Tag: san jose

San Jose Sharks podcast with Len Shapiro: Satisfying win against Canucks, will it pick up momentum going into five-game road trip for the Sharks?

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photo from citizens-times.com: San Jose Sharks’ Joe Thornton (19) shoots the puck during the first period of the team’s NHL hockey game against the Vancouver Canucks in San Jose, Calif., Friday, Nov. 23, 2018.

On the Sharks podcast with Len:

#1 After taking a tough loss to the Edmonton Oilers (10-10-2) on Tuesday the San Jose Sharks (12-7-4) came right back on Friday night and shutout the struggling Vancouver Canucks (10-13-2) 4-0. Was this a game of the Sharks showing improvement over Tuesday’s game or the Canucks, who now have lost eight straight, are just a bad club?

#2 San Jose goaltender Aaron Dell save 19 shots and didn’t allow a goal in net for the Sharks.

#3 The Sharks’ Joe Thornton hit a milestone with his 1,035th assist 750 of those with San Jose, eclipsing former Pittsburgh Penguin Mario Lemeiux.

#4 The Sharks got goal help from Logan Couture first period at 10:54 (8), Timo Meier (13) at 19:50, third period Erik Karlsson (2) at 3:43 and Melker Karlsson (1) at 9:35.

#5 The Sharks hit the road starting tonight in Vegas (11-12-1) for the first of five games. How do you see them faring on this current trip?

Len does the Sharks podcasts each Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Jose State men’s basketball returns home to host Santa Clara

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — After four straight losses, San Jose State are desperate for some home cooking again. This time, against rival Santa Clara inside the Event Center on Saturday afternoon. By the way, this will be the back end of a doubleheader with the women’s basketball team. The women host CSU Bakersfield at 12:00 pm and the men will play at 3:00 pm.

Game No. 6
Santa Clara (0-4) vs. SJSU (1-4)
Saturday Nov. 23, 3:00 pm
Event Center (5,000)
San Jose, Calif.

Take Five with Brae Ivey
Before diving in to this weekend’s game details, take a minute to Take Five with junior guard Brae Ivey. Ivey transferred to SJSU from Riverside City College and is already making a huge impact on the Spartans’ program. Ivey currently leads the team in points per game at 14.4 and is coming off a big week in the Bahamas where he dropped a season-high 22 points vs. CSU Bakersfield.

Live Stats
Fans can view live stats of all SJSU men’s basketball games, home and away, by accessing the Live Stats feature at www.sjsuspartans.com. Click on the link on the women’s basketball schedule page to follow the action.

One Stop Source
The Mountain West Network is your all-access passport to Spartan Athletics. For live and recorded video/audio of SJSU men’s basketball home and Mountain West road contests, the Mountain West Network is your home. Go to Mountain West Network logo at top of the Spartans Athletics home page or go to www.sjsuspartans.com/video.

Trouble in Paradise
Although SJSU went 0-3 on their trip to Bimini for the Junkanoo Jam, the Spartans saw a lot on the court to encourage the team moving forward. They lost the three games by a combined 11 points and shot 46.9 percent while out-rebounding the opposition 38.3-35.0. The Spartans held double-digit leads in the second quarter of both the CSU Bakersfield and Central Michigan games; however, turnovers proved costly as the finished with 20.3 per game. If SJSU can limit the turnovers and finish games, big things lie ahead in 2018-19.

Success on the Boards
The Spartans rank second in the Mountain West in offensive rebounds (12.6) and sixth in defensive rebounds (26.6). Against Weber State (11/15), SJSU pulled down 48 total boards, the fourth most in the Mountain West this season.

Steady Steadman
JUCO transfer Michael Steadman is off to a hot start at his new home at SJSU. He currently ranks third in the conference in total rebounds per game (9.6) and 46th nationally. He was named to the Junkanoo Jam All-Tournament team after averaging 11.7 points and 7 rebounds per game.

