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Analyzing the Western Conference's Top Teams Salary Cap
Situations
Time to start thinking
dollars
by Zach Bodenstein
With many
moves to be made by many teams due to salary cap and expansion reasons, we
break down the top teams in the West as of June 20th 2016 looking towards next
season. The Blackhawks were forced to make another deal that they did not
necessarily want to make earlier this week, sending promising forward Teuvo
Taravainen alongside Bryan Bickell to Carolina for draft picks as a salary dump
in attempt to re-sign Andrew Shaw. The Blackhawks have had to make similar
deals involving Patrick Sharp to Dallas and Brandon Saad to Columbus, amounting
in very little returns for their respective values.
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Gordie and Dad
Fond memories of a
legend
by Ken Smyth
There's still a few
thoughts about the Sharks' playoff run, but today is a time to reflect on
Gordie Howe. The personalities of the hockey world are coming forward with
individual recollections and anecdotes about what a fine man he truly was. For
me, though, Gordie Howe is another part of the stuff I shared with my dad.
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That's how the story ends
Sharks simply lost
to a better team
by Paul Krill
We've all
heard this expression 1,000 times: So close, yet so far. This season, we saw a
rebirth of our Sharks, After disappointing ends to the past two seasons, the
Sharks came within two games of the Ultimate Prize: The Stanley Cup.
Unfortunately, after dominating through the first three rounds of playoffs and
finally, at long last, getting to the championship round, the Sharks were like
Rocky Balboa facing off against Apollo Creed in the first "Rocky" movie. It
became apparent quickly that the Sharks were outmatched and they'd have to will
their way to competitiveness in this series.
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Magic playoff run ends
Sharks fall in Game 6
ending Stanley Cup Finals
by Mike
Lee
Time ran out for the Sharks on Sunday night. Literally and
figuratively. As the puck skidded down a sheet of bad ice, the clock ticked to
zero on the Sharks storybook playoff run, ending with the Pittsburgh Penguins
celebrating as they hoped to do. Another tight hockey game ended in favor if
Pittsburgh, which was all the Penguins needed to cap a 3-1 win over San Jose at
SAP Center on Sunday. The Sharks offense failed them for a fourth time in the
series, ending a series that was probably more lopsided than the game scores
suggested.
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Martin Jones steals Game 5
Sharks live to
fight another day with 4-2 win in Pittsburgh
by
Mike Lee
In order to win the Stanley Cup, you need to be good, you
need to play above yourself and you need to be a little lucky. The Sharks were
all three on Thursday night, winning Game 5 with a 4-2 nail biter over the
Pittsburgh Penguins at Consol Energy Center. San Jose finally looked like their
playoff selves, jumping out to a quick lead, and battling after Pittsburgh tied
the game to overcome a bit of adversity. Martin Jones turned in a game for the
ages, stopping 44 shots to force the series back to San Jose on Sunday.
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So Hasty With the Shovel?
The Sharks aren't
dead yet
by Ken Smyth
All these funeral
metaphors. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression: that makes Game 5 on Thursday
night "acceptance". Should there be flowers? Maybe Peter DeBoer should forfeit
the game, and the team just show up in black suits for a handshake line and
screw the Penguins out of a game's worth of beer sales.
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Win or Lose, 2015-16 a Success
Much to be
proud of this season
by Mike
Lee
Regardless of what happens on Thursday night in Pittsburgh, this
season can only be regarded as a success. Should the Sharks lose Game 5 in
Pittsburgh, and ultimately the series, they can still hang their heads high.
The 2015-16 season was supposed to be a big question mark, filled with the
unknown uneasiness for a team that was an absolute mess a season earlier. To
make the Stanley Cup Finals, much less make the playoffs, was a massive step
forward for a team that many had written off for dead.
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Believe
by Ryan
Hall
It's been a long time since I've put pen to paper. Truthfully, I
haven't had much to say, since I've been living in a teal colored dream.
However, the time feels right to say something.
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Sharks teeter on the brink with Game 4 loss
San Jose's big guns AWOL once again
by
Mike Lee
The only thing missing from the procession of fans streaming
out of SAP Center on Monday night following the end of Game 4 was a casket. The
somber reality that the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals is about to turn into a funeral
for the San Jose Sharks hit home like a slap in the face. The Sharks succumbed
for third time on Monday night, falling 3-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins after
another lifeless performance that left no doubt who the better team is in this
series.
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Sharks saved by a Donkey
SJ wins first
Stanley Cup Finals game on Donskoi's OT goal
by
Mike Lee
It took three games to get it done, but the San Jose Sharks
finally win a Stanley Cup Final game. Rookie Joonas Donskoi blew the roof of
the SAP Center on Saturday night, with an overtime goal that legitimized head
coach Peter DeBoer's insistence that the Sharks aren't dead yet. Donskoi sent
the capacity crowd into a frenzy as the Sharks finally figured out the
Pittsburgh Penguins in their best-of-seven series.
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Sheary beats Sharks in OT
San Jose limps
home down 0-2 in the series
by Mike
Lee
The Sharks first foray into the Stanley Cup Finals is turning
into a public flogging. San was dominated in Game 2, and by some grace of the
hockey gods they managed to get the game to overtime, where they would fall
2-1. Rookie Conor Sheary snapped a shot past a screened Martin Jones 2:35 into
overtime to hand the Pittsburgh Penguins a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 series.
San Jose spent the majority of the night scrambling in their own zone,
defending against a superior Penguins lineup that owned them.
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Late miscue costs Sharks SCF Game 1
San Jose
battles back from 2-0 deficit to fall in final 3 minutes
by Mike Lee
The Sharks waited 25 years to make their
first appearance, but they kicked off their first showing with a bang in Game 1
vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins. Rust and nerves got the best of San Jose, who
dropped the opener, but it was a battle to the end. San Jose battled back from
a 2-0 deficit to tie the game, but a miscue late in regulation cost the Sharks,
who dropped a 3-2 decision to the Penguins.
