SHARKSPAGE

San Jose Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi named NHL first star of the week, Nemo quietly putting together an impressive stretch run

G ANTTI NIEMI, G JOHAN HEDBERG, RW ALES HEMSKY NHL 3 STARS OF THE WEEK

NIEMI IN 2011: 12-6-1, 1.95GAA, .936SV%, 4SO

San Jose Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi continues to pick up wins and accolades in 2011. After collecting his third shutout of the month with a 25-save performance against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night, Niemi was named as the NHL’s first star of the week this afternoon. The Vantaa, Finland native registered a 3-0 record, 0.98GAA, and .963SV% stopping 78 of 81 total shots to help the Sharks move into the top half of Western Conference playoff contenders for the first time this season.

“We have been playing really, really well lately,” Niemi said after his third shutout of the month against Colorado. “Especially our battle level, and how tight we are in front of our own net.” The 6-foot-2, 210-pound netminder was 4-0 in an Olympic shortened February for the Chicago Blackhawks last season. After becoming the #1 goaltender with 10 weeks remaining in the season, he became nearly unsolveable in the playoffs facing two of the top three offenses in the Western Conference; Vancouver and San Jose. The Sharks are hoping a scortching second half is a trend for Niemi. Asked if he had caught fire winning 8 of his last 10, Niemi calmly replied, “maybe a little bit.” He added that he thought his game had grown since a Stanley Cup winning 2009-10 campaign. “I feel I am more experienced now, I feel I am more patient.”

In the 13 seasons the Sharks have been awarding player of the month honors, Antti Niemi became only the 6th goaltender to be given the honor in January. It was a recogniton not that far removed from a tumultous 3-5-1 record, 5.54GAA and .833SV% during his first two months as a San Jose Shark. Head coach Todd McLellan had a plan for Antti. He kept him in the rotation, and spread the blame for uneven play across the board instead of singling out Niemi. The move paid off. After he gave up 5 or more goals 4 times in his first 13 games, Niemi has allowed 2 or fewer goals in 13 of his last 20. In that span he has registered a 12-6-1 record, helped the Sharks snap a season long 6 game losing streak, and anchored the crease while the rudderless Sharks found a direction pointed towards the postseason.

“I think when you get wins and you are playing a lot, you get confidence,” Niemi said of starting 15 straight with an injury to Antero Niittymaki. “I think confidence is the main thing here, and then when you get lots of games it is good as well.”

At 6-foot-2, 210-pounds Niemi plays a more traditional blocking style down low than former franchise goalie Evgeni Nabokov. While Nabokov would play more on his feet, use anticipation and aggressiveness to stymie shooters, Niemi instead prefers to wall off the lower portion of the net and use his reflexes to pick off shots up high. His confidence and the complete team buy-in of the system in front of him have helped Niemi’s turnaround, but he has also shown incremental improvement throughout the season. Part of that is gaining familiarity with his teammates, but Niemi has also improved rebound control, glove positioning (as pointed to by HNIC), and he has erased the sliver of room beneath his pads when he moves side-to-side.

At one point, several hockey pundits labeled Niemi and the Sharks goaltending as a whole as average. That may have taken into account size and raw talent, but Niemi’s ability to make adjustments makes him more than that as he showed last year in the opening round of the playoffs. “After three games against Nashville, I asked him to play furthur out,” Chicago Blackhawks goalie coach Stephane Waite told Goalie’s World Magazine last summer. “The Predator’s weren’t shooting to score but rather to play the rebound.” Stephane, brother of one-time San Jose Sharks goaltender Jimmy Waite, noted that the adjustment greatly reduced the number of rebound opportunities for the Predators. Niemi earned a 3-0 shutout in his next game.

The adjustments continued for Antti in the second round against the Vancouver Canucks. As noted in a scouting report on this blog, the Canucks were on a mission to score goals up high. “I asked him to play higher, but also more aggressive with his body,” Stephane Waite said. “He really filled more net and the Vancouver players began to miss the net quite often. That is a sign there isn’t much to shoot at.” The Sharks came at Niemi with a similar gameplan, and similar results.

This season Niemi has continued to make adjustments as the team tightened around him. The additions of Kyle Wellwood and Ben Eager up front, and Ian White on the blueline, add a depth of skill that is a shade similar to his former club in Chicago. He may have to carry the bulk of the workload while backup goaltender Antero Niittymaki recovers from an undisclosed injury, a seperate injury than the one he suffered during a pre-game skate in Vancouver. Whether the Sharks remain with first year pro and former UMass Lowell goaltender Carter Hutton, or whether GM Doug Wilson feels the need to bring in an additional veteran backup as insurance for an extended Niittymaki injury, Niemi will continue quietly making adjustments and putting together another solid stretch run.

Not bad for a former Zamboni driver.

Devin Setoguchi celebrates Hockey Weekend in America with first career hat trick, 4-0 win over Colorado Avalanche continues torrid Western Conference pace

#31 ANTTI NIEMI STOPPED 25-OF-25 SHOTS, 3RD SO IN LAST 8G

#16 DEVIN SETOGUCHI SCORED 1ST CAREER HAT TRICK SAT NIGHT

HOURS AFTER TRADE FROM STL, #6 ERIK JOHNSON SUITED UP FOR COL

The San Jose Sharks continued their blistering post-ASG pace with a 4-0 win over the Colorado Avalanche Saturday night at HP Pavilion. Devin Setoguchi scored his first career hat trick in 246 games as a Shark, Ryane Clowe added San Jose’s third power play goal over the last 2 games after an 0-12 drought, and goaltender Antti Niemi recorded his third shutout in his last 8 games.

In 10 February contests the Sharks have put up an 8-2 record, recorded 16 of 20 possible points, and earned the slimmest of margins in the tight Western Conference stretch run. “You have to win every game,” right wing Devin Setoguchi said. “We lost 2 or 3 games in the last (15), and we were 2 points out of the 9th spot. You got to keep winning, you have to keep playing your best hockey night in and night out.”

Setoguchi’s offensive explosion has been bubbling just under the surface for some time. When he wasn’t lighting up down the right wing against Nashville, he was carving into the offensive zone and using his speed on the backcheck against Washington. The Avalanche gave #16 a little too much room early in the first period, and he made them pay. After defenseman Jason Demers carried the puck out of the zone and fought off a stick check by Ryan O’Reilly, Setoguchi took a quick pass at the line and split the defense of Johnson and Wilson. After faking a backhand-to-forehand move at full speed, Setoguchi pulled it hard to his backhand and lifted the puck over a sprawled Peter Budaj.

Demers also sparked the second scoring sequence on the power play with a point-to-point pass to newly acquired defenseman Ian White. White was acquired one day earlier in a pair of San Jose Sharks trades with the Carolina Hurricanes. White got all of the puck on his shot, but he got all of the puck about 4 feet wide left of the net and Budaj. The rebound caromed behind the net to Setoguchi on the doorstep, and he buried it for his 14th of the season. He would add a third goal late in the game blowing past Colin Wilson and tucking it 5-hole on Budaj.

“It feels pretty good,” Setoguchi said. “I think I have had 12 or 13 two-goal games. It always sits in the back of your mind.” He mentioned that despite the offensive outburst, he needs to produce consistently to help his team down the stretch. “One game doesn’t make you a good player or a good goal scorer, you have to keep doing it.” The Sharks right winger also noted how the addition of White will impact the special teams. “He has a great shot, I benefited from that tonight. It makes our second power play unit a little more lethal from the back end.”

Mentioned by general manager Doug Wilson on the addition of Ian White was adding another puck moving, right shooting defenseman to the blueline. With the left shooting Marc-Edouard Vlasic sidelined with an upper body injury suffered against Washington, all three defensive pairs for San Jose had a left-right shooting combination: Boyle(R)-Murray(L), White(R)-Wallin(L), Demers(R)- Huskins(L). Justin Braun, a talented offensive-defenseman recently called up Worcester, also shoots from the right side.

The Sharks took firm control of the game in the first period, scoring 3 goals and outshooting Colorado 17-8. The Avalanche looked shellshocked, but this was not your father’s Colorado side, this was not even Monday’s Colorado lineup. Colorado Avalanche GM Greg Sherman made the largest blockbuster move to date in the leadup to the February 28th NHL trade deadline. Power forward Chris Stewart, Calder contending defenseman Kevn Shattenkirk and a 2011 second round draft pick were traded late Friday night to conference rival St. Louis for 2006 first overall draft pick Erik Johnson, veteran forward Jay McClement and a conditional first round pick in either 2011 or 2012. One day earlier they cut bait with last year’s surprise and seemingly franchise goaltender Craig Anderson. Anderson was traded for backup Brian Elliot from the Ottawa Senators.

Anderson set Colorado Avalanche franchise marks last season for games played (71) and minutes (4,235), and led the NHL in shots faced (2,233) and saves (2047) while registering a 38-25-7 record. This year an early injury may have effected his mechanices, and on and off ice problems contributed to a disappoiting 13-15-3 record, 3.28GAA, .900SV%. Anderson’s play covered a lot of holes in front of him last year, and in the playoffs he nearly pushed the Sharks to the brink in the first round with several inspired performances. Now in the last 48 hours, the one-time franchise goalie, the Avalanche’s best power forward, and the most promising offensive-defenseman are all gone.

Denver Post columnist Terry Frei notes the changes are extraordinarily risky. “It’s Erik Johnson for Chris Stewart with a bunch of other stuff — bodies and draft choices — tossed in,” Frei wrote in the wee hours of Saturday night/Sunday morning. “This is a longshot, but possible: Chris Stewart could become to the Avalanche what Cam Neely was to the Vancouver Canucks, the power forward his original team gave up on much too soon. I’m not saying Chris Stewart is Cam Neely; I’m saying he can be.”

Yes and no. Stewart is a very talented power forward, capable of playing the body and driving the net hard. While Stewart, whose inspirational story was featured alongside Kings forward Wayne Simmonds last year in The Hockey News, can influence games, Cam Neely could dominate them. Neely was a force offensively, with his fists, or with a game altering hit. If you did not account for Neely when he was on, the Bruins would roll over you. Stewart is not at that point now, and that nasty take-no-prisoners element is several steps below where it would need to be down the line.

In 6-foot-4, 232-pound defenseman Erik Johnson, the Colorado Avalanche are taking a risk. He has plateaued somewhat after the freak 2008 golf cart/knee injury, but he is a true #1 that is capable of soldifying the porous backend. He hasn’t put everything together on either end of the ice yet, but he offers the Avs a chance at being a foundation player for the longterm. A player a team can structure their defence around. If they can make a play for a top goaltender in the offseason, a sagging Denver hockey market could see a much quicker turnaround.

On Saturday night, Johnson looked a little weary. A few hours after being traded, he was off the plane in rainy San Jose and registering a team high 26:44 on the ice. He registered a game high 4:37 of power play time, blocked two shots, and was turned inside out on Setoguchi’s breakaway goal. The more suprising player was center Jay McClement. The 6-year vet has never put up a 30 goal season. He was described as a “plugger” by Frei, and slow footed. Saturday night he was one of the Avs with the most jump. He laid out a Shark’s defenseman behind the net with a solid forecheck in the first, and was one of the main instigators in the second period for the Avs.

The Avalanche outshot San Jose 11-4 in the second period, generated two power plays, and twice they crashed into Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi at full speed. On one collision Niemi was able to make an extended pad save on Ryan Stoa. The other forced defenseman Dan Boyle to go over the top of Niemi, clipping him in the back of the head with his skate. Niemi stood firm, making one save with the cage of his facemask, and directing one Avalanche forward to the side as he slid towards the net.

“Score-wise, to put 4 up on the board and still play well defensively is a nice reward,” San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan said after the game. “It still doesn’t feel like you really got away with one. They had chances. They worked hard, they kept coming.” McLellan also noted that his team is playing well top to bottom, and that will be needed to have any success down the stretch. “It is going to take 23 guys every night,” McLellan said. “I think early in the year we tried to rely on certain individuals to carry the team. When they weren’t going well, we didn’t get the push from anyone underneath them. Right now every body seems to be finding a way. That is the only we we have a chance to be successful, that is really the only way any team has a chance to be successful in this league.”

The key additions of forwards Kyle Wellwood and Ben Eager added a dose of offensive creativity and grit to the forward corps. The lines have not firmly settled down, but on any given night line 1 through 4 can come up with a big play. Ian White and Justin Braun give the Sharks a similar depth on the blueline. While Justin Braun may be the defenseman of the future, Ian White now gives all 3 defensive pairs the ability to make an impact on any given night.

“We have an unbelievable group of guys here, lots of speed, lots of skill,” Ian White said of joining the San jose Sharks. He also noted some of the differences between the Eastern and Western Conferences. “Obviously, you look at the standings and everything is tighter over here,” White said. “Bigger and faster, a little more of a grind I think playing over here.” While Ian White earned 18:08 of ice time and 1 assist, Sharks defensive player of the game may have been Douglas Murray. Colorado Avalanche forwards Brandon Yip and Mark Oliver made a sustained push in the third period, and Murray put his body between both, then tracked down Olliver across the defensive zone to offer a retaliatory check. The Sharks did not box out enough in the 2nd, and their goaltender took a pounding as a result. Murray put his near 250 pound frame between opponents and the goaltender in the 3rd, an intelligent and necessary adjustment.

At times the game was a foregone conclusion on Saturday night, but there is a lesson that can be learned from the Colorado Avalanche teams of years past. When the Avalanche dominated San Jose in the last 90’s, early 00’s, they overcame tight defensive Sharks sides with big games from their big players. Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg had an uncanny ability to score a critical goal when their team needed it the most. Joe Pavelski and Patrick Marleau have been those players for San Jose in past playoff performances. Can a Setoguchi, Thornton or Heatley deliver for San Jose when the playoffs are on the line in 2011?