Full Offseason for Jean Prioleau
Spartans head coach Jean Prioleau is entering his second season at the helm of SJSU men’s basketball and is coming off his first full offseason with the program. Prioleau was hired on August 4, 2017, and given just three months to prepare for his debut season. Now with a full offseason under his belt to prepare the team, Prioleau and company are excited about the team’s potential.

Staff Shakeup
Prioleau made some changes to his staff in the offseason as he brought in former NC State All-American Julius Hodge as an assistant coach. He also promoted director of basketball operations, Ryan Cooper, to assistant coach.

What About the Broncos?
Santa Clara enters Saturday’s contest 0-4 and are averaging just 61.8 points per game. They are coming off a pair of losses at the hands of Washington (82-68) and Minnesota (80-66) at the Vancouver Showcase in British Columbia. The Broncos are led by third-year head coach Herb Sendek.

Ivey on Fire 
Junior transfer Brae Ivey leads the Spartans with 14.4 points per game and is coming off a big week in the Bahamas, where he averaged 15 points, 6.3 assists and 3.3 rebounds in the Junkanoo Jam, including a season-high 22 points vs. CSU Bakersfield.

San Jose Sharks podcast with Mary Lisa Walsh: Hitchcock and Oilers changed game plan on Sharks; Sharks host Vancouver Friday

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Photo credit: @SanJoseSharks

On the Sharks podcast with Mary Lisa:

#1 How surprised were you that Edmonton Oilers (10-10-1) head coach Todd McLellan was fired before Tuesday night’s game in San Jose?

#2 McLellan served as head coach for the San Jose Sharks (11-7-1) from 2008-2015. What mistakes did he make with the Oilers?

#3 The Oilers called former NHL coach Ken Hitchcock out of retirement at 66 years old. He led the Oilers to an overtime win past the Sharks 4-3.

#4 Sharks’ Joe Thornton tied former Pittsburgh Penguin Mario Lemieux for 11th in all-time goals at 1,033.

# 5 The Sharks host Vancouver Friday night then go on the road for five games. How tough will the road be for the Sharks?

Mary Lisa does the Sharks podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Thornton Passes Lemieux, but Sharks Fall in OT 4-3 in Hitchcock’s Oilers Debut

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Photo credit: @SanJoseSharks

By Matthew Harrington

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Sharks expected to see a familiar face behind the Edmonton Oilers’ bench Tuesday night, but an early morning firing led to a shakeup in leadership for the visiting team. Todd McLellan, Sharks coach from 2008 to 2015, was relieved of his duties as coach of the oilers, giving way to an unretiring Ken Hitchcock. The change paid immediate dividends, with Edmonton  (10-10-1) erasing three deficits for a 4-3 overtime win over San Jose.

Joe Thorton picked up career assist 1033, tying Mario Lemieux for 11th all-time. Joonas Donskoi and Marcus Sorensen scored for San Jose (11-7-4), Logan Couture scored for the first time in 11 games and Martin Jones made 19 saves for the Sharks. Oilers superstar Connor McDavid picked up three points while Leon Draisaitl scored the game-winner, though not at first blush.

Draisaitl took a pass from McDavid on the goal line that was deflected up, turning his skate while directing the puck past an out-of-position Jones. The referees huddled for a brief reviewing, ultimately ruling the Oilers 4-3 winners 51 seconds into overtime.

McDavid played a monstrous game for his new coach, seeing 23:57 off ice time. He also picked up the primary assist on the game-tying goal. Tomas Hertl, returning to the lineup for his game since November 13th, turned the puck over in the neutral zone, allowing Draisaitl to break into the offensive zone on a a 3-on-2. He pass cross ice to McDavid, who feathered a pass to Drake Caggiula for the easy strike and a 3-3 tie game 3:32 into the third.

The Sharks entered the final period in full control after erasing the Oilers momentum. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored as an Oilers penalty expired on a 2-on-1 that Brent Burns played indecisively 1:46 into the second period to tie the game at 2.