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It's Real, Again
Time for Sharks to
shine
by Ken Smyth
On April 26, 1994,
over 22 years ago, the San Jose Sharks beat the Detroit Red Wings 6-4 in game 5
of their Western Conference Quarterfinal to send that series back to Detroit
with the Sharks leading the series 3-2. Johan Garpenlov put the game winner
past Bob Essensa at 8:08 of the third period and the Shark Tank was nuts. Our
new team was finally for real. That was the high point of playoff game elation
in San Jose until last Thursday's win over St. Louis sent the Sharks to the
Stanley Cup Finals. But finally the feeling is real, again.
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The Prediction
And other SCF tid
bits
by Mike Lee
As the Sharks embark on
their first ever foray into the Stanley Cup Finals it's customary for the
prognosticators predict who will win the best-of-seven game series with the
Pittsburgh Penguins. Predictions from across North America peel back every
statistical detail in search of the information that will help determine who
lift the Stanley Cup. With the puck drop just hours away, here is my
prediction...
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Sharks Break on Through
Chokers No
More
by Paul Krill
Yes, I say the Sharks
can no longer be known as chokers. They have made it to the Stanley Cup Final,
thus leaving behind a small contingent of teams (Minnesota, Nashville,
Columbus, Phoenix, Winnipeg) that's never been there. Of that group, only
Phoenix, the original Winnipeg Jets, has been in the NHL longer than the
Sharks. The rest are late-90s/year 2000 expansion teams. A number of teams have
made it this far but still haven't won: Vancouver, Saint Louis, Washington,
Buffalo, Ottawa, Florida. So for now, the mantle of Choker for This Decade
officially passes to the Washington Capitals, who had the best record in the
regular season this year but were done in the second round.
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Why the Sharks can beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in Round
4
Stanley Cup Finals prognostications
by Zach Bodenstein
For the first time in the franchise's
25-year history, the San Jose Sharks are in the Stanley Cup Finals after
successfully capturing the Clarence S. Campbell trophy as Western Conference
Champions. They will oppose a core that has not only been here before, but has
succeeded in capturing Lord Stanley's cup. With contributions from the entire
depth chart, the Sharks took care of the high-powered Blues in six games,
including controlling the pace of play for practically the entire series.
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Finally!
Sharks advance to Stanley Cup Finals with 4-2
win
by Mike Lee
The San Jose Sharks are
going to the Stanley Cup Finals. Let that one soak in for a moment. It took 25
years, but the Sharks improbable playoff run reached new heights on Wednesday
night, as San Jose eliminated the St Louis Blues with a dominating 5-2 win at
SAP Center. It was a 60 minute affair that showcased four Sharks lines that
contained the Blues from the opening whistle. St Louis was forced to play catch
up from the opening period, but could never generate the spark necessary to
match the Sharks.
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Uncharted Sharks Territory
Sharks notch 11th win in the
playoffs
by Mike Lee
The San Jose Sharks
have gone where no Sharks team has ever gone before. They won their 11th game
in the playoffs on Monday night to take a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference
Finals with a hard fought 6-3 win over the St Louis Blues at the Scottrade
Center in Missouri. Sharks captain Joe Pavelski scored the tying goal late in
the 2nd period, then bagged the game winner 16 seconds into the 3rd period to
propel San Jose. The Sharks sit one win away from their first trip to the
Stanley Cup Finals, which they can lock up at home on Wednesday night in Game
6.
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Blues even series by smashing Shark
Everything goes wrong for SJ in Game 4
by Mike Lee
When the Sharks beat the St Louis Blues in
Game 2 at Scottrade Center, they stole home ice advantage as the series shifted
back to San Jose. The Sharks imploded in Game 4 on Saturday afternoon, to hand
that advantage right back to the Blues. Holding a 2-1 series lead, the Sharks
played like a team that expected the Blues to roll over and hand them the
series. Not so fast. The Blues landed a throat shot to the lethargic Sharks to
even the series with a resounding 6-3 win at SAP Center.
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The Quest for Game M
Sharks are closing in
on uncharted territory
by Paul Krill
The
Universe is in spot where it's never been before: The San Jose Sharks at this
juncture are leading a Western Conference Finals series in games won. And if
they can take just two of the next four games, Sharks ticketholders will for
the first time get to use tickets for Game M. For those of you confused by what
Game M is, let me explain.
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Sharks continue to roll in Game 3
Jones
extends shutout streak in 3-0 win
by Mike
Lee
Momentum in a powerful thing, and the San Jose Sharks have all of
it in their Western Conference Finals series with the St Louis Blues right now.
The series shifted to San Jose on Thursday night, and the Sharks picked up
where they left off in St Louis, by shutting out the Blues for the 2nd
consecutive game. The Sharks used a pair of goals from Tomas Hertl and another
from Joonas Donskoi to use a 3-0 decision to take a 2-1 series lead.
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Welcome Back
Sharks now control home
ice
by Ken Smyth
Coming back to San Jose
with the series tied, the St. Louis Blues are trying to earn a split on the
road just as the Sharks were a few days ago. Blues coach Ken Hitchcock tossed
his team under the zamboni after Tuesday's loss, but his lamentations of
why-can't-we-play-at-home-like we-do-on-the-road sound appropriate for the
Sharks as well. Also, don't snicker at Htich too much. Spending all those years
in 210 watching his Stars teams snag a loose pass and send the forwards back up
ice made me appreciate his system, boring as it looked to play. Those doughnuts
power a good hockey mind.