The 23-man roster as it is can set the table, but someone is going to need to bring home the bacon.

A photo gallery from the game is available here.

[Update] Avalanche hits rebuilding mode with 4-player deal – Denver Post.

“Good enough” won’t be good enough for Erik Johnson in the next phase of his NHL career, which started with his debut with the Avalanche on Saturday night against the San Jose Sharks.

“To be a dominant player in this league — that’s what I want to be,” said the 6-foot-4, 215-pound defenseman, acquired early Saturday morning in a blockbuster trade with the St. Louis Blues. “I haven’t played my best this year, but I have a lot more to give.”

[Update2] Sharks now practicing Monday instead of Sunday — and a look back at that 4-0 victory over Colorado – David Pollak’s Working the Corners blog.

[Update3] Sharks crush Avalanche behind Setoguchi hat-trick, Niemi shutout – Fear the Fin.

[Update4] Numbers Game Avs: Blues and Avs with shocking blockbuster – Scott Cullen for TSN.

WorSharks Grab Point In Overtime Loss to Springfield, 3-2

The Worcester Sharks, who choked away potential wins in both of their previous road games by allowing six third period goals, finally turned the tables on an opponent with a game tying goal in the final twenty minutes of regulation but an untimely penalty in overtime led to a 3-2 loss to the Springfield Falcons Saturday night at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts in front 3,652 fans.

After painful collapses in Rochester and Albany where the best thing that could be said was “at least no one got hurt”, it looked like that wouldn’t be the case just 28 seconds into Saturday night’s contest when Tom Sestito crosschecked Dan DaSilva head first into the boards deep in the Worcester zone. With DaSilva laying on the ice not moving Joe Loprieno (6″3″ 220#) jumped Sestito (6’5″ 228#) to administer some frontier justice. Sestito would get the gate for the crosscheck, but Worcester was unable to capitalize on their three minute power play after Loprieno’s additional roughing minor was served. DaSilva would miss a couple of shifts but would return later in the opening period looking no worse for wear. The couldn’t be said for the WorSharks, who would find themselves down two after those first 20 minutes.

Springfield would get their first goal at 13:46 after Kyle Wilson beat WorSharks netminder Daren Machesney five hole from the slot just inside the left face-off circle. It looked like Loprieno’s attempt to block the shot just above the crease may have screened Machesney. The Falcons would make it 2-0 when Wilson picked off a Nick Petrecki clearing attempt and put the puck back on net. After two quick saves in close Machesney was down and out as Wilson followed the play to the far post and banged home the loose puck at 16:51. After the second goal Michael Swift (5’8″ 175#) dropped the gloves with Chris D’Alvise (5’11” 180#) in an attempt to fire up his team. It worked, but it took some time before the WorSharks could convert with a goal of their own.

Worcester would finally get on the board when Brandon Mashinter grabbed a loose puck at center ice and sent Patrick Davis down the right wing side. Davis went to the net and out waited Falcons netminder Gustaf Wesslau, firing a wide angle shot that just snuck inside the far post after Wesslau went down to block the angle.

Kevin Henderson would get the WorSharks even, but it was Petrecki’s head’s up play that resulted in the tally. After Frazer McLaren gathered a loose puck from behind the Falcons net he twice passed up open shooting lanes as he wheeled the net wide and ended up in the right wing circle. McLaren sent a pass to the left point to Petrecki, who never needs to be convinced to blast the puck on net. This time he spotted Henderson all alone in the shooting lane. Petrecki fired a lazy wrister toward his teammate, and Henderson calmly stuck out his stick and easily deflected the puck past Wesslau at 4:25 of the third period.

The WorSharks would have several great chances to grab the lead, including a four minute power play late in the period, but couldn’t send the Springfield faithful home brokenhearted. After Worcester was controlling the play in overtime Petrecki took an ill advised interference minor while crashing the net, and Wilson converted on the four on three power play with an NHL-quality wrist shot over the glove of Machesney for the hat trick to grab the extra point for the Falcons.

GAME NOTES
The Worcester Shuttle has been busy this past week, with Justin Braun heading to San Jose and Tommy Wingels, Nick Petrecki, Benn Ferriero, and Matt Irwin all heading up and back in recent days. Ferriero and Irwin did not arrive in time to play Saturday night. Worcester’s injury list is unchanged, and the healthy scratches were Cam MacIntyre and Cory Quirk. Jody Pederson, who was recently traded from Elmira to the Sharks ECHL affiliate in Stockton, has been signed to another PTO.

How bad is the San Jose organization in the third period? This list says it all. If the playoffs began today in each league the teams in bold would make it in.

Washington/Hershey +40
Los Angeles/Manchester +39
Vancouver/Manitoba +33
Boston/Providence +17
Buffalo/Portland +16
Edmonton/Oklahoma City +12
Phoenix/San Antonio +12
Nashville/Milwaukee +11
Pittsburgh/Wilkes-Barre +10
Detroit/Grand Rapids +8
NY Rangers/Connecticut +8
Toronto/Toronto +6
St. Louis/Peoria +3
Philadelphia/Adirondack 0
Dallas/Texas -1
Carolina/Charlotte -3
Tampa Bay/Norfolk -3
Montreal/Hamilton -4
Calgary/Abbotsford -6
Colorado/Lake Erie -6
Minnesota/Houston -11
Florida/Rochester -12
Chicago/Rockford -14
New Jersey/Albany -14
Columbus/Springfield -15
NY Islanders/Bridgeport -18
Atlanta/Chicago -21
Anaheim/Syracuse -22
San Jose/Worcester -31
Ottawa/Binghamton -33

The three stars of the game were
1. SPR – 29 Kyle Wilson (hat trick)
2. WOR – 15 Patrick Davis (g)
3. SPR – 36 Trevor Smith (2a)

The Sharkspage player of the game was Kevin Henderson.

Even Strength Lines
McGinn/Swift/Cheechoo
Mashinter/Trevelyan/Davis
McCarthy/Desjardins/DaSilva
McLaren/Henderson/Wingels

Moore/Sullivan
Petrecki/Schaus
Loprieno/Pederson

BOXSCORE
Worcester 0 1 1 0 – 2
Springfield 2 0 0 1 – 3

1st Period-1, Springfield, Wilson 8 (Smith, Savard), 13:46. 2, Springfield, Wilson 9 (Smith, Guite), 16:51. Penalties-Loprieno Wor (roughing, fighting), 0:28; Sestito Spr (major – cross-checking, fighting, game misconduct – cross-checking), 0:28; Swift Wor (fighting), 16:57; D’Alvise Spr (fighting), 16:57.

2nd Period-3, Worcester, Davis 4 (Mashinter), 8:26. Penalties-Byers Spr (delay of game), 4:00; Swift Wor (hooking), 13:27.

3rd Period-4, Worcester, Henderson 5 (Petrecki, McLaren), 4:25. Penalties-Smith Spr (double minor – high-sticking), 14:02.

OT Period-5, Springfield, Wilson 10 (Savard, Regner), 2:44 (PP). Penalties-Petrecki Wor (interference), 2:13.

Shots on Goal-Worcester 11-8-10-2-31. Springfield 7-4-11-3-25.
Power Play Opportunities-Worcester 0/3; Springfield 1/2.
Goalies-Worcester, Machesney 1-2-0 (25 shots-22 saves). Springfield, Wesslau 12-11-1 (31 shots-29 saves).
A-3,652
Referee-Jeff Smith (49). Linesmen-Brent Colby (7), Kevin Redding (16).

San Jose Sharks acquire defenseman Ian White from Carolina for 2012 2nd round draft pick, trade Derek Joslin to Huricanes for future considerations

5-FOOT-10, 195-POUND DEFENSEMAN IAN WHITE ACQUIRED FROM CAROLINA

The San Jose Sharks bolstered the blueline today with the acquisition of 5-foot-10, 195-pound offensive defenseman Ian White from the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2012 2nd round draft pick. “We think Ian is a great fit for our club, based on his abilities, style of play and his age,” San Jose Sharks GM/EVP Doug Wilson said of White via a press release. “He’s a great competitor who is responsible in his own end. He moves the puck well, can play on the power play and we like his right-handed shot.”

The 27-year old played 4 and a half seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs before he was part of a blockbuster trade that sent fellow Shark Jamal Mayers, Niklas Hagman and Matt Stajan to Calgary for Dion Phaneuf, Fredrik Sjostrom and prospect Keith Aulie. He registered a career high 13 goals and 25 assists in 83 games played for Toronto and Calgary that season. After signing a 1 year, $2.9M contract with the Flames in the offseason, White and Brett Sutter were traded to Carolina in November for Tom Kostopoulos and Anton Babchuk. Held out of Wednesday’s Hurricanes game at New Jersey, White practiced with Carolina this morning before learning of the trade.

In the short term, White will spark a Sharks transition game that has not fully rebounded after the departure of Rob Blake. Dan Boyle and Jason Demers have developed into a formidable one-two offensive defenseman combination, but White could afford the Sharks the ability to have a puck moving element on all three defensive pairs. It also might allow the Sharks to experiment more with White on the point on the power play, allowing Pavelski to play more up front. Toronto Globe and Mail reporter James Mirtle noted that in Toronto, White was a “smart player, good with the puck.” He also added that as long as he is not overworked, he could be a solid #4 or #5 dman.

“I feel like I’m coming to one of the best teams in the league,” White told Mark Emmons of the San Jose Mercury News. Describing his style of play, White noted, “I’m a versatile player. I really try to take care of the defensive side of things first, but I can contribute offensively and play special teams.”

Defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic suffered an undisclosed upper body injury early in the first period of Thursday night’s win over Washington. After the game, head coach Todd McLellan said that his injury would be re-evaluated today. According to Emmons, Vlasic said of his injury that it was “not terribly serious.” Ian White’s $2,995M 2010-11 salary will cause some adjustments for GM Doug Wilson. With the team tight against the salary cap, recently called up defenseman Nick Petrecki and forward Tommy Wingels were sent back down to the AHL. Forward Benn Ferriero and defenseman Matt Irwin were called up this afternoon. Defenseman Jason Demers was assigned to San Jose’s ECHL affiliate in Stockton, but he could return for Saturday night’s contest against a severly depleted Colorado Avalanche roster. With all of the roster juggling, a player may still have to be moved or assigned to fit under the $59.4M NHL salary cap.

Longtime defensive prospect Derek Joslin was also sent to Carolina earlier today in a seperate trade for future considerations. “Derek is a young defenseman who will add depth to our organization. He shows a good skill level and plays a solid two-way game,” Carolina Hurricanes President/GM said of the trade. A puck moving blueliner who exhibited polish defensively when frequently called up to San Jose, Joslin could develop into a solid 5th or 6th defenseman in Carolina if given the ice time. In 53 NHL games played with San Jose, the Ontario native registered 1 goal and 6 assists. Joslin was seated in the press box Thursday night for the game against Washington.

“This will give him the opportunity to go play,” Doug Wison told SJsharks.com about trading Joslin. “Sometimes when you do the right thing, it comes back to benefit you.” Joslin took a similar tone when discussing the trade from the only NHL organization he has played for. “It is going to be tough to leave some of the boys. I have been with some of these guys since 2005, my first training camp. It is a business… it is a part of the game,” Joslin said. He also had compliments for the Sharks organization. “San Jose is a top notch organization, I know everyone says it but it really is. I am going to have a soft spot because it is where I was drafted, and where I learned so much.”

This is the third trade the Sharks have made in recent weeks. On February 9th, San Jose traded Steven Zalewski and Worcester Sharks captain Jay Leach to New Jersey for RW Patrick Davis and C Mike Swift. According Worcester Sharks writer Mike Barba, Swift’s agitating and agressive play could help the AHL team make a stretch run to qualify for the playoffs. On January 18th the Sharks traded a 2011 5th round draft pick to Atlanta to acquire Ben Eager, and picked up Kyle Wellwood on the waiver wire. Both moves strengthened the Sharks forward corps, and White could have a similar affect on the blueline. The Sharks previously traded with the Carolina Hurricanes in February of 2010, acquiring current blueliner Niclas Wallin.

[Update] Moves, Moves, and More Moves – Mark Emmons for the Working the Corners blog.

[Update2] Surging Sharks finally add defenseman, acquire Ian White from Carolina – Fear the Fin.

[Update3] White’s status still up in the air – Carolina Hurricanes Canes Now blog.

[Update4] Sharks GM, White Discuss Acquisition, Puck-Moving Defenseman Will Arrive In San Jose On Saturday – SJsharks.com.

Not only is White an adept puck mover, he’s a strong shot from the right side who can compliment Dan Boyle on the power play if Coach Todd McLellan chooses to use him that way.

“We’ve been looking to identify right shot defensemen that can move pucks and help on the power play,” Wilson said. “The Ian White deal is something we’ve been looking at for a while. There aren’t many right shot defensemen out there. He’s 26 years of age. It’s like looking for left handed pitching. Those guys seem to be few and far between.”

White would definitely take the power play time if it comes his way. “That would be outstanding. I’m used to doing that throughout junior and into my professional career,” White, who will wear No. 9, said. “I’ll be excited to help out if I can.”

DOH Podcast #135: Live podcast, Nashville and Washington wins, trade deadline

[audio:http://dudesonhockey.com/podcast/doh_2011_0218.mp3]

Mike Peattie and Doug Santana produce a live podcast after the Sharks 3-2 win over Washington. Both discuss the recent wins over Nashville and Washington, assess the possible role of callup defenseman and former first rounder Nick Petrecki, evaluate trade possibilities with the upcoming February 28th trade deadline, and talk about recurring Devin Setoguchi rumors and more on the 135th episode of the Dudes on Hockey podcast.

This Sharks podcast is posted here with permission. Visit dudesonhockey.com for more coverage of the team or download the MP3 file directly here.