Logan Couture’s slump-buster with 56 seconds left in the period put San Jose back on top though, and what a goal it was. Couture carried the puck on his forehand on the left wing before pulling it to his backhand, deking Adam Larsson in the process. He then beat Oilers goalie Mikko Koskinen for his seventh goal of the year.

Joonas Donskoi put the Sharks up 1-0 45 seconds into the game on a backhand of a rebound in the crease. McDavid turned on the burners 8:09 into the frame to beat Jones for his 13th goal of the season. Marcus Sorensen took a perfect feed from Joe Thornton at the 10:32 mark and beat Koskinen for his 4th goal of the year. Thornton is now just seven points away from breaking into the top ten in career assists behind Marcel Dionne and is 16 behind Gordie Howe for 9th place.

The Sharks continue a season-high six-game homestand Friday night at 6:00 pm PT against the Vancouver Canucks before a five-game road swing that sees San Jose head to Las Vegas before departing for a four-stop east coast trip.

Brent Brennan press conference wrap: Commentary on San Jose State football

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Photo credit: @SJSUSpartanFB

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — I know I sound like a broken record, but San Jose State has nothing to play for (and nothing to lose). However, SJSU has a game coming up against Fresno State inside Bulldog Stadium this Saturday at 4:00 pm PT on ESPNU. So the Spartans must prepare themselves in order to snatch the Valley Trophy away from the rival Bulldogs in the nationally televised game.

Here’s my Q&A with Spartans head coach Brent Brennan:

1. Why did you decide to punt at the 50 down on two possessions with five minutes left?
Because the down and distance was more than I thought. I think it was maybe fourth and nine or fourth and 11…I was ready. I told coach (Kevin) McGiven this is going to be fourth down, depending on what we get here and then we didn’t get enough on third…and then our defense was playing so well. I thought we would be able to get a stop there. That was why.

2. Christian Johnson picked up the fumble recovery in the second quarter for the first of his career. That was obviously a moment worth noting, but what else were you proud of when it came to the Spartan defense?
I thought the Spartan defense did a great job. I thought that coach (Derrick) Odum and the staff had the guys really prepared–multiple fourth down stops and we had the play where we got to run into the punter, so that gave them five yards, then gave them a fourth and short.

Ethan Aguayo, I believe, made a huge hit and we stopped them there. Also, we got good field position with our offense–multiple fourth down stops and two turnovers. Obviously, Ethan again with the tipped interception on the screen play. It was a really big moment in that game early on.

I thought our defense played really, really hard. There were a couple throws we’d like to contest a little better or finish a little better, but I thought against a really physical running attack and against a team that had really been playing really excellent offense the previous month, I thought our defense did a really good job holding them to 21 points and doing what we did against the run game and on third down and the turnover battle was four to one, maybe. So it’s just a lot of good stuff.

3. The US Open Trophy made a guest appearance at the game. Just how awesome was it to see the trophy and did you, the other coaches and the players touch the trophy or avoid it altogether?
You know what? I was unaware the US Open Trophy was at the game until I saw a picture of it. My brother-in-law is a big golfer and he showed me a picture of it, so I was unaware that it was there.

Obviously, it was really cool that it was, but we were so locked into Senior Day and making sure that that experience for our seniors and their families was something that they would remember and something that would be positive for them. So that’s kind of where I was at.

Cleveland Barons night: Barons (Barracuda) shutout the Eagles 5-0

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Photo credit: @sjbarracuda

By: Ana Kieu

On Cleveland Barons night, the San Jose Barracuda took a step back in Sunday’s game versus the Colorado Eagles and paid tribute to the former NHL team, the Cleveland Barons, who played in the league from 1976-78. Due to the throwback situation, former San Jose Sharks stars Jonathan Cheechoo and Douglas Murray were at the SAP Center to sign autographs until 4:45 pm.

