to the ice but they could not even the score.

The Sharks will play another preseason game at SAP on Tuesday, September 29. Their opponent will be the Vancouver Canucks. Start time will be 7:30 pm.

Sharks Defeat Ducks 3-1 in 4th Preseason Game

Published on by M WalshLeave a comment

By Mary Walsh

SAN JOSE– Saturday, the San Jose Sharks defeated the Anaheim Ducks 3-1 in their fourth preseason outing. The game featured a preposterous number of penalties from the Ducks and yet another good showing from the line of Barclay Goodrow, Chris Tierney an Nikolay Goldobin. They earned all three stars. Two of the goals were Goodrow’s.  Goldobin picked up assists on both of those, and Tierney had an assist on one. The third Sharks goal was Logan Couture’s, while the lone Ducks goal was scored by Matt Beleskey.

Saturday, the Sharks again started with a jump ahead on the shot clock, but the gap was not so big. Midway through the first period, the shots were 6-2, the Sharks were working on their second power play and a 0-0 tie. Unlike last night’s squad, these Sharks also grabbed the lead on the scoreboard, during that power play. That goal was scored by Logan Couture and a power play unit of Demers, Irwin, Marleau and  Nieto. A few minutes later, Barclay Goodrow scored to give the team a two goal lead. The assist went, of course, to Goldobin.

The Sharks started the second with an early power play that quickly turned into a five on three with a delay of game penalty coming just four seconds in. Into the second minute of that power play, I was still looking to see who the second power play unit was. The first unit would not get off the ice, since the Ducks could not clear the puck. The top unit did not score either, but with 40 or so seconds left, Anaheim goaltender John Gibson stopped the puck and gave his penalty killers a rest. The Sharks’ second unit finally appeared: Barclay Goodrow, Chris Tierney, Nikolay Goldobin, with Matt Tennyson and Mirco Mueller on the blue line. It took them a few seconds but they scored, Goodrow’s second of the game. Assists went to Tierney and Goldobin.

The power play units got some more practice with yet another Ducks penalty. Just a shift or two had gone by when Nicolas Kerdiles was called for tripping. This time the first unit left almost a minute for the second unit to work with.  The second unit included DeMelo instead of Mueller this time.

At 8:42, San Jose’s Taylor Doherty and Anaheim’s Matt Belesky went to the box for matching slashing minors. That was kind of an unusual call.

In the last minutes of the first, Stalock made a save on a wraparound attempt that was very impressive. He does not look like someone trying to get up to speed. He looks more like someone competing for a spot, which, of course, he is. It may not be a spot in San Jose, he has that. But he is certainly capable of challenging Niemi for the starter’s role. No time like the preseason.

The first Ducks power play came at the end of the first period. The second Ducks power play came at the end of the second period. Both times, Melker Karlsson was in the box. In the first period it was for holding the stick. In the second it was for tripping. It was not his night.

The Sharks got another 5 on 3 power play, 1:16 long at 18:48 of the second period. That brought the Ducks to ten penalties, if you do not count the two matching minors. McLellan did not change anything on the first unit, and continued sending them out first. They seemed to need the practice.

It was not Jason Demers’ best night either. He could not seem to get a handle on the pucks sent his way during those many power plays. He spent a lot of time on the left side of the net. That looked like an awkward spot for him.

The third period started with the score at 3-0 Sharks and the shot count at 24-10 Sharks.

One of those rule changes made an appearance about seven minutes in to the third period. The officials called Anaheim’s Nicholas Kardiles for hooking, and gave a matching minor to Goldobin for embellishment. As if the call threw them off, the Sharks gave up a goal 1:38 in to the four on four. It was a fair case of the goalie being beaten by a good shot from an open player. Matt Belesky scored his first of the preseason with assists going to Marc Fistric and Kevin Gagne.

Shortly thereafter, Taylor Doherty fought Clayton Stoner. Stoner got an additional two minutes for roughing, but the Sharks’ power play did not score.

Final score: 3-1, shot count 33-17 Sharks. Attendance announced as over 16, 000.

Saturday’s roster:
Forwards: Andrew Desjardins, Patrick Marleau, John Scott, Logan Couture, Melker Karlsson, Freddie Hamilton, Eriak Hayes, Nikolay Goldobin, Matt Nieto, Barclay Goodrow, Daniil Tarasov, Chris Tierney

Defensemen: Jason Demers, Mirco Mueller, Matt Irwin, Dylan DeMelo, Taylor Doherty, Matt Tennyson

Alex Stalock was in net with Grosenick listed as backup.

