SHARKSPAGE

WCSF Game 1 preview: A look back at Colorado, a look ahead to Detroit

#17 TORREY MITCHELL JOINED THORNTON AND MARLEAU ON TOP LINE

SAN JOSE DEFEATED COLORADO IN THE WCQF 4-2

San Jose Sharks preview:

The Sharks stressed a theme of overcoming obstacles prior to the start of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and they would return to that theme early and often in the first round against the Colorado Avalanche. Odd bounces off of Rob Blake’s skate, Marc-Edouard Vlasic’s throat, and a Dan Boyle shot that deflected off of Ryan O’Reilly’s stick resulted in three own-goals over the first three games. The Avalanche emerged with a 2-1 series lead, each in one-goal affairs, but the tide would turn.

The Sharks stuck with the Todd McLellan philosophy of playing the body hard, funneling shots on net, and trying to wear down a young and hobbled Avalanche squad on both sides of the ice. Colorado quizzically adopted a counter-punching style, laying back in the neutral zone waiting to capitalize on mistakes. Mistakes that either never came, or were swallowed up by a sharp Evgeni Nabokov. The Avalanche may have been taking a page from the Anaheim Ducks one year earlier. The Ducks lulled the Sharks into complacency early, took the series lead, and then let them beat themselves as they tried a desperation comeback.

What worked for San Jose: The Clowe-Pavelski-Setoguchi line combined for 22 points (9 goals, 13 assists), and 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists) on the power play. Joe Pavelski continued a trend of clutch performances with the game tying goal with 32 seconds left in game 2, the overtime game winning goal in game 4, the game winning goal in game 6 as well as an assist on Dan Boyle’s game tying goal in the third period. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Pavelski thinks the game well, makes a b-line for the front of the net, and plays 20 pounds above his weight. Ryane Clowe is a player in the power forward mould, one head coach Todd McLellan called the Sharks MVP down the stretch. Clowe excelled at winning puck battles in the corner, and creating scoring chances with puck possession around the wings. Devin Setoguchi had to be settled down by teammates after a penalty in game 1, but a voracious forecheck and at times a head hunting style made him a handful for Colorado. If Setoguchi can mimic the puck possession style of Ryane Clowe, take it to the net instead of making plays high in his zone, his goal and penalties drawn totals will skyrocket.

Evgeni Nabokov and Craig Anderson each had a forgettable game 2, but Nabokov quickly worked himself back into the series. An aggressive style that saw him challenge shooters at the top of the crease remained consistent despite anemic shot totals from Colorado. Nabokov allowed a combined 1 goal against in games 4 and 5, and held the Avalanche to 2 goals or less for all but 1 game in the series. Not shaken by a puck that deflected in off the skate of Rob Blake for a game winner in the opening contest, or a puck that beat him on Dan Boyle’s shot in overtime of game 3, Nabokov kept the team pointed in the right direction for the rest of the series. According to HNIC, a heated offseason meeting between general manager Doug Wilson and Nabokov centered around being a better teammate. Nabokov put that into practice during the regular season, and could be one of the most sought after free agents in the offseason. He needs to direct traffic and at times act as a third defenseman when the d is pressured in his zone.

The overwhelming trend was shots on goal in all situations. The Sharks outshot Colorado 245-149, and the disparity was equal with shots that missed the net 87-57. Getting pucks through traffic was a major factor in the series, as the Avalanche averaged over 20 blocked shots a game (21.3). Also notable was the Sharks play late in game 6 with a one goal lead. From the 12 minute mark to the Sharks second empty net goal at 19:29, San Jose got the puck deep in the Colorado zone 8 times. It forced the Avalanche to skate 200 feet for a comeback. They were only able to set up in the offensive zone 5 times, and the scoring chances lacked the intensity and desperation needed to even the series.

What needs work: The Marleau-Thornton-Heatley line was held to 1 goal in the series. Heatley missed game 3 with an undisclosed lower body injury, looked hobbled in game 4, but started to return to form in the final two games. He directed a shot off the post that nearly ended game 4 in overtime. Marleau registered a goal in the 5-0 blowout in game 5, but needs to have more of an impact on both sides of the ice. Shift-to-shift intensity and compete level have been the criteria this blog used to evaluate Marleau and Thornton the last 3 postseasons. This year both could be better. Thornton had spurts where he bull rushed centers on faceoffs, and where he ran over bodies down low, but it needs to happen every shift. As Owen Nolan proved several years ago during the year of hit posts and crossbars, if you are not a factor on the scoreboard, you need to exact a physical toll on the defense, fluster the goaltender with contact, or draw penalties. Thornton finished the first round 58-45 from the faceoff circle.

