SHARKSPAGE

Sharks-Chicago Western Conference Final ratings on Versus/NBC

A few notes on television ratings for the Sharks-Blackhawks Western Conference Finals:

Game 1 – Sunday, May 16th. According to Sports Media Watch, NBC drew a 1.3/2.2 million viewers for the opening game of the San Jose Sharks-Chicago Blackhawks Western Conference Finals, down 19% over Detroit-Chicago game 1 in 2009. It was still the largest ratings figure and largest audience for a Stanley Cup playoff game broadcast on NBC up until that point. Chicago drew an enormous 11.2/27 overnight for the Sharks-Blackhawks opener, up from a 7.7/19 for the start of the Red Wings-Blackhawks WCF series in 2009. It was more than the Cubs, White Sox and NBA Boston-Orlando playoff ratings combined. KLIV NBC-11 drew a 5.6 in the Bay Area according to Puck the Media.

Game 2 – Tuesday, May 18th. Versus registered 1.5 million viewers for game 2 of the Western Conference Finals, down 15% from game 2 of Chicago-Detroit in 2009 (1.7 million). The performance of the NHL’s cable partner was excellent in the Chicago market, earning a 10.93 rating (382,000 households) according to Phil Rosenthal of the Tribune. It eclisped the Comcast Sportsnet Chicago alltime record of 10.14 set two weeks earlier in game 3 of the WCSF against Vancouver. According to Versus, the San Fran/Oakland/SJ market earned a 4.2HH rating with over 105,000 households. Nationally the broadcast averaged a 1.4 HH rating.

Game 3 – Friday, May 21st. The Versus broadcast of San Jose vs Chicago in game 3 drew a 11.52 household rating in the Chicago market, equal to 403,000 homes setting a new viewership mark. In the San Fran/Oakland/SJ local market, Versus averaged a 4.0 rating and over 101,000 households. Nationally Versus averaged a 1.4 HH rating and 1.571 million viewers. Overall, the Bay Area and Chicago markets made up 32% of the average number of viewers for the Friday night broadcast.

Game 4 – Sunday, May 23rd. NBC earned a 2.0/5 overnight rating (up 33% from game 4 of Det-Chi 2009, 1.5/4) as the Chicago Blackhawks ousted the San Jose Sharks in four games with a 4-2 win at the United Center. It was the highest rated indoor hockey game of the season for NBC (not including the Winter Classic at Fenway). The game averaged an impressive 14.1/32 in Chicago as the Blackhawks look to break a 49-year Stanley Cup drought in the Finals. KNTV-11 in the Bay Area drew a 4.4 for game 4, down 21% from the 5.6 rating in game 1. The Western Conference Final series finale outdrew every other sporting event on broadcast television Sunday according to the Sports Business Daily.

CSN California set a network record 6.57 rating, averaging over 164,250 households for the WCSF series clinching game 5 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Viewership peaked at a 9.14, and 229,000 as the Sharks were on the brink of slaying a perennial playoff and regular season roadblock.

Versus registered a 1.4 HH and 1.6 HH ratings for the first two games of the WCSF, 1.45 million and 1.77 million viewers respectively. The Nielsen live-plus-same-day numbers for game 2 resulted in the largest NHL Conference Semifinal viewing audience in history for Versus, and the largest Conference Semifinal audience for the last 10 years on cable.

“The Sharks have been one of the top teams in the league the past few years, but have never raised the coveted Stanley Cup… This year they’re the top-seeded team in the West with a roster full of household names battling against the Red Wings, one of the NHL’s most storied teams with multiple Cup wins recently, so it’s natural that games in this series will draw huge national interest,” Marc Fein, Versus EVP of Programming, Production and Business Operations told Sharkspage of the record audience.

Comcast Sportsnet California also saw a significant ratings boost during the first round WCQF series against Colorado, registering a 4.4 HH rating locally in game 2 and a 4.7 HH rating in game 4.

[Update] N.H.L. Playoffs on Versus Find a Growing Audience – New York Times.

[Update2] SMW Q&A with ESPN analyst Barry Melrose – Sports Media Watch.

SMW: How important is it for the NHL to have these two huge markets playing in Chicago and Philadelphia? How big do you think that is for the league right now?

Barry Melrose: It’s great, because when we lost Washington and Pittsburgh, everyone was saying doom and gloom, it’s going to be a terrible finals. Crosby’s out, Ovechkin’s out, no one will care. To get these two markets, these two great hockey franchises – an Original Six team like Chicago, Philadelphia Flyers one of the most famous franchises in the NHL – this is a home run for the NHL, almost a grand slam. We’re very, very fortunate that we’ve got these cities involved, but also, these two great teams involved…

SMW: This year, Versus has already aired the most-viewed first round of the playoffs on cable since 2001 and the most-viewed second round on record. How would you characterize the NHL’s popularity as a whole right now?

Barry Melrose: It’s going up. The game is the best it’s been in a long, long time. We’ve got a lot of great young stars, every team seems to have a superstar, 23, 22, 21 years old. I think the sky’s the limit for the NHL. I think these playoffs have done wonders, and the finals will be everything we’ve hoped for. I expect a long, hard finals, so I think that’ll be great…

SMW: You mentioned just now the TV contracts the NHL has with NBC and Versus. I think I mentioned earlier how Versus had the most-viewed first round and second round in a good number of years. A lot of people have said that the NHL needs to get back on ESPN. As an ESPN employee, do you think the NHL still needs ESPN, or do you think they can still be successful with the set-up they have now?

Barry Melrose: Well, I’m an ESPN employee, but I’m also a hockey lover. I want to see what’s the best for the NHL, for our game. Does hockey need ESPN to be successful? No. Does hockey need ESPN to become what it can become? I think it does. I think if you’re a national sport in the United States, you have to be on ESPN. I think it’s great for the sport.

People still come to ESPN for their sports. You can say what you want, we still do hockey every night. Yesterday, I did twelve things on hockey on all the platforms, starting at 9:00 in the morning with the early SportsCenter and ending at 1:00 in the morning on our late SportsCenter from Los Angeles. So we’re still doing a lot of hockey on ESPN, and people still come to ESPN for their news about hockey. I think for the betterment of the league and the optimum expansion of our sport, I think it needs to be back on ESPN…

SMW: Going off of that, being on ESPN provides you that great platform. A lot of sports fans who wouldn’t be watching Versus get to see you talking hockey every day on SportsCenter. There are some people who might say that you’re the most prominent hockey analyst in the states just by virtue of that platform. Maybe even like a Don Cherry of the United States. Would you agree with something like that?

Barry Melrose: Well, I’m a lot better looking and better dressed than Don Cherry. Gotta get that out there right away. But I would say so, yeah. If you look at the viewership for ESPN, non-hockey fans are watching SportsCenter. All of a sudden, this guy from Canada pops up, and they say, ‘this is the hockey guy.’ So I would definitely say that’s true. It’s something I take pride in, and something I work hard to cultivate, and something that I try to convey every night to people that aren’t hockey fans. So I try and entertain a little more than guys that are on hockey networks, but I think definitely that’s true that I’m the most watched hockey person in the United States. I don’t think there’s any doubt about that.

Chomp Talk Radio – San Jose vs. Detroit wrap, a look back at 2010, offseason questions and an interview with Mark Purdy

On KDOW 1220 AM’s Chomptalk season finale, Mike Peattie and Doug Santana discuss the crusing 4-0 series sweep by Chicago at the Western Conference Finals, break down looming offseason questions, interview San Jose Mercury News opinion columnist Mark Purdy, and take a spectrum of listener calls from disappoinment to full on ‘Lost Finale’ hydrogen bomb blow up the team.

This KDOW 1220AM Chomptalk radio program is posted here with permission. Visit dudesonhockey.com for more coverage of the team, or download the MP3 file of this show directly here.

Western Conference Finals Game 4 – Sharks season over, Blackhawks advance to Stanley Cup Finals with 4-2 win

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES - 'HAWKS WIN' FRONT PAGE

CHICAGO TRIBUNE - 'HAWKEYTOWN' FRONT PAGE

CHICAGO RED EYE - 'ICE LAND' FRONT PAGE

SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS - 'BOWING OUT' FRONT PAGE

The Sharks giving up a 2-goal lead and being swept by the Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference Finals can be considered nothing other than a failure. Fans, media and players can point to close games, or reestablishing a team identity based on heart, character, and a belief that they can overcome obstacles. The 93-year old National Hockey League is a results oriented business, and the bottom line is that the Western Conference regular season champions could not win a single game against the Campbell Trophy winning Western Conference playoff champion Chicago Blackhawks.

The city of Chicago can now rally around the Blackhawks first appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals since 1992, when Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr lead the Penguins to a 4-0 sweep of their own. The original six franchise also has an opportunity to release themselves from the longest championship drought in the NHL, a 49-year stretch that is not even a distant memory for a majority of the youth-infused Chicago fan base.

For San Jose, it is a difficult situation but 2010 has to be included in the annals of postseason shortcomings. The Sharks may have carried a majority of the play in three of the four games in the series, but that and 50 cents still will not buy a cup of coffee at Tim Hortons. They were beaten, and they were beaten resoundingly.

Chicago’s top line of Byfuglien-Toews-Kane registered 15 points (5G, 10A) to Marleau-Thornton-Heatley’s 9 (5G, 4A). The Sharks top-3 were mixed later in the series, but outside Marleau’s 5 goals no one on the Sharks top line scored. Meanwhile converted defenseman Dustin Byfuglien scored a goal in each game, including 3 game winners. Only rookies Logan Couture and defenseman Jason Demers added secondary scoring for San Jose. Chicago received secondary scoring up front from Dave Bolland (2), Kris Versteeg, Patrick Sharp (2), Andrew Ladd and Troy Brouwer. The defenses produced offense at a similar pace, 1 goal and 7 assists, but the speed and transition game of the Chicago blueline often resulted in a track meet in the opposite direction against the Sharks.

The starkest difference may have been in goal. While technically a few weeks too old to be considered a true NHL rookie, rookie Finnish goaltender Antti Niemi proved to be the game breaking talent in the Conference Finals. He outplayed former NHL Allstar, Vezina finalist, and former Calder rookie of the year winner Evgeni Nabokov. Niemi bent, but did not break in the series, and he kept the games in hand long enough for a rolling Blackhawks offense to put points on the board. A calm and poised Niemi showed none of the jitters former #1 Cristobal Huet displayed in the past, and he made Chicago’s confidence bordering on arrogance possible stopping 129 of 136 shots against.

Evgeni Nabokov was good, and possibly very good in stretches over 3 playoff rounds, but he did not steal enough games to put him on that elite playoff pedestal many expected him to be on. At times against Colorado and Chicago he had difficulty tracking the puck through traffic, which during several recent regular seasons has been a strength of his. The Sharks have had nearly a 50% turnover on the blueline in each of the last two seasons, and unfortunately each defensive pairing took a small step back on both sides of the ice in 2010. Nabokov is at his best when he is confident, aggressive and challenging shooters at the top of the crease. That level of anticipation requires a faith that the defense will clear bodies and rebounds from out in front of the crease. In each of the last 2 seasons, that defensive support decreased slightly. There were several goals that were clearly Nabokov’s responsiblity to make the first save on, and despite a renewed focus to become more of a team player this season, the Sharks never seemed to build on his play enough in the series.

An extra goal or an extra bounce here or there does not take into account the Blackhawks overflowing confidence, and complete lack of respect for what used to be a potent and dangerous San Jose Sharks squad. It is a shot accross the bow for one regular analyst in San Jose who said actions taken in the regular season have no carryover for the playoffs. If the Sharks learned anything from this 4-0 series defeat, they should have learned to treat every future shift against Chicago, whether regular, preseason, or pickup hockey outside the United Center, as a meeting between mortal enemies.

They needed to play old school hockey against the Blackhawks, add a little hate to the game as Don Cherry would say. Instead they afforded the Blackhawks forwards too much respect, and allowed Patrick Kane to generate as much speed through the neutral zone as he desired. A shorthanded clearing shot by Patrick Marleau battered the face of defenseman Duncan Keith, but the larger Sharks forwards never ground down the Blackhawks defense physically like they did against Colorado. Early in the series they tried, with Clowe, Setoguchi and Murray lining up hits, but more often than not they were a step and a couple of feet too late.