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Sharks smother Blues for Game 2 win
Martin
Jones shutsout St Louis 4-0
by Mike
Lee
The Sharks turned in a hard nosed performance in Game 1 of their
Western Conference Finals series with the St Louis Blues, but weren't rewarded
for it. They put their heads down and bulled forward in Game 2 on Tuesday night
in St Louis, skating away with a dominating 4-0 win at Scottrade Center. Brent
Burns potted a pair of goals, and Martin Jones turned aside 26 shots to earn
his 2nd career playoff shutout.
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Hitchcock kicks off war of words
Blues coach
says DeBoer is "whining"
by Mike
Lee
We're only one game into the Western Conference Finals and the
war of words has already begun. At least Ken Hitchcock has elected to go that
route. In response to comments Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer made about
referees needing to do their job, Hitchcock responded by implying that DeBoer
was "whining". Pretty crafty of Hitchcock to play the referees against DeBoer,
who opened that door with his comments to reporters on Monday.
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Simple mistakes cost Sharks Game 1
Blues
take tightly contested 2-1 game
by Mike
Lee
The Western Conference Finals kicked off in St Louis on Sunday
night, but an absence of the fire that carried them to a Game 7 win in the
Conference Semi-Finals doomed the Sharks to a 2-1 loss at the hands of the host
Blues. San Jose showed some signs of life after falling behind to the Blues,
but in the playoffs, you need to seize control of the game. They didn't do
that, and find themselves in 1-0 series hole.
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Why The Sharks Can Beat The St. Louis Blues in Round 3
Round 3 prognostications
by Zach
Bodenstein
The San Jose Sharks were pushed on to the brink of
elimination for the first time in these Stanley Cup playoffs, but that only
propelled the club to have its most dominant performance of the postseason in
Game 7 against Nashville. Now, they head to St. Louis for the Western
Conference Final against a healthy and scary Blues team.
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Game 7 is all San Jose
Sharks advances to
Conference Finals with 5-0 win
by Mike
Lee
The Sharks Western Conference Semi-Finals series wrapped with a
hum-dinger of a Game 7 on Thursday night. San Jose came out swinging and
powered past the Nashville Predators with a 5-0 pummeling at SAP Center. Five
different Sharks put pucks past Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne in what was
arguably the best playoff performance in franchise history.
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Sharks roll over in Game 6
Blown leads and
complacency dooms San Jose
by Mike
Lee
The not so illustrious history of the San Jose Sharks in the
playoffs is scarred with one simple fact. They've never been able to put teams
away when they had the chance. With all the momentum following their Game 5
pasting of the Nashville Predators in their pocket, the Sharks pulled another
underwhelming performance in Game 6 on Monday night, letting the Predators back
into the series.
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Sharks ambush Predators in Game 5
SJ unloads
after controversial Game 4 loss
by Mike
Lee
After their demoralizing triple overtime loss to the Nashville
Predators in Game 4, the Sharks jumped all over their opponent and rolled to a
5-1 win in Game 5 at SAP Center. San Jose was relentless all night, piling on
the Predators with an up-tempo game that caught Nashville flat-footed all
night. Joe Pavleski led San Jose with a pair of goals, and Martin Jones made 24
saves to earn his 7th victory of the playoffs. San Jose now sits a win away
from the Conference Finals.
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Triple overtime proves too much for SJ
Nashville evens series at 2-2 with comeback win
by Mike Lee
So much for that 2-0 lead. The Sharks limp
home from Nashville after dropping Game 4 on a Mike Fisher goal scored in
triple overtime. San Jose blew a 3rd period lead, then misfired on a boatload
of chances in the three extra periods, but they simply found a way to lose. San
Jose actually put what should have been the game winning goal into the
Predators net, but a controversial call waved off what would have been the goal
to put the Sharks up 3-1 in the series.
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Sharks fall flat in Nashville
SJ drops Game
3 in 4-1 snoozer
by Mike Lee
You can't
expect to win them all, but you do expect the team to show up. The Sharks have
found lots of success during this post season, but Tuesday night wasn't
indicative of that. The Sharks grabbed an early 1st period lead, then threw
things into cruise control for the final 40 minutes. That was a recipe for
disaster as the host Nashville Predators scored the next 4 goals to roll the
Sharks 4-1 at Bridgestone Arena.
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Jones leads Sharks to 2-0 series lead
SJ
grabs another 3rd period win
by Mike
Lee
The Sharks had the advantage of playing a tired Nashville
Predators team in Game 1 of their Western Conference Semi-Final match-up, but
Game 2 was a much different story. Nashville came out firing on Sunday
afternoon, outplaying the Sharks for the better part of 60 minutes, but San
Jose's netminder Martin Jones had a career game in net to help the Sharks take
a 3-2 win at SAP Center, vaulting the team to a 2-0 series lead.
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Five 3rd period goals propel Sharks
SJ take
1-0 series lead in WCSF
by Mike Lee
The
Sharks last played a week ago when they ended the Los Angeles Kings season with
a 6-3 win in Southern California, so it wasn't a surprise that they had a few
cobwebs to deal with. San Jose spent the better part of 40 minutes in search of
their legs, but when they found them it was a beautiful thing. San Jose erupted
for a franchise record 5 goals in the 3rd period to knock off the Nashville
Predators to take Game 1 of the Western Conference Semi-Final match-up.
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Why the Sharks can beat the Nashville Predators in Round
2
Round 2 prognostications
by Zach Bodenstein
After shocking the hockey universe and
eliminating the Los Angeles Kings in dominant fashion, the Sharks are
well-rested and poised to carry over their first round success against the
Nashville Predators. The Predators are no slouch, as they took down arguably
the western conference's toughest team, defeating the Anaheim Ducks in seven
games, of which was a grueling and bruising series. The Predators come into
this game on a two game winning streak, like the Sharks, and are forced to
adjust to the time zone in Northern California, as well as the extended travel
from Tennessee.