Line combos:
Nieto/ Couture/ Marleau, Tierney/ Goldobin/ Goodrow, Hamilton/ Karlsson/ Tarasov, Hayes/ Desjardins/ Scott
Later in the game, Nieto and Hamilton swapped lines

Tennyson/Irwin, Demers/DeMelo, Mueller/Doherty

Power play units:
Marleau, Couture, Nieto, Demers, Irwin
Godolbin, Goodrow, Tierney, Tennyson, Mueller/DeMelo

Win, Lose or Draw, Sharks Shoot First

Published on by M WalshLeave a comment

By Mary Walsh

SAN JOSE- Friday’s game was the third of three preseason games that featured a gross shot advantage for the Sharks. It seems that no matter who is playing or how you line them up, Sharks will outshoot the other team. That does not mean they will win, but it certainly gives them a fighting chance. Friday the Sharks lost 2-1 to the Arizona Coyotes in a game that went to a shootout.

What goes in to these shot advantages? Defenseman Taylor Fedun, in his first training camp as a Shark, has had some time to learn something about the team’s playing style:

I think we have a pretty good shoot first mentality and it’s been working for us where we get pucks on net and then we’re able to retrieve them and it kinda gets defensive teams on their heels a little bit. It’s one of the ways to keep the game simple in the preseason here, where you’re not as sharp on the system as you will be a little bit later on in the season. So it keeps things simple, just throwing pucks on net and trying to outwork teams.

This is something the Sharks consistently do,  well into the season. It has been their style for a while now, it will probably continue to be what they do. How do they do it, even with players new to the team or even the league? Fedun said:

It’s something that’s touched on by the coaching staff that we want to get the puck on net as often as we can, try and generate second and third opportunities in doing so.

No surprise there. It is an old idea: you have to shoot to score. So the real question is: why doesn’t everyone do this? Or, do the Sharks just do it better than most?

Shooting a lot is not new for the Sharks, and neither is talking about simplifying their game. It is a style that happens to suit the Sharks’ new and young recruits. Of Fedun and Mirco Mueller, Sharks head coach Todd McLellan said:

I thought he and Mirco both did some really good things on the rink, heightened our awareness, both of them and improved their status amongst the club. We’ll have some decisions to make. We often think about just keeping one, but maybe two of them, or three of them could push the veterans out. When I look at the game in Vancouver, we had a couple of players who were sub-par and if we have to make those changes we will, if the young D continue to play the way they do.

We should know after Saturday’s game how many will stay in San Jose to push the veterans.

Friday’s game was well attended, particularly for a preseason game.

The Sharks’ Tye McGinn started with an early penalty, which lead to the Coyotes’ first goal on their only shot for the first 13 or so minutes. That goal was Justin Hodgman’s, with assists to Max Domi and Michael Stone. McGinn tried to make up for it a few minutes later with a beautiful breakaway up the middle of the ice but his shot went awry. His game on Friday was a portrait of energy and hard work with communication gaps. The same could be said of the rest of the team, not surprising for a preseason game. It was the second game for most of the players, but they were not playing with the same group as they played with on Tuesday.

For Antti Niemi, it was the first game of the preseason. That, combined with the sad shortage of shots coming at him, did not show him at his best. He gave up a goal on the first Coyotes shot, but he did stop the rest until the shootout.

Arizona’s one goal lead persisted through the middle of the second period. The Coyotes steadily gained on the Sharks’ shot lead.By the seven minute mark, Antti Niemi had made a seven saves. At the other end, Devan Dubnyk made nine in the first period, and another 13 in the second.

The one he did not make was a power play goal from Joe Pavelski at 7:15 of the second period. The assist went to Brent Burns. Pavelski’s shot came from the blue line and blew right by Arizona’s new backup goaltender.

By the end of the second period, the Sharks had run off with the shot clock again, Niemi had done very little for several minutes.

In the final 19 seconds of the period, Nikolay Goldobin had the honor of being tripped by veteran defenseman Zbynek Michalek. Goldobin was tripped while making a very impressive dash for the net. He didn’t get the shot he wanted, and his team did not score on the resulting power play.

By the end of regulation, the shots stood at 38-16 Sharks with the score tied at 1. There was a symmetry to this result, as the Sharks already had one loss and one win under their belt. Seemed only natural they should have an overtime game.

A little over a minute into overtime, Michalek went to the box for tripping Joe Pavelski. The first power play unit included Goldobin, and the second included Mueller. Mueller wound up for a great big shot at the top of the slot… but he was only faking. He passed it. Neither power play unit scored. Neither team scored, the game went to a shoot out.