Speed kills, and against San Jose it made them look completely ineffectual for far too many shifts. San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan framed the series loss as a building block the franchise can use to advance in the future. “We’ve come a long way as an organization. We won the Presidents’ Trophy last year. We went into a situation against Anaheim where we didn’t play very well. You know, we held an evaluation of our team that was very intense and we scrutinized it very closely. A number of players were put on notice. We made a number of changes,” McLellan said of how the team addressed last year’s loss to Anaheim in the first round.

Another factor was the forward depth of Chicago. While head coaches Todd McLellan and Mike Babcock kept the WCSF series to a mostly 3-line affair, critical shutdown shifts by the third line of Ladd-Bolland-Versteeg, and consistent physical play by the fourth line of Eager-Madden-Burish, provided an edge in the WCF. Bolland held Joe Thornton to 1 assist, and Eager was only credited with 11 hits but in reality registered several more. The Sharks third line struggled, Couture was hustled off the end boards by Bolland for the tying goal in game 4, Malhotra was more often than not a non-factor. The fourth line, subbing one forward with 7 defenseman dressed, contributed energy in bursts. Nichol won several key right handed draws, and Jamie Mcginn saw his ice time bumped from 5 minutes in the first two games, to 7 and 10 minutes in the final two based on work ethic.

“I think we can look at what the Blackhawks did last year and how they grew through losing. Sometimes it’s part of the process. Jumbo now has been there. I looked at Jonathan Toews’ statistics, I think he ended up with 13 points, they went out in this round. Now look at him, what he’s got there, close to 30. He’s been there, he’s done it. Their team has been there and done it. They’ve learned through it. I’d like to think we could be that team,” McLellan said of this year’s loss to Chicago.

Moral victories and playoff defeats as learning tools are becoming increasingly difficult to swallow for a market that starts each season with the promise of Stanley Cup silver. A series sweep by Chicago should hurt for San Jose players and fans, and regardless of what the outcome of next year’s postseaosn is, that feathered Indian should have a target on him for 2010-11.

Video highlights from the game are available via youtube here.

[Update] Byfuglien does it again, sending Hawks to Final – Dave Lozo for NHL.com.

For a team that hasn’t been to the Stanley Cup Final in 18 years, it sure seems like the Chicago Blackhawks have gotten back there in a hurry.

Three seasons after missing the playoffs, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and the rest of the Blackhawks clinched a spot in the Final by overcoming a 2-0 deficit and rallying for a 4-2 victory in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals to complete a sweep of the top-seeded San Jose Sharks.

Western Conference Finals Game 3 – Late comeback upended by Dustin Byfuglien goal in overtime

For the second time in three games, the Sharks carried the bulk of the play and lost to an opportunistic Chicago Blackhawks team in game 3 of the Western Conference Finals. 6-foot-4, 257-pound converted defenseman Dustin Byfuglien scored his second game winning goal of the series en route to a 3-2 overtime win at the United Center.

The Sharks outshot Chicago 46 to 38, 88 to 60 when blocked and missed shots are factored in, but Blackhawks goaltender Antti Niemi played his best game of the series stopping 44 of 46 shots against. He was solid against a surging San Jose side in the third period, and even better in overtime. A Kent Huskins slapshot deflected off his mask, quick Malhotra and Couture rebound attempts were denied. Murray and Setoguchi shots from farther out were smothered down low. Patrick Marleau fought his way through 2 stick checks to take the puck to the net, losing possession shortly before getting a shot on goal.

The Sharks outshot Chicago 11-5 in overtime, but a defensive breakdown in the San Jose zone provided the Blackhakws an opportunity to end the game and they capitalized. Brian Campbell denied a clearing attempt at the blueline, and fired the puck down low behind the net to checking line center Dave Bolland. Scott Nichol put a body on him, but Bolland was able to get eyes on a driving Byfuglien in front of the net. An unchecked Byfuglien split three Sharks players to the slot, and he buried a quick shot high in the middle of the net before Evgeni Nabokov even turned around.

It is only the second overtime win for Chicago in these playoffs, the first coming in a 5-4 effort on April 24th. It is also only Chicago’s third 1-goal win of the playoffs, with two of the narrow victories coming in this series against San Jose. The Sharks have played 5 overtime games in the postseason, with a 4-1 record, and this is their tenth 1-goal decision (6-4 record).

The Sharks experienced a massive power play outage again for the second time in this series. After converting 1-of-1 power plays in game 2, the Sharks have only scored twice on 11 opportunities (18%) in games 1 and 3. Dustin Byfuglien and Dave Bolland took critical tripping penalties late in the third period on Friday night, but the Sharks could not capitalize to tie the game. Instead a Dan Boyle point shot created rebound opportunities for Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau. Marleau found enough room short side to punch home the tying goal with 4:23 left.

In addition to marking Joe Thorton defensively and assisting on the game winning goal, Dave Bolland also added his first goal of the series. After blocking a Dan Boyle point shot, he converted a slick backhand-to-forehand move wide around Evgeni Nabokov for the go-ahead goal in the third period. Patrick Sharp added his seventh goal of the postseason in the second period.

The Sharks thought they had opened the scoring early in the first period, when a puck looked like it deflected off the skate and stick of Joe Pavelski to beat Antti Niemi. After a long video review, the goal was waived off to a roar from the large Chicago crowd. Patrick Marleau capitalized for the lone Sharks goal with a man advantage in the second period. With Dave Bolland and Marian Hossa off creating a 5-on-3, Marleau intentionally shot wide of the net. The puck deflected to Joe Pavelski at the opposite side of the crease, who spun and fired it back across. Marleau hammered the puck high over Niemi for his first goal of the game.

Montreal became only the third team in NHL history to overcome a 3-0 series deficit in the ECSF against Boston, but the outlook is bleak for the Sharks. “Now it is officially win or go home… this locker room is not going to quit,” defenseman Dan Boyle offered. Captain Rob Blake added, “We have to look at 1 game, that is the big picture. We put ourselves into this.”

[Update] Hawks leave the Sharks with one answer: Leave – Steve Rosenbloom for the Chicago Tribune.

I don’t know what else the Sharks can do.

They’ve skated at the pace the Blackhawks wanted, and they’ve taken it to the Hawks. And they still lost.

They went with their top lines against the Hawks’ top lines, and they produced a lot of scoring chances. And they still lost. They changed lines, drew power plays, and outshot the Hawks in the United Center in a gotta-have-it Game 3 after dropping the first two games at home. And they still lost.

They forced the Hawks’ dangerous scorers to the perimeter and cut down on the bodies in front of their goaltender. And they still lost. They came back from a potentially killer breakaway goal late in the third period and tied the game even later. And they still lost.

I don’t know what else the Sharks can do. And it doesn’t look like they know, either.

[Update2] Sharks’ valiant fight not enough vs. Chicago’s heroes – Justin Bourne for Yahoo.com.

[Update3] Hawks inch closer to Cup, Bolland brilliant while Dustin Byfuglien gives the Chicago a 3-2 win and 3-0 series lead in their Western Conference Final against San Jose – Eric Duhatschek for the Globe and Mail.

Post-game comments by San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan and Chicago Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville

Post-game comments by San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan:

[Q] It seems like you changed the lines, you’ve thrown all kinds of shots at ’em, yet you’re still down 0-3. Do you ask yourself, What now?

[TM] No. We know what now. What now is to regroup and come back with the same effort. There’s really nothing else we can do. I was really happy with the way our team played to a man, whether it was from goaltender, D man, forwards. We made a few mistakes. They scored some goals. I thought it was a helluva game.

The reality is we’re down 3-0. Happened a week ago with two good teams playing and Philadelphia found a way to come back, so there’s something to draw in there. Plus the fact that we’ve been in this series I think for every minute. That’s got to leave us feeling good.

But we know we’re in a hole and we’ve got to dig our way out.

[Q] Four goals over the last two games for Patrick Marleau. Describe what you’re seeing from him.

[TM] You know, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Patty play now for 200some games, 160 games anyhow, and that’s as good as I’ve seen him play. Determined, committed, working real hard all over the rink. Real proud of him. He needs to bring it again.

[Q] Can you break down the last goal for us.

[TM] It was a breakdown in D zone coverage. They did a really good job of keeping the puck alive at the blueline. Released it behind the net. We jumped down with our centerman, Scottie. They basically looked at net front, Byfuglien got lost out high out in the zone and one-timed it into the net. I don’t know if we can blame one individual. Collectively, we shouldn’t have allowed the puck to come in there free. And we’ve got to be aware of the shooter. The guy behind the net is not dangerous. Always the guy in the slot is.

[Q] You always talk about these games revolving around special teams. You got the one power-play goal. There were a lot of missed opportunities.

[TM] If there was a part of our game that we have to go back and improve, we had opportunities the third period on the power-play where we could have either got the lead or established ourselves in the game, and we didn’t do that. I’d like to see our power-play a little bit sharper.

Remember, they’re a very good penalty-killing team. They’ve got this far because of it.

[Q] Why can’t you get over the hump against these guys?

[TM] Well, we’re still on the hump. I don’t think we’re quite under it yet. You know what, it’s good hockey. There’s four teams left. Sometimes the bounces go your way, sometimes they don’t.

I can’t walk in the dressing room tomorrow and approach that group and say they didn’t give an effort, they didn’t work hard, they didn’t give us everything they had. It’s pretty simple: it just didn’t go our way tonight.

We had enough looks at the net. You know, what we have to do now is bottle that game up, find a way to score one more than they do on Sunday afternoon.

[Q] It’s simple, but is Niemi just playing that well?

[TM] He’s playing well, there’s no doubt about it. But, again, I think Dany Heatley had a great opportunity. Ryane Clowe had a great opportunity. They’re both very good goal-scorers. Didn’t get the puck up. He’s very quick, very athletic down low. Made some tremendous saves for them.

Nabby in our goal was very solid when we needed him. It was a very well-played game by both teams.

Post-game comments by Chicago Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville:

[Q] Did Dave Bolland show he’s more than a defensive-minded center tonight?

[JQ] We know Bolland has some offensive touch. He sees plays. You know, great goal basically coming out of the box. Great play to Buff in overtime. Still think he’s effective in a lot of ways. But he’s really picked up his game come the playoffs. You know, kind of the way he was all last year.

We’re very happy and pleased with his contribution and a couple huge plays tonight.

[Q] Obviously both teams playing very well. The fact is you’re still up 3-0. How confident are you guys right now?

[JQ] Well, we were fortunate tonight. I thought our goalie, you can use any adjective, but the best superlative to describe his performance tonight, great or spectacular was deserving. I think we rode on that, particularly even in overtime.

But he was big. Several key saves. We battled hard. It was a fast-paced game again. The series is being played where both teams are very competitive. I think they got some guys that can make some plays that you have to be respectful for. We want to concentrate and do a better job checking.

[Q] Can you break down the winning goal for us.

[JQ] We had a little bit of time in their zone, which we were on the receiving end for most of the overtime. Bolland made a nice little play behind the net. Nice little seam pass. Buff, high slot, finished it with a great shot.

I think the quality seemed like it was only at the one end. That was quality coming against us in overtime. It was certainly very fitting with Buff with a great shot.

[Q] Patrick Marleau has four goals over the course of two games. What has he been able to do against you guys?

[JQ] He’s got some speed. He’s a top player. I think he’s a guy we have to be aware of. Certainly they got several guys offensively that are dangerous and are threats. But certainly his speed and quickness and his shots are all high end. Let’s make an awareness that he’s got a hot stick.

[Q] We’ve heard their coach and their players talk about their attitude going into Sunday. What is yours?

[JQ] Well, we’ll address that with the group tomorrow certainly. We want to feel like that’s the most important game we’re going to play all year. That’s the incentive and that’s the motivation. We know we have to be better than we were tonight. That’s our approach.

[Q] We know you’re not going to go too far ahead. Do you think this team is peaking at the right time?

[JQ] We’ve had good stretches throughout the year. I think right now we’ve progressed with a real nice swing on that road trip there. We had some momentum coming here at home. The building was spectacular tonight. Nice to see us get a home win as well.