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Quiet Night
Sharks prepare for Round
2
by Ken Smyth
No hockey tonight so one
can think about things. The LA Kings are gone in five games, and between the
Sharks and the St. Louis Blues, "exorcising their demons" easily wins the
Over-used Metaphor In A Hockey Blog competition for the week. Sharks fans can
live with that, we're tired of hearing that "c" word. About 90% of the smart
people pecked either the Kings or the Chicago Blackhawks to represent the
Western Conference in the Finals and have some serious splaining to do.
Somebody new will go in a few weeks, it might as well be us. But that's getting
ahead of things.
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A Measure of Redemption
Two years of
mourning is over
by Paul Krill
The Sharks
have won their first playoff series in three years. More importantly, they have
defeated the Kings, with the series not even going all that far, only five
games. We all know how it worked out the last time these two teams met in the
playoffs in 2014: the Sharks won the first three games and then rolled over and
played dead in a historic choke that has resulted in the Sharks' once-vaunted
sellout streak being a thing of the past, thanks to some people just losing
interest. The sting of that series is removed to a small extent, anyway.
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Sharks exact a little revenge
SJ wins
opening round series 4-1 over Los Angeles
by Mike
Lee
The Sharks got a little redemption on Friday night. It wasn't
full retribution for the great playoff collapse of 2014, but it was a nice
little accomplishment that every player who wore teal two season ago had the
pleasure of enjoying. San Jose out gunned the Los Angeles Kings in a wild 6-3
shootout at Staples Center, which allows the Sharks to advance to the Western
Conference Semi-Finals. There was great irony in the game after the Sharks blew
a 3-0 lead in the game before unloading two years of frustration on the Kings
with a 3-goal 3rd period.
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Power play powers Sharks to Game 4 win
Sharks
convert on 3 of 4 man advantage chances
by Mike
Lee
The Sharks Western Conference Series with the Los Angeles Kings
was billed as one of the tightest of the playoffs. Each of the first four games
has been diced by a single goal, including Wednesday nights 3-2 Sharks win at
SAP Center. San Jose scored the first three goals of the game, then held on for
a wild victory that gives them a commanding 3-1 series lead in the
best-of-seven affair.
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Missed opportunities gift the Kings Game 3
0-for-5 on the PP one of many missed chances
by Mike Lee
The Sharks played like world beaters for 30
seconds on Monday night. Then they came back to earth and played mediocre
hockey for the better part of an hour and allowed the Los Angeles Kings to
crawl back in their Western Conference Quarter Final series after a series of
missed opportunities. Tanner Pearson scored an overtime goal at SAP Center to
help the Kings cut the Sharks series lead to 2-1.
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Sharks grab 2-0 series lead
Another road win
gives Sharks leverage
by Mike Lee
The
league's best road team did it again on Saturday night. With Game 1 already in
the win column, the Sharks turned in another gritty performance at Staples
Center in Los Angeles to take Game 2 with a 2-1 win over the host Kings. The
Sharks took advantage of their chances, and held the Kings offense in check for
most of the evening to grab a 2-0 lead in the best of 7 series.
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Sharks take Game 1 from Kings 4-3
Joe
Pavelski pots a pair of goals to lead SJ
by Mike
Lee
To say the Sharks have some playoffs demons to exercise against
the Los Angeles Kings would be a bit of an understatement. They kicked off the
2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a step in the right direction as they topped the
Kings by a 4-3 score at Staples Center. One game does not a playoff series
make, but the Sharks know they can compete and the road has been their comfort
zone this season.
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Game is On, Will the Sharks be
It's that
time again
by Ken Smyth
Team Teal is back
to the playoffs. Notice the exclamation point is missing. Maybe the Warriors
have taken up all the oxygen around the bay, maybe it's the Sharks' losing
record at home, but outside of we hopeless puckheads the excitement isn't
happening. Even among fans there is a feeling of resignation.
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Why the Sharks Can Beat the Kings in Round 1
SJ has something to prove
by Zach
Bodenstein
After the infamous "reverse-sweep" in 2014, the San Jose
Sharks are a force to be reckoned with this season. To the average hockey fan,
the Sharks don't stand a chance, and that is a fair assumption considering the
Kings' recent playoff success. However, this is a different Sharks team, and a
different Kings team, as well.
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One More Night in Camelot
Shock the world
and acctually win
by Ryan Hall
The NHL
playoffs loom on the horizon, and when they begin the hopes and fears of
several fan bases will be realized. For some, this post-season brings optimism
and hope, while for others just reaching the second season is enough of an
accomplishment. However, for others, the playoffs have been a House of Horrors
for so long that they can no longer bring themselves to have anything
approaching excitement; and it is this last category that best describes the
San Jose Sharks.
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Sharks unveil new goal song
San Jose to
overhaul marketing approach
by Mike
Lee
As the playoffs approach, the Sharks put one of their pressing
needs to bed on Friday when they unveiled their new goal song. Executive Vice
President and Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Flavil Hampsten announced that
the Sharks are adopting the Helen Reddy anthem "I am Woman" to celebrate every
goal the Sharks score. Insiders have attributed the lack off an inspiring goal
song as the reason the Sharks have struggled mightily on home ice this season.
More
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Canucks cure ills with SAP hospitality
Sharks slip at home again
by Mike
Lee
The Sharks are consisitent if nothing else. On a night when they
were handed a cup cake game by the schedule makers, they gagged up another
stinker on home ice, losing to the Vancouver Canucks, helping to break their
guests nine-game losing streak. Vancouver beat the host Sharks 4-2 before a
lifless home crowd.
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Couture's hat trick powers Sharks
Canucks
drop 9th straight game
by Mike Lee
A day
after clinching a playoff birth, the Sharks had to overcome the fatigue of
back-to-back games and the emotional let down after such a big win. Luckily
they got to do it against the lottery bound Vancouver Canucks who haven't won a
game in 9 straight tries. San Jose shook off a sluggish start to beat the
Canucks 4-1, powered by Logan Couture's first career hat trick.