Capitals winless at the Tank for 16th season, Dany Heatley scores game winner on triple tipped shot in Sharks 3-2 win over Washington

#8 ALEX OVECHKIN SNAPS 1ST PERIOD GOAL FROM SLOT

#30 MICHAL NEUVIRTH PREPS FOR SHOT BY DEVIN SETOGUCHI IN 2ND

#15 DANY HEATELY CELEBRATES GW GOAL ON TRIPLE TIPPED SHOT IN 3RD

President Obama landed at SF International Airport Thursday night just as the San Jose Sharks and Washington Capitals took the ice for their brief pre-game shootaround. As Obama headed northward for an informal technology summit in San Francisco, legions of Sharks and casual sports fans made the waterlogged journey southward to HP Pavilion. The Washington Capitals and HBO stars Alexander Ovechkin and Bruce Boudreau made a rare appearance in San Jose.

There were ready made excuses on both sides of the ice. The Sharks were coming off a season long 7 game road trip, and had struggled mightily on the power play with an 0-12 stretch heading into Thursday night. After failing to convert a first period interference call on Alex Ovechkin, one Shark slammed his stick on the ice and cursed in frustration. The Capitals were coming off a wild 7-6 win in Anaheim one night earlier, an unsual game with 4 late lead changes and 7 even strength goals for the Caps. Missing offensive defenseman Mike Green and Tom Poti, as well as RW Eric Fehr, the Ted Leonsis owned club was also staring down a 15 season run of futility at the Tank.

Neither team used any excuses, instead they chose to put their heads down and battle through a very tight checking game. San Jose put forth a more disciplined 60 minutes, and utilized third period goals by Ryane Clowe and Dany Heatley (PP) to seal the 3-2 win. Heatley’s goal, his first in 7 games and 20th on the season, came on a Dan Boyle shot that may or may not have been deflected by Caps defenseman John Carlson and Sharks forwards Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton and Heatley. Pavelski offered plausible deniability when asked if his stick touched the puck after the game, but more impressive was Patrick Marleau’s rink-wide backhand saucer pass to Boyle that set the play in motion.

Heatley’s power play goal was the first for San Jose in 13 opportunities. “We haven’t had a (PP goal) in a long time,” defenseman Dan Boyle said after the game. “It seems like we only get 1 or 2 chances a night. We have been stressing getting more opportunities. We have 1 crack at it, sometimes it is tough. We came through with a big goal.” In a morning press conference, Sharks head coach Todd McLellan had stressed movement, competitiveness and puck retrevial as keys to turn the power play around.

Washington’s bench and locker room was shown to be an emotional one on HBO’s popular 24-7 reality show leading up to the Winter Classic. Captain Alexander Ovechkin wasted all of 17 seconds setting the tone for this game with a series of checks against behemoth defenseman Douglas Murray. Murray can play an entire season and count on one hand the number of times he has been knocked down to the ice. Ovechkin nearly lost his footing on the first Murray check in front of the boards, but a second mauling dropped the Sharks defenseman to one knee. On his way out, #8 tried to line up Joe Thornton as he passed by.

Both teams, crippled by respective 6-game and 8-game losing streaks earlier in the season, were making the slow crawl back up the standings with responsible defensive play and a more fundamental offensive approach. Still, the pressure of how close the playoff picture is, and how easy it would be for either of the 3-time consecutive division winners to miss the playoff window, weighed heavily. “It is hard to play when you are under pressure,” Mclellan said. “We have experienced that a lot this year. I have been told more than 100 times that it is going to help us later on, but you never like to be in that situation.”

The Ovechkin-Backstrom-Knuble and Chimera-Perreault-Bradley lines generated scoring chances down low early, but the Sharks started leveling out the play on the ice as the period progressed. Late in the first period after Ovechkin knocked down Heatley in the slot, Eager retaliated and drew 2 minutes for tripping. On the subsequent Caps power play, Carlson mishandled the puck at the point and Patrick Marleau ignited an oddman rush shorthanded. Marleau hit Joe Pavelski with a wire of a pass, and Pavelski wristed a clean goal up over the glove of 23 year old Michal Neuvirth.

Pavelski, who registered a goal and an assist and was named first star of the game, discussed how tight the games are on the ice and in the standings. “It is how we have been playing, you saw it. Everyone realizes the standings and how tight the West is,” Pavelski said. “Every game has got a little playoff atmosphere. We are trying to get there. You think you make up a little ground, but you don’t make any. These games against the East, they are two points. It is a competitive game out there.”

Clowe-Couture, and Mitchell-Pavelski-Heatley lines generated scoring chances early in the second period, but the pace of the game slowed and became more of a positional neutral zone battle. Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic was injured in the first period, and it fell on the remaining five blueliners to eat up his minutes and responsibility for the remainder of the game. “It happened very early in the game,” McLellan said of the Vlasic upper body injury. “I think that effected us early. We were still trying to find our legs and we were down to five. The five that did play (played well), and the forwards came back hard. It was rewarding to see them work as hard as they did.”

Second year defenseman Jason Demers was piling up workhorse minutes to start the third period. On his first shift he created a turnover and started a quick breakout out of the defensive zone. On his next shift he ripped a heavy point shot on Neuvirth. The Sharks gained a little seperation when Kyle Wellwood carried the puck along the half boards, then wristed a shot to the front of the net. The puck deflected off traffic, possibly off Neuvirth, a defenseman, or Clowe himself, and the Newfoundland native buried the rebound opportunity for his 15th goal of the season.

How leading and trailing teams respond the shift after a goal is scored can be a critical turning point in games. Sharks head coach Todd McLellan iced veterans Ben Eager, Scott Nichol and Jamal Mayers to provide the shutdown third period shift. The line’s debut was delayed with Nichol’s suspension and Eager’s offensive contributions moving him up the food chain, but it could be a critical defensive weapon in McLellan’s arsenal. Not quite worthy of the ‘Rock Line’ moniker as of yet, if they can provide situational awareness, win defensive zone faceoffs, and use a physical element to wear down opponents, they will be a key factor down the stretch. Also needed, the ability not to take penalties when you are dealing with a 1-goal lead.

Dany Heatley drove the zone, stopped inside the blueline and set up a huge point shot for Jason Demers. San Jose could have sagged back with the lead, but instead they were pressing the Capitals. Washington was starting to slow down and feel the weight of their legs for their second Pacific Division game in 24 hours. They did not put their first shot on Antti Niemi until 6:51 of the third, while San Jose put up 7 shots and blocked 3 in that span. The Sharks finished with a 14-7 edge in the third, and a 28-25 shot margin for the game. “We played hard, but we played against a good team and lost by one,” Washington coach Bruce Boudreau said after the game.

After Heatley’s power play goal built a 3-1 lead, the Sharks continued pressing. Devin Setoguchi found an extra gear to slash through the offensive zone on one shift, and narrowly miss a deflection with his stick on another. Joe Thornton made a pair of quality defensive plays in the final minutes. Creating a turnover in the neutral zone, then hitting Marleau with a behind the back pass up the right wing. Later he harrassed young defenseman John Carlson, stick checking him 4 times before stealing the puck. Carlson had his off hand wrapped around Thornton, so no calls were made in either direction.

Sharks defenseman Douglas Murray lost an edge late in the third, and Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom cut to the center of the ice from the right wing and wristed a shot that beat Antti Niemi far side. It gave the Caps a spark of life and a 1-goal deficit to overcome late in the game, and #8 was front and center. Alexander Ovechkin tried a desperation diving shot attempt in the waning seconds. The Capitals had a chance with less than 3 seconds remaining, but Murray blocked John Carlson’s final shot of the game.

GAME NOTES: The Capitals have not won at HP Pavilion in 16 seasons, registering a 0-10-1 record in that span. It was the Sharks first win in the alternate black third jerseys in 5 games. Defenseman Nick Petrecki and Tommy Wingels were announced as callups from Worcester prior to the start of the game. Goaltender Antero Niittymaki was placed on IR prior to the game as well. With an early first period injury to defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Dan Boyle registered a game high 29:54 of ice time. The Sharks third period power play goal by Dany Heatley broke a 0-13 drought with the man advantage. Joe Pavelski, Ryane Clowe and Dan Boyle were named three stars of the game. With 70 points, the Sharks are tied with the Nashville Predators for 4th place in the Western Conference. Nashville has one game in hand, but they are also projected to finish with twice as many shootout wins by the end of the season (9 to 4). Teams tied in points at the end of the year will use regulation and overtime wins as the first tiebreak, not shootout wins. San Jose is 1 point behind Phoenix for first place in the Pacific Division.

A photo gallery from the game is available here.

[Update] Recap: Sharks 3, Caps 2 – Japers Rink.

– The top line of Backstrom, Alex Ovechkin and Mike Knuble came to play right from the start tonight, with Ovechkin in particular firing on all cylinders and getting the Caps on the board with a huge power play goal. The way they were playing, the fact that they accounted for all the scoring and over half of the shots on goal (14 of 25 total) is hardly a surprise – and neither is the fact that, when the captain shows up, usually his team does, too. Would have liked to see Backstrom win that final draw, though…or not take it at all.

– Not that Alex Ovechkin’s style ever gets particularly old, but there’s something fresh and entertaining about watching him play in front of fans that don’t get to see him that often. Instead of boos, everything Ovechkin did seemed to be followed by murmurs as the San Jose fans experienced what so many of us take for granted. Nice to know that even well into his sixth season, Ovechkin can still turn heads.

[Update2] Quote of the night from Sharks’ 3-2 win over the Capitals – Washington Post.

[Update3] Sharks beat Capitals with two third-period goals – San Jose Mercury News.

Hockey Notes – 2/17

THE CAPITALS WALK THE PLANK TO A 7-2 LOSS AT HP PAVILION IN 2008

– The San Jose Sharks (31-21-6, 2nd Pacific) face off against the Washington Capitals (30-18-10, 2nd Southeast) tonight in a high profile battle between the top two teams in the league last season. A flip in the calender year found both offensive squads struggle to maintain consistency. By stressing defensive responsibility and a more fundamental offensive attack, each team has ground their way to the middle of the playoff pack with 2 months remaining. With a 2-0 win in Washington on February 8th, the Sharks upped their all-time record against the Caps to 18-9-1. The Sharks have a 5-1 record against Washington since the lockout. The Capitals have not won at HP Pavilion in 15 seasons, and have been outscored 38-19 in that span.

– In the pre-game media press conference, San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan discussed whether defensive responsibility has hindered some of his lineup’s offensive potency. On the power play, McLellan answered questions about a recent 0-11 streak. “Stationary, not competing hard enough to get pucks back after we establish the zone, and we haven’t been winning as many faceoffs in that situation, we have been breaking out far too much. A lot of it is competitiveness. We will need to get that back.” McLellan noted that other than the Nashville game, the Sharks power play has not had a lot of opportunities to get into a rhythm, and that he would use practice time this week to work on it.

“I thought our 5-on-5 play was significantly better than earlier in the year, and you need that when your special teams, or your power play in this case, is not doing as well as it should be,” McLellan said. He added that, “the best defense is playing in their zone with the puck and having some offensive opportunities. When that is not happening, we are getting a committment level from everybody else that is maybe a little higher. We set the record on the road for blocked shots in games, which is important. Net play has improved. We are well aware that can go away on us pretty quick if we don’t maintain that focus.”

McLellan on Washington’s stunning 7-6 win over the Anaheim Ducks yesterday, the Capitals first win against the Pacific Division this season. “We are concerned from their end of it, as far as their explosiveness. You could see last night where they were probably out of the game, they give up a short-handed goal and all of a sudden they are right back in it. You can not go to sleep against them. You look at a guy like Semin, who was not scoring very much. He gets three last night. He has got to feel pretty good about himself. Obviously #8 can find the net at any moment. They are explosive. In the same breath, as an offensive group we are waiting for that to happen. We have got to earn the right to score more than 2 or 3 a night. If we do that, we feel we will have one of those games,” McLellan said.

– Caps Seek to Break Spell in San Jose – Mike Vogel for WashingtonCaps.com.

Not only is this Washington’s fifth straight game against a Western Conference foe, it’s the Caps’ fifth straight against a Pacific Division opponent. The Pacific is easily the league’s most competitive division. Heading into Thursday night’s NHL action, a mere two points separated the five denizens of the Pacific Division.

When the Caps and Sharks met early last week in Washington, San Jose came in on a hot streak, having gone 7-0-1 in their previous eight games. The Sharks have cooled a shade since, dropping one-goal decisions at New Jersey and Florida before concluding their seven-game road tour with a 2-1 overtime triumph in Nashville on Tuesday. San Jose is now 10-2-1 in its last 13 contests.

Washington’s last win in San Jose was a 4-2 triumph on Oct. 30, 1993. Arturs Irbe, now the Capitals’ goalie coach, was in net for the Sharks on that night more than 16 years ago. Washington is 0-9-1 in its 10 visits to the Tank since. The Sharks have doubled up the Caps on the scoreboard by a combined 38-19 in those 10 games.

Arturs Irbe was recently inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame. His bronze SJSHOF plaque was recently installed on the concourse of HP Pavilion.

– Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle was a guest last Monday on KNBR 680’s Fitz and Brooks show. Boyle discussed the season long road trip, how preparing for the road is similar to games at home, and what the Sharks need to do when they return to HP Pavilion. San Jose Sharks right wing Devin Setoguchi will be a guest on NHL Live tomorrow at 9:30PT.

– Unusual stat from CBC’s Tim Wharnsby: Washington (8) and San Jose (7) trail only Toronto (9) at being shut out this season.

– Mario’s message good for NHL, plus 30 thoughts – Elliotte Friedman.

5. After the 2009 season, the competition committee was asked to vote on banning MMA-style forearm punches. The impetus was this fight between Brad Staubitz and Jordin Tootoo. The idea didn’t get enough support. Will the damage Gregory Campbell’s elbow pad did to Pyatt force anyone to re-consider?