The Sharks exhibited a little posteason misdirection regarding the fate of Marleau-Thornton-Heatley for game 1. There have been hints Todd McLellan will leave Torrey Mitchell up on the top line with Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton. Heatley skated on a line with rookie Logan Couture and center Manny Malhotra. San Jose Mercury News opinion columnist Mark Purdy speculates Patrick Marleau could join a checking line with Manny Malhotra and Torrey Mitchell. Todd McLellan could reunite “the big three” 5-on-5, but they should be reunited regardless on the power play.

The Sharks were disciplined in their own zone, but the pressure will be on the defense with the amount of bodies Detroit likes to plant in front of the crease. Rob Blake, Jason Demers and Kent Huskins will have to maintain that discipline and keep the play at 5-on-5. Huskins and Demers both took large steps forward in the first round, but they will be targeted by the Red Wings in round two. Communicaton between defensive partners, communication with the goaltender, and communication with the forwards will allow them to determine when they have time to play the puck and when they need to make a hard chip off the boards. It needs to happen on every sequence. McLellan’s philosophy of “puck management”, making smart decisions with the puck while moving it out of your zone, will be key against Detroit.

The Sharks first defensive pair of Dan Boyle and Douglas Murray also displayed a few rough edges. This is Murray’s first season on the top d-pair after the departure of Brad Lukowich and Christian Ehrhoff in the offseason. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Murray blossomed defensively with Ehrhoff by taking straight lines to the puck, and maximizing his size and leverage advantage in front of the net. An intelligent Cornell grad, Murray did not miss a beat playing with Boyle during the first three quarters of 2009-10. Towards the end of the year, coverage mistakes and excess skating started to creep into his game. That was also evident on a few shifts in the first round against Colorado, which Murray admitted to Scott Oake of HNIC during the second intermission of game 6. “We are trying to make too many plays, instead of playing straight lines,” Murray told Oake. If Murray creates a 20-25 foot zone of responsibility around Evgeni Nabokov, and makes strong first pass when he has time, it will bode well for San Jose in the Semifinals.

DETROIT C #13 PAVEL DATSYUK 2 GOALS IN GAME 7 - FILE PHOTO

DETROIT DEFEATED PHOENIX IN THE WCQF 4-3

Detroit Red Wings preview:

The Red Wings also faced a 2-1 deficit in the opening round against Phoenix, but a more informative comparison might be to the regular season finale against the Chicago Blackhawks. With the Sharks finishing their season against Phoenix one night earlier, the Detroit Red Wings dominated the Blackhawks down low en route to a 3-2 overtime win at the United Center. Against a similar speed and puck possession based team, the Red Wings repeatedly pinned the Blackhawks deep and created scoring chances with bodies in front.

A quick look at the Detroit roster shows the usual suspects that will be planted in front of Evgeni Nabokov in round two. Tomas Holmstrom, Todd Bertuzzi, Darren Helm and Dan Cleary will offer a fixture in front on all 4 lines. Gaining body position in front, and taking away the stick will be key factors throughout the series. This doesn’t need to be a “key to the series”, not sure if it even needs to be taught anymore by head coach Mike Babcock, in Detroit it just happens. It is one element of the Detroit style the Sharks utilize often, but have not perfected.

Detroit drew heavily on its veteran leadership in game 7. Pavel Datsyuk and Nicklas Lidstrom each scored a pair of goals, and defenseman Brian Rafalski and Henrik Zetterberg registered 3 assists. The Red Wings picked Phoenix apart, and had them staring at the ice as the final horn rang on their Cinderella postseason. Too often the Sharks have allowed Datsyuk and Zetterberg the space needed to skate and make plays. They need to plant a body on both early and often, then offer an elbow behind the play to make sure they get their point across.

Despite recently turning 40, defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom is still an all-world caliber athlete. He finished third on the team with 49 points (9 goals, 40 assists), but was left out as a finalist in Norris Trophy voting for the first time in recent memory. Lidstrom won the Norris three straight times from 2001-2003, and again from 2006-08. Lidstrom can pick apart a team if given the opportunity. He once fired a 60 foot backhanded saucer pass through the neutral zone at HP Pavilion that lead to a Datsyuk breakaway goal. The Sharks need to burn a few scoring chances a la the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers, dump the puck deep, and hammer Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski as they try to play it. Unless this is a physically grueling series for both, they will beat you.

A scouting report on “rookie” goaltender Jimmy Howard will posted later in the series.