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Sharks earn playoff spot with win over Kings
SJ
back in the post season after a year hiatus
by Mike
Lee
The Sharks and Los Angeles Kings don't ever need any motivation
to play each other tough, but when there's a playoff spot on the line, you have
the makings for an entertaining evening. That's exactly what fans got on Monday
night as the two teams battled for the positioning in the Pacific Division
standings. The Sharks had the added motivation of a playoff spot that eluded
them last season. A win or a Phoenix Coyotes loss would secure that spot for
San Jose. They would get both.
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 |
Pacific Division Power Rankings #8
The Final
Countdown Edition
by Ryan Hall
I'll give
you a moment to let the chorus from the 1986 Europe hit play through your head
before continuing. There. You ready now? As the NHL season begins to wind down
most of the teams are entering their own final countdowns. For some it's the
number of games left until the post season starts. For others it's the magic
number to clinch their own spot in the playoff dance. While for the rest it's
simply a tally of how many times they need to hit the ice before a long summer
vacation.
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Lowly Oiler spoil Sharks playoff party
4
goal 2nd period sinks San Jose
by Mike
Lee
There are losses, and then there are those head scratching
performances that make you wonder why you bothered to get up that morning.
Thursday night was one of the latter, as the Sharks turned in an abomination of
a performance en route to a 6-3 loss to the lowly Edmonton Oilers. In their
second chance to clinch a playoff spot, the Sharks once again gagged up another
loss albeit to a cellar dweller. The upstart Oilers exploded for 4 goals in the
2nd period to hand San Jose their 20th loss on home ice this season.
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Sharks fizzle in playoff style matchup
Blues
shutout SJ on SAP Center ice
by Mike
Lee
With the Sharks on the verge of clinching a playoff spot, San
Jose got a taste of what playoff hockey is going to be like on Tuesday night.
The Sharks misfired in a defensive slugfest, losing to the St Louis Blues 1-0
at SAP Center in a primer for the post season. San Jose missed a chance to jump
past the Anaheim Ducks in the standings and climb within 3 points of the Los
Angeles Kings for the Pacific Division lead after both teams lost.
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Sharks exact some revenge on Coyotes
Reimer
earns 2nd shutout since acquisition
by Mike
Lee
The Sharks turned in the performance they needed last Thursday
night, as San Jose dispatched the Arizona Coyotes 3-0 at SAP Center. The
underachieving Coyotes beat the Sharks three days earlier in a game that was
filled with controversy. Arizona wouldn't be so lucky on Sunday night. Making
only his 4th start since being acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs at the
trade deadline, James Reimer made 25 saves to earn his 2nd shutout in San Jose.
More
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Donskoi leads Sharks over Bruins
San Jose
gets rare back to back home wins
by Mike
Lee
The Sharks accomplished something on Tuesday night that they've
only done once this season. Win more than one game in a row. Even as they make
a push for a Stanley Cup Playoff spot, it's hard to believe that San Jose had
only strung together multiple wins one time this season. With their 3-2 win
over the visiting Boston Bruins, the Sharks accomplished that feat for only the
second time this season. Building on their 5-2 win over the Washington Capitals
last Saturday, the Sharks overcame a 2-1 deficit to beat the visiting Bruins.
San Jose swept the season series, having also won in Boston 5-4 on November
17th.
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Buyer Beware
Will This Year Be Any
Different?
by Paul Krill
We've just
finished three games against the Canucks in the past two weeks, where the
Sharks won the two games on the road, only to come home and lose, thanks to an
absence of penalty-killing. Then, the Sharks go out and kill it on the road,
beating Calgary and Edmonton, only to come home and get shut out by subpar New
Jersey and its backup goaltender. So it's a mixed bag: road dominance, home
struggles.
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Sharks sweep Caps with big 3rd period
SJ
turn the tables on NHL's top team
by Mike
Lee
The best team in the NHL cruised into San Jose on Saturday night,
countering on a pair of Shark leads, but when push came to shove, the home team
finished the evening with a big 5-2 victory. The Washington Capitals came to
town looking to take advantage of the Sharks woes on home ice, but San Jose dug
deep in the 3rd period to score three goals to break a 2-2 deadlock. Brenden
Dillon, Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton all contributed a goal and an assist in
the win.
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Sharks stumble at home...again
New Jersey
lures SJ into lethargic loss
by Mike
Lee
The Sharks returned to the scene of the crime on Thursday night,
dropping a 3-0 loss to the New Jersey Devils. The crime being the product the
Sharks throw out on the ice in front of their home fans. San Jose slept-walked
through 60 minutes of lifeless hockey that was best suited for an insomniac.
New Jersey entered the contest 0-5-1 and were shellacked for 6 goals in their
last game, but they played a lockdown defensive road game that was tailor made
for the Sharks lethargic offense.
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Back to back goaltending gems for SJ
Reimer
shuts out Oilers in his 2nd start for SJ
by Mike
Lee
24 hours after Martin Jones 47 save performance, the Sharks
leaned on recently acquired netminder James Reimer, who made 31 saves en route
to his 1st shutout in only his second start for San Jose. Reimer didn't face
the onslaught of shot that Jones faced against the Flames a day earlier, but
his steady hand in net allowed the Sharks offense to flow against the host
Edmonton Oilers as they capped their Alberta trip with a 3-0 victory.