30. Look at some of the major news announced last week. Francois Beauchemin trade: Ducks Twitter feed. Mike Fisher trade: Predators Twitter feed. Evgeni Malkin injury: Penguins Twitter feed. Anton Volchenkov suspension: agent Jay Grossman’s Twitter feed. Keith Ballard injury update: Mike Gillis Twittter feed. I’m not one of those who believes it’s the Seventh Sign of the Apocalypse, but it’s interesting to see where this is going.

– The lead photo for this AOL Fanhouse article on NHL head coaches/GMs on the hot seat was Todd McLellan: NHL Coaches, GMs on the Hot Seat. Almost across the board the media put the onus on the Sharks players during a tumultous first half of the season instead of the coaching staff. Alan Adams notes that even getting to the playoffs may not save McLellan’s job, and that GM Doug Wilson could be gone as well. Not a word of this has been mentioned or speculated about locally. Most believe that the system/structure put in place by the coaching staff and GM was responsible for the Sharks turnaround, and that it is a solid platform for the team to make the playoffs.

– Logan Couture Coming of Age for Sharks – Sussan Slusser for AOL Fanhouse.

– The great debate: McLellan on how it’s about winning — not just goals — for Sharks’ Big Three (and others) – David Pollak’s Working the Corners blog.

Todd McLellan was initially asked about Joe Thornton’s numbers being down and the coach responded with a variation of an answer he’s given before.

“What coaches have done with Jumbo in the past is trying to get him to play good, strong defensive hockey. For the most part, that was there on the trip, there were a couple moments he’d like to have back…”

“For us to be successful, and I’m not going to just single out Jumbo. There’s Heater, Danny Boyle, Patty, Pavs – those type of players have to produce offensively without cheating for us to have a chance to win games,” McLellan continued.

The same questions have been asked repeatedly about the downtick in Alexander Ovechkin’s offensive production, with a similar explanation.

– Capitals vs. Ducks: Alexander Semin has a hat trick in Washington’s 7-6 win – Katie Carrera for the Washington Post.

– Stat comparison: Sharks record leading after 1 period: 11-4-0, trailing after 2 periods 2-12-1. Washington Capitals record leading after 1 period: 14-1-5, trailing after 2 periods 4-16-4. 3rd period goal differential: San Jose -10 (47/57), Washington +17 (58/41). Power play: San Jose 21.9% (4th, 48/219), Washington 16.1% (24th, 32/199). Penalty kill: San Jose 81.9% (15th, 36/199), Washington 85.8% (3rd, 31/219). Average height (SJ 6-1, WASH 6-2), average weight (SJ 207, WASH 208). Sharks man games lost to injury 99, Washington MGLTI 159.

– Latest Capitals news from Japers Rink. For Capitals photos visit Clydeorama, Capsinpictures, or Offwing Photo. Asked permission to use one of Clyde’s flickr photos, here was his response:

Thanks Jon! I remember finding a lot of really great info about shooting hockey photos at Sharkspage a long, long time ago. I found it to be a very helpful resource and am pretty sure I still have a few pages bookmarked. Including one of my photos gives me one of those internal mental satisfaction feelings. Thanks!

Very cool. Now he can give me a few tips.

– Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis writes on his own blog why every game and every goal matters, “The Capitals are 17-2-4 when we score a goal on the power play. We are 12-16-6 when we don’t. Now we have a lot of work to do. I admit that. But fixing the power play would seem to be a pretty big deliverable. And it isn’t spin to say that is why we aren’t being as successful this year in terms of gaining standings points. We have lost so many games in OT and shootouts as well.”

– While the Sharks may be looking for a defenseman, ESPN’s Scott Burnside speculated today that Ian White and Joni Pitkanen may be available from Carolina. He also noted that that San Jose and Boston may be interested in oft-rumored Tomas Kaberle from Toronto. The Washington Capitals also may be looking to make an acquisition at the Feb 28th deadline. According to veteran Capitals blogger the Peerless Prognosticator, help down the middle behind Nicklas Backstrom may be a position that needs to be filled.

– Losing streak triggers Sharks’ revival – Craig Custance for The Sporting News.

– Upcoming Dates from the NHL: Feb. 18-20: Hockey Weekend Across America, Feb. 19: Outdoor Alumni Game (Montreal vs. Calgary, McMahon Stadium), Feb. 20: Hockey Day in America, Feb. 20: 2011 NHL Heritage Classic (Montreal at Calgary, McMahon Stadium), Feb. 28: Trade deadline (3 p.m., ET).

STALOCK EARNED 1ST NHL WIN IN SJ, SEASON ENDING INJURY IN WORCESTER

– San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson made a statement today on the injury to Worcester Sharks goaltender Alex Stalock. “On Feb. 14, Alex underwent successful surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. to repair a laceration to his left leg, suffered as a result of being stepped on by a skate in the Worcester Sharks Feb. 4 game against the Manchester Monarchs,” Wilson said via a press release. “He is expected to miss the remainder of the 2010-11 season. There is no immediate timetable for Alex to resume skating as our immediate focus will be on monitoring Alex as he recovers and begins his rehabilitation.”

After making 9 saves to close out his first NHL win against the Phoenix Coyotes 2 weeks ago, Stalock was sent back to Worcester where he suffered the serious leg injury. As one of the highest profile goaltenders in San Jose’s developmental organization, the Sharks should be cautious with what could be a lengthy rehabilition. Offseason free agent signee Carter Hutton has filled in on the NHL bench while Antero Niittymaki recovers from an undisclosed injury. Jeff Jakaitis and Daren Machesney have filled in on the Worcester bench.

– The Sharks announced the change of a start time for their Feb. 22nd game at Detroit. Start time is now 4:30 p.m. PDT. The game will be televised on Comcast Sporstnet California and CSNCA-HD.

– Chatting with Devin Setoguchi about trade rumors, Sharks’ revival – Greg Wyshynski for Yahoo’s Puck Daddy.

But as Setoguchi’s name is mentioned on the score sheet more often, it’s also making its seemingly annual appearance in the rumor mill. He was mentioned as a possible trade option for the Pittsburgh Penguins by TSN’s Darren Dreger this week, “assuming Sharks GM Doug Wilson is willing to consider moving” him.

“You can’t even think about it. There’s no time. It’s nothing you can control. If you’re going to sit there and stress about it, you’re going to play worse hockey,” said Setoguchi, his words sounding more emphatic as he continued.

“Do I expect anything? No. I want to be here. I talk to my agent, I talk to those guys. That’s the key word: Rumors. Anyone can start a rumor on the Internet, and then 150 people can blog about it.”

The trade rumors regarding Setoguchi were more circumstance than an indictment of him as a player. The Sharks were floundering on the ice, and the highly regarded Setoguchi was struggling to be a productive element on either of the top 3 lines. If San Jose was looking to bring in an impact player, Setoguchi would have been the high cost neccessary for another team to pull the trigger.

Instead, the Sharks waited for their own impact player to turn his season around. Since returning from a 9-game injury absence, at times he has been a missle on the ice in the offensive zone. He is tied for 4th on the team with 124 hits. Setoguchi has also scored 9 points in his last 10 games. Late in a 1-1 game against Nashville, Setoguchi showed more jump backchecking and taking the stick away from a Predators forward than he did on his goal scoring rush up the right wing.

The 24-year old Setoguchi wants to remain in the Bay Area. As the NHL’s best Japanese-Canadian power forward, Setoguchi is a marketable figure that could bring a number of new Bay Area fans to the game over the next few years. Whether or not he can fill the popularity shoes of a Jonathan Cheechoo remains to be seen, but it would not be for a lack of seek-and-destroy hits and flamboyant goals. Fans now want to see it happen in the playoffs.

– From the Sharkspage twitter: “Air Force One just arrived in SF with Obama. If he cant watch Caps in D.C., he can see them in SJ tonight.”

– Thunder aims to attract faithful fans on special night – Jo Ann Kirby for the Stockton Record.

What: The Stockton Thunder promotes Faith Night to attract local church members and youth groups into the stands. The event will feature testimonials and performances by Christian rock band “Radio Friendly.”

When: Friday; doors open at 6:25 p.m. with a pre-game concert at 6:30 p.m. Game time is 7:30 p.m.

– The Sharks announced their participation in Hockey Weekend Across America February 18-20th. On Friday, anyone wearing a hockey jersey will receive 50% off at any Sharks Ice skating session (rinks in San Jose, Oakland and Fremont). On Saturday, Sharks Ice will host ‘Bring a Friend to the Rink Day’ to watch a youth, junior, college or professional hockey game in the Bay Area. On Sunday NBC will air ‘Hockey Day in America’ with a double header broadcast starting at 9AM (PT). Intermission content will feature coverage of local hockey programs across the United States.

Western Conference Playoff Push – 97 points or bust?

Current Western Conference standings:

WESTERN CONFERENCE STANDINGS:
(before games played Feb 17th, 2011)

1 – Vancouer Canucks* 58GP, 37-12-9, 83 points
2 – Detroit Red Wings* 56GP, 34-16-6, 74 points
3 – Phoenix Coyotes* 58GP, 30-19-9, 69 points
4 – Nashville Predators 57GP, 30-19-8, 68 points
5 – San Jose Sharks 58GP, 31-21-6, 68 points
6 – Anaheim Ducks 58GP, 32-22-4, 68 points
7 – Dallas Stars 58GP, 31-21-6, 68 points
8 – Calgary Flames 60GP, 30-22-8, 68 points
9 – Los Angeles Kings 57GP, 32-22-3, 67 points
10 – Minnesota Wild 57GP, 30-22-5, 65 points
11 – Chicago Blackhawks 57GP, 29-22-6, 64 points
12 – Columbus Blue Jackets 57GP, 28-23-6, 62 points
13 – St. Louis Blues 55GP, 25-21-9, 59 points
14 – Colorado Avalanche 58GP, 25-26-7, 57 points
15 – Edmonton Oilers 57GP, 17-32-8, 42 points

* division leader

Projected Western Conference standings:

PROJECTED WESTERN CONFERENCE STANDINGS:
(after 82 games played)

1 – Vancouer Canucks* 82GP, 54-18-10, 118 points (3 PSOW)
2 – Detroit Red Wings* 82GP, 50-23-9, 109 points (4 PSOW)
3 – Phoenix Coyotes* 82GP, 44-28-10, 98 points (4 PSOW)
4 – Nashville Predators 82GP, 43-27-12, 98 points (9 PSOW)
5 – San Jose Sharks 82GP, 44-30-8, 96 points (4 PSOW)
6 – Anaheim Ducks 82GP, 45-31-6, 96 points (6 PSOW)
7 – Dallas Stars 82GP, 44-30-8, 96 points (7 PSOW)
8 – Los Angeles Kings 82GP, 46-32-4, 96 points (10 PSOW)
9 – Minnesota Wild 82GP, 43-32-7, 93 points (3 PSOW)
10 – Chicago Blackhawks 82GP, 42-31-9, 93 points (4 PSOW)
11 – Calgary Flames 82GP, 41-30-11, 93 points (10 PSOW)
12 – Columbus Blue Jackets 82GP, 40-33-9, 89 points (6 PSOW)
13 – St. Louis Blues 82GP, 37-31-14, 88 points (4 PSOW)
14 – Colorado Avalanche 82GP, 35-37-10, 80 points (4 PSOW)
15 – Edmonton Oilers 82GP, 24-46-12, 60 points (1 PSOW)

* projected division winner
PSOW – projected shootout wins

The Western Conference playoff picture has tightened considerably since the 2011 Allstar Game break. The Pacific Division in particular has been playing a playoff style of hockey since February 1st. The Los Angeles Kings, at one point the 5th of five Pacific Division teams in playoff position, have reeled off a 10-game point streak but still remain on the outside looking in with 25 games to play. With 6 injured forwards, the Dallas Stars have dropped 9 of their last 11 games (2-8-1) to fall from 3rd place to 7th in the standings. The Phoenix Coyotes, looking to finalize the franchise’s sale to new owner Matthew Hulsizer by possibly next week (pre-trade deadline), have won 5 straight to take over 3rd place in the Conference and 1st place in the Division. With Wednesday night losses by Anaheim, Dallas and Colorado (OT), the Sharks moved up 2 places in the standings to 5th in the Conference without playing a game. After piling up 9 straight losses (0-8-1) and witnessing a failed 2-game return for future Hall of Famer Peter Forsberg, the Colorado Avalanche have all but dropped out of playoff contention.

The new NHL tiebreak clause for the 2010-11 season, “The greater number of games won, excluding games won in the shootout”, will have a significant impact on playoff qualifications with 4 teams projected to finish tied for the final 4 playoff spots with 96 points. Pacific Division rivals San Jose and Anaheim will finish over Los Angeles and Dallas with their ability to close out games in regulation or in OT. The playoff picture has picked up considerabley from February 1st, when 4 teams were projected to finish tied for the final 2 playoff spots with 92 points. On that date the Sharks finished tied with Minnesota, Chicago and Dallas with 92 points, but remained out of the playoff picture based on their number of projected shootout wins. San Jose has since gone 10 games without a shootout win, after picking up 3 in its previous 48.

Post-lockout, 90-95 points was the target for teams to make the playoffs. Last season was the first time a team qualified for the postseason with less than 91 points since the introduction of the shootout. The Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers both qualified with 88 points, and both advanced to the Conference Finals in the East. In the five seasons since the lockout, Western Conference teams that qualified for the 8th playoff spot needed to earn an average of 93.6 points (05-06 Edmonton – 95 points, 06-07 Calgary – 96 points, 07-08 Nashville – 91 points, 08-09 Anaheim – 91 points, 09-10 Colorado – 95 points).

[Update] A look back at the NHL press release that announced the new tiebreak change in September: Board of Governors approve new tiebreaker system.