But momentum is an important thing come playoff time. You want to keep it as long as you can. Let’s be excited about the next game.

[Q] You’ve been able to keep this team’s focus. Now one win away from the Stanley Cup finals. How will you keep their focus now at home? Is it another hotel?

[JQ] I think we got a pretty good group of veterans that have been through big games and big situations. The experience we brought in from last year’s team, the experience we went through last year is going to help us in situations like that. I think games you got a chance to win a series, our focus has been pretty good throughout these playoffs. Even last year as well.

I just think that, you know, you got a John Madden, Hossa, guys playing in the Olympics, playing for gold medals, I think those experiences are something that can come out at a critical time like we’re in now.

[Q] Going into last year’s playoffs you wouldn’t think that Buff would emerge as a post-season star. Now two years in a row. What is it about him you think is doing this for him?

[JQ] Well, Buff, he’s moving well. He’s got some speed behind his game. I think he’s got some quickness, that consistency of his game that we’re looking to him improving upon. This year was kind of representative of last year, regular season. This year’s playoffs have taken off where last year’s playoffs were. I think that line has been very productive and effective in a lot of ways.

I think he definitely complements Toews and Kane at the net with his size. I think everybody brings a little bit something different to the table. I think that line has been a big factor in the series. Buff, we like the way things are going with him.

[Q] Can you talk about the PK again. Six chances for them, you only had two power-plays. You had to work overtime on the PK tonight.

[JQ] Three in the third and were all big. Got through a couple of big saves, some loose pucks hanging around, in dangerous situations. We either got to them or the save was there made by Antti, who was large, especially in the PK situation for us. Our PK has been pretty effective all year. We didn’t have some of our guys killing penalties in the box tonight. I think we got through it a couple times and were fortunate.

Stunning ‘Shark City’ mural at Delmas Market in downtown San Jose

'SHARK CITY' street mural, Shelley, Nabokov and Shark head

'SHARK CITY' street mural, center, logo and skaters

'SHARK CITY' street mural, right, Marleau and Cheechoo

Two blocks from the front door of HP Pavilion in San Jose sits the nondescript Delmas Market on San Fernando and Delmas street. The neighborhood is a mix between old and new San Jose, and there are at least three forms of public transportation accessible nearby. The Delmas Market employees were friendly but spoke very little English.

Trying to run from the start of Tour of California cycling race in San Jose to the HP Pavilion parking lot to make it to the KOM climb on Sierra Road, an enormous San Jose Sharks mural on the back wall of a building stopped me in my tracks. At maybe 12×60 feet, the ‘Shark City’ mural at Delmas Market is impressive at a distance, and stunning up close.

According to CSULB student and artist/metalsmith Paul Demyser, the mural was started prior to the 2009 WCQF playoff series against Anaheim, and completed in part shortly before the drop of the puck for game 1. “There have been many really great graffiti murals around San Jose but no one has done a full out San Jose Sharks,” Demyser said. “Being the die-hard fans we are, we were looking for locations and Delmas was the perfect spot.”

A friend named Searius cleared the concept with the owner of the building, and Paul and a few others completed the fans, logo, and middle to lower right sections before heading to the Ducks-Sharks game at the tank. When Paul flew back down to Southern California, Iful, Fern, Medik, and Searius completed the work on the rink and the skaters for another month.

Paul notes that there is room to include subsequent material if the Sharks can extend their current playoff run another round.

A photo gallery of the mural is available here, but shot in the harsh noon light and broken up into different photos it is not the best representation. Paul has a photo of the complete mural on his flickr profile here.

2010 Tour of California Stage 4 – American Dave Zabriskie retains leader jersey, Italian sprinter Francesco Chicchi wins sprint at stage finish

CYCLISTS START THE 4TH STAGE OF 2010 TOUR OF CALIFORNIA IN SJ

OREGON RACING FANS ON THE STREETS OF SAN JOSE WEDNESDAY

7-TIME TOUR DE FRANCE WINNER, TEAM RADIO SHACK'S LANCE ARMSTRONG

Garmin-Transitions rider David Zabriskie retained his yellow jersey, and Liquigas-Doimo sprinter Francesco Chicchi edged out J.J. Haedo and Mark Cavendish at the finish line sprint in the fourth stage of the 2010 Amgen Tour of California.

The 121.5 mile stage from San Jose to Modesto contained a pair of California Travel and Tourism King of the Mountain climbs, including a steep stage 1 (1943 ft) climb up Sierra Road in the San Jose foothills, and a second stage 4 (1512 ft) climb at Mines Road near Livermore. A 7-man breakaway was quickly whitled down to 4 riders, and of that group it was Canadian Ryan Anderson who captured both of the bonuses and the KOM jersey.

Rabobank’s Lars Boom looked strong in the breakaway group, capturing the initial sprint at Livermore and the second sprint in Patterson. The colorful and palm-tree lined central Californian city of Patterson received heavy play by Versus announcers, but after the end of the second sprint a crash just off the shoulder of George Hincapie fractured the peloton. The peloton customarily slows down to allow downed riders to rejoined the group, but sensing an upcoming crosswind it increased speed.

Boom held out as the last member of the breakaway group, looking confident and strong for most of the stage. On the second circuit lap in downtown Modesto, he was swallowed by the peloton. A pair of Team Radioshack riders crashed on the circuit laps. Yaroslav Popovych crashed just outside of the 3km finish line margin, and Lance Armstrong crashed inside the 3km margin allowing him to reach the finish line at his own pace and recieve the same time as the peloton.

“I’m dedicating this win to my teammates who worked incredibly well for me today and this season. I’m really proud to win again in the U.S. This is a great race, I love to race hard and win in America. To me, today felt just like the Tour de France,” Francesco Chicchi said of his biggest stage win in several years. “Winning is good, to beat Number 1 is better.”

A photo gallery from the start in San Jose is available here.

[Update] Francesco Chicchi wins stage 4 of the Amgen Tour; Dave Zabriskie defends lead – VeloNews.

[Update2] It has been a tumultous couple of days for Lance Armstrong. He had equipment problems at the end of stage 3, and a minor crash inside of the 3km margin for the stage 4 finish in Modesto. He suffered a serious crash in stage 5 and left the race with swelling in his eye and damage to his arm. He tweeted a gruesome photo of the injury here. According to reports he required 8 stitches to the cut in the team car, but x-rays at a nearby hospital confirmed there were no broken bones.

Off the course, it was an equally tumultous couple of days. He slammed U.S. broadcaster Versus on twitter for cutting away from the Bonnie Doon photo finish of stage 3 to go to pre-game coverage of Flyers-Canadiens GM3. Sharkspage has an email into Versus for comment, but former Mercury News opinion writer Ann Killion notes it was stinging criticism from one of the athletes who help build the network when it was OLN.

And then came very detailed accusations made by former Tour of California (2006) and Tour de France (2006) winner Floyd Landis. Landis was stripped of his Tour de France win and fired from his Phonak team after he tested positive for unnatural levels of testosterone. For several years, Landis proclaimed his innocence, accepted money for a legal defense fund, and even wrote a book detailing his side of the story and laying out the groundwork of the conspiracy against him.

One day after the stage 4 start in San Jose, Landis admitted it was all a lie. He accused several cyclists, including 3-time Tour of California defending champion Levi Leipheimer and former teammate Lance Armstrong, of using performance enhancing drugs.

“I would remind everyone that this is a man that has been under oath several times with a very different version. This is a man that wrote a book for profit that had a completely different version. This is somebody that took close to a million dollars from innocent people for his defense under a different premise and now when it’s all run out the story changes. So we are a little confused. Maybe just as confused as you guys.” Armstrong said in a press conference before the start of stage 5.

“But with regard to the specific allegations and the specific claims, they are not even worth getting into. I’m not going to waste your time or my time,” he added. “Floyd lost his credibility a long time ago… We have nothing to hide. We have nothing to run from. It’s his word versus ours… we like our word, we like our credibility.”

[Update3] Best local coverage of the Tour of California, hands down from Ken Conley at Spare Cycles. Ken answered a couple of questions from this blog about the race in 2008 and allowed us to post a beautiful photo of the Bixby bridge crossing south of Carmel.

DOH Podcast Special #100, Reactions after Game 2 loss, Evgeni Nabokov, what needs to happen for game 3

Mike Peattie and Doug Santana discuss the first two losses to Chicago in the Western Conference Finals, break down the play of Niclas Wallin and Evgeni Nabokov, parse recent comments by Dan Boyle and an alleged implied guarantee of a win in game 3, and discuss what needs to happen for the Sharks to pull out the series on a special 100th episode of the Dudes on Hockey podcast live from Coach’s Sports Bar in Campbell.

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

Western Conference Finals Game 2 – Blackhawks crush Sharks 4-2, take two game lead back with them to Chicago

#44 VLASIC, #33 BYFUGLIEN AND #20 NABOKOV SET UP IN 1ST

#12 PATRICK MARLEAU PICKS TOP CORNER FOR GOAL IN 2ND

#31 ANTTI NIEMI MAKES A SAVE BEFORE #17 MITCHELL CRASHES NET

The Chicago Blackhawks took a commanding 2-0 series lead in the 2010 Western Conference Finals with a 4-2 win on the road in San Jose Tuesday night. The Blackhawks scored 3 goals inside of the first 30 minutes, and goaltender Antti Niemi stopped 25 of 27 shots against to close out the critical victory.

The Sharks outplayed Chicago early, but Andrew Ladd, Dustin Byfuglien and Jonathan Toews gave the Blackhawks an insurmountable 3-0 lead. After stick checking Versteeg to the ice, Marleau and Heatley were beaten to the loose puck by Versteeeg who moved it up to Duncan Keith. Keith found Andrew Ladd on the left wing, and Ladd fired a shot from 53 feet out that beat Nabokov cleanly glove side. Patrick Kane started another scoring sequence similar to Chicago’s second goal on Sunday. Kane carried it along the boards, then cut to the center of the ice and fired a long shot on net. With Byfuglien battling Rob Blake in front of Nabokov, the large Blackhawk winger deflected it accross the grain for his 6th goal of the postseason. Chicago added another power play goal by Jonathan Toews, again coming with 3 players providing a screen in front.

There were positives to take out of a 2-1 loss in game 1, but the statistics are starting to pile up against San Jose after game 2. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, higher seeded teams that have gone down 2-0 in the first three rounds of the playoffs have come back only 10 of 35 times (28%) since 1994. Add to that the fact that it was an astonishing 7th straight road win for Chicago, dating back to the Vancouver and Nashville rounds. For the Sharks, it is their 5th straight loss at home in the Western Conference Finals. San Jose wilted in three straight home games against Calgary in 2004, and the Sharks have given up the first two at home to Chicago in this series.

KNBR radio analyst Jamie Baker started to tick off some of the disheartening offensive numbers on the post-game show. Perennial sniper Dany Heatley, despite playing with a lower body injury, has 2 goals in 12 postseason games, and only 2 goals in his last 19 games dating back to a home win over Colorado on March 28th. The second line of Clowe-Pavelski-Setoguchi, which carried the Sharks for stretches over the first two rounds, is scoreless in 4 games and a combined -5. The third and fourth lines are making plays defensively, but are not making an impact on the offensive side of the scoresheet. The defense, which tied an NHL record last year with 4 defenseman having 30 or more assists, has one goal by rookie Jason Demers in the first two games against Chicago.

Patrick Marleau scored twice on Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Antti Niemi in the second and third periods, but the momentum had already swung firmly in the Blackhawks favor. Trying to overcome a 2-goal deficit, Rob Blake took a holding call with 2:08 left which effectively ended any comeback opportunity. Ryane Clowe and Dany Heatley subsequently took roughing minors, Clowe added a 10 minute misconduct, but the game was out of hand and the sellout crowd at HP Pavilion was very vocal with their displeasure.

“Somehow we have to harness what we start with and continue on,” Sharks head coach Todd McLellan said after the game. “We can’t let little bumps in the road slow us down. I’m not sure it’s about skating any faster. It’s the puck movement. We don’t continue to do what we started to do. We try and force it a little bit more. All of a sudden we look slower.” The Sharks outhit Chicago 35-32, but they looked a full step slow, chasing while trying to initiate physical contact. After being held without a penalty in game 1, the Sharks took 6 minor penalties and a 10-minute misconduct Sunday night. Chicago finished 1-for-4 with the man advantage, Patrick Marleau scored on the Sharks only power play in the second period.