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Sharks play with penalty fire again
Martin
Jones bails out SJ with 47 save performance
by Mike
Lee
After giving up three power play goals to the Vancouver Canucks
last Saturday night, you'd think the Sharks would have learned a lesson about
staying out of the penalty box. Not so much. The Sharks continued their penalty
box parade in Calgary on Monday night, serving up 7 power play chances for the
host Flames. The last one cost Martin Jones a shutout as the Flames converted
on a 6-on-4 late to tie the game in dramatic fashion. If not for a Joe Pavelski
goal in overtime, the Sharks would have wasted a gem of a performance by Jones
who made 47 saves in a 2-1 win at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
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No Reimer reason for penalty kill woes
Canucks top Sharks 4-2 at SAP
by Mike
Lee
Most NHL teams play to earn the home ice advantage come playoff
time. The Sharks may want to align themselves with the 8th seed should they
hold on and actually make the playoffs this season. SAP Center ice has been
anything but advantageous for the Sharks this season, and Saturday night's loss
to the Vancouver Canucks further drilled home the point that the Sharks are a
much better team on the road and that home ice has been less than inviting. The
Canucks took advantage of a Sharks parade to the penalty box en route to a 4-2
win in San Jose.
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Sharks dispatch Canucks again
Another strong
3rd period paces SJ
by Mike Lee
The
Sharks did what they needed to do Thursday night in Vancouver as they kicked
off the road end of a home-and-home series with the Canucks. Coming off their
4-1 win in British Columbia last Sunday, the Sharks overpowered Vancouver with
another strong 3rd period, scoring a pair of goals to wipe out a 2-1 Canucks
lead.
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Pacific Division Power Rankings #7
(California) Dreaming Edition
by Ryan
Hall
I guess we should have seen this coming. After five months of
games, the Pacific Division has aligned itself into two groups: California and
The Rest. Despite some stumbles and struggles during the early stages the
Sharks, Ducks, and Kings have emerged as the only legitimate teams in a
division that is chock full of underwhelming, young, inexperienced squads. For
those clubs the only thing left to worry about is the Austin Matthews
sweepstakes; while for the big boys the California Derby is just getting
started.
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Sharks spank Habs 6-2
Pavelski's big night
leads San Jose
by Mike Lee
Once the
hottest thing going in the Eastern Conference, the Montreal Canadiens have
fallen on hard times of late. Their lone visit to San Jose didn't do much to
turn their season around. The Sharks unloaded on the Canadiens, scoring 6 goals
in a 6-2 whitewashing at SAP Center. Joe Pavelski scored a pair of goals and
added an assist to lead San Jose. Ten different players recorded points for the
Sharks who won their 2nd game in a row.
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Big 3rd period paces win in B.C.
Sharks take
first of 5 with Canucks
by Mike Lee
It
wasn't pretty, but the Sharks dispatched the Vancouver Canucks in British
Columbia with a big 3rd period fueled by 4 San Jose goals. The Sharks snapped
out of a 40 minute funk that was nothing but lifeless hockey, pounding Ryan
Miller with a flurry of goals that help the San Jose keep pace with the Los
Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks in the Pacific Division race. Four different
Sharks scored in the big 3rd period.
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Sharks stink up the Tank
Door mat Sabres
take 3-1 win at SAP
by Mike Lee
The
Sharks returned home on Friday following a so-so 5-game road trip. By virtue of
playing on home ice, the Sharks obliged their fans with a typical no-show
performance that ended in an embarrassing 3-1 loss to the cellar-dwelling
Buffalo Sabres. San Jose charged fans a gate fee, but it wasn't an NHL caliber
product that hit the ice. San Jose slept-walked through 60 minutes of carefree
hockey, like there wasn't a care in the world.
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Sharks run out of gas in Denver
Avalanche
take 4-3 shootout win
by Mike Lee
The
Sharks up and down February continued on Wednesday night as San Jose wrapped up
their 5-game road trip with a 4-3 shootout loss to the host Colorado Avalanche.
Joel Ward salvaged a point for the Sharks with a goal in the final 1:31 of
regulation, but then San Jose wouldn't come any closer to the net in the
overtime and shootout. Martin Jones made 38 saves in a valiant performance, but
the defense in front of him wasn't up to the task against the hungrier
Avalanche.
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Doug Wilson Overpaid
Roster is Now
Over-Made
by Zach Bodenstein
On Monday
morning, The San Jose Sharks hooked up with the Toronto Maple Leafs for a
five-piece deal that brought rugged blueliner Roman Polak and underrated
speedster Nick Spaling to San Jose in exchange for the contract of Raffi
Torres, a second-round pick in 2017, and a second-round pick in 2018. Most are
overreacting to Doug Wilson perhaps giving Toronto too much in the midst of
their rebuild, but the move was one that had to be made and will pay dividends
come playoff time.
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Sharks rally around Tennyson injury
SJ beats
up on St Louis after nasty hit
by Mike
Lee
The Sharks continued to roll on the road, but they paid a price
for the 6-3 win in St Louis on Monday night. Outplaying the host Blues early in
the game, the Sharks lost Matt Tennyson to a wicked hit along the end board
glass that knocked out the defenseman. Blues winger Ryan Reaves tried laying
the body as Tennyson was about to play the puck, but the hit came with Tennyson
too far from the boards.
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Sharks grind out win in Florida
SJ takes 2-1
shootout decision
by Mike Lee
The road
warrior San Jose Sharks scratched and clawed their way to a 2-1 shootout win in
South Florida on Thursday night, capturing their 20th road victory of the
season. San Jose and the Florida Panthers played one of the tightest games of
the season, trading goals in the 3rd period in the low scoring affair. The
Sharks beat Panthers goaltender Al Montoya with a pair of goals in the shootout
to beat the second best team in the Eastern Conference.
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Road trip starts with a buzz
Sharks sweep
season series with Tampa
by Mike Lee
The
road has been a safe haven for the Sharks this season, so when that's coupled
with a new found confidence San Jose has been playing with, the results have
been solid. San Jose kicked off a tough five game road trip with a nice 4-2 win
against the Tampa Bay Lightening at Amalie Arena in Florida on Tuesday night.
The Sharks matched a solid performance against the Lightning earlier this
season against the Lightening with goals from four different players and solid
goaltending from Martin Jones who improved to 27-15-3.