While 20 of the League’s best players were in New York for a preseason promotional tour, the NHL’s Board of Governors gathered at a nearby hotel to approve a new tiebreaker system for the standings. Starting with the 2010-11 season, the tiebreaker among teams with the same total of points in the standings will go to the club with the most regulation and overtime wins — no longer including shootout wins in the decision.

“All of our research indicates overwhelmingly that the fans do like the shootouts,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “There has been an increase [in shootouts] in the last year, after consistent numbers in the four prior years, but one year does not an issue make.”

Statistics prove out the Commissioner’s point: From the 2005-06 season through 2008-09, games resulting in overtime ranged from 272 to 282 and shootouts ranged from 145 to 164. Last season, total overtime games totaled 301 and there were 184 shootouts.

[Update2] Current NHL Playoff Matchups – ESPN.com.

Patrick Marleau’s game winning goal caps 2-1 OT win over Nashville, Sharks finish season long seven game road trip 5-2

SHARKS ROAD TRIP VS. PRE-ROAD TRIP STAT COMPARISON

Two years ago San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson was frustrated by another tentative start to the postseason. He responded by challenging his team to find ways to win games (left unsaid, by any means neccessary). At the start of 2010-11, the Sharks were effectively debuting 4 new forward lines, 2 new defensive pairs and 2 new starting goaltenders. Expecting cohesion, consistency and clarity of purpose that early into the schedule may have been unrealistic, but as October and November turned into December and January, the Sharks were still trying to keep their heads above water on all fronts. During a 6 game post-New Years losing streak, San Jose had run into a slab of hot goaltenders but they did not play all that poorly. Goal support dried up, and San Jose was left looking inward with questions about how to turn things around. Head coach Todd McLellan noted that there was an element of fear inside the locker room. Fear that such a talented offensive team could legitimately miss the playoffs, fear that the back-to-back-to-back Pacific Division champions would follow their run to the Conference Finals with a bagel.

The Sharks responded to that losing streak by running off 5 wins in their next 6 games, earning 11 out of 12 possible points. More impressive than the 6-game point streak were how the Sharks were winning games. Not in run-and-gun, back-and-forth offensive shootouts, but in tight checking defensive efforts. The next test would be the annual season long 7-game tennis road trip, and the Sharks could not have passed in a more impressive fashion. Coming off two late 3rd period missteps in losses to New Jersey and Florida, the Sharks players were harder on themselves than the coaching staff, media, or a majority of the fan base. The players know that each point on the line could be the deciding factor in the standings at the end of the year, and they are battling on the ice accordingly.

Tuesday night at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, the Sharks put 50 goals and sustained pressure on 6-foot-5 goaltender Pekke Rinne for the better part of 3 periods and overtime. It was the first time the Sharks reached the 50-shot plateau in 214 regular season contests dating back to a 4-3 loss in Florida on October 24th, 2009. After ceding the first goal to Cody Fransen on the power play, Devin Setoguchi (9 points in last 10 games), and Patrick Marleau put the Sharks over the top for a 2-1 overtime win. One point behind the Predators before Tuesday, the Sharks and Predators finish in a 4-team tie for fourth through seventh place with 68 points. Anaheim, Dallas and Nashville each have a game in hand on San Jose.

There was not a lot of seperation in the standings, but on the ice the game started with a strong push from Nashville. Newly acquired Mike Fisher from Ottawa joined a potent offensive line with Martin Erat (8 points last 8 games) and Sergei Kostitsyn (7 points last 7 games). The KFE line recorded three shots in quick succession on the low cycle, with Sharks defenseman Douglas Murray blocking a fourth. On a second Nashville rush into the offensive zone, Steve Sullivan turned the puck over creating a 3-on-3 Sharks rush in the other direction. A Wellwood-Clowe give and go was disrupted by by the D, but Logan Couture maintained possession and backhanded it into the corner. After being held up trying to get around Suter, Suter shoved Couture into the back of Legwand. He was called for high sticking. On the man advantage, a rinkwide Sullivan pass to Cody Franzen beat Niemi 5-hole with Patrick Hornqvist providing traffic in front.

On the Sharks season long 7 game road trip, they had scored first 5 times and won 5 games. Ryan Suter was given a hooking call at 10:47, and referees Dan O’Rourke and Kyle Rehman gave the Sharks a two man advantage for 26 seconds when Shane O’Brien was given a mystery tripping call at 12:21. The Sharks were able to put 3 shots on goal during the 5-on-3, but Rinne held firm and finished with a diving stop on a Pavelski one timer from the left wing.

The Sharks forward lines got the puck deep on the first two shifts of the second period, and appeared to be the more aggressive team 5-on-5. Douglas Murray provided the hit of the game, de-cleating Marek Svatos as he tried to start an oddman rush at the blueline. There are big hits, and then there are Murray hits that accelerate opponents into the ice. De-cleating is football terminology, but for #3 it applies.

While the Sharks had tightened the grip in the defensive zone, a struggling power play occasionally forced players to take chances to create offense. Dan Boyle pinched deep on the right wing to create a hard angle shot on goal, but the rebound bounced out past the Sharks forwards to create a Nashville breakout. Suter gathered the rebound, fired a quick pass to Legwand on the right wing, and Legwand hit Sullivan who had 10-15 feet on the nearest Shark. Jamal Mayers had taken a player in the neutral zone instead of filling in for Boyle on the right point, and Murray was several strides behind Sullivan trying to get over. Sullivan stickhandled several times on the breakaway, trying to get Niemi to make the first move. Niemi did not bite, and with a stick check he poked the puck clear before a shot could be taken.

The momentum shift came shortly thereafter when Kent Huskins hit Devin Setoguchi in stride on the right wing. With most of the Nashville defense playing back, Setoguchi accelerated down the right wing and snapped a hard shot short side that bean Pekka Rinne over the glove. Rinne had gone down early, and the torque on the blade of Setoguchi’s stick was evidence of a very hard shot. The celebration was shortlived for San Jose as Setoguchi was called for a questionable penalty 22 seconds later. After a faceoff win, the Sharks outmanned Nashville 3-on-2 in a puck battle along the wall. Initially Setoguchi grabbed the shoulder of Suter, and pulled himself around the defenseman to get to the puck. Suter then held tightly onto Setoguchi as Patrick Marleau and Mike Fisher battled for possession. Thornton came in to overload on the wall, and Fisher held his shoulder to try to get leverage on the puck. Instead of letting the admittedly boarderline board play go, Setoguchi earned 2 minutes for holding. The Sharks were a little loose in their PK defensive zone coverage, coming out too high to challenge forwards, but Niemi bailed them out. Two failed clears by Thornton and Vlasic set the table for a Shea Weber howitzer that sailed a foot over the net.

The Sharks top two lines got the puck deep to start the third period, but Rinne came up big on a Heatley one timer, and trio of scoring chances by Devin Setoguchi and Douglas Murray. The Sharks dominated play in the third, piling up a 13-0 shot margin in the first 10 minutes of the period, blocking 4 shots in that span to Nashville’s 1. A give and go by former Shark Marcel Goc and Joel Ward created the first Preds opportunity. Niemi was solid down low on the initial shot, and aggresive in gathering the rebound.

A critical Western Conference point was on the line for overtime. Extended faceoff work by the winger and defenseman resulted in Dan Boyle’s first shot in overtime, with Patrick Marleau narrowly missing a deflection with his stick. Joe Pavelski lifted the puck high on a 1-on-3 rush, but tapped the puck wide left when it hit the ice. Marleau, Niemi and Rinne were the official three stars of the game by the Nashville media, but the Sharkspage player of the game was defenseman Kent Huskins. A healthy scratch for the first time of the season on January 20th against Vancouver, the Sharks were trying to send a message that they needed more veteran shutdown play from Huskins. At the time, the same message could have been delivered to most of the Sharks defenseman. He responded in subsequent contests with responsible and consistent play, quick high percentage passes out of his own zone, and a physical element in front of the net that is much needed with the loss of Rob Blake. On Tuesday night he flashed his offensive chops. His quick outlet pass on Setoguchi’s goal in the second period was impressive, but 4-on-4 in overtime Huskins forced Marcel Goc to turn the puck over as he entered the offensive zone. Huskins then beat both Thornton and Goc to the loose puck, and split defenseman Alexander Sulzer and Shane O’Brien with the up pass to Marleau. Both Sulzer and O’Brien were cheating to pick off the pass on the play. Rinne tried to outwait Marleau on the breakaway, but Marleau snapped a shot 5-hole for his 5 game winning goal of the season. For Huskins, he now has 2 goals and 3 assists in his last 5 games.

Game Notes: Antti Niemi (18-15-3, .917SV%, 2.51GAA, 4SO) stopped 30 of 31 shots to record his 18th win of the season. Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinna (20-14-6, .930SV%, 2.10GAA, 4SO) stopped 48 of 50 shots against, the highest shot total he has had to withstand in 119 regular season games. With the win the Sharks have the most road victories in the Western Conference at 18, but 15 of the 24 remaining games will be at home. The Sharks put up their first 50 shot effort in 214 regular season games, last doing so in a 4-3 loss at Florida on Oct 24th 2009. Devin Setoguchi registered a game high 9 shots on goal. The Sharks were 0-2 against Nashville prior to Tuesday night, they next meet in San Jose on March 8th. Nashville is 0-5 in the overtime period this seaosn, but 6-3 in shootouts. It was the third game back for Sharks forward Torrey Mitchell, the first stretch San Jose has played with a full compliment of uninjured forwards and defenseman since the acquisition of Kyle Wellwood and Ben Eager. Lines/pairs for the game were Marleau/Thornton/Setoguchi, Clowe/Couture/Wellwood, Mitchell/Pavelski/Heatley, Eager/Nichol/Mayers, Murray/Boyle, Huskins/Vlasic, Wallin/Demers. Antero Niittymaki and Derek Joslin were scratches for the San Jose Sharks. Backup goaltender Antero Niittymaki reaggravated his lower body injury prior to the Washington game. For Nashville, forwards Marcel Goc and waiver pickup Marek Svatos returned to the lineup. According to On the Forecheck, perennial Shark killer J.P. Dumont was a healty scratch for the first time in his 5 seasons as a Predator.

[Update] Sharks beat Predators in overtime – San Jose Mercury News.

[Update2] Nashville Predators lose to San Jose Sharks, Extra session has been extra hard this season – San Jose Mercury News.

If the Nashville Predators can find a way to a shootout, they stand a good chance of getting a victory. It’s getting through overtime that has been a problem.

That was the case again Tuesday night, as Nashville lost its fifth overtime game of the season, 2-1 to the San Jose Sharks in front of an announced crowd of 14,132 at Bridgestone Arena. Patrick Marleau scored the game-winner on a breakaway with 1:07 remaining, sending the Predators to an 0-5 record in overtimes this season. They’re 6-3 in shootouts.

[Update3] Where does Mike Fisher fit in the Nashville Predators lineup? – Dirk Hoad for On the Forecheck.

[Update4] Heading home at last: More on Devin Setoguchi’s rifle shot and the sounds of Nashville (sort of) – David Pollak’s Working the Corners blog.

The Hockey News/XM Home Ice 204 Podcast: THN’s Ken Campbell, upcoming trade deadline, Matt Cooke, Chris Phillips trade possibilities, and Los Angeles Kings center Jarret Stoll

[audio:http://www.thehockeynews.com/upload/audio/TheHockeyNewsRadioShowFebruary112011.mp3]

Last Friday on The Hockey News Radio Show with Adam Proteau and Jim ‘Boomer’ Gordon on XM Satellite Radio Home Ice Channel 204: Adam and Boomer kick off the show with THN Senior Writer Ken Campbell; the guys talk the upcoming trade deadline, recent trades involving the Maple Leafs and Senators, and the suspension of Penguins pest Matt Cooke. In the second block, the Ask Adam mailbag looks at questions on the Flyers’ goaltending, Chris Phillips’ future in Ottawa, and who pays for NHLers’ equipment. And in the final block, L.A. Kings center Jarret Stoll calls in to discuss his team’s turnaround, the pressures of the trade deadline, and the league’s concussion problems.

This podcast is posted here with permission. Visit thehockeynews.com and XM Radio NHL Home Ice 204 for more NHL coverage. Download the podcast via Itunes, or directly via the MP3 file here.

20-year old Milos Raonic upset top seeded Fernando Verdasco at SAP Open, first Canadian ATP winner in 15 years

20-YR OLD MILOS RAONIC EARNED 1ST CAREER WIN IN SAN JOSE

FERNANDO VERDASCO HAD NOT LOST A SET IN RUN TO FINAL

RAONIC HANDED MAPLE SYRUP, SHARKS JERSEY BY TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR BILL RAPP

If a new era of Canadian tennis is going to start with 20-year old Milos Raonic’s first career win, it is fitting that it took place on the center court of a hockey arena. The unseeded Raonic downed defending champion Fernando Verdasco in straight sets 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5) to become the first Canadian to win an ATP event since 1995.

“It’s an amazing feeling, I have done a big thing for myself and for everybody in Canada as a tennis fan,” Raonic told SAPOpentennis.com. “I hope the sport can grow, and I hope I can keep doing this.”

Raonic overcame a formidable opponent, one who had not lost a set en route to the final, with a pair of tightly contested tiebreakers. Up 6-2 in the first tiebreak, Verdasco sent a forehand into the net. The Canadian capitalized on the mistake with a pair of service winners, and then a heavy down the line backhand gave him set point. Raonic let out a scream as he earned the first set on his serve.

“I think that there was just one mistake with my forehand. All the other points I played agressive,” Verdasco told the media of the first set tiebreak. “I don’t think I did anything bad. Maybe I didn’t go for one serve 140… He played good and got all the returns in.”

“It comes down to who gets it that day,” Raonic said of the first set tiebreak. “It comes down to a few points, and I was there for that. I used up my luck today.”