Anyhow, the Cuda’s starting lineup consisted of Lukas Radil, Maxim Letunov, Vincent Praplan, Jacob Middleton, Thomas Gregoire and Josef Korenar.

There’s always room for fighting in hockey, and that was what happened in the early minutes of the opening period. There was some pushing and shoving on the ice. The Cuda went on three power plays and Korenar made some big saves, but the score was in a scoreless deadlock at the end of the period. Shots were 14-5 in favor of San Jose.

The Cuda killed off some penalties and even went on a 5-on-3 power play at one point in the second period. Francis Perron helped the Cuda get on the board with not only one but two goals scored at the 13:04 and 10:33 marks, respectively. The second goal occurred on the power play following a Justin Faulk penalty for delay of game at the 10:01 mark of the period.

The Cuda were up 2-0 and outshot the Eagles 31-7 at the end of the period.

The Cuda exploded in the third period with three goals to put the game out of reach for the Eagles. Cuda captain John McCarthy scored a goal with 6:54 left in the period. Praplan followed up with a power play goal just 3:27 later. Praplan’s goal, which was also his first of the season, occurred after Mason Geertson’s penalty for cross-checking. Alexander True capped off the Cuda’s scoring with a late goal with 17.9 seconds left in regulation.

The Cuda shutout the Eagles 5-0. With the win, San Jose snapped a two-game losing skid.

The Cuda head to Colorado for a rematch against the Eagles on Friday, November 23 at 6:05 pm.

Three takeaways from San Jose State’s 21-12 loss to Nevada on Senior Day

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Photo credit: @SJSUSpartanFB

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose State Spartans were fired up for Senior Day on Saturday afternoon versus the Nevada Wolf Pack inside CEFCU Stadium. Unfortunately, things weren’t that great, and Spartans head coach Brent Brennan was unable to let this year’s seniors leave the game with a win.

Here are my three takeaways from SJSU’s 21-12 loss to Nevada.

Missing you
The Spartans got on the board first, thanks to five-year quarterback Michael Carillo’s one-yard touchdown pass to Josh Oliver, who ran for the opening touchdown. But senior kicker Bryce Crawford’s extra point attempt failed, so the Spartans settled for an early 6-0 lead to start the game.

Fast forward to the third quarter, where the Spartans made an effort to cut the Wolf Pack’s lead to 14-12. Carrillo threw yet another touchdown pass, a 22-yarder, to senior running back DeJon Packer for the touchdown. But the Spartans’ two-point conversion attempt failed, so there’s that too.

Needless to say, SJSU has failed at two extra point opportunities to cap off their touchdowns, so that’s something that the Spartan coaching staff needs to address to the Spartan players.

For the first time
If there’s anything the Spartans could look back upon to crack a smile, it’d be the superb moment when Christian Johnson picked up the fumble recovery in the second quarter for the first of his career.

Johnson is far from a household name, but he drew some attention to his name Saturday. That’s a good start for the sophomore defensive end, who has been competing for playing time on the Spartan defensive line thus far.

Keep up the good work, Johnson!

West Coast
The Spartans lost to the Wolf Pack in their final home game of the season, but the Senior Day has showcased this year’s seniors, including senior tight end Josh Oliver, who’s a versatile tight end who gives the Spartans a target on pass plays. Oliver also proved to be a capable blocker.

Before the game, no tight end in the nation has risen higher than Oliver, a Paso Robles, Calif. native, per Reese’s Senior Bowl Executive Director Jim Nagy.

Nagy added that it seems like most, if not all, West Coast agents are on Oliver at the moment.