Other series notes: The San Jose Sharks have lost the last four playoff game 1’s, each on home ice. The last time the Sharks were successful to open a series was in 2007. San Jose defeated Nashville 5-4 in double overtime to open the 2007 WCQF, and began the 2007 WCSF series with a 2-0 shutout against Detroit. The Red Wings were 3-0-1 against San Jose in the regular season this year, and hold a 11-6 alltime edge in the playoffs. The Sharks are 25-55-8 alltime against Detroit in the regular season, but have won only 8 of 44 road games at Joe Louis Arena.

Outside of HP Pavilion, the coldest and wettest local weather season in 10 years continues. Heavy rains have helped Califoria emerge from a 3 year drought. San Jose is expecting a winter-like high of 62 (game time should be in the 50’s). More condusive to good ice at HP Pavilion is humidity, and there is a partly cloudy/slight chance of rain on Thursday.

[Update] Red Wings Are Round 2 Opponent – SJsharks.com.

“They are patient and they play well defensively, they wait for you to make mistakes and then they capitalize going the other way,” said Sharks Head Coach Todd McLellan. “We’ve known for a number of years Detroit’s power play can be really successful.”

[Update2] George Malik’s Snap Shots blog at Mlive.com should be considered the Drudge Report of blogs covering this series for San Jose and Michigan fans alike. As the first Californian-born descendant from a long line of Michiganders, let me be the first to say “Lets go Blue”.

[Update3] Sharks – Avs Scoring Chances Totals – Derek Zona for Copper and Blue.

DOH Podcast #97: Colorado finish, upcoming Detroit series, report card

Mike Peattie and Doug Santana break down the Colorado Avalanche Western Conference Quarterfinal finale, preview the upcoming Detroit Red Wings series, and grade the lineup top to bottom on the 97th 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.

Joe Pavelski 4-27 NHL conference call transcript

OCTOBER WAVE MAGAZINE COVER OF JOE PAVELSKI, PHOTO/JON SWENSON

A transcript of today’s NHL conference call with San Jose Sharks center Joe Pavelski:

[DAVID KEON] Good afternoon, everyone. I’m David Keon of the National Hockey League’s public relations department and I’d like to welcome you to today’s call. With us we have San Jose Sharks forward Joe Pavelski. Thanks to Joe for taking the time today and answer your questions, and thanks to Scott Emmert and Tom Holy of the Sharks public relations staff for arranging the call.

Joe led San Jose in scoring recording eight points in the Sharks six-game victory over the Colorado Avalanche in the opening round of the National Hockey League playoffs. Among his five goals was a last-minute game-tying goal in Game 2, the overtime winner in Game 4, and the series?clinching game winner in Game 6.

In his fourth NHL season, all with the Sharks, the Plover, Wisconsin native appeared in 67 regular-season games, recording 51 points on 25 goals and 26 assists. He was also a member of the silver medal winning Team USA at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver this past February. Later this week the Sharks will open the Western Conference Semifinals against the winner of the Detroit?Phoenix series, which concludes with Game 7 in Phoenix tonight.

[Q] The post-season you’ve had statistically has been remarkable. One of the by-products of it in the media has been a comparison, contrasting between your performance and that of Joe Thornton. Does that comparison make you uncomfortable at all, the scrutiny Joe goes under in comparison to the success you’ve had?

[JoePa] No, I don’t think so. I think he would say we’re trying to — obviously, this first series we talked about was overcoming. Didn’t really matter how we got there, we just wanted to win. I think other years he’s led the way at times. It was just important we won. We found a way, however it got done. I think we’re happy to be moving on to the next round.

[Q] Joe, seeing how you’re going to be meeting the Coyotes-Red Wings winner, what impresses you about both teams based on regular-season play and what you’ve seen in the post-season? What is going to be the most challenging aspect of playing against either the Coyotes or the Red Wings?

[JoePa] They’re both really disciplined teams. I think that’s one of the biggest things. They’ve had good goaltending throughout the year when we’ve seen them. They’re really structured. You’ve kind of seen it go back and forth throughout their series. I guess it’s going to Game 7.

It’s been pretty impressive the way Phoenix has stepped up, and they are really deep. I don’t think they have really one guy who steps up all the time; they kind of get it done by committee.

It’s the same way with Detroit. They got a lot of really good players and good defense. They’re just kind of solid all the way through. They’re fairly similar. It will be an interesting Game 7 tonight.

[Q] What about the prospect of the Sharks facing either of these teams? What is going to be the thing that’s going to keep you up at night in preparation for the series?