A photo gallery from the game is available here.

Versus contest winner

Congratulations to the Versus Sweatshirt contest winner Jeremy Bardet. On the way to Jeremy is a black Versus hooded sweatshirt with red logo and ties. Thanks to all the readers that submitted entries.

[Update] Also congratulations to Jason Plank. He is the winner of the Versus sweatshirt given away this Sunday night by Mike Peattie and Doug Santana on KDOW 1220AM’s Sharks call-in radio show Chomptalk. You can listen to the full hourlong program and hear the trivia question Jason had to answer here.

Western Conference Finals Game 1 – Chicago Blackhawks win chess match on goals by Patrick Sharp and Dustin Byfuglien, open series with 2-1 win at HP Pavilion

#19 JOE THORNTON IS CHECKED ON TOP OF #31 ANTTI NIEMI IN 2ND PERIOD

#20 NABOKOV BEATS A DIVING #37 BURISH TO LOOSE PUCK IN 3RD

#22 BROUWER CRASHES NET AS #20 NABOKOV MAKES GLOVE SAVE IN 3RD

The Chicago Blackhawks came from behind to earn a razor thin 2-1 win at HP Pavilion in the opening game of the 2010 Western Conference Finals. 5-on-5 and shorthanded minutes was all that Chicago would have to work with, as the Sharks went the entire game without being called for a penalty by referees Paul Devorski and Brad Watson.

The Blackhawks used quick transition by the defense and speed through the neutral zone to repeatedly create oddman rushes and breawaway opportunities. Down by a goal in the second period, a hard skating Patrick Sharp got back into the rush from his own zone turning a 3-on-3 into a 4-on-3. Duncan Keith hit the trailing Sharp high in the zone, and the winger snapped a quick shot through the legs of defenseman Douglas Murray and goaltender Evgeni Nabokov to tie the game at 1-1. Nabokov reacted in frustration, not being able to see the puck. Murray held his arms out wide, conveying his inability to do anything more on the play.

It was a slick scoring play by Sharp, and it helped turned the tide away from a Sharks team that was dominating play in the first and third periods. Head coaches Todd McLellan and Joel Quenneville were trying to match lines the entire night, and it would prove critical on the second Blackhawks goal. Quenneville was trying to match the top Toews line with the Pavelski line, and use his Bolland checking line on the Sharks “Gold Medal” line of Marleau-Thornton-Heatley. McLellan had the last change on home ice, but by dressing 7 defenseman he had to cycle through forwards to contribute minutes on the fourth line.

McLellan got the matchup he wanted on a faceoff in his own zone, the Thornton line vs the Toews line, but as the players skated back through the neutral zone the Bolland-Versteed-Ladd line stepped back on the ice. A Ladd wrist shot gloved up high by Nabokov allowed Quenneville to place the Towes line back on the ice for an offensive zone draw. Joe Thornton technically won the faceoff to Vlasic on his left, but Vlasic spun in the wrong direction and it was picked off by Patrick Kane. Kane skated up the boards and targeted a camping Dustin Byfuglien high in the slot. On the set faceoff play, Blake and Dany Heatley both cheated towards down low anticipating a hard rim around the boards. Blake tried to close the gap on Byfuglien, but the large Chicago winger snapped a shot passed Evgeni Nabokov far side.

The Sharks outshot the Blackhawks 45-40, piled up more scoring chances in front of the crease, and converted a lone power play goal on five opportunities, yet they were a step slower than Chicago all night. Clowe tried to railroad defenseman Brian Campbell in the opening minutes, but Campbell bailed out. Murray did not make a play on a puck around the boards, instead choosing to flatten Marian Hossa also in the first. Thornton, Marleau, McGinn and Setoguchi all made a sizable impact on the physical ledger, but the Sharks could not get enough on the body to slow a quicker Chicago team down.

The Sharks can focus on several opportunities Dany Heatley had from the slot, Joe Thornton being checked off a goal line rebound by defenseman Brent Seabrook in the second, or a flubbed shot with a late power play and the goalie pulled to end the game. The Sharks simply played their game and lost. Past playoff demons and earlier first and second round triumphs are in the past for the San Jose Sharks. Now each game exists as its own distinct entity. The Sharks need to make adjustments to address the gaps allowing Chicago forwards to build up a head of steam in the neutral zone, they need to challenge an extremely agressive Blackhawks penalty kill, and they need to solve rookie goaltender Antti Niemi.

NBC’s coverage of SJ-CHI game 1 focused heavily on Chicago, and the 44-save performance of Finnish netminder Antti Niemi gave them plenty to talk about. At 6-foot-2, 210-pounds, Niemi is a very large goaltender with what look like ironing boards for leg pads. In the warmups, it was noticeable how lightning quick he can get his pads flat on the ice for a butterfly save. But there are holes, and he is not as invincible as many breathless pundits and commentators make him out to be.

The Sharks faced a similar sized, and more technical butterfly goaltender in Anaheim’s Jonas Hiller last year. Niemi is quicker down to the ice and covers a formidable amount of the net low, but his recovery and movement side-to-side across the net are still suspect from a Sharks perspective. San Jose is the third consecutive team to face Niemi in the playoffs stressing the need to shoot high, but feints, fake shots, redirections and 1-timers can also catch him glued into one position.

One of the strengths of Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook is their spacing and anticipation. When one player cheats to one side, the other will slide over and cover a little more of that side of the ice. A strong defense and 4-defensively responsible forward lines make getting second and third scoring opportunities difficult, but that is where the series is going to hinge for San Jose. That is when they are going to catch the large Finnish netminder planted into one side of the ice, and they will score goals as a result.

The Sharks were able to punch through for the opening goal 11:19 into the first period on the power play. After a nice keep in at the point and a subsequent shot by Rob Blake, Marleau executed a slick backhanded flip pass to rookie defenseman Jason Demers just inside the blueline. Demers picked top corner far side with a 48-foot wrist shot for his first goal of the postseason. The Sharks came close to adding a second goal on another point shot by Demers in the second. A rebound deflected off of Niemi’s leg pads, and Keith took inside position on Manny Malhotra in front of the net. That left Ryane Clowe alone to fire a backhand into the empty goal. Niemi made a quick reaction save, diving back behind him and pulling the puck off the goal line.

It was the save, and the play of the game. Afterwards Niemi said of the save, “(It) was one of the best”.

A photo gallery from the game is available here.

Western Conference Finals GM1: Post-game press conference transcript from San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan, Chicago Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville, Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Antti Niemi

Post-game press conference transcript from San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan:

[Q] It looked like the game plan at the start of the game was to forecheck. You did a good job of that. In the second period, that looked like it broke down a little bit. Was that your team getting away from their game plan or their team?

[TM] The second period wasn’t kind to us, especially the first eight to 10, 12 minutes. I thought we got it back. We were a little hesitant. We made some passes that went awry. We fed their transition. If you do that against a team like this, you’re going to end up spending much more time in your zone than you like.

It goes to show, doesn’t take much for them to score goals. They’ll find a way to put it in.

[Q] Were you comfortable with a power on power matchup tonight, the Thornton and Toews line going toe to toe?

[TM] Absolutely. Joe has been put in that situation all year. We played our big players against the other team’s top lines. They’ve been very successful. So I feel very comfortable with them on the ice in that situation.

It was an interesting night as far as matches went. I thought Joel worked very hard to get his checking line out. We tried to counter it a little bit. We can get our big boys on the ice, sometimes against our fourth line. There were times we got what we wanted. We didn’t quite find a way to finish.

[Q] How did you feel about the performance of your top line tonight?

[TM] Well, you’re talking about Jumbo, Patty and Heater, I’m sure.

Again, they had opportunities. They produced a power play goal for us, which was important against a very good penalty kill team. I think what you’re probably asking me is the fact that they were on the ice for two goals against, and got nothing five on five. That happens sometimes.

I didn’t think they were poor. I thought they gave us 22 hard minutes. But with that said, I think we’ll need a little bit more heading into Game 2.

[Q] It looked on the replays like it was Bolland who tripped Setoguchi. Bolland didn’t go to the box. Versteeg has to go out. Is that something you’ve addressed already with someone?

[TM] We’ll talk about it. That’s the breaks that happen within a game. What we couldn’t do was lose our marbles on the bench and start yelling and screaming at the referee. We had to have some poise and set up a 6 4 situation.

Regardless of who was out there, we had to beat, whether it was Bolland, Madden or Burish, whoever it might have been. We had to beat a good team. We weren’t going to stand up and yell and scream. We were going to get our group organized. If they erred, they erred. We have to move on. Can’t do anything about it.

[Q] Talk a little bit about Niemi’s play today.

[TM] Yeah, I thought both goaltenders did what they had to do to keep their teams in when teams broke down. Niemi made some very good first saves. We had great looks on second chances that just didn’t go in for us. In turn, Nabby made some saves when he had to, as well.

You know, to be playing in the final four, see the two goaltenders perform the way they did, I think that’s expected of them.

[Q] Might be simplistic, but does the game turn on Niemi’s save at the end, the power play at the end of the second period?

[TM] I thought it turned a little before that. Coming out into the second period, we had a little bit of momentum, we felt good about our game. We came out and had some execution problems, again, in that first 10, 12, 13 minutes of the second period. Won some faceoffs. Didn’t come out of our end very clean.

You could feel them crawl back in or work their way back into where they felt comfortable. That’s where the game evened out. From there it was anybody’s night.

Post-game comments from Chicago Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville:

[Q] Your penalty killers were pretty busy today. Talk about that. And also at the end, looked like the referees might have got the wrong guy, you ended up with Bolland on the ice.

[JQ] Certainly 5 0, you got exposed against a top power play like that. You know, I still thought they did a nice job tonight in the high quality chances, Antti made some big saves to complement the PK tonight or today. Got through it. The last kill was a dangerous one as well.

So, you know, we’ll look the at it again and see how we faired.

[Q] How much momentum did you get from Antti?

[JQ] I thought it was big. First period, they come in here, and we know that that was the toughest challenge and hurdle, the building, the energy, the enthusiasm. The crowd gets into it. And I think, being off there, and they were off, too, as well. But we had to kill three. We were three shorts in the first, they scored on the one. Only down 1 0 in the first period, we probably felt fortunate.

But I still thought we would have got our feet going in that second period, representative of how we have to play going forward.

We were good in the last couple of periods. The pace of the game throughout was definitely high end, and what a game.

[Q] At the end of the second period they had a big rush against you, last 12 stops in the second period. How important was Antti’s play?

[JQ] He had some key saves there. He looked big. Took away big parts of the net, dangerous plays, a couple of turnovers, couple not getting it in deep. But I thought we had a significant part of the period, had some high quality as well. It was their turn almost from the first part of the second to their part at the end.

But the game was on the line throughout the game. The next goal won, and Byfuglien scored a big one.

[Q] Leading up to the Byfuglien goal, there was some fancy changing, flip flopping your lines a little here and there. Were you surprised they were willing to go power on power with the defensive zone? How confident were you in a power on power situation tonight?

[JQ] Well, I think Johnny’s line when they’re out there in the offensive zone, they can make plays. They got patience with the puck. Still comfortable with Johnny against anybody. Know that Bolland was trying to work on the matchup all night. Wasn’t easy. I think sometimes you’re going to be exposed to not the perfect matchup when you’re trying to get it on the road. Sometimes not even easy at home.

At the same time, you know, we got a fortunate break on the goal, retrieval, nice pass, great shot. Anything can happen when it’s a tight game.

[Q] Joel, of course it always takes four to move on. Can you talk about finally taking the first one in a series and having the advantage early on.

[JQ] I like our preparation all week, the focus and concentration, that was our motivation, to get the first game. We weren’t happy the way we began the last two series. We wanted to continue on with the way we felt we approached Game 6 in Vancouver. I thought the guys were good going into that in the game, the last three or four days.

[Q] What was the thought process of putting Toews back on the ice after you took his line off? Just because he’s your best face off guy?