Kapanen’s Pair of Goals Caps 5-3 Leafs Win Over Sharks

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Photo credit: @SanJoseSharks

By Matthew Harrington

SAN JOSE–Concerns about the San Jose Sharks team defense weren’t alleviated Thursday night with the Sharks dropping a 5-3 contest to the Toronto Maple Leafs (13-6-0) at SAP Center on Thursday night. San Jose offseason target John Tavares scored, Kasperi Kapananen netted a pair and Frederik Andersen made 42 saves to seal a Maple Leafs win. Erik Karlsson picked up a pair of assists while Kevin Labanc, Joe Pavelski and Marc-Edouard Vlasic scored for San Jose (10-7-3).

Just like in Tuesday’s game, the Sharks had the lead after a strong 1st period, but unlike the comeback win against Nashville Tuesday, the Sharks couldn’t finish the job Thursday. Toronto scored three unanswered goals in the second and third periods for the win.

Practically every goal could be linked back to a lapse in decision making that made the Sharks vulnerable defensively. The game-tying goal 2:31 into the second came with two Sharks below the Maple Leafs’ goal line and another two along the faceoff dots. That left only Joakim Ryan back as the defender of a 2-on-1 when Brent Burns’ pass was picked off by Tyler Ennis. Ennis fed Josh Leivo, who ripped a shot over Sharks goalie Martin Jones’ blocker for his second of the year.

The game-winning goal proved another egregious play, amplified by the Sharks being on the power play. Pavelski chose a soft backhand chip up the boards from the blue line that Mitch Marner read and picked off easily. His co-winger Kapanen knew his teammate had it and fled the defensive zone, leading to an academic pass and breakaway goal with 7:54 left in the second. The game-winning goal was Kapanen’s 8th of  the year and second of the game.

Mitch Marner tacked on the dagger goal with 6:06 left in the third, taking a stretch pass from his goalie Andersen right at San Jose’s blue line. From there Marner curled to the outside, wrongfooting Jones before firing a shot few in the NHL could save. The Sharks fired a salvo on Andersen, especially with their net empty, but none of their 15 third period shots could tickle the twine.

The goal outage for San Jose was strange after their ability to score at will in the first. The two teams combined for 28 shots and five goals in the first, with the goals coming in all varieties.

First came Tavares’ goal 2:10 into the game. The Sharks aggressively pursued Tavares in the offseason before he inked his seven-year, $77 million deal with Toronto, which led to a chorus of boos every time he touched the puck Thursday. A even louder boo erupted from the crowd after Tavares banked a puck from behind the net off Vlasic’s skate and into the Sharks net for a 1-0 Maple Leafs lead.

The puck luck evened out for the Sharks after Labanc scored 5:28 into the game. Andersen misplayed a dump-in, thinking the puck would carom out the opposite side of the dump instead of following the puck as it came back on the same side. It came right to Labanc for the tap-in and a tie game.

Kapanen’s first goal came on another case of puck mismanagement after Evander Kane tried to peel back while entering the Toronto zone but lost the puck instead, flinging it back after a Johnny Dermott pokecheck. Patrick Marleau picked up the puck and fed Kapanen for the one-time finish and a 2-1 Leafs lead with 8:13 left in the first.

Pavelski scored the Sharks’ lone power play goal in three opportunities after Burns’ shot-fake pass hit the captain on the far post for the soft-touch redirect. Marc-Edouard Vlasic added a one-timer for his first goal of the year with 1:39 left in a highly entertaining first period.

The Sharks continue the homestand, welcoming the St. Louis Blues to the Shark Tank Saturday. They’ll hope to be with Tomas Hertl in the lineup again after he sat out Thursday’s game due to an injury sustained in the the Tuesday tilt with Nashville.

San Jose State podcast with Ana Kieu: Both football and men’s basketball teams lost to Utah-based teams last Saturday

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Photo credit: @SJSUSpartanFB and @SJSUMBB

On the San Jose State podcast with Ana:

1. It’s time for some football. San Jose State took an early lead and put on somewhat of a show in Logan, Utah last Saturday, but suffered a brutal 62-24 loss to the Utah State Aggies. The Aggies were ranked #14/#16 at the time, but now they’re ranked #23. Are the Aggies the real deal or are the Spartans just really bad?