Joe Pavelski shot first, and scored. Justin Hodgman shot next, for Arizona. He scored too. Goldobin made one too make moves and lost his balance on the third shot. He did not score by accident either. Lucas Lessio, shooting third for Arizona, did not lose his balance and he scored. Joe Thornton did not score.

Mueller continues to play well, most of the time the puck goes where he is sending it. He perhaps could be more reckless, send the puck to the net more, or not send it anywhere at all. At one point, he executed a very pretty pass to a teammate in the neutral zone, sort of a hand off between players going in opposite directions. The problem with it was that there were two Coyotes in hot pursuit of that other player and Mueller might have accomplished more just by hanging on to the puck or even dumping it in. With time, his decision-making should catch up with his skating and puck handling skills.

Mike Brown made some good plays, including one breakaway that didn’t work out but looked dangerous. He also made a defensive zone pass that got some tired Sharks out of trouble. As he has shown before, he can be helpful in the right situation.

Sharks and prospects will play again Saturday against Anaheim Ducks and prospects. The game will be at SAP Center in San Jose at 5:00.

Goldobin, Goodrow Stand Out in Sharks Pre-Season Win

Published on by M WalshLeave a comment

By Mary Walsh

STOCKTON, CA–  No Daniil Tarasov at the Stockton preseason game between the San Jose Sharks and the Vancouver Canucks. For me, that simplified the list of players likely to make the Sharks NHL roster at the end of camp. The game re-complicated it. Nikolay Goldobin and Barclay Goodrow looked good enough to make anyone think twice. The Sharks won 5-2, and outshot the Canucks by an embarrassing margin to boot.

In the first four minutes of the Stockton game, the Sharks got credit for  three shots to none for the Vancouver squad. In goal for San Jose was Troy Grosenick, with Jakob Markstrom at the other end for the Canucks. After nine minutes, the shots were 8 to 1 for the Sharks. By the end of the period, it had stretched even more to 16-5 Sharks. Astonishing, really, that even prospects in the preseason can so accurately follow the Sharks’ classic MO: outshoot the opposition without much to show for it.

That did not last, that part where they had nothing to show for it.

Of the players to watch in Stockton, I had Tarasov near the top of the list for forwards, and his absence was disappointing. The game was a chance to get a better look at Nikolay Goldobin, the Sharks’ first round pick from this summer’s draft. With such a plethora of forwards competing for a spot, some with NHL experience, others with a lot of pro time in the minor leagues, the odds that a rookie drafted just this summer would make it were slim. Still, he played so well with Goodrow that I had to rethink. His skillset could be something the team needs right now. Goodrow and Goldobin stood out even before they started scoring: they found each other with passes, they knew when to help the other out. And then there were the two goals they scored- those were pretty showy too.

The first period ended scoreless, but things really picked up in the second. A too many men penalty from the Canucks put the Sharks on their second power play of the game. It took the top line a heartbeat or two after puck drop to take the lead. Joe Thornton skated across in front of the net, with Hertl trailing behind in case needed. Joe Pavelski got the puck to him without much trouble and Thornton put it in.

Nick Bonino took a slashing penalty at 9:30 of the second period. Goodrow and Goldobin were out there to start the power play and they  made the best of their communication skills. Goodrow scored off a neat pass from Goldobin. He got the puck from Mueller, a nice showing from the Sharks most recent first round picks.

The Sharks got yet another power play on a delay of game (puck over the glass by Vancouver’s Bobby Sanguinetti.)  With so much practice, it seemed inevitable that the Canucks would improve on their penalty kill. They did. They killed that one, but during the power play Marc-Edouard Vlasic demonstrated one of those new rule changes: he dove for a puck and reached it, while a Canuck was close by. The Canuck did not take advantage of the chance to skate into Vlasic’s outstretched stick and trip over it so no penalty was called. Nevertheless, that call is going to be hard to avoid.

Justin Braun took the Sharks’ first penalty of the game, holding at 9:30  of the second. Twenty seconds later, Vlasic joined him in the box for delay of game. That left  51, 67 and 10 to start the five on three. They were quickly replaced, as they cleared the puck a couple of times. 80, 67, 41 had the longest shift. The penalty killers did a very good job to keep the Canucks off the board in such a long five on three.

With under two minutes left in the period, Goldobin added a goal to his tally with a lovely wrap-around, preceded by some misdirection on the other side of the net. He squeezed the puck just between Markstrom and the post, possibly under the goalie’s skate blade. However it got through, it was snug. It was Goodrow, of course, who got the puck to him.