In a reference to Pete Sampras, one local commentator described the serve-and-volley as an “antiquated” style of play. Someone forgot to tell Raonic as he served and volleyed to start the first set tiebreak, and to start the second set. While he noted his serve on Sunday was not the best as it had been all week, he routinley hit 140 and 141 on the speed gun in the first set.

Verdasco began to press each Raonic service game in the second set, not content to wait until a tiebreak to get a decisive point. The fluid and mobile Spaniard will still caught flat flooted by the thumping serve, which hit 143mph in his first service game of the second set.

“I play well when he let me play with his serve,” Verdasco said. “There must be another league for players like him and Karlovic, because it is another sport. When you serve all the time at 140, and every time there’s a chance it’s going to hit the line, you can not even play tennis. It is tough mentally,” Verdasco said.

Even tougher when a 143mph serve is followed by a sliced 99mph serve out wide. It was like pouring salt into the wound, and you could see the mentally tough Verdasco sag briefly on the court. Raonic swelled in the other direction. “In the second set I was more confident, by then it came out the way I wanted it to,” he said.

The second set also came down to a tight tiebreaker, again with Raonic coming out on top. Verdasco fought off two match points, but on the championship point a fan in the stands yelled out just prior to Raonic’s serve. Stunned, Verdasco hit a weak forehand into the net. Both players paused after the point to see what the chair umpire would do, but he let the point stand. Raonic celebrated his first tournament win.

One veteran tennis journalist noted that the young Canadian’s first victory came after playing tournaments on 4 continents already at this early point in the season. Last year Raonic was ranked #360 on the ATP Tour, but with a tournament win in San Jose and 3 match wins at the Australian Open (including an upset of #10 Mikhail Youzhny), the young Canadian could find himself at #59 next week. In an odd scheduling quirk, at that tournament in Memphis he will face Fernando Verdasco in the first round. “I hope he has more double faults,” Verdasco said.

Verdasco was a fan favorite in San Jose, and after his first singles match on Wednesday he noted the number of spanish speaking fans that traveled to HP Pavilion and said they made him feel at home. He also noted, prior to the finals, that not losing a set helped his confidence and helped him have fun on the court.

The incident with a fan screaming out on championship point angered Verdasco. “What I hope is that there is no people like that in the stadium,” he said. “If they don’t know the rules in tennis, they can go watch soccer.” In the age of grunts and screams, it is a little surprising that tennis etiquette is still taught to the majority of young players starting out on public or private courts. That etiquette was broken by a fan at the worst possible point in the match, but Verdasco did not object.

“I do not know the rules, but for me it was a big distraction,” Verdasco said. “One guy screaming when all the stadium is in silence. It’s already tough to return a serve 135 miles per hour. With championship points against you, even more if somebody’s screaming. I was hoping that the chair umpire would at least do something, or say something.” After the initial pause and handshake across the net, Verdasco sat motionless in his chair courtside. Fans inside HP Pavilion tried to rally Verdasco with applause earlier in the second set, and at the start of the second set tiebreak, but the lone fan on championship point left a bad aftertaste to a quality match.

Along with the tournament payout of $92,000 (U.S.), Raonic was also jokingly given a bottle of Canadian maple syrup by SAP Open tournament director Bill Rapp. Raonic made an offhand remark about wanting the syrup before the tournament began, and after he won Rapp gave it to him. The young Canadian was also given a San Jose Sharks jersey.

In the doubles final earlier Sunday, unseeded Americans Rajeev Ram and Scott Lipsky upset Matisse-Falla in a thrilling final 6-4, 4-6, 10-8. “We were cruising for while and it got out of hand, it got a little hairy,” Ram told SAPOpentennis.com. “We came this far with our game, and we stuck with it.” CSN Bay Area will rebroadcast the first singles semifinal on Tuesday, February 15 at 3:00pm, and the singles final on Wednesday, February 16 at 3:00pm. A Sharkspage photo gallery from the Men’s Singles Final is available here. Video highlights from Sunday are available at SAPOpentennis.com.

[Update] Raonic downs Verdasco – TSN.

The Bay Area has been kind to Canadian tennis players in recent years. Aleksandra Wozniak ended a 20-year title drought for Canadian women when she won at Stanford in 2008. And now Raonic ended the drought on the men’s side in the same building where fellow Canadians Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Dany Heatley and Dan Boyle star for the San Jose Sharks.

[Update2] Milos Raonic captures SAP Open title – San Jose Mercury News.

[Update3] Oh, Canada!: Raonic Claims First ATP Crown, Fast-Rising, Fast-Serving Canadian Dethrones Defending SAP Champ Verdasco – Inside Tennis Magazine.

Defending champ Fernando Verdasco bulldozes way to SAP Open tennis final, Gael Monfils withdrew from semis with injury

DEFENDING CHAMPION FERNANDO VERDASCO DOWNED R. RAM 6-3, 6-2 WED.

VERDASCO HAS WON 40-OF-41 SERVICE GAMES EN ROUTE TO FINALS

AFTER GAINING BERTH IN SEMIS, GAEL MONFILS WITHDREW WITH INJURY

Defending champion Fernando Verdasco has steamrolled his way to the 2011 SAP Open tennis finals. Without losing a set, and winning 40-of-41 service games, the ATP 9th ranked player in the world defeated former U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro in straight sets (6-4, 6-4) in the semifinals on Saturday night. The former clay court specialist has developed into a well rounded all-court player in his 10 years as a tour pro, and on the indoor surface at HP Pavilion in San Jose Verdasco has looked untouchable.

The 27-year old Spaniard sent an early message to Delpo in the first set, earning a break point in the first game. Excellent movement, crisp groundstrokes, and a slight edge on the first serve (13/16, 81% to 11/18, 61%) gave Verdasco all the margin he would need to close out the opening set on serve. The Argentinian del Potro, a very popular draw in the Bay Area, is trying to work his way back into the Top-100 after having wrist surgery in 2010. Delpo offered several statement forehands and backhands in the first two games, but Verdasco kept his legs moving on the hardcourt service. Prior to the Australian Open, ‘Nando’ told the local media that he respected top-ranked countryman Rafael Nadal for his ability to never give up on a play. “That makes him the toughest,” Verdasco said.

He backs that sentiment up with his play on the court, continually making it to balls to keep himself in on points. Up 2-1 in the second set, Verdasco tried to end a rally with a drop shot. It was succinctly hammered cross court by del Potro. The left hander tracked it down, slid out to the line and punched the ball back over the net. Delpo proceeded to close out the point of the match with an enormous forehand down the line. Instead of the momentum swinging towards the challenger, a quarterfinalist at the SAP Open last year, Verdasco battled back with a pair of breaks to edge a 5-4 lead. Del Potro seemed to back off on his second serve and return of serve, and Verdasco pushed forward. He closed out the second set with an unreturnable first serve and taking a little off to slice a first serve ace out wide.

“For me here, it is a little bit of an advantage. I have never lost. That is in your mind, I don’t know how, things come in a good way,” Fernando Verdasco told SAPOpentennis.com. It was a solid run to the finals for ‘Nando’. He dictated play to Istomin (6-4, 6-4), took control of 6-foot-10 Ivo Karlovic early en route to a straight set 7-5, 7-5 win, and outclassed American wildcard Ram (6-3, 6-2). His only misstep this week at the Tank was losing his opening doubles match with partner Lleyton Hewitt against Butorac-Rojer on Tuesday.

Fernando Verdasco will meet heavy hitting 20-year old Canadian Milos Raonic (ranked #84) in the Finals on Sunday. Raonic was given an automatic entry into the finals after Gael Monfils pulled out after his quarterfinal win with a wrist injury. Raonic routinely cranked up his serve to 140mph to oust popular American James Blake in the second round on Wednesday night, topping out at 141mph. After dropping the first set 6-2, Blake battled back to force a second set tiebreaker. Despite a USA, USA chant from the crowd, Raonic kept his focus and used heavy groundstrokes to set up repeated Blake errors. Raonic defeated Richard Berankis 6-4, 7-6 (2) on Friday, and agreed to an exhibition match with the other huge server Karlovic in lieu of a Raonic-Monfils semifinal. In a post match fastest serve competition, Raonic bested his rival with a 145mph bomb. “I don’t care how fast it is, as long as I hold my serve,” Raonic said. He also noted that as a Canadian playing a tennis tournament in a hockey arena, winning was more important for him.

The SAP Open singles final will be broadcast on CSN California and The Tennis Channel live at 5PM Sunday, February 13th. CSN Bay Area will rebroadcast the first semifinal on Tuesday, February 15 at 3:00pm, and the final on Wednesday, February 16 at 3:00pm. A free live stream of the SAP Open final is available online at veetle.com, and daily tournament video highlights and interviews are available at sapopentennis.com. A Sharkspage photo gallery from Wednesday featuring Verdasco, Monfils, Klahn, Blake and Raonic is available here.

[Update] San Jose: Verdasco defeats Del Potro – Tennis Magazine.

[Update2] Frenchman Gael Monfils wins SAP Open quarterfinal, then withdraws with ailing wrist – San Jose Mercury News.

[Update3] Back-to-Back?: Nando Shoots For SAP Open Title Repeat, Spaniard Tops DelPo 6-4, 6-4; to Meet Raonic in Second Straight San Jose Final – Inside Tennis Magazine.

Fernando Verdasco said that he prepped for his SAP Open title defense by spending two weeks with his feet up on the couch at his home in Madrid. But this wasn’t your ordinary couch-potato blowoff. The Spaniard had limped away from the Australian Open (where he lost to Tomas Berdych in the fourth round) with a bum ankle, an injury that led to a cortisone injection. Then he came down with a 102.2 temperature that left him with lingering headaches.

The couch was his only option.

Crazed Rats, WorSharks Chomp Falcons; Machesney With The 5-0 Shutout

The Worcester Sharks got two goals from Andrew Desjardins and a shutout by newly signed goaltender Daren Machesney to defeat the Springfield Falcons 5-0 Friday night at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts in front of a crowd of 3,253.

Because this writer made the poor choice of watching the Boston Bruins get thrashed by the Detroit Red Wings as opposed to the WorSharks contest, those interested in the particulars can check out Bill Ballou of the Worcester Telegram and Gazette for his game story and notes postings. Nate Owen of The Republican has Springfield’s side of the story.

As usual, both the WorSharks and Falcons have their points of view on their official sites.

GAME NOTES
Earlier this week San Jose completed a trade that sent forward Steven Zalewski and defenseman Jay Leach to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for forwards Michael Swift and Patrick Davis. The Worcester shuttle also made a stop in the Bay State, dropping off Benn Ferriero and John McCarthy and picking up netminder Carter Hutton. Tyson Sexsmith was summoned from Stockton to replace Alex Stalock and Daren Machesney was signed to a PTO to take Hutton’s vacated roster spot. But when it rains it pours, and once Sexsmith went down with an injury in practice the WorSharks signed another goaltender, Billy Sauer, to a PTO.

With the trade of Leach the WorSharks named Mike Moore as captain.

For the first time in team history the Worcester Sharks have posted consecutive shutouts, and have gone 132:02 without surrendering a goal. Daren Machesney’s shutout what the first ever by a WorSharks netminder in his first start for the team. Ironically enough, Machesney was Springfield’s starting goaltender for their season opener against the providence Bruins, but was pulled after giving up three goals in the first 9:04 of the game for a 19.85 goals against average. The shutout Friday night drops that number to a very respectable 2.61.

Friday night’s contest started a five game road trip for Worcester, and in a rarity for the WorSharks will involve some nights in hotel rooms. On Tuesday the WorSharks will head out to Rochester, New York for their Wednesday night tilt against the Americans, and after the game the team will head to Albany for Friday night’s contest against the Devils. Next Saturday the team returns to the MassMutual Center to once again take on the Falcons, and a Sunday afternoon game in Providence rounds out the trip.

The three stars of the game were
1. WOR – 22 Andrew Desjardins (2g)
2. WOR – 23 Dan DaSilva (g,2a)
3. WOR – 1 Daren Machesney (25 save shutout)

Machesney was also the AHL’s second star of the night

Despite not seeing the game, knowing Machesney had a shutout and wasn’t named as one of the top two stars of the contest we’ll make him the Sharkspage player of the game.

BOXSCORE
Worcester 0 4 1 – 5
Springfield 0 0 0 – 0

1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Irwin Wor (hooking), 5:34; Holden Spr (tripping), 13:20; Holden Spr (interference), 19:40.

2nd Period-1, Worcester, Ferriero 11 (Braun, Cheechoo), 2:51 (PP). 2, Worcester, DaSilva 11 (Sullivan), 3:22. 3, Worcester, Mashinter 10 (Wingels), 4:17. 4, Worcester, Desjardins 9 (DaSilva, Sullivan), 18:25 (PP). Penalties-Holden Spr (cross-checking), 2:04; McLaren Wor (fighting), 4:20; Tarnasky Spr (fighting), 4:20; Quirk Wor (holding the stick), 7:59; Kubalik Spr (hooking), 14:20; served by Filatov Spr (bench minor – too many men), 15:17; Sigalet Spr (cross-checking), 16:36.

3rd Period-5, Worcester, Desjardins 10 (DaSilva), 0:40. Penalties-DaSilva Wor (tripping), 9:10; Desjardins Wor (cross-checking), 9:25; Petrecki Wor (slashing), 15:30.

Shots on Goal-Worcester 6-17-7-30. Springfield 12-3-10-25.
Power Play Opportunities-Worcester 2/6; Springfield 0/5.
Goalies-Worcester, Machesney 1-0-0 (25 shots-25 saves). Springfield, Wesslau 9-11-1 (10 shots-7 saves); LeNeveu 12-12-2 (20 shots-18 saves).
A-3,253
Referees-Marcus Vinnerborg (45), Terry Koharski (10). Linesmen-Rich Patry (52), Jim Briggs (83).