[JQ] Johnny was about .500. I think you don’t want to deny offensive opportunities for that line. Made a nice little play, Byfuglien got it away quickly. A situation you got to be aware who is on the ice. Sometimes you can get the matchups. Sometimes you don’t mind it in the offensive zone. At the end of the day, we had to work for the matchup tonight.

[Q] I don’t know if you saw it that close, but it looked like Bolland was the one who took that tripping penalty. Is that a bit of a fortuitous break?

[JQ] You could talk about that. You could talk about 5 0 against us in power play. It’s one of those situations where it was a couple, three guys’ sticks in the same play. I don’t know at the end of the day. Still have Toews and Hossa, pretty good penalty killers right there.

[Q] Did you feel like you didn’t draw a penalty?

[JQ] I’m not complaining (smiling).

Post-game comments from Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Antti Niemi:

[Q] Antti, about a minute to go, they get a power-play. It’s going to be a 6-on-4. As that timeout is happening, what’s going through your mind at that point?

[AN] I think you just want to focus for the next shot. You know you’re going to go busy at the end because of PK. You want to just focus for the next puck.

[Q] How did you prepare for playing in this building when you’d never done it before and how different was this level of intensity to the previous two series?

[AN] Well, we still had a practice here before, so I don’t think it was that big of a deal. And we hadn’t faced Nashville for a long time either. I don’t know if one or two games would have felt too much.

[Q] You had never won in this building. How did you prepare for that mentally?

[AN] Yeah, it didn’t bother me too much. Not at all. I don’t know if one or two games earlier would have helped also. So I think it didn’t matter, like same thing as Nashville, we didn’t face them for a long time either.

[Q] Antti, you said this was one of your best performances, for sure. What was better? What game have you ever played that was better? Which do you think was your best save tonight?

[AN] It’s hard to remember the game. It depends on how many shots you face, but also like their quality, if you have lots of PK or breakaways. Maybe one game in Vancouver earlier this season or maybe one in Pittsburgh, they were pretty good, too.

Best save, maybe in the second period with my glove from the goal line.

[Q] Antti, just playing off of that, can you describe what you saw and what you did to make that save, in a flash what goes through your head when you see the puck going like that?

[AN] After a fast or a quick shot, you don’t even — you might make the save, or think afterwards, Where did he get the puck? I just saw him standing pretty much at the back post with an empty net and I just wanted to get my hand in the way.

[Q] Antti, could you talk about maybe what signs of frustration you saw coming from the Sharks as you kept turning shots back.

[AN] I don’t think they got too frustrated today. I’m not going to even try to think about those things. I’m going to just keep on focusing for the next puck.

Strikeforce ‘Heavy Artillery’ – After two and a half years, Alistair Overeem defends Strikeforce Heavyweight title in dominant fashion

STRIKEFORCE CEO SCOTT COKER WITH HW CHAMP ALISTAIR OVEREEM - SHERDOG.COM

After a long two and a half year wait since winning the Strikeforce heavyweight title in 2007, Alistair Overeem (33-11-1, 13KOs, 19subs) returned to the cage for the San Jose-based promotion and obliterated top-10 contender Brett Rogers. The 253-pound Dutch kickboxer and mixed martial artist pushed the pace early, and used explosive power to toss 264-pound Brett Rogers (10-2, 9KOs, 1sub) to the mat with an awkward throw. Overeem left no doubt with a TKO ground-and-pound stoppage by strikes 3:40 into the first round. Of Overeem’s 33 wins, 27 have come by first round stoppage.

After the fight, Overeem called out top-pound-for-pound opponent Fedor Emelianenko (32-1-1, 9KOs, 16subs), who many consider the top mixed martial artist of all-time. “It’s been awhile, but I am back. I am champion, and I am here to stay,” Overeem said. When asked who he would like to fight next, he responded, “Fedor. His management declined to fight me tonight… It is Fedor’s time.”

Emelianenko is scheduled to face 2-time Abu Dhabi heavyweight champion and 2-time BJJ world champion Fabrico Werdum in San Jose on June 26th. Also scheduled for the Strikeforce/M1-Global Fedor-Werdum card, a middleweight rematch between Cung Le and Scott Smith, and the return of women’s 145-pound champion “Cyborg” Santos. Overeem registered a 6-0-1 MMA record in the two and a half years since he won the Strikeforce heavyweight title in 2007, with 5 of his fights in Japan. He also registered a 4-2 record with the K-1 kickboxing promotion, with 5 of the fights taking place in Japan and 1 in Korea. In the buildup to his win on Saturday night, Overeem has been the focus of a documentary film which is viewable in part at thereem.com.

The heavyweight and light heavyweight contender picture also gained a little more clarity after Saturday’s ‘Heavy Artillery’ event at the Scotttrade Center, home of the St. Louis Blues. Former UFC Champion Andrei Arlovski (15-8, 11KOs, 3subs) dropped a unanimous decision to Antonio (Bigfoot) Silva (14-2, 9KOs, 3subs) in the co-main event. Silva controlled the action on the feet, landing 58% of his strikes (67/128) to Arlovski’s 38% (53/139), and scoring on 2 of 3 takedown attempts according to Compustrike. Arlovski tried several overhand rights late in the third round, but was just off the mark as well as throwing them off the back foot. Silva imitated the horrible recent performance of UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva in the waning seconds, lowering his arms to the mat and jiggling his head, then raising his arms in victory with time still left on the clock.

For Arlovski, it is his third straight loss after being brutally knocked out by Emelianenko and Rogers. One top MMA trainer noted to Sharkspage that Arlovski may not have been fully recovered after the Fedor loss before he was ko’d in 22 seconds by Rogers. Antonio Silva is coming off a close decision loss to Fabricio Werdum. A fight with heavy striking deserving of a rematch, and one this blog initially scored for Silva.

The light heavyweight picture also shed some light on possible future opponents for Strikeforce champion Muhammed ‘King Mo’ Lawal. Submission grappling wizard Roger Gracie (3-0, 3subs) used a surpising body shot and knee to the head to drop Kevin Randleman in the second round. Randleman, age 38, fought off repeated submission attempts but finally tapped to a RNC at 4:10. “That is the secret, a fighter has to fight with his mind and not with his body… I am very patient,” Gracie said when asked about his late second round submission. When the fight went to the ground, Gracie’s world class BJJ skills were front and center. He fluidly switched from a north-south choke, to side control, to full mount, back control, then he flattened “the Monster” out for a RNC. This is only Roger’s third MMA fight in four years. It remains to be seen how much of a factor he will play at 205 or at heavy for Strikeforce.

Two highly touted Brazilians finally saw action after 6-month and 8-month layoffs. Light heavyweight Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante (9-2, 8KOs, 1 sub) knocked out up-and-coming striker Antwain Britt (11-4, 9KOs). A looping right hand, followed by a short left sent Britt reeling backwards. Another 2-punch combination end the fight and handed Britt his first loss due to strikes. 4-time BJJ world champion Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro (20-4, 2KOs, 12 subs) lost a split decision to Spokane-native Lyle “fancypants” Beerbohm (14-0, 7KOs, 5subs) on the untelevised undercard. Beerbohm is a cult favorite. He spent time in a Washington prison for drug related charges, then started his MMA training before he even returned home.

Middleweight contender Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (12-2, 10subs) earned a grueling unanimous decision win over veteran Joey Villasenor (27-7, 11KOs, 10subs). Villasenor is an experienced 11-year competitor in the sport. He blunted early takedown attempts by “the Alligator”, and pulled off several highlight reel escapes. Behind 2-rounds-to-0, and with Souza gassing slightly in the third, Villasenor tried to tee off with his right hand. He stuffed a takedown and landed a knee, but eventually Souza took him to the mat. Souza is a 5-time BJJ world champion, an Abu Dhabi submission grappling champion, and along with the UFC’s Demian Maia his BJJ may be the best adapted for mixed martial arts. His striking and wrestling are improving strengths, and Jacare should be on the short list if Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields chooses not to re-sign with the promotion in June.

Official results:

Strikeforce Heavy Artillery
Scottrade Center, St, Louis, Mo.
May 15th, 2009

Strikeforce World Heavyweight Championship
Alistair Overeem d. Brett Rogers
TKO (strikes) – 3:40, Rnd 1.

Heavyweight: Antonio Silva d. Andrei Arlovski
UD – 29-28, 29-28, 29-28

Middleweight: Ronaldo Souza d. Joey Villasenor
UD – 30-27, 29-28, 29-28

Light-heavyweight: Roger Gracie d. Kevin Randleman
Submission (RNC) – 4:10, Rnd 2.

Light-heavyweight: Rafael Cavalcante d. Antwain Britt
KO – 3:45, Rnd 1.

Undercard
Catchweight: Jesse Finney d. Justin DeMoney
Submission (Guillotine) – 3:22, Rnd 1.

Lightweight: Lyle Beerbohm d. Vitor Riberio
SD (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)

Light-heavyweight: Darryl Cobb d. Booker DeRousse
SD (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

Welterweight: Mike Chandler d. Sal Woods
Submission (RNC) – 0:59, Rnd 1.

Light-heavyweight: Francisco France d. Lee Brousseau
Submission (RNC) – 1:27, Rnd 1.

Catchweight: Tom Aaron d. Erik Steenburg
Submission (Guillotine) – 0:56, Rnd 1.

Lightweight: Matt Ricehouse d. Greg Wilson
Submission (RNC) – 0:45, Rnd 3.

[Update] Overeem Blasts Through Rogers, Calls Out Fedor – Sherdog.com.

[Update2] ‘Demolition Man’ Is Back, Overeem retains belt, calls out Fedor Emelianenko – MMAfighting.com.

[Update3] Overeem demolishes Rogers, Calls out Fedor – MMA Weekly.

Darryl Hunt: Worcester Sharks 2009-2010 Season Awards

With the Worcester Sharks playoff run coming to an end last week, it’s time to start with the end of season paperwork. Up first are the “210 Awards”. Coming up soon will be the end of season report card.

For those new to the “210 Awards”, they are a mix of serious and (hopefully) slightly humorous awards named for the moniker this writer uses on many message boards. This season’s winners are:

Best Forward: Logan Couture averaged 1.26 points a game in the 42 AHL contests he played this season, and had he not been recalled for the last portion of the season would have been the runaway favorite for the AHL’s Rookie of the Year award.

Best Defenseman: Danny Groulx wins this one going away. His team leading 66 points and being the winner of the Eddie Shore Award as best AHL defenseman make this one a lock for the veteran blue-liner.

Tough Guy Award: Often given to the best fighter on the time, this year it goes to the best grinder in Andrew Desjardins. There is no Worcester player better along the boards, and Desjardins’ tough style and tenacious play earned him an NHL contract during the season.

Best Single Game Performance: Dennis McCauley’s Hat Trick at Springfield 2/3/10 is this season’s winner.

Seven Hills 7th Player: In probably the most wide open category, we’ll give this season’s award to Dan DaSilva. An eight time Sharkspage player of the game, DaSilva had his best season as a pro setting personal highs in goals, assists, points, and plus/minus.

Rookie of the Year: Because of this writer’s wish to spread the hardware out, we’ll give this award to John McCarthy. Not as flashy as Stalock or Couture, McCarthy stepped into Worcester’s third line and helped raise it to a new level by having nearly as many points in his rookie pro season as he had in four seasons total at Boston University. His +36 on the season set a new team record.

Most Improved: If you don’t know why Michael Wilson is the winner here you haven’t been paying attention to the Worcester Sharks the last couple of season. Comparing last season to the current one, it was like a completely different player was out on the ice. And many times, it was.

Most Valuable Player: When you have one of the best goaltenders in the AHL in your net, this award is easy to hand out. Alex Stalock came out of the gates fast and never really looked back, many times keep Worcester’s young squad in games by himself early in the season and proving to be he backbone of Worcester’s success for its too short play-off run.

The Sharkspage Player of the Year: Alex Stalock, who was named Sharkspage player of the game ten times over the course of the regular season.

So now that we’ve gotten the serious awards out of the way, here’s a few that this writer thinks should be handed out….

Grand Entrance Award: Michael Wilson, for tripping over the doorway and landing on all fours with his stick sliding slowly away from him as he started his first home shift of the season.