A quick check of the roster stats told me that Goldobin and Goodrow did not play on the same team last season.

The Sharks went up 4-0 with Pavelski’s first of the preseason, from Eriah Hayes & Dylan DeMelo at 4:17 of third.

The Canucks finally scored about nine minutes into the third period. Nick Bonino got the puck past Grosenik, and past DeMelo and Abeltshauser.

The Sharks got that back with a goal from Thornton, assisted by Dylan DeMelo.

Unfortunately, DeMelo and Abeltshauser were there again when the Canucks went the other way and scored a second goal for the Canucks. This one was scored by Niklas Jensen.

Final score, 5-2 Sharks. The final shot count was listed as 34-12.

John Scott acquitted himself well enough when he had a chance to move the puck, but he could be skated around by the quicker Canucks without much difficulty. A hard hit by Scott on Cedarholm drew the ire of Tom Sestito, who took a 10 minute misconduct for instigating a fight with Scott.

Braun and Mueller skated together quite a bit.  The only thing I would fault Mueller on in Tuesday’s game is that he was a little tentative.

With the other Sharks squad falling 4-2 in Vancouver, it seems that the 6,810 fans in the Stockton audience were the winners of the night. While a full-sized NHL arena can be hard to fill for a preseason game, the Stockton arena was just right. It gave the players an enthusiastic audience up close, and the audience got to watch the game in a more cozy setting with the arena mostly full. Stockton Arena is a very pleasant venue, and bringing the Sharks’ preseason squad there was a brilliant idea. It begs the question: will the Sharks renew their old affiliation with the Thunder? As of now, San Jose has no ECHL affiliate. Stockton has an NHL affiliate (NY Islanders) but many ECHL clubs are having to double up since the league contracted recently.

Sharks thump on the Canucks at home

Published on by Ivan MakarovLeave a comment

by Ivan Makarov

SAN JOSE, CA — A lot of things went right for the Sharks in their preseason game against Vancouver Canucks at SAP Center on Tuesday night.

They got plenty of scoring chances which resulted in a lot of goals. They limited the Canucks scoring chances to close to nothing, which helped Antti Niemi earn a shutout. They avoided the penalty box all night. Their lines seems to gel well together. And they won their game 5-0.

“Once we established [the pace of the game], we were on puck, we were hard,” said happy Sharks head coach Todd McLellan after the game. “The special teams were great tonight.”

Of course, it was just a preseason game with very little on the line. But even then, the coaches are watching and are experimenting with player combinations, tactics and special teams, building the foundation for a long season ahead.

Sharks rookie Tomas Heart opened the score early in the game at 10:37 of the first period. Deep inside the Canucks zone, Scott Hannan shot the puck from a sharp angle just outside the center circle, allowing Hertl, who stood right in front of the net, and puck went off him into the net. This was Hertl’s second goal of the preseason, as he’s getting great looks playing on the top line alongside Joe Thornton and Brent Burns.

Dan Boyle increased the Sharks lead to 2-0 three minutes as he scored on a wrist shot from a pass from Tyler Kennedy as he joined the attack. Kennedy did all the work on that goal, hitting the goalpost earlier, and keeping the puck inside the zone after it rebounded off Canucks goaltender Eddie Lack and then finding Boyle wide open.

Once it started to rain, it began to pour.

Joe Thornton added third goal for the Sharks half way through the second period after he scored on a one timer after a pass by Patrick Marleau on the Sharks power play.

Logan Couture added to the scoreboard on yet another Sharks power play with less then a minute remaining in the second period. Standing right between the face-off circles, he got a quick pass form Joe Pavelski, and fired it on goal and into the net with his signature wrist shot. That made it 4-0 for the Sharks.

This marked two power play goals for the Sharks top power play unit, which McLellan mentioned will stay intact. The second unit had its chances, but McLellan indicated he’ll continue to change who’s playing there.

Thomas Hertl made another case that he belongs in the NHL and on the Sharks top line when he never gave up on the play in the Canucks zone at the start of the third period, and kept on fighting for the puck, eventually putting it in with a wrester, scoring his second of the night, and Sharks’ fifth goal that made it 5-0 for the home team.

“He’s good around the net,” said Sharks captain Joe Thornton when asked about his thoughts on Hertl’s play so far in the preseason. “He scored around the net in the last game too. He’s very competitive. He just goes to the net and is not afraid of that area.”

As for the Canucks, they looked disorganized, undisciplined, and almost as if they didn’t want to play in that game. They did not look like a team that will be competing for a playoff spot next season.