Davis Cup atmosphere at SAP Open tennis tournament in San Jose, UCSC slug tennis night, Stanford fans, Viva Espana

SANTA CRUZ MASCOT, MENS/WOMENS COACH, F VERDASCO, R RAM, BILL RAPP

DOZENS OF STUDENTS CHEER 2010 NCAA SINGLES CHAMP BRAD KLAHN

LOCAL RADIO DJ TRIED UNSUCCESSFULLY TO RETURN FERNANDO VERDASCO SERVE

The usual staid and polite atmosphere inside HP Pavilion for the SAP Open tennis tournament went out the window for Wednesday’s night session. Hundreds of Stanford students descended on the tank to loudly support 2010 NCAA Singles Champion Bradley Klahn, a spin heavy wildcard entrant who also became the fourth Stanford player to capture dual Pac-10 Singles and Doubles titles in 2008-09. As Stanford fans cheered every Klahn point, the match took on the feel of a wildly partisan Davis Cup contest. A pair of French Gael Monfils supporters, complete with French flag, bleakly offered the occasional “Allez Monfils!”.

Wednesday night began with a ceremony at center court to celebrate UCSC ‘Slug Tennis’ alumni night. The University of Santa Cruz mascot was joined by 30-year Men’s tennis coach Bob Hansen, women’s coach Erin Ness, tournament director Bill Rapp, and opening match players Rajeev Ram and defending champion Fernando Verdasco. While most of the college tennis eyeballs in the Bay Area fall on Stanford and Cal, Santa Cruz has been enormously successful at the D-3 level. Hansen has been named D-3 coach of the year 4 times, coach of the decade once (90’s), and his team has won 7 national titles and placed in the final four 19 of the last 23 years. The UCSC mascot, apparently named Sammy and not Sluggie as he was called courtside, was not suffering from a wardrobe malfunction.

Defending SAP Open champion Fernando Verdasco (SPA), the #9 ranked player on the ATP Tour, was the popular headliner for Wednesday’s night session. In a pre-tournament interview, Verdasco noted that helping his country with back-to-back Davis Cup titles in 2008 and 2009 served as an inspiration for his career. “Davis Cup was like a point of inflection for me, like I became a completely different player,” he said. Spanish Verdasco supporters dotted the stands with flags and soccer jerseys. After his opening round match, KKDV radio DJ Carolyn McArdle stepped onto the court in a ‘Got Verdasco?’ shirt and tried to return his serve unsuccessfully.

DOH Podcast #134: Interview with Mark Purdy, Logan Couture MVP of Sharks this season, Alex Goligoski trade

[audio:http://dudesonhockey.com/podcast/doh_2011_0209.mp3]

Mike Peattie and Doug Santana interview surprise guest Mark Purdy, discuss the turnaround from a 6-game losing streak to a 9-game point streak, the impact of additions Ben Eager and Kyle Wellwood, two complete efforts in shutout wins over Boston and Washington, back-to-back game winning goals by Logan Couture, what might be in store for the upcoming trade deadline, TSN analyst Darren Dreger’s suggestion that Devin Setoguchi should be traded for Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Alex Goligoski and more on the 134th episode of the Dudes on Hockey podcast.

This Sharks podcast is posted here with permission. Visit dudesonhockey.com for more coverage of the team or download the MP3 file directly here.

Sharks rookie Logan Couture scores game winning goal, Niemi earns second straight shutout in 2-0 win over Washington Capitals

#12 MARLEAU VS. #27 KARL ALZNER TUESDAY - FLICKR PHOTO CLYDEORAMA

The San Jose Sharks have often been referred to as the Washington Capitals East, a high powered offensive team that struggled to live up to expectations in the playoffs. This season there are no ’82-game preseason’ comments from the San Jose press. A 6-game losing streak proved to the Sharks locker room that they can no longer score their way out of problems. With 9 teams separated by 6 points at the end of the month, it quickly became evident that in the Western Conference, every point mattered. Teams that didn’t scratch and claw in January and February, were going to be in the basement looking up in March and April.

Tuesday night at the Verizon Center the Sharks turned in their second straight shutout against an Eastern Conference foe. In the third period, rookie Logan Couture (24) and defenseman Dan Boyle (6) provided all the offense the Sharks would need en route to an impressive 2-0 win.

Heading into the game the 21-year old Couture was tied with former Blackhawk Steve Larmer (1982) for the most road game winning goals as a rookie in NHL history with 6. He was also tied with Washington Capitals sniper Alexander Ovechkin for the NHL lead with 7 overall game winning goals. Both marks would fall with his 24th goal of the season 11:55 into the third period.

Linemate Ben Eager drove into the offensive zone, then pulled up inside of the blueline to give Couture time to drive the net. A touch, backhand flip pass by Eager sprung him down the left wing. Couture snapped a shot that beat goaltender Michal Neuvirth from 36 feet out.

“Husky made a great up pass to Eags standing on the blueline, he took his time and made an ubelievable pass,” Couture said of the sequence that lead to the goal. “Their d-man was a little late coming over. I took a look quickly to see if Welly was coming down. I didn’t have a good enough angle to make the pass. As soon as the puck was on my stuck, I looked and the goalie was deep. He was probably thinking pass as well, so I fired it.”

Earlier in the third, it was Couture who drove the zone and pulled up just inside the blueline, this time on the right side. As Eager and Wellwood drove to the front of the net, Couture fired a hard pass that resulted in two quick scoring chances. Defenseman Jason Demers hammered a long rebound for a third shot on Michal Neuvirth.

The Sharks would put a second goal on the board 2:12 after Couture’s goal. This time it was Dany Heatley playing the role of Joe Thornton, distributing the puck from behind the net with his back to the glass. Heatley hit Boyle on the tape, and Boyle buried a shot from the dot.

Antti Niemi locked down all 25 shots for his 4th shutout of the season, and the Sharks defense smothered the Capitals offense and forced them to attempt a third period comeback for the most part from the perimeter.

Of 12 third period Washington Capitals shots on goal, only 2 came from inside the faceoff circles. Sharks forwards blocked 5 third period shots in front of Antti Niemi, and the defense blocked 3. Shortly before Couture’s game winning goal at 11:55, the Heatley-Thornton-Setoguchi line twice got the puck deep into the Capitals zone. Instead of the quick up pass to start the Capitals transition, Alexander Ovechkin tried a 1-on-3 rush before turning the puck over to a Thornton stick check. After a Sharks scoring chance, Jason Chimera then unsuccessfully tried a 1-on-4 break up ice.

During the Sharks 9-game point streak, they have not been mistake free. After the ASG break, the Sharks had a shaky start against Phoenix, a firesale finish against Anaheim, and a critical unsportsmanlike conduct penalty late in a 1-goal game against Boston. Before the break there were too many men on the ice penalties against Los Angeles and Minnesota, and late delay of game and roughing penalties in the third period and overtime against Vancouver. Late in the third period on Tuesday, Nicklas Backstrom drew a hooking penalty on Niclas Wallin. Backstrom trapped Wallin’s stick between his right arm, and protested enough to draw a call.

The Sharks were able to overcome that mistake as they had the others, as a team. They have become more defensively responsible in their own zone, sticking to fundamentals and high percentage plays. At this point in the season, San Jose has completely bought in to head coach Todd McLellan’s message. “I thought we threw a lot of pucks to the net tonight, we made them play in their end probably a bit longer than they wanted to. Eventually it went our way,” McLellan said. Tied 0-0 after the second intermission, McLellan told the CSNCA broadcast that his bench needed to stick to the 60 minute gameplan instead of trying to press for a lead in the final 20 minutes. One game earlier, it was assistant coach Jay Woodcroft stressing a 60 minute message.

“20 players dressed, 20 players contributed,” McLellan said after the game. “When I talk (about a gameplan), it is probably an extention of the Boston game. It has been 120 minute gameplan, (not just 60 minutes)”.

While the Sharks started with set lines, they were mixed and matched somewhat as Setoguchi joined Thornton and Heatley, and Marleau joined Pavelski and Clowe later in the game. Since returning from the flu, Logan Couture has skated with the newly acquired Ben Eager and Kyle Wellwood, and all three have clicked.

“When we were going through that losing streak, we were getting a little selfish, not playing a team game. The structure the coaching staff put in, over the past 10 games, we have started to play that way,” Couture said of the team’s recent turnaround.

The Sharks outshot the Capitals 27-13 after two periods, but both Michal Neuvirth and Antti Niemi came up big in goal. Neuvirth, coming off a 22 save shutout over Pittsburgh on Superbowl Sunday, was forced to stone Eager with a glove save in the first. #30 for Washington outwaited Thornton in the second, then extended his pad far to his left to make a pair of desperation saves. Antti Niemi, coming off a 26 save shutout against Boston, twice had to bail out defenseman Jason Demers. Demers turned the puck over to Brooks Laich and David Steckle, creating a pair of breakaway scoring chances in the first and second.

While the Sharks and Capitals can be compared at a distance, up close there has been no comparison. The Capitals have not had a winning regular season series matchup against San Jose since the Sharks were an expansion team in 91-92 and 92-93. San Jose upped their all-time regular season record against the Capitals to 18-9-1, with a 5-1 record since the lockout. Playoff success between the two franchises is comparible. In 36 seasons, the Capitals have reached the playoffs 58.3% of the time, with a Conference Final and Stanley Cup Final appearance. In 19 seasons, the Sharks have reached the playoffs 68.4% of the time, with a pair of Conference Final appearances in the last 6 seasons.

While former MVP’s Joe Thornton and Alexander Ovechkin each have enough individual hardware to fill a store that sells trophy cases, there has been a distinct change in each player’s performance this season. Thornton’s career points per game average of 1.017 over 12 seasons is down to only .901 points per game this year. He is on pace for 23 goals and 76 points, what would be his lowest point totals in 6 seasons. That belies the fact that he has focused extensively on becoming a more complete 3-zone player, something geared for the postseason.

Alexander Ovechkin recently made it clear to NHL.com’s Dan Rosen that his focus is also on the playoffs. “Of course I want to be on top (of the NHL in scoring), and of course I want to do my best, but the most important thing is to be in the playoffs and do what Chicago did when they won the Stanley Cup,” Ovechkin told Rosen. Ovechkin averaged 1.348 points per game over his first 5 seasons, reaching the 100-point plateau four times. This year Ovechkin is on pace for 33 goals and 91 points, what would be his lowest offensive output in his 6 year NHL career.

The Sharks continued their 9-game point streak (8-0-1) with the win over Washington. San Jose has also killed off 7 straight penalties over the last 7 periods. With a pair of shutouts, starting goaltender Antti Niemi has moved into the top 20 in wins (t-20th), save percentage (.915, t-16th), and goals against average (2.58, t-19th). With a rocky start, and a GAA of 3 or more in 6 of his first 9 starts, Niemi has allowed 2 or fewer goals in 8 of 14 appearances in 2011. Backup goaltender Antero Niittymaki returned to the lineup after missing 6 games with an undisclosed injury. Defenseman Derek Joslin was scratched for San Jose. Defenseman Mike Green (concussion-like symptoms) and DJ King were scratched for Washington.

San Jose Sharks vs Washington Capitals flickr photo by clydeorama. The full photo gallery is available here on flickr, or here on clydeorama.com.

[Update] Capitals vs. Sharks: Washington falls flat against visiting San Jose and is shut out for eighth time for the Washington Post.

“We’ve got to be mentally stronger than that,” Scott Hannan said. “They’re a big strong team. When they get the puck in deep and cycle it, they seem to drag out plays a lot in the offensive zone. That’s where we’ve got to be better. If we were a little quicker on the puck and able to break the puck out, you’ll get your chances against them – but you’ve got to work.”

[Update2] Wednesday Caps Clips: Shark Sandwiched – Japers Rink.

[Update3] Columbus preview: A new injury for Niittymaki gives Hutton another game as an NHL back-up – David Pollak’s Working the Corners blog.

The Hockey News/XM Home Ice 204 Podcast: Boston Bruins, NHL trade deadline, NHLPA’s Donald Fehr era

[audio:http://www.thehockeynews.com/upload/audio/TheHockeyNewsRadioShowFebruary42011.mp3]

Last Friday on The Hockey News Radio Show with Adam Proteau and Jim ‘Boomer’ Gordon on XM Satellite Radio Home Ice Channel 204: It’s a special week as Adam and Boomer welcome top-notch comedian and hockey fan Bill Burr for the first half-hour of the show. Bill discusses growing up as a Bruins fan in Boston, improving the way he plays the game as a 40-year-old, the NHL’s 24/7 collaboration with HBO, and much, much more. In the second half-hour, Adam answers questions in an abbreviated mailbag segment, and then NHL player agent Anton Thun joins the show to discuss the upcoming trade deadline, free agency, and the NHLPA’s Donald Fehr era.

This podcast is posted here with permission. Visit thehockeynews.com and XM Radio NHL Home Ice 204 for more NHL coverage. Download the podcast via Itunes, or directly via the MP3 file here.

Hutton, WorSharks Blank Providence Bruins, 2-0

JAY LEACH TUSSLES WITH PROVIDENCE IN FRONT OF NET - PHOTO TRISH HUNT

DEFENSEMAN #27 JUSTIN BRAUN SHOT ON GOAL - PHOTO TRISH HUNT

DEFENSEMAN #29 NICK PETRECKI GATHERS PUCK - PHOTO TRISH HUNT

The Worcester Sharks used solid defensive play and a twenty save shutout performance from Carter Hutton to defeat the Providence Bruins 2-0 Saturday night at the DCU center in Worcester, Massachusetts in front of a crowd of 6,061 just hours after the two parent clubs went at in an NHL contest in Boston, with San Jose defeating Boston by an identical 2-0 score. Both victories were overshadowed by the news that WorSharks star netminder Alex Stalock has been lost for the remainder of the season with a sliced nerve in his left knee.