The Milton Berle Award: WorSharks broadcaster Eric Lundquist, for his cross dressing Christmas carolling story at the Booster Club’s Holiday Party.

The John Hancock Award: Frazer McLaren, for adding his autograph to Alex Stalock’s Minnesota-Duluth game used signed stick.

The Patrick Traverse Award: Nick Petrecki, for his end to end goal against Syracuse on 1/23.

The Buzzer Beater Award: Danny Groulx, for his goal at 19:59.9 of the third period against Hartford on March 10. How close was it to not counting? The green light went on before the goal judge could light the red one. Referee Mark Lemelin correctly called the goal good.

The Nostradamus Award: Eric Lundquist, for mentioning that in “Friday Night Lights”, the video that was shown during the seven hour bus ride from Norfolk to Wilkes-Barre, the team always seemed to win on the last play…only to have Ryan Vesce score the game winning goal for the WorSharks with 8.1 seconds remaining in the game.

The Double Double Award: Brandon Mashinter and Dennis McCauley, for becoming the first and second WorSharks players with double digits in goals and fights in a season.

The Bell Ringer Award: Alex Stalock, for hitting the post on an empty net chance at Norfolk in March.

The Grab A Line-Up Award: Head Coach Roy Sommer, for putting down Jamie McGinn’s name on a shootout list only to put it next to Nick Petrecki’s number, meaning the rookie defenseman had to shoot instead of McGinn. Petrecki, who had been benched earlier in the game, had a slightly less than spectacular attempt in his only shootout appearance of the season.

The Door Man Award: Frazer McLaren, for his huge open ice hit on Patrick Davis in Lowell after stepping out of the penalty box.

The Tyler Willis Award: Dennis McCauley, for being a good sport while while an absolutely ludicrous presentation was going on at the Worcester Sharks Booster Club Awards dinner.

The Tim Gunn Award: Frazer McLaren, for showing up to the same Booster Club awards dinner in jeans, which was slight under the dress code for the team.

The Groundhog Day Award: Kevin Henderson, for having to score his first pro goal twice. Henderson had his first first pro goal taken away while in the shower, and his second first pro goal given to him while in the shower, he will also win the first ever “Goal in shower” award. Unless, of course, the official scorer decides to take it back again at a later date.

The Get Over Yourself Award: Referee Jamie Koharski, for screaming at and then giving a game misconduct to Danny Groulx AFTER the game was over when Groulx skated over to Koharski to ask about a totally undeserved unsportsmanlike conduct minor Koharski had given Groulx just after Providence had scored an empty net goal.

The Two-By-Two Award: Danny Groulx, for having the most PIM without major. Groulx did have one that totally undeserved game misconduct penalty against him, but he would still easily win the award if we removed the 10 PIM that came with it.

The Buddy Ryan Award: Dennis McCauley, for his most goals by a player in Worcester pro hockey history signed strictly to be an enforcer.

The Dead-Eye Award: Nick Petrecki, for having the lowest shooting percentage of any player with 50 or more shots on goal.

The Derek Diener Award: There is no winner for this slightly less than prestigious award, and it’s only being mentioned because it was renamed last year for a current member of the WorSharks. After the season he had, we’ll change the name back to its original.

The David Haas Award: For the third time in four seasons, there is no winner of this “prestigious” award that goes to the player with the most talent that chooses to use none of it. Unfortunately, for the first time ever we have to dust of the its playoff equivalent.

The Jim Campbell Award: Steven Zalewski, for absolutely disappearing in the playoffs for the second season in a row. Zalewski’s play was so bad and so uninspired he could have possibly played himself right out of the organization.

A look at former Zamboni driver and current Chicago Blackhawks starting goaltender Antti Niemi

CHART OF 30 GOALS SCORED ON ANTTI NIEMI IN THE 2010 PLAYOFFS

NIEMI'S PERFORMANCE VS NASH, VAN - 8-4, .909SV%, 2.57GAA

Fans and even players in San Jose can be excused for not being overly familiar with Chicago Blackhawks starting goaltender Antti Niemi, the second straight rookie netminder the Sharks have faced in the playoffs. Niemi began 2009-10 battling Corey Crawford for the backup position behind Cristobal Huet. He was given the second start of the season as part of the NHL Premiere series featuring Chicago vs. Florida in Helsinki.

13 miles from his hometown of Vantaa, Niemi stopped all 23 shots he faced in front of 11,526 countrymen. “Niemi showed us he is an NHL-level goalie,” defenseman Brian Campbell said of the 4-0 shutout. Niemi would go on to prove to Chicago and head coach Joel Quenneville that he was not just an NHL-caliber goaltender, but also an NHL-caliber starting goaltender. After earning 10 starts and registering a 9-2-1 record in the first half of the season, he would roll to a 17-5-3 record with 25 starts in the second half. Niemi and the Blackhawks would fall one point short of the San Jose Sharks for the Western Conference Championship.

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Niemi was well regarded as a goaltending prospect in Finland. At the age of 24, he opened more than a few eyes with a 26-6-14 record, 2.35GAA and .927SV% for the Pelicans in the very competitive SM-liiga. Niemi was described then as a goaltender with size, solid coverage of the net down low, athletic with good footwork, and poise in net according to one scouting report.

Niemi is another in a long line of goaltenders coming out of the country of Finland. One former Finnish NHL netminder said two of the reasons for their success is a calm demeanor, and working with a goaltending coach from very early in their development. That is all well and good, but the Vancouver media were going to pick him apart and try to find holes for the Western Conference Semifinals. The Vancouver Province’s Jim Jamieson said for the Canucks to win, they will need to go upstairs to beat Chicago goalie Anttie Niemi.

“He’s similar to (Jonathan) Quick. He’s been good for them this year. He’s a butterfly goalie that kicks out a lot of rebounds, like to block the puck. It’s the same thing – we’ll have to get it upstairs and get some rebounds and get some traffic to the net.” Canucks forward Alex Burrows told the Province. The numbers backed up Burrows after two rounds in the playoffs. 15 of the 30 goals scored on Niemi to date in the playoffs were scored on the top position of the net. High point shots from defenseman lead to rebounds and scoring chances, which contributed to several of the 15 goals scored down low.

The Chicago Tribune’s David Haugh checked in with one of the Blackhawks scouts responsible for bringing him to the Windy City. “He was a big goalie with quick feet who could go down low, and we thought we might have something there,” Chicago Blackhawks European scout Mats Hallin told the Tribune. “I could not have said Antti would turn out like this, when something like this happens, the whole organization is proud. When somebody like this comes along, everybody has a piece of it.” Niemi’s agent Bill Zito also told Haugh that with 21 NHL scouts in Finland, he was not surprised that 10 teams expressed interest in Niemi before he signed with Chicago as an undrafted free agent in 2008.

The success in Finland did not come instantly. He spent several years as a Zamboni driver in his hometown of Vantaa, and had to clock his share of mandatory service in the Finnish Army. Niemi progressed from the second division in Finland to the SM-liiga, and then impressed enough to earn a contract with Chicago. Antti Niemi recorded two shutouts in the first round against Nasvhille, but there were some rough spots. Nashville’s On the Forecheck asked Second City Hockey’s Sam Fels for a scouting report on Niemi prior to the first round:

[Q] What’s the scouting report on Antti Niemi? We only saw him against Nashville once back in December.

[A] Niemi has been playing out of his mind in April, so I’m far more confident in him than I was. He’s very athletic, and will make the highlight reel save. He does tend to be hunched over in the butterfly, so he does leave the upper part of the net open occasionally. He also doesn’t move side to side that well and leaves gaps there, and he’s downright awful handling the puck. However, he’s athletic enough to make up for most of that and he’s clearly bursting with confidence right now.

[Q] How short is Antti Niemi’s leash? If he falters, will we see Cristobal Huet?

[A] I would think Antti-goal’s leash is awfully long. Quenneville has never had much confidence in Huet — which he helped destroy but that’s another story — and couldn’t wait to throw his lot in with Niemi. Niemi would have to completely (bleep) himself in both Games 1 and 2 to even consider it, and Huet hasn’t played in over a month. That said, I don’t see that happening due to the combo of the strong defensive game the Hawks play and the Preds lack of punch. I can’t see where Niemi will see so many shots that he’ll have the opportunity to spit it.

In San Jose, Antti Niemi will face an offense as deep and as potent as his own. San Jose likes to drive down low and create plays with puck possession, then crash the net like a freight train to keep the goaltender and defense honest. Defenseman Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook may be the best defensive tandem in the NHL, but when the Sharks are clicking they have three lines that can generate scoring chances from any area in the offensive zone. Niemi is going to be tested early and often. He will have to match Evgeni Nabokov save for save if games get out of hand, and so far in this postseason he has shown the propensity to have 1 more tumultuous game a series than Nabokov.

The Sharks are not only facing their second straight rookie goaltender, but also the largest netminder they have faced in the postseason. This blog’s pre-WCQF scouting report on Colorado’s Craig Anderson was for the most part accurate on the basics, but Anderson proved to be very skilled at kicking rebounds just out of the reach of the Sharks forwards. Notes from outside scouting reports on his stickhandling were not correct, he was solid moving the puck and occasionally took liberties with his lumber in front of the net. There was no scouting report for Detroit’s Jimmy Howard, just a practice video and a few photos to get a feel for how he plays. Questions from the media and fans started bombarding Howard almost from the outset. He was questioned about blocker side, whether he went down too quickly into the butterfly, and there was even a note that former Detroit and current San Jose assistant coach Jay Woodcroft told Logan Couture he liked to cheat towards the middle. For his part, Howard did the admirable thing and said he was going to play his game and not respond to each individual critique. It was a lose-lose situation for Howard, and he handled it about as well as he could.

Notes and the graphic from Gabriel Dejardins courtesy of behindthenet.ca and hockey numbers. According to Dejardins, shot location information is not as readily available as it has been in the past.

[Update] Edge in Crease, how Sharks can beat Chicago’s Niemi – Mark Purdy for the San Jose Mercury News.

[Update2] THN Puck Panel – Sharks vs. Blackhawks, who has the advantage? – TheHockeyNews.com.

[Update3] FanHouse TV: Western Conference Finals Preview – Fanhouse.com with Dan Graziano and former player Doug Weight.

[Update4] Hawks’ Niemi outshining big stars – ESPN.

That same approach can be seen on the ice. The Blackhawks lost the first game in each of their first two series — Niemi was actually pulled after two periods during a 5-1 loss to Vancouver in the opener of the semifinals — but every time Chicago has dropped a game in these playoffs, he fixed it and rebounded with a victory.

“First game I saw him was an exhibition game. I was in Dallas as a scout and watching him play, he put on an amazing performance that game. I think he stopped about three or four 5-on-3s in the middle of the game and went on to get the win,” Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said.

“We like his progress. He’s got size, presence and he’s got a great demeanor. A nice approach to the game, a nice approach after being scored on and looking ahead. … I think he’s a student of the game as well. We think he’s adapted to situations well.”

NHL announces official start to Western Conference Finals, puck will drop on Sharks-Blackhawks Sunday at high noon

A press release from the NHL:

NEW YORK – The National Hockey League today announced that the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs Western Conference Final, featuring the San Jose Sharks vs. the Chicago Blackhawks, and the Eastern Conference Final, featuring the Montreal Canadiens vs. the winner of the Boston Bruins-Philadelphia Flyers Conference Semifinal series, will begin Sunday, May 16.

The Sharks will host the Blackhawks at 3 p.m., ET in Game #1 of the Western Conference Final on Sunday. The game will be televised exclusively on NBC in the U.S. and TSN and RDS in Canada.

Meanwhile, either the Bruins or the Flyers will host the Canadiens Sunday at 7 p.m., ET. That game will be televised exclusively by VERSUS in the U.S. and by CBC and RDS in Canada. Every playoff game also can be heard on Sirius XM Satellite Radio.

Game #7 of the Bruins-Flyers series, which is tied 3-3, will be played Friday, May 14 at 7 p.m. ET. That game will be televised nationally by VERSUS in the U.S. and by TSN and RDS in Canada.

The remaining 2010 Stanley Cup Conference Final schedule information will be released tomorrow.

