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SJ/NAS Game 3 - PreGame
Notes
Sharks hold upbeat practice
Monday
4/24/06 - By Mike Lee
The
Predators will have more to worry about than just the Sharks on Thursday
night
as the two teams faceoff against each other in Game 4 of their Western
Conference quarterfinal series. NHL Comissioner Gary Bettman will be in
attendance at HP Pavilion. Several Predators players complained after their
game 2 loss to the Sharks that Bettman's presence may have played a role in
overly restrictive on-ice officiating.
Bettman has indicated that
any
official who puts his whistle in his pocket during the playoffs, won't be
officiating in the playoffs and that he wants the same protections that the
new
NHL rules afforded teams durng the regular season, to be imposed during the
NHL's second season.
Practice makes
perfect
The Sharks conducted an upbeat workout at
Logitech
Ice on Monday afternoon, a day after their dominating win over the
Predators in
Game 2. Jonathan Cheechoo told reporters after the practive that he fully
expects the HP Pavilion crowd to play a big role in the teams fortunes on
Tuesday and Thursday.
"The crowd will be loud, and that may force
them
(the Predators) to think that something big is happening. That could force
them
to a mistake or take a penalty," Cheechoo said.
With the home ice
advantage back in their favor, San Jose's confidence is building. Of
course,
shutting out your opponent certainly helps build confidence. For goaltender
Vesa Toskala, Sunday was his first NHL playoff win and first NHL playoff
shutout.
Pre-Game rally
set
The Sharks will be hosting pre-game rallies prior to
each
home playoff game this postseason, beginning with their first home playoff
game
this Tuesday against the Nashville Predators. The rallies run from 5:15 pm
to
7:15 pm before each home game and are open to the public. The first playoff
rally will be prior to Game Three on Tuesday, April 26 from 5:15 –
7:15 PM
on
Festivities kick off at Autumn Street in between Santa Clara
Street and St. John Street.
Activities for the first two playoff rallies will include music and a live DJ
from Sounds in Motion, a performance by the Keith King BMX Stunt Show, face
painting and balloon art by Dizzy Entertainment, poster making and other
fun
and games for the kids.
In addition, the Sharks Foundation will have a benefit beer booth with proceeds
from the beer sales going to the Sharks Foundation. Corporate partners of
the
Sharks will also have manned sponsor booths at the rallies.
The Bear says...
Former
Shark Andrei Nazarov was asked to predict the outcome of the Sharks -
OPredators series. His response:
"San Jose in seven. I have faith in
my
former team, or more precisely, in Thornton, Cheechoo, and
Nabokov."
Nice to see Nazzy is keeping up with the goaltending
situation
in SJ. Attention to details Nazzy. That's what cost you your gig in San
Jose.
Or more precisely your lack of skills. Or was it that head butting thing?
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