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Stalock's rough night spells doom for SJ
Flames take 6-5 win in the shootout
by
Mike Lee
There are tough losses, and then there are confounding
losses that could have simply been avoided. The Calgary Flames were the
benefactors of an injury to starting goaltender Kari Ramo, beating the Sharks,
who tried to ride an underperforming Alex Stalock in a 6-5 shootout at SAP
Center. Stalock allowed 5 goals on 22 shots in regulation, then couldn't stop
anything in the shootout to overshadow a gritty comeback by his teammates.
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Pacific Division Power Rankings #6
Straight
Shooting Edition
by Ryan Hall
There comes
a time in any season where the blinders are removed, and you're simply left
staring at reality. For some clubs this is a pleasant surprise, as it is
evident that they are going to exceed expectations. Other teams though, well,
they are left with the ugly truth that they just aren't very good. Even though
the reasons for success and failure can be debated, argued about, and rehashed
for hours, the inescapable truth is right there on the ice.
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Jones blanks Hawks in Chitown
San Jose
knocks off Chicago to end road trip
by Mike
Lee
Martin Jones had never defeated the Chicago Blackhawks entering
Tuesday night's match-up at the United Center. He was 0-4 in his prior
attempts, but a 33 save performance was good enough to not only beat the
Blackhawks, but to shut them out. There's something to be said given the
Blackhawk's status atop the Western Conference standings, and the fact they did
in Chicago's barn. The Sharks played a perfect road game, stifling the
Blackhawks lineup of super stars and generated just enough scoring to end their
road trip an even 2-2-0.
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Sharks get back to winning in St Louis
SJ
avoids back to back loses
by Mike Lee
If
the Sharks are going to make a run this season, they have to learn how to avoid
back to back loses. They took a big step forward on Thursday night, bouncing
back from their in Anaheim two nights earlier with a solid 3-1 win in St Louis.
San Jose took advantage of a St Louis Blues team that has been hard pressed to
score goal s of late. The Blues have averaged a goal a game in their last five
contest, and the Sharks chipped away in a crucial road game that helped them
keep pace in the playoff race.
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Ducks strangle Sharks in 3-2 win
No fight in
Sharks following ASG break
by Mike
Lee
The post All Star break blues were in full effect in Southern
California as the Sharks stumbled to a 3-2 loss, snapping their a 10 game
streak in which they scored at least a point in the standings. The host Anaheim
Ducks trudged through a stifling game that was more about grinding clock than
emphasizing any form of finesse. The Ducks skated away with a 3-2 win over the
Sharks in what best described as a snooze fest at the Honda Center.
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Burns burns Sharks in tough loss
Kings steal
2 points after SJ collapse
by Mike
Lee
Call it one of those ones that got away. Holding a 3-2 lead with
seconds left in the game, the Sharks decided that Brent Burns was suddenly
capable of playing defense. They were wrong. Another defensive lapse, this one
with 12.7 seconds left in regulation, cost the Sharks dearly against the
visiting Los Angeles Kings on Sunday night at SAP Center. Burns lost track of
newly acquired Kings forward Vincent Lecavalier in front of the Sharks net,
allowing the former Philadelphia Flyer to poke home the tying goal in the
waning moments of regulation. The Kings would go on to win the game on a Marion
Gaborik goal in overtime to steal 2 points from the Sharks.
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Sharks solid in the desert
San Jose takes
3-1 win over Coyotes
by Mike Lee
The
Sharks shook off the sting of their shootout loss to the Ottawa Senators
earlier in the week and responded with a strong 3-1 win over the Arizona
Coyotes at Gila River Arena on Thursday night. San Jose scored a pair of 1st
period goals from their underlings, then held on to a tight 2-1 lead for the
majority of the 3rd period to take the Pacific Division match up.
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Pacific Division Power Rankings #5
Mid-season Report Cards Edition
by Ryan
Hall
The time when high school students are frantically preparing for
semester change over, and the NHL reaches its midway point. While everyone has
'room for improvement' the hard work of several clubs is starting to pay
dividends, even as others are regretting some of their life choices. There's
still time to make up lost ground though, even as the dividing line between
valedictorian and dropout is coming into clearer focus.
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Gaffs cost the Sharks in loss to Sens
Ottawa
wins 4-3 in shootout after SJ hands them game
by
Mike Lee
Playing for a 6th straight win, the Sharks outplayed the
visiting Ottawa Senators, but a series of mistakes cost the Sharks in a 4-3
shootout loss in front of 16,619 at SAP Center. The outcome of the game was
frustrating, given the effort San Jose turned in. With the Sharks finally
turning the corner on their horrific home performances, they make a pair of
mistakes that essentially cost them a point in the standings.
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Hertl's heroics lead the Sharks to 5th straight win
Sharks beat former netminder Antti Niemi
by Mike Lee
It wasn't pretty, but the Sharks figured out
how to extend their winning streak to 5 games on Saturday night at SAP Center.
They also did it against the top team in the Western Conference. San Jose let a
pair of 3rd period leads slip through their fingers against the Dallas Stars,
but a Tomas Hertl goal 1:12 into overtime gave the Sharks an exciting 4-3 win
before a rare home sellout crowd.
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Sharks not so inviting in McLellan's return
San Jose takes 2-1 shootout win
by Mike
Lee
Former Sharks head coach Todd McLellan made his return to San
Jose on Thursday night. It's been eight months since McLellan and the Sharks
parted, but it was the former San Jose bench boss' first chance to face Bay
Area fans. Playing at SAP Center with his roster full of baby-faced Oilers,
McLellan just missed on a chance to go 2-0 against his former team. The Sharks
had to stretch things to the shootout in order to avenge an overtime loss to
the Oilers earrlier this season. Joe Pavelski and Joonas Donskoi buried shots
in the shootout to escape with a 2-1 win.
