SHARKSPAGE

Hockey Notes – 5/4

OCEANS 11 PHOTO OF THE ALLEGED SHARK TOSSERS - YAHOO PUCK DADDY

LEOPORD SHARK WITH OCTOPUS SEWN IN MOUTH THROWN ON ICE IN GM2

– More information is coming out about the 3-foot Leopard Shark (Triakis semifasciata) tossed on the ice after Joe Pavelski’s first period goal in game 2. According to the ABC-7 video report, the Shark thrown on to the ice had a small octopus sewn into its mouth. “It was done for fun, it was done to mock Detroit’s throwing the octopus on the ice. Misson successful,” an anonymous season ticket holder who had his identity hidden told ABC-7’s Mike Shuman.

It is at least the second time an enterprising Sharks fan decided to mock Detroit’s octopus-tossing tradition during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In the 2007 WCSF series against Detroit, San Rafael native [name redacted] snuck an enormous 4-foot Shark into the arena for game 4 using a combination of velcro and duct tape. The aftermath of the initial Shark toss was a mixture of puzzlement and confusion to some. The question of why toss a dead symbol of your team on the ice was asked. Others were pleased with the simple one-upmanship of Detroit fans.

Cue 2010, and this time an octopus was sewn into the Sharks mouth. Accoring to reports, either a team of 3 season ticket holders, or a team of 6 combined for the most recent Shark toss. According to the Mercury News’ Alex Pavlovic, the endeavor was undertaken in response to Detroit’s tradition to show “the Sharks (are) higher on the food chain.” Pavlovic also reports that the Leopard Shark was obtained from a San Rafael fisherman. When asked if any of the nearby fans could smell what was going on, the unidentified Sharks thrower told ABC-7 “it was pretty fresh”.

In the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, three Detroit Red Wings fans planned a successful octopus toss on the road against Phoenix at Glendale Arena. The perpetrator was fined $500, but even the security guard holding him could not keep a straight face. A collection was taken among visiting Red Wings fans to pay for the fine.

– Yahoo’s Greg Wyshynski has the full story of the Sharks tossers (complete with Ocean’s 11 style photo), as it turns out it is the same crew that instigated the plot in 2007: Inside story of how shark with octopus hit the ice in San Jose. Full disclosure, I once caught an 18-inch baby Leopord shark on the old Dumbarton pier. The shark who took one for the team in the game 2 celebration was most likely a Bay Area marine resident.

– The Sharks have been slaying internal demons all playoffs long. For game 3 in Detroit, an 8-44 record at Joe Louis Arena awaits (3-6 in the playoffs, 5-30 in the regular season). Our history dictates that we haven’t played well in that building, so we’ll have to try to change that and overcome that situation.There is a history and we’re aware of it, but what happened has absolutely nothing to do with May of 2010,” San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan told the AP on Monday.

There has been almost an unconcious advantage for Detroit against the Sharks in its own building. As the Sharks showed in a tumultous first three games against Colorado, and showed again winning on home ice in the first two game, in 2010 they are more than built to overcome obstacles.

“They’re a great team over there and they’re desperate, It’s important that we kind of match their desperation,” Joe Pavelski said. The fourth year San Jose Sharks center leads the NHL in goal scoring with 9, and he is first on the San Jose Sharks with 14 points in the playoffs. Pavelski matched a career high 25 regular season goals in 2010, despite missing 15 games with a foot injury in October and November.

– San Jose Mecury News beat writer David Pollak notes that Jed Ortmeyer might be in for U of M. alumni Dwight Helminen on the fourth line. Ice time for the fourth line dropped in game 2 as Todd McLellan shortened his bench and rolled three lines towards the end.

– Kevin Allen of USA Today checked in with Joe Pavelski’s college hockey coach at Wiconsin to ask what makes the fourth year San Jose Sharks center so successful in the NHL. “It’s the ability he has between his ears… He’s not the biggest, not the strongest, but he has the ability to think and anticipate, and know what he’s going to do before he gets to his puck,” Mike Eaves told Allen.

Pavelski won a NCAA Championship under Eaves in 2006 when Wiconsin downed Boston College 2-1. It was another in a long line of championship caliber successes that he has experienced throughout his hockey career. He scored the game winning goal on an end-to-end rush to win a Wiconson state high school hockey championship for Stevens Point High School (SPASH), and was named USHL rookie of the year before winning a USHL championship with the Waterloo Blackhawks in 2004. With Wisconsin, Pavelski lead the team in scoring his freshman and sophmore seasons. His entry into the NHL in 2006 was a difficult one, “little Joe” scored 7 goals in his first 10 games. He was an intergral part of the Sharks second line in 2009, which was the top skating line down a stretch run that ended in a Presidents Trophy. That line struggled in the playoffs, and he mentioned recently that it still inspires him to make himself more of a factor in each game.

Based on past performance and his play in San Jose, this blog drew comparisons between Joe Pavelski and another notable on-ice leader, Chris Drury. It is more than just a “swiss army knife” comparison that is being thrown around by East Coast and Canadian media, it is a desire to win and the will to go into the contact zone in front of an opposing crease to make it happen. He applies that will and desire to whatever situation on the ice can best help his team, whether it be penalty killing, on the point on the first power play unit, at center on the second power play unit, faceoffs, etc.

– ‘Little Joe’ emerges from shadow of ‘Big Joe’ – Eric Duhatschek for The Globe and Mail.

Accordingly, Tuesday’s third game is shaping up as the Battle Of the Sharks’ Joes (Big and Little) at the Joe – Detroit’s venerable Joe Louis Arena – and may the best Joe(s) win.

Thus far in the playoffs, Pavelski has been something of a revelation for the Sharks, who are on a five-game postseason win streak. In the opening round, Pavelski scored the last-minute tying goal in Game 2 against the Colorado Avalanche, the overtime winner in Game 4 and the series clincher in Game 6.

It has been more of the same against Detroit, where Pavelski has scored twice in each of the first two games, giving him nine goals and the overall playoff goal-scoring lead – not bad for a player who had had only 25 goals in 67 regular-season games, good for sixth place on the team’s overall scoring list.

Thanks to Paul Kukla for the link. In a recent conference call with the media, Yahoo’s Greg Wyshynski lead with the question on whether he felt his recent play overshadowed or somehow pressured Joe Thornton’s. “This first series we talked about was overcoming. Didn’t really matter how we got there, we just wanted to win. I think other years he’s led the way at times. It was just important we won,” Pavelski replied.

– Team USA will begin the 74th annual IIHF Men’s 2010 World Championships Friday May 7th against host Germany in front of an expected 76,000+ fans at Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen. The expected turnout should surpass the 74,554 attendance record set by Michigan State on October 7th, 2001.

Team USA will face France today at 11AM (PT) in an exhibition tuneup game. On the roster for Team USA: Kings defenseman Jack Johnson, Coyotes defenseman Keith Yandle, Anaheim’s Ryan Carter, Colorado Avalanche forward T.J. Galiardi, the Islanders Kyle Okposo, and Blues forward T.J. Oshie. In goal for the Americans will be Scott Clemmensen, 6-foot-7 Ben Bishop, and TPS SM-Liiga veteran (TPS Turku) David Leggio.

Good luck, and as always, Beat Canada.

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