Other upcoming dates via media.nhl.com: May 24-29: NHL Combine (Toronto), June 18: Latest possible date for Stanley Cup Final game, June 23: NHL Awards (Las Vegas), June 25-26: NHL Entry Draft (Los Angeles), July 1: Free agency begins for players with expiring contracts.

[Update] Here is the schedule for HP Pavilion. If there is a game 5 in San Jose, back-to-back Saturday and Sunday away and home games may not be possible. There is a Stars on Ice performance Sunday, May 23rd at 4PM. There is a Maxwell and Jill Scott performance at the United Center in Chicago on Tuesday the 25th, and a Roberto Carlos concert in San Jose on Friday the 28th.

Hockey Notes – 5/13

HEAD COACH TODD MCLELLAN GATHERS PLAYERS AT PRACTICE WEDNESDAY

SHARKS VP/ASSISTANT GM WAYNE THOMAS AND DEVIN SETOGUCHI

SHARKS 6-FOOT-5 GOALTENDER HENRIK KARLSSON AT PRACTICE

– The Sharks first practice Wednesday after learning of their opponent in the Western Conference Finals was focused and intense. Clocking in at just under an hour and a half, head coach Todd McLellan ran the players through a series of fundamental drills and then began to break the practice down into more detail oriented elements.

The Sharks skated hard, but also smart. Like a light switch, players would battle for a puck down low or explode up ice for a breakaway, then they would shut it down to absorb the message Todd McLellan and his staff would deliver at 10-15 minute intervals. Two notes from practice, Marleau kicked it into a sixth gear on one breakaway up ice. When he is flying, it opens up gaps in the defense for Thornton and Heatley. In another sequence, 6-foot-3, 240-pound defenseman Douglas Murray carried the puck along the boards through a mass of about 4 teammates. He lowered his shoulder and rumbled through the pack with a third and fourth effort. His teammates, several of whom were knocked out of the way like bowling pins, hooted and hollered after the effort. One of the lighter moments in a very focused practice.

Lines and defensive pairints were similar to those used against Detroit, Marleau-Thornton-Heatley, Clowe-Pavelski-Setoguchi, Malhotra-Couture-Mitchell, McGinn-Nichol-Helminen, Murray-Boyle, Blake-Vlasic, Huskins-Demers, Wallin-Leach. The only player not spotted on the ice by this blog was forward Jed Ortmeyer, who is nursing an undiclosed lower body injury.

– After Worcester was eliminated from the AHL Calder Cup Playoffs, forwards Benn Ferriero, Ryan Vesce, Frazer McLaren, John McCarthy and Andrew Desjardins, defenseman Derek Joslin and Mike Moore, and goaltender Alex Stalock were called up to serve as standby players for the postseason.

– Two years ago this blog tried to get then head coach Ron Wilson to preview a Douglas Murray vs Jarome Iginla matchup in the playoffs. On a number of plays, the two were locked into a battle for position or possession down low in the corners, and in front of the net. Wilson did not bite, instead preferring to talk about the performance of the defense as a whole 5-on-5, and on special teams.

San Jose Mercury News beat writer David Pollak asked Murray about the potential matchup with Byfuglien after Wednesday’s practice:

“He’s a heavy player that plays heavy,” Murray said of the forward who’s listed at 6-foot-4 and 257 pounds. “Some guys are heavy but don’t play heavy.

“When he goes to the net we have to treat him the way we treated Holmstrom and Bertuzzi when they drive the net. Today’s rules, you can’t get into a cross-checking match with him and you have to leave him to Nabby and make sure we get a stick on any type of rebound or clear him out once the shot comes.”

Unlike Chicago’s first two playoff opponents, the Sharks have large ill-tempered defenseman available on all three pairs. Along with Murray, 6-foot-4, 225-pound Rob Blake and 6-foot-3, 220-pound Niclas Wallin will be tasked to keep the crease clear in front of goaltender Evgeni Nabokov. Blake compared Byfuglien to Todd Bertuzzi, size and quick hands for scoring from in tight. Wallin returned from an undisclosed injury for game 5 against Detroit, and he waged several solid battles in front of the net in just under 10 minutes of ice time.

The Sharks dressed seven defenseman for that final game against Detroit, and have used rookie defenseman Jason Demers on the power play and occasionally at forward late in the season.

– Instead of preparing for a net front presence on all 4 lines like they did against Detroit, the Sharks may have to address a more top-to-bottom offensive attack against Chicago. Via ESPN’s Scott Burnside after Chicago-Vancouver game 6:

They’ve got four forward lines rolling like nobody’s business, and just when you think you might have Jonathan Toews’ top line bottled up for a few minutes, Kris Versteeg or Dave Bolland or Patrick Sharp or, yes, that guy Marian Hossa comes along and pots one before you can catch your breath.

It’s a relentless attack that only finds ways to beat itself when it’s too impatient to wait for its chances. Otherwise, you’re looking at the most dangerous offense in the NHL right now.

– Sharks can thank rookie Logan Couture for point that gave them home ice – TSN.

– CSNCA’s Brodie Brazil posted an exclusive interview with San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson: part 1, part 2.

“This has been an interesting year for this organization. It has been the product of a lot of experiential learning, what some of the guys have been through, what this coaching staff has done. Instead of using the term exhausting, I think we welcome the opportunity for guys to show what they are capable of.”

“I have nothing but great memories from Chicago. My wife is from there, all of my children were born there. I have got friends thee and people that influenced my life in a major, major way. Great fans in Chicago, but I look forward to beating them. It is about this team, the guys in this dressing room. That is where our focus is.”

“The best part (of the playoff run) is seeing all of San Jose get behind us,” Ryane Clowe told host Greg Papa, who was interviewed along with Dany Heatley on CSNBA’s Chronicle Live.

#8 JOE PAVELSKI BATTLES FOR FACEOFF WITH #40 HENRIK ZETTERBERG

– Interesting post by Mike Chen breaking down the impact of faceoffs: Do faceoffs equal victories.

Chen charts the winners and losers from the faceoff circle in the Semifinals, and notes the faceoff winners compiled an 11-9 overall record. According to Chen, 16 of 20 games were decided by 1-goal.

San Jose led the regular season in faceoff percentage at 55.4%, Chicago came in third at 52.4%. It should be noted that the Sharks had three players in the top-16, Scott Nichol (1st, 60.6%), Joe Pavelski (4th, 58.1%) and Joe Thornton (16th, 53.9%). Converted center Manny Malhotra would have finished first overall in the NHL (62.5%), but his move to wing in the last half of the season did not give him enough eligible draws.

The trend has continued in the playoffs. The Sharks have three centerman in the top-15: Manny Malhotra (2nd, 61.7%), Joe Thornton (9th, 55.7%) and Joe Pavelski (14th, 53.3%). The Blackhawks have two centerman in the top-30: Jonathan Toews (4th, 58.8%) and Patrick Sharp (30th, 48.6%).

San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan noted during the regular season that faceoff wins are key for a puck possession team. In addition to their importance 5-on-5, McLellan also said that each special teams draw won can allow his team to control 15-20 critical seconds of play.

The Sharks did not sit on their success for the playoffs. In late regular season games against Vancouver and Phoenix, it was evident Joe Thornton and Manny Malhotra significantly ramped up their intensity from the faceoff circle. Thornton eyes the opposing centerman’s feet, and chirps at the linesman when they are out of position or when their stick is not on the ice first. His bull rush forward was not as successful against Colorado as it had been in the past, but it sends a message. Malhotra often neutralizes his opponents stick, and controls the puck down low with his body or glove. Pavelski mixes it up but has the most success with sheer speed. Against Calgary in a game that knocked them out of the postseason, the Sharks wingers turned the tide in the faceoff circle. Clowe, Marleau, Heatley, Setoguchi and several others routinely beat Calgary wingers off the draw to help control the puck. It was a very poor effort in a critical game for Calgary.

NHL teams keep extraordinarily detailed faceoff statistics, many of them broken down in situational or location based categories. It is a fascinating element of the game similar to the line of scrimmage in football, even moreso when you train a zoom lens on it and watch it up close. Hopefully the Versus or CBC coverage can train a camera on the faceoff circle, and break down a few of the battles in slow motion for viewers.

– The Hockey News columnist Adam Proteau lists the top Conference Final and Stanley Cup Final opponent for all 30 NHL hockey teams: Dream playoff matchups for each NHL team. Two California mentions stand out.

Anaheim’s ideal CF opponent is listed as Los Angeles (“LA and Anaheim are close geographically”), and their ideal SCF opponent is listed as New Jersey (“the Ducks and Devils share a Cup final appearance in 2003, as well as a (tenuous) connection to Mickey Mouse”). Not sure of the connection, but a Boston or Philly SCF with the Ducks in Burke’s prime would have been entertaining. The Ducks-Sharks post-lockout games from 2005-07 may have been more like rugby than hockey, but it was the best hockey played at HP Pavilion until this postseason. Not sure if the two teams hate each other as much as the fans, but they should. Another playoff round with two healthy lineups might make that happen.

The Sharks ideal CF opponent is listed as Anaheim (“The Sharks and Ducks haven’t met in the playoffs, but they’ve got a nice Pacific Division rivalry going.”). That has now been fixed to represent the 2009 WCQF SJ-ANA series. The ideal SCF opponent is listed as Boston, regarding Joe Thornton facing his old team. Boston is the NHL franchise I followed for 10+ years before San Jose Sharks was given a team. They have followed similar cyclical periods of success and failure in recent seasons. With entertaining players, passionate fans, and one of the most brutal media corps covering the league, a Boston-SJ SCF would be entertaining. NoCal vs Chowder.

– Two fans have sent in corrections for the Sharks playoff history page. Thank you very much for helping me to keep the history accurate. One of the errors was the location of the Sharks game 7 loss at Colorado (not San Jose) in 2002. Peter Forsberg scored the lone goal, and Patrick Roy turned in a 27-save shutout to help Avalanche overcome a 3-2 series deficit to advance to the WCF.

It was the first year the Sharks won a Pacific Division Championship, and it was also the infamous game where Teemu Selanne backhanded a shot across an empty crease. Roy made a diving play to his right and was out of position on Selanne’s wraparound, but the Finnish goal scorer could not tuck it into an empty net.

It was the second time in four years that Peter Forsberg and Joe Sakic took over games that ousted the Sharks from the playoffs. A year before the Sharks would get their revenge in the 2004 Western Conference Semifinals, I ran into Peter Forsberg at a bar in Stockholm. Having a few adult beverages with members of a Swedish second division soccer team, one tapped me on the shoulder and said the most famous person in Sweden is behind you. Turned around, and Forsberg was in a semi-VIP area surrounded by a dozen tall blonde women. I went over, shook his hand, offered him a beer and said I was a fan of his play except when he almost singlehandedly knocks the Sharks out of the playoffs. He declined the beer and said, “you came a long way to tell me that.”

– Coyote Ugly – Phoenix Business Journal.

This raises the questions of whether a deal to sell the Coyotes to an owner who will keep the team here ever will get done. There also are questions as to whether Glendale legally can cover the Coyotes losses.

First, the idea of a city government pretty much financing a private business runs into legal issues in Arizona. We have a gift clause here that restricts things, like say, a city government covering the costs/expenses/losses of a professional sports franchise. Glendale will argue the bonding district helps alleviate the gift clause worry. Critics might argue if the district quacks like a subsidy then it is a subsidy.

The situation in Phoenix is almost becoming untenable.

– Took a small poll after the San Jose Sharks eliminated the Detroit Red Wings in game 5 at HP Pavilion. Asked a season ticket holder since the inaugural season in San Francisco in 1991, a team employee since the first year in San Jose in 1993, and San Jose Mercury News beat writer David Pollak if this Sharks series win over Detroit was bigger than the shocking upset in 1994. All three said this was a much bigger win. It helped the Sharks right past playoff failures, it will increase the exposure of the team, and there was more on the line were the reasons given.

Given the Sharks recent postseason missteps it is hard to remember that the series win in 1994 really established an identity for the team in the South Bay and in the Bay Area. At the time, fans who were watching the game in downtown San Jose bars emptied into the streets and thought a Stanley Cup parade was imminent. The Sharks did not have the championship success of the Oakland Raiders, Athletics, or San Francisco 49’ers, but the playoff success they did achieve helped build a winning identity.