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The road continues to be a haven
Sharks win
third straight game with 4-1 win in Winnipeg
by
Mike Lee
The road continues to be a safe haven for the Sharks this
season. Even skating against a team that beat them soundly at SAP Center ten
days earlier, San Jose played another solid road game, scoring a couple of
goals, then clamping down defensively to stymie the host Winnipeg Jets on
Tuesday night. The Sharks misfired on 5 of 6 chances on the power play, but
converted on a big chance late in the game to secure a 4-1 victory at MTS
Centre in Saskatchewan.
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Sharks fight for two on the road
SJ scores a
pair of 3rd period goals to beat Calgary
by Mike
Lee
The Sharks showed a little perseverance when they needed it most
on Monday night. Kicking off a quick two game road trip in Calgary, the Sharks
overcame three power play goals by the Flames by scoring a pair of 3rd period
goals to win a 5-4 thriller. San Jose followed up their big 7-0 win on Saturday
night with another bushel of goals to win back to back goals for the first time
since mid-December. Brent Burns and Joel Ward came through in that crucial
final 20 minutes with a goal apiece.
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Sharks find scoring touch in rout of Leafs
SJ unloads on Toronto with 7 goals
by
Mike Lee
Apparently Joe Thornton's outburst at the end of the Red
Wings game on Thursday struck a chord with a few of his teammates. Either that
or the Toronto Maple Leafs looked so far past Saturday afternoon's game that
they forgot to actually show up. Thornton and his teammates erupted for 7 goals
in a white-washing of the Maple Leafs in a matinee affair at SAP Center.
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Same sad SAP story
Red Wings latest to beat
Sharks on home ice
by Mike Lee
The Sharks
25th season of futility continued on Thursday night with the team's 12th loss
in 17 games on home ice. The Sharks played a tight coin flip kind of game, but
once again came up short when it counted. Justin Abdelkader scored a goal with
6:52 left in regulation to stake the visiting Detroit Red Wings to a 2-1 win at
SAP Center. The goal pushes the Sharks to within a point of the Western
Conference basement, leading only the lowly Edmonton Oilers.
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Penalties sink Sharks
Colorado converts 4 of
6 power plays in 6-3 win
by Mike
Lee
Taking 6 penalties in a game isn't a back breaking statistic so
long as your special teams does its job. The Sharks didn't do that on Monday
night, and ended up paying the price. San Jose gave up 4 power play goals to
the visiting Colorado Avalanche in a 6-3 shellacking at SAP Center. Nathan
MacKinnon scored 2 of his 3 goals on the man advantage to lead the Avalanche,
who vaulted into the 7th spot in the conference. San Jose fell to 4th in the
division and sit 4 points out of the Western Conference basement.
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Sharks wrap up trip with stunner in LA
Pavelski scores a pair of 3rd period PP goals to pace
Sharks
by Mike Lee
The Sharks lengthy
5-game road trip came to an end in Southern California on Tuesday night, with
one of those "how did that happen" performances that left heading home with a
5-3 win over the host Los Angeles Kings. Facing a 3-2 deficit heading into the
3rd period, the Sharks scored 3 goals to knock off the rival Kings in a
stunning turnaround.
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Pacific Division Power Rankings #4
Star Wars
Edition
by Ryan Hall
A long time ago, in
a division far, far away…
Okay, so after seeing The Force Awakens,
I can safely say that the NHL has a long way to go before it can match
entertainment like that! Wow!! For those who haven't seen it yet, I highly
recommend it. However, this is a safe, Non-Spoiler article, so feel free to
read without worry - unless you haven't seen any of the trailers and will find
the mere mention of names and climate a spoiler. Then avert your eyes before it
is too late…
More >>
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| SHARK SNAPSHOT |
|
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| Western Conf |
W |
L |
OTL |
Pts |
|
| (1) Dallas (C) |
50 |
23 |
9 |
109 |
|
| (2) St Louis (C) |
49 |
24 |
9 |
107 |
|
| (3) Chicago (C) |
47 |
26 |
9 |
103 |
|
| (4) Anaheim (P) |
46 |
25 |
11 |
103 |
|
| (5) Los Angeles (P) |
48 |
28 |
6 |
102 |
|
| (6) San Jose (P) |
46 |
30 |
6 |
98 |
|
| (7) Nashville (C) |
41 |
27 |
14 |
96 |
|
| (8) Minnesota (C) |
38 |
33 |
11 |
87 |
|
| (9) Colorado (C) |
39 |
39 |
4 |
82 |
|
|
|
| SJ Home |
18 |
20 |
3 |
39 |
|
| SJ Road |
28 |
10 |
3 |
59 |
|
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| Next Game: |
TBD |
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| Prev Game: |
3-1 L |
vs |
 |
|
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| LEADERS |
| Scoring |
Gm |
G |
A |
Pts |
PIM |
|
| Thornton |
82 |
19 |
63 |
82 |
54 |
|
| Pavelski |
82 |
38 |
40 |
78 |
30 |
|
| Burns |
82 |
27 |
48 |
75 |
53 |
|
| Marleau |
82 |
25 |
23 |
48 |
10 |
|
| Hertl |
81 |
21 |
25 |
46 |
26 |
|
| Goaltending |
W |
L |
OTL |
Sv% |
GAA |
|
| Jones |
37 |
23 |
4 |
.918 |
2.27 |
|
| Reimer |
6 |
2 |
0 |
.938 |
1.62 |
|
| Stalock |
3 |
5 |
2 |
.884 |
2.94 |
|
| Special Teams |
# |
Eff% |
Rnk |
 |
| Power Play |
62/275 |
22.5% |
3rd |
|
| Penalty Kill |
46/236 |
80.5% |
21st |
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| RECENT TRANSACTIONS |
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| RECENT MILESTONES |
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| Technorati Profile |
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