2. It’s time to talk men’s basketball. San Jose State dropped a heartbreaker to Southern Utah 66-59 inside the Event Center last Saturday. I know you predicted the Spartans would win 10 games under second-year head coach Jean Prioleau, but have your thoughts changed? Also, what do the Spartans need to do in order to get a win over the Weber State Wildcats in the Bahamas on Thursday?

3. Let’s take a look at a bright spot in San Jose State Athletics. In women’s soccer, San Jose State made it all the way to the NCAA Tournament, but got shutout by the UCLA Bruins in L.A. last Friday. Not the result the girls had hoped for, but they should be proud of themselves nevertheless.

Ana does the San Jose State podcasts each week for SportsRadioService.com

Thornton Joins Elite Company, Scores Game-Winner 5-4 Over Nashville

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Photo credit: @Sharkfan20

By Jerry Feitelberg

The San Jose Sharks won a seesaw tilt Tuesday night at the SAP Center, seeing a 3-0 lead dissolve into a 4-3 deficit before rallying for a pair goals and 5-4 win. Joe Thornton scored his 400th goal, Joe Pavelski scored twice, Marcus Sorensen had a three point night. Erik Karlsson and Tomas Hertl also notched milestone assists for San Jose’s second win in as many games at home.

The game-winning flurry began with just under seven minutes left oimregulation and the Sharks trailing 4-3. Joe Pavelski netted his second goal of the game and 10th of the year to pull the game even, then Joe Thornton netted the game-winner just 13 seconds later, his 400th NHL goal.

“Jumbo” became just the seventh player to record 400 goals, 1,000 assists and appear in 1,500 games, accomplishing the third feat earlier this season. He joins Jaromir Jagr, Mark Messier, Gordie Howe, Ray Bourque, Ron Francis and Steve Yzerman as the only players to do so. Six of those players are in the Hockey Hall of Fame, with number 19 set to join them when he hangs up his skates.

San Jose led 3-0 after a first period they dominated, out-shooting the Predators 18-5, but the roles were reversed in the second.

Craig Smith scored on a deflection off his skate 4:43 into the period, then a turnover spring Filip Forsberg for a breakaway that he buried just 40 seconds later. Forsberg would beat Jones five-hole with 2:08 left in the period to tie the game heading into the final frame. Nashville pulled closer in the shot differential category after outpacing the Sharks 18-6.

Rocco Grimaldi scored 2:43 into the third period, challenging Joakim Ryan for a Puck at the Predators blue line. The forward picked the puck up and worked Ryan off his back, finishing the play with a back-hand fore-hand deke and his first goal of the year after getting called up in late October to give the Preds a 4-3 edge over a then-lifeless Sharks side.

It looked like San Jose would continue their strong home at and early in the contest after beating the Calgary Flames Sunday. Marcus Sorensen scored 5:09 into the game, outwaiting Predators goalie Juuse Saros, who committed to the butterfly with the forward in the crease. Sorensen was able slide to the side for an open net and his third goal of the year.

Joe Pavelski scored his ninth goal of the year on a power play tip 7:05 into the first, but the assists were the real milestones. Erik Karlsson picked up his 400th career assist, the fifth-most by an active defenseman, and Tomas Hertl’s secondary helper marked his 100th of his career in his second game back from an injury.

Antti Suomela netted his fourth goal on some puck luck thanks to a gaffe from Forsberg. Forsberg went to pass the Puck to a teammate in the defensive end but his rocket hit the boards and bounced dead-center in the slot. Suomela was waiting for it on the forecheck, ripping it over Saros’ glove for a 3-0 edge with just over three minutes left in the first.

The Sharks had their opportunities often, going on five power plays, but only scoring on the one try. Martin Jones made 31 saves in the game. The Sharks continue the homestand Thursday against old friend Patrick Marleau, new enemy John Tavares and the Toronto Maple Leafs.