It also helped erase memories of a team that struggled to a brutal 11-71-2 record in the Cow Palace one year earlier. The Sharks were second worst on offense (218GF, 23rd of 24 teams), and worst in team defense (414GA, 24th). Other than 7 home wins, 2 of them against the Los Angeles Kings, there was not a lot to cheer for outside of one of the pioneering small local breweries (before microbrews took off) and rooting against Theo Fleury.

I might have to go against the grain, and say the Sharks playoff defeat of the Detroit Red Wings in 1994 was more important to the franchise and the fans. First impressions and team identities are hard to shake, and that win helped set the stage for a solid franchise in the South Bay.

– Bloge Salming’s new NHL dating video: TeamHarmony.com. Thanks to Puck Daddy for the link.

– Note: this blog switched over from Blogger to WordPress hours before the start of the WCSF series due to blogger.com discontinuing FTP publishing support. Also had a few problems with publishing to the server during game 4, which were quickly straightened out. Updated the hockey blogroll and media blogroll on the right, added twitter and contact form pages, and added 24 hockey photo galleries from the 2009-10 season. Everything should be back to normal. Thanks for hanging in there with the blog, and thanks to the handful of fans that have recently contributed to the site via paypal.

[Update] San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan was a guest Tuesday with Ralph Barbieri on KNBR 680AM:

“The fact that the (series win) came against Detroit made it a little more special. Not necessarily for me, I am not the important guy here, for the players. Detroit has been at the pinnacle of the league, a lot of teams try to emulate what they do. Not only on the ice, but in the front office, and the way they scout and develop players. We would like to try to take as much from the Detroit organization, all the good in it, and emulate it, and try to come up with our own formula. I think we are starting to see some of the benefits of doing it that way. Doug Wilson has done a really good job of providing us with a group of players that are prepared to play playoff hockey this year… We just beat a team that has a tremendous amount of world class athletes on it, and I think that is a reflection of the number of world class athletes we have on our team.”

“People expect the unexpected from (Joe Pavelski) now. Scoring two goals a night, scoring the game winner. To have Pavs play the way he did all season, contribute consistently and in all areas, on the penalty kill and the power play, it makes our second line extremely strong. It gives Joe Thornton and his line a little bit of space to breathe. You really have to have that kind of combination going in the playoffs to have any success at all.”

“As coaches we are always asking for more, trying to push them and get more out of them. To be successful, probably in every sport, you need a contribution from everybody. Whether it is a minute or two, or a full 20 a night, players have to leave their mark on the game. Ultimately, whoever wins the Stanley Cup this year, everybody’s name will go on it. They won’t be individuals, they won’t be listed by order of importance or stats… We still need to discover that is the case. It is not about just Joe Thornton or Patrick Marleau, it is about Thomas Griess playing periods two and three in our blowout loss in Detroit and doing a very admirable job, it is about Helminen coming into the lineup from Worcester, it is about Niclas Wallin coming back and playing injured in game 5. It is about all of those players. What ends up happening in the sporting world and in the media, obviously you talk about the stars, and they impact they do or don’t have. It is always done by a collective group, that is why they put everyone’s name on the trophy.”

In addition to McLellan, captain Rob Blake, broadcasters Randy Hahn and Drew Remenda, several other Sharks have been recent guests. The more calls they get at 808-KNBR and 808-1050, the more they will talk hockey on air.

[Update2] Two interesting but unconfirmed reports: According to a European website (via thescore.com’s Hockey or Die), Sharks defenseman Niclas Wallin has signed a 2-year contract with Lulea of the Swedish Elite League. Also from Pro Hockey Talk at NBC, the Sharks-Blackhawks Western Conference Final series is allegedy scheduled to start Sunday, May 16th at 12PM. This blog has an email out for confirmation.

[Update3] Take it to the bank: Sharks to play noon Sunday and thoughts on how this ended up as game NBC wanted – David Pollak’s Working the Corners blog.

DOH Podcast #99: Detroit-Sharks recap, a look ahead to Chicago, and paying off playoff bets

Mike Peattie, Doug Santana and a sullen ‘Wings fan in Sharks land’ (aka Chris) discuss the Sharks-Detroit series, the return of defenseman Niclas Wallin for game 5, preview the upcoming meeting with the Blackhawks in the Western Conference Finals, and repay playoff bets on the 99th 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.

Denmark shocks Team USA with 2-1 win in overtime at the 2010 IIHF World Championships in Germany

TEAM USA AND TEAM DENMARK LINE UP FOR A 3RD PERIOD FACEOFF MONDAY - UNIVERSAL SPORTS

It has been a long time since Denmark’s 47-0 loss to Canada in the 1947 World Championships. The southernmost Nordic country has grown in fits and starts until it may have quietly become the next European hockey country to keep an eye on. Situated between established leagues in Germany (Deutsche Eishockey Liga), Finland (SM-liiga) and Sweden (Elitserien), Denmark has recently churned out a number of players poised to break out on the NHL stage. Mikkel Boedker (Phoenix), Jannik Hansen (Vancouver), Frans Nielsen (NYI), Peter Regin (Ottawa) and 2009 13th overall selection Lars Eller (STL) are potential impact players who will only increase the visibilty of the sport among their five and a half million countrymen.

The Danish national team’s performance at the 2010 IIHF World Championships is also turning a few heads. In a ‘Group of Death’ Group D along with the United States, Finland and Germany, Denmark has emerged with a pair of wins in its first two games, and confidence it can go deep in the tournament. Ottawa Senators center Peter Regin stepped off of the plane after scoring 3 goals and an assist against Pittsburgh in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and he promptly lead Denmark to a 4-1 thrashing of Finland in the World Championships’ first major upset.

According to friend of the blog Risto Pakarinen, Frans Nielsen and Peter Regin scored on 6-foot-5 Nashville Predators goaltender Pekke Rinne nearly 5 minutes into the game for all the offense Denmark would need. Julian Jakobsen and Frans Nielsen would score again, and the Danes would fight off a number of late penalties to close out the win. “It was 20 guys working their ass off for 60 minutes, and excellent goaltending. If you work harder than the other team you always have a chance and that is what we did tonight,” Peter Jensen said. Herning Blue Fox goaltender Frederik Andersen (from the Danish AL-Bank Ligaen), stopped 36 of 37 shots against for the win.

Next up for Denmark was an entertaining 2-1 overtime win against Team USA Monday night. It was a hard luck loss for the Americans, three days after a similar 2-1 overtime loss that was witnessed by world record outdoor crowd of 77.803 fans at Veltins Arena.

Team Denmark switched it up in goal, using Soenderjyske goalie Patrick Galbraith instead of Andersen who was hot against Finland. The Danish side was using their speed well to start the game, taking advantage of the larger ice surface. The top line of Foligno-Okposo-Dubinsky was the most threatening for Team USA, but for the most part the American attack was outside on the perimeter. The Danes tee’d up several point shots, and traffic in front made life difficult early for Florida Panthers backup Scott Clemmensen. Lars Eller narrowly missed two point blank rebound attempts.

The Americans tried to establish momentum at the start of the second period. A large scrum in front of Galbraith resulted in 4 quick whacks at a loose puck by Calgary forward David Moss. Galbraith was solid positionally down low on the first two shots, and quick reactions on the next two kept the puck out of his net. Team USA started to implement a hard forecheck, with Foligno hammering Danish #13 up against the boards. “I thought we played our game in the second period,” head coach Scott Gordon told USAhockey.com. “Establishing a solid forecheck is a big part of playing our game. We turned the puck over way too much in the neutral zone overall. In the end, give Denmark credit. They earned the victory.”

Young Colorado forward T.J. Galiardi lifted a puck over the glass, drawing a delay of game penalty and opening the door for Denmark. Two quick passes broke Lars Eller up through the neutral zone with speed, and he hammered a slap shot off the left shoulder of Clemmensen that deflected just under the crossbar. The momentum and scoring chances were heavily tilted in USA’s favor, but the mistake was costly. Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Keith Yandle answered on the power play nearly 3 minutes later on a nice setup by Kyle Okposo. Okposo dangled the puck low on the left side, then saucered a pass through the crease to a driving Yandle. Yandle buried the shot high glove side to tie the game at 1-1.

The 8,985-strong crowd in Cologne was vocal, and heavily Danish partisan. There were several unidentifiable chants, a few traditional drinking song standards, and a handful of soccer chants thrown in for good measure. The television broadcasters on Universal Sports (channel 187 on Comcast) noted that the personal-sized pitchers wielded by Danish fans were “the largest beers I have ever seen at a hockey game.”

The intensity picked up in the third period and overtime, but critical turnovers high in the offensive zone and in the neutral zone gave Denmark several odd man rushes against. Foligno kept the pressure on Galbraith down low. Hit with incidental contact, Foligno made a Corey Perry-esque trip sideways on top of the Danish goaltender. For his part, Galbraith didn’t flinch and made a glove save on the 6-foot, 210-pound Buffalo native.

Denmark continued to crash the net on Clemmensen, and a brutal slash by Matt Greene on Mads Christensen gave the Danes another late power play. Lars Eller almost made them pay twice down low. The first attempt rang loudly off the crossbar, and the second attempt came after a slick give-and-go caught the American defense pinching deep. Eller’s shot trickled just wide of the net.

Danish defenseman Stefan Lassen became an unlikely hero with the game winning goal 2:04 into overtime. He drove into the zone and fired a quick shot using a defenseman as a screen. He beat three Americans to the rebound, and lifted a backhand farside into the open net. The Danish bench, along with their Swedish head coach Per Backman, exploded in celebration. An enterprising Danish fan already made a ‘History will be Made’ highlight video featuring Stefan Lassen.

Denmark clinched a position in the next round, and is tied with Germany 1-1 in the second period as this post is being typed. Team USA earned a point in each overtime loss, but they will need a strong performance tonight against Finland. The top three teams in each group advance to the qualification round. The games will be broadcast on Universal Sports and online at UniversalSports.com.

[Update] Denmark’s Gretzky, Peter Regin is a role model in Denmark – IIHF.com.

[Update2] One-man band – Ristopakarinen.com. I didn’t know Risto was a photographer as well, but according to an email he has been using a remote to trigger a camera inside the net, and also to trigger an overhead camera to take photos of the game (as well as write game recaps for IIHF.com). Incredible stuff. More from Risto here.

[Update3] This may be the best peformance by Denmark at the World Championships since 2003, when Team Danmark upset the U.S. 5-2 (photo) and tied Canada 2-2 (photo) in the preliminary round. According to a few fans online, Mikkel Bodker is out with an injury, and Jannik Hansen has stated he will not join the team after Vancouver lost its WCSF series against Chicago.

[Update4] Expert: Victory equal to quarter finals – SPN.dk.

Versus Sweatshirt Contest – predict Sharks-Blackhawks Western Conference Final series and win a Versus hoodie

Here is a simple contest for readers of this blog. Send us your predictions for the San Jose Sharks vs Chicago Blackhawks Western Conference Finals, and one reader will win a black Versus hooded sweatshirt.

You can include the series outcome, how many hat tricks Patrick Marleau will score, how many times Dustin Byfuglien takes a goaltender interference penalty, how many times this blog misspells Dustin Byfuglien, or any details you think will be pertinent to the series. Everyone is eligible, unfortunately even including Blackhawks fans. Entries may be quoted in a subsequent post unless otherwise noted.

Please include your name and mailing address, and also include a preferred size (even though there may only be one size available). Full contest details: The contest is open until the drop of the puck for game 1 at HP Pavilion. Your prediction does not need to be accurate, one random entry will be selected as the winner. Only 1 sweatshirt will be given away. You can email your submission to contact at (thenameofthiswebsite.com), or use this contact form.

Good luck to all those who enter. Visit Versus.com, take a look at the Versus video highlight player, or tune in to Versus for full coverage of the Eastern and Western Conference Finals as well as games 3 and 4 of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals.

[Update] Tune into Chomptalk Sunday at 9PM on KDOW 1220AM with hosts Mike Peattie and Doug Santana for a second opportunity to get a Versus sweatshirt.