The first period ended scoreless, but it certainly wasn’t due to a lack of effort by Worcester. The WorSharks came out firing on all cylinders, throwing several bone jarring hits and doing everything except putting puck past P-Bruins goaltender Matt Dalton. Despite the physical play by Worcester the period saw just a single set of matching penalties called by referee Chris Brown when Andrew Desjardins and Joe Colborne got together in an altercation that barely met the minimum qualifications for a fight at 11:00.

Tempers would flare again early in the second period, and Desjardins would find himself right in the middle of the action for a second time. But when Nathan McIver tried to fight Desjardins he only made it as far as Brandon Mashinter, who put on old fashion whoopin’ on the P-Bruin defenseman at 1:43.

In a game dominated by physical play it would only make sense that Worcester’s fourth line would get them on the board. After pinning the Baby-Bs in their own zone with perimeter play Frazer McLaren collected a loose puck and fed Justin Braun to the right point. Braun fired a low shot into traffic that defenseman turned forward Joe Loprieno tipped past a screened Dalton to light the lamp at 16:09.

With just the one goal lead the WorSharks continued to play hard and did an excellent job of limiting Providence’s scoring chances. Those that they did allow were easily turned aside by Hutton. The netminder, pulling double duty by getting the start in place of the injured Stalock after sitting on San Jose’s bench in the matinee contest backing up Antti Niemi in Boston, had to make only one truly difficult save in the contest and it was of his own doing when he deflected a rebound right on to the tape of Kirk MacDonald’s stick. The rookie netminder had to flash out the pad to make a quick save of the return blast. Providence’s other good scoring chance came when a bouncing puck eluded the WorSharks defense and allowed Maxime Sauve to break in alone, but Hutton held his ground and forced the center wide as his shot missed the net.

Mashinter gave the WorSharks a little breathing room with an empty net goal from the center red line, assisted by Nick Schaus and Dan DaSilva, at 19:05. Providence continued to play hard until the final horn, but so did the WorSharks and held the Baby-Bs without a great scoring chance for the rest of the contest. As the final horn sounded Hutton picked up the loose puck to celebrate his first professional shutout.

A Worcester-Providence photo gallery from Trish Hunt is available here.

GAME NOTES
It was a busy day for the Worcester Shuttle, but with San Jose playing in Boston the shuttle only had to travel 40-odd miles down the Massachusetts Turnpike to complete its rounds. In the morning John McCarthy and Carter Hutton were sent on to Beantown, and right after the game Hutton made the hour trip back west to make the start for Worcester. The WorSharks had no healthy scratches, and once again used defenseman Joe Loprieno at forward. Daren Machesney, who was originally signed to a PTO Friday to back up Hutton when Alex Stalock was scheduled to be recalled for Saturday’s NHL contest, was the back-up netminder.

How bad is the San Jose organization in the third period? The WorSharks still have the worst goal differential in third period in the AHL, and San Jose ranks in the bottom five in the NHL in that category. Perhaps it’s the jerseys because Friday night in Stockton the Thunder, the ECHL affiliate of both San Jose and Worcester who are second in their league with a plus-16 rating in the period, wore San Jose jerseys and lost the game on a third period goal. On Saturday night, again wearing Sharks jerseys, Stockton surrendered two third period goals in a 3-2 win over Utah.

The three stars of the game were
1. WOR – 30 Carter Hutton (20 save shutout)
2. WOR – 3 Joe Loprieno (gwg)
3. PRO – 30 Matt Dalton (28 saves)

For the second game in a row the Sharkspage player of the game was Brandon Mashinter.

Even Strength Lines
McGinn/Desjardins/Cheechoo
Mashinter/Zalewski/Wingels
DaSilva/Henderson/MacIntyre
McLaren/Quirk/Loprieno

Braun/Petrecki
Schaus/Irwin
Leach/Sullivan

Power Play lines
Cheechoo/Desjardins/McGinn
Mashinter(Wingels)/Wingels(Zalewski)/MacIntyre

Irwin/Braun
Schaus/Sullivan

Penalty Kill Lines
Desjardins(Wingels)/McGinn
Quirk/McLaren

Leach/Braun
Schaus/Sullivan

BOXSCORE
Providence 0 0 0 – 0
Worcester 0 1 1 – 2

1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Colborne Pro (fighting), 11:00; Desjardins Wor (fighting), 11:00.

2nd Period-1, Worcester, Loprieno 2 (Braun, McLaren), 16:09. Penalties-McIver Pro (fighting), 1:43; Mashinter Wor (fighting), 1:43; Roussel Pro (unsportsmanlike conduct), 3:28; Bartkowski Pro (unsportsmanlike conduct), 5:48; Desjardins Wor (holding the stick), 16:37.

3rd Period-2, Worcester, Mashinter 9 (Schaus, DaSilva), 19:05 (EN). Penalties-Schaus Wor (interference), 8:16; Ling Pro (holding), 8:59.

Shots on Goal-Providence 5-6-9-20. Worcester 11-9-9-29.
Power Play Opportunities-Providence 0/2; Worcester 0/3.
Goalies-Providence, Dalton 7-5-0 (28 shots-27 saves). Worcester, Hutton 5-3-2 (20 shots-20 saves).
A-6,061
Referee-Chris Brown (86). Linesmen-Brian MacDonald (72), Bob Paquette (18).

WorSharks Win Game, Lose Stalock To Injury

The Worcester Sharks defeated the Manchester Monarchs 4-3 in a shootout Friday night at the DCU center in Worcester, Massachusetts in front of 3,581 fans, but the two points may have come at a heavy cost as goaltender Alex Stalock left the game with an apparent left leg injury late in the third period. Word after the game was Stalock had been stepped on in a scrum in front of the Worcester net, but there were no other details available.

The WorSharks would grab the first goal of the game with a power play tally, but not before giving fans a scare. After Justin Braun fumbled the puck along the offensive blue line the Monarchs penalty killers cleared the puck out of the zone as the race down ice for the puck began. Stalock, seeing that Manchester was going to win the race, took off from the opposite direction and just beat the Monarchs to the puck. Unfortunately for Worcester Stalock partially fanned on the clearing attempt and Manchester recovered, firing a shot on the open net. Braun, who had raced past Stalock to guard the empty net, was able to make the save. A few moments later Braun one-timed a Jonathan Cheechoo pass from the left halfboards on net, where Andrew Desjardins tipped it past Manchester netminder Martin Jones at 8:08 of the first period. It was Desjardins first power play goal in 199 games for Worcester.

The Monarchs would get themselves even with a power play goal of their own as time was winding down on the opening period. With Brandon Mashinter in the box for hooking the defenseman Andrew Campbell picked off a clearing attempt and made a pass along the blue line to Viatcheslav Voynov, who blasted a one-timer on net that beat a partially screened Stalock high to the glove side with just one tick left on the power play and 44.3 seconds left in the period.

Tommy Wingles would get Worcester the lead back after an odd shift that saw Steven Zalewski have three consecutive shots blocked by different Manchester players. The third one bounced well for Worcester, or perhaps more correct didn’t bounce at all, as Mashinter was able to grab the loose puck and find Wingles all alone at the far post. Jones had no idea where the puck was, and barely reacted until Wingles was blasting the puck into the open net behind him at 2:50 of the middle period.

Manchester would again grab a power play tally to get back to even when Dwight King threw a backhander on net that beat Stalock to the shot side after a wild scrum in front of the net drew the netminder off his post at 12:45. Desjardins looked to grab the lead back just seconds later when after a rush up ice the puck ended up on his stick with nothing but open net in front of him, but the Manchester defense was just able to keep Desjardins from getting shot off as the puck bounced away harmlessly.

The third period has been an issue for Worcester all season, and the trend looked to rear up again when Justin Azevedo fired a shot that Stalock never saw but luckily hit him. Unfortunately for Worcester Stalock never saw the rebound either until it was too late as John Zeiler banged the puck home for Manchester first lead of the game at 7:58.

After a huge hit by Nick Schaus on David Meckler broke up a Manchester scoring chance Worcester would get the equalizer when Zalewski took a Mashinter feed from behind the goal line and blasted it over the shoulder of Jones at 12:08. Wingles would grab the second assist. Both teams would have great chances to take the lead over the remainder of the game, but unfortunately for Worcester one of those scoring chances resulted in Stalock getting his left leg stepped on. Carter Hutton replaces Stalock with 3:21 remaining in the game and Worcester clamped down on defense not allowing a shot the rest of regulation.

Hutton would have to make three saves in the overtime period, with a glove save on Marc Andre Cliché being of the highlight variety. Neither team would score in the extra stanza, and Worcester would find itself down 1-0 in the shootout after Brandon Kozun beat Hutton with a nice backhander high under the crossbar. But Hutton would stand tall on the next four attempts and behind two nice tallies by Zalewski and Cheechoo would grab the extra point.

Now the only question is “what was the cost?”.

GAME NOTES
With the injury Stalock will join Tony Lucia, T.J. Trevelyan, James Marcou, and Mike Moore on the injured list. Joe Loprieno was a healthy scratch. The WorSharks suffered an additional injury in the contest, with head coach Roy Sommer taking a puck to the face/nose while standing behind the Worcester bench with eight minutes remaining in the first period. Sommer went down like a ton of bricks and was on the floor for some time before being led off holding a towel to his nose. Sommer returned to the bench with 5:30 remaining in the period looking like he was on the wrong end of a championship prize fight. When the team returned to the ice for the second period Sommer just had his nose taped.

There were two fights in the contest, with Frazer McLaren (6’5″ 240#) taking on Justin Johnson (6’1″ 220#) in a bout that had more missed haymakers than landed punches. Andrew Desjardins (6’1″ 200#) and Viatcheslav Voynov (5’11” 193#) got together in a rare overtime battle, with Desjardins landing several clean shots over the linesmen trying to break up the fight.

Sean Sullivan’s hipcheck of Jason Pitton may have made ESPN, but Nick Schaus throwing big hits is almost becoming a common occurrence. He is quickly getting the reputation as a guy you may not want to try and skate past along the boards. One other observation, Manchester goaltender Martin Jones is the biggest goaltender this writer can recall seeing. At 6’4″ and a very wide 191 pounds Jones takes up almost the whole net. It’s no wonder he has a .930 save percentage as there’s almost no net to shoot at.

The three stars of the game were
1. WOR – 15 Steve Zalewski (g,a)
2. WOR – 17 Tommy Wingels (g,a)
3. MCH – 76 Viatcheslav Voynov (g)

The Sharkspage player of the game was Brandon Mashinter.

Even Strength Lines
McGinn/Desjardins/Cheechoo
Mashinter/Zalewski/Wingles
DaSilva/Henderson/McCarthy
McLaren/Quirk/MacIntyre

Braun/Petrecki
Schaus/Irwin
Leach/Sullivan

Power Play lines
Cheechoo/Desjardins/McGinn
Mashinter/Wingles/MacIntyre

Irwin/Schaus(Braun)
Braun/Sullivan

Penalty Kill Lines
Desjardins/McGinn
McCarthy/DaSilva
Quirk/McLaren

Leach/Braun
Schaus/Sullivan

BOXSCORE
Manchester 1 1 1 0 – 3
Worcester 1 1 1 0 – 4

1st Period-1, Worcester, Desjardins 8 (Braun, Cheechoo), 8:08 (PP). 2, Manchester, Voynov 12 (Campbell), 19:15 (PP). Penalties-Holloway Mch (high-sticking), 7:11; Johnson Mch (fighting), 8:50; McLaren Wor (fighting), 8:50; Mashinter Wor (hooking), 17:17.

2nd Period-3, Worcester, Wingels 9 (Mashinter, Zalewski), 2:50. 4, Manchester, King 13 (Azevedo, Kolomatis), 12:45 (PP). Penalties-Irwin Wor (hooking), 11:43; Teubert Mch (roughing), 17:28; Petrecki Wor (roughing), 17:28.

3rd Period-5, Manchester, Zeiler 3 (Nolan, Mullen), 7:58. 6, Worcester, Zalewski 4 (Mashinter, Wingels), 12:08. Penalties-Nolan Mch (interference), 0:53; Petrecki Wor (hooking), 5:02.

OT Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Voynov Mch (fighting), 3:07; Desjardins Wor (fighting), 3:07.

Shootout – Manchester 1 (Kozun G, Moller NG, Holloway NG, Mullen NG, Azevedo NG), Worcester 2 (McGinn NG, Zalewski G, Cheechoo G, MacIntyre NG, DaSilva NG).
Shots on Goal-Manchester 12-9-10-3-0-34. Worcester 9-11-12-4-1-37.
Power Play Opportunities-Manchester 2/3; Worcester 1/2.
Goalies-Manchester, Jones 17-5-1 (36 shots-33 saves). Worcester, Stalock 19-17-4 (31 shots-28 saves); Hutton 4-3-2 (3 shots-3 saves).
A-3,581
Referee-Francis Charron (46). Linesmen-Bob Paquette (18), Joe Ross (92).

DOH Podcast #133: Alex Stalock’s first NHL win, trade deadline, All-Star Game, Nabokov saga, Calder race

[audio:http://dudesonhockey.com/podcast/doh_2011_0202.mp3]

Mike Peattie and Doug Santana discuss rookie goaltender Alex Stalock’s first NHL win, the upcoming NHL trade deadline on February 28th, speculate on defenseman that GM Doug Wilson may or may not be interested in (not realistic Tomas Kaberle, Brent Seabrook, Joni Pitkanen; maybe Chris Phillips; realistic Francois Beauchemin), take a look back at the All-Star Game weekend, the Evgeni Nabokov waiver suspension by the New York Islanders, the Calder rookie race and more on the 133rd episode of the Dudes on Hockey podcast.

This Sharks podcast is posted here with permission. Visit dudesonhockey.com for more coverage of the team or download the MP3 file directly here.