[JoePa] Well, I think we don’t care who we’re playing right now. We’re going to have to overcome a good team throughout the way you look at any team that wins the Stanley Cup at the end. There’s good teams along the way, every series, especially this year, the way every series has went pretty deep for the most part.

Whether we see Phoenix or Detroit, obviously you got Detroit, and they’ve been there and they’ve had the experience. That’s why you give them the edge I think in tonight’s game, is they’ve been there and they’ve done it.

At the same time Phoenix, you can tell they’re really hungry. So a lot of it will be about what we do, how everybody steps up. Every series you need some depth and you need your role players to score a few goals, you need your top lines to perform. It’s something that every game is really critical. That first game should be, you know, pretty exciting, I think.

[Q] Joe, can you talk about the feeling in the locker room after Game 6 when you closed out Colorado. Were you happy or was it more of like a sigh of relief that you were able to clear this first hurdle?

[JoePa] By no means was it a sigh of relief. I think we were happy, we were excited. A lot of work went into that series. You look at the first couple games, see the games we lost, putting 50 shots. We invested quite a bit physically. It paid off at the end.

It was good. We didn’t want a Game 7. That third period they were up 2-1. We wanted to get it done. We put on a little press. Danny made a great shot there to tie it up. We were able to find a way to win that game.

I think it was more satisfying because it felt like we put the work in and we didn’t really take any nights off. We didn’t have a good game, then take a step back, kind of let them walk all over us. So that was encouraging there. That was one of the obstacles we wanted to overcome, was keep going, keep pressing, putting the hard work in, see where it gets us. You do it right, you’re more than likely going to win most series.

[Q] Joe, it’s been a couple days since your series ended. It will be a couple more before the second round begins. I’m wondering what you are doing with the time in the middle and if you prefer it get going sooner than later?

[JoePa] I think the earliest we can play is Thursday, latest Sunday. Guys want to play Thursday. Four days off I think we’ll have then. That’s more than enough. Either way, I think we’ll be ready. But Thursday would be good.

Just trying to keep your legs, get your rest when you can recover. You know, you’re still preparing a little bit. You see these teams enough to know that you can go and play them back-to-back and be ready for them either way.

For the most part we have an understanding of what they’re doing, their tendencies. So I think we’ll have a day or two to prepare and then we’ll just go.

[Q] On a personal level, what do you enjoy most about the post-season?

[JoePa] Well, just the atmosphere. It’s unbelievable, the intensity. You feel it the night before games. You feel it watching all the games on TV. Sometimes you just got to step away and just kind of try to get away from it because you can get yourself overexcited. That’s an easy thing to do.

You step out on the ice, especially in the Shark Tank at the HP there, the crowd has been great. Game 5, we scored a couple goals, I think that’s the loudest it’s ever been in the building. It helps us. We like playing in there. The fans have been great for us. It’s a good thing we have home ice. Hopefully we can use it a little better here in the next series.

[Q] Joe, you talked earlier about the idea of overcoming and how the first round is about overcoming. Obviously the Sharks have done so well in the regular season over the last few years, not done well in the playoffs. Can you talk about the idea of overcoming that reputation or just the feeling that you have trouble advancing. How do you overcome that?

[JoePa] Well, that is our reputation right now. You got to work extremely hard to change your reputation once something happens. A lot of us in that room have only been to the second round. I mean, a few guys won Cups. We know that experience. But it’s something, you always got to reprove yourself every year.

So it’s a new challenge for us. We haven’t made it past the second round in four or five years, I think, not since I’ve been here. It’s new territory. We got to understand it only gets harder and more important games. The mental side of the game I think is really important for us.

Overcoming situations, we got to take it game by game. The first game is important. We haven’t won one of those in a while. I think the guys will be ready for that one.

[Q] Is this something that you guys actually have talked about, like, We got to turn this around?

[JoePa] No, not really. We’ve heard it in the media. You know, I think guys are aware of it. But there hasn’t been, We got to win Game 1 or we’re not going to win the series. But it’s going to make our jobs a lot easier if we can accomplish that and hold on to home ice.

[Q] Joe, you talked a little bit earlier about everybody needing to produce, whether it’s your depth players or top line guys. Like your reputation for being in the playoffs, Thornton, Marleau, Heatley are counted on to lead you guys. How can you help get them rolling and have them be the regular-season players they are in the post-season?

[JoePa] You know, that’s a tough question. Everybody feels different at certain times. I guess the only way you can help is just worry about yourself.

You know great players are going to work it out. You know, we earned another series, which gives them time. You know, we expect great things from them. They’ve led us all year. That’s what we expect now.

But, as well, everyone’s got to lead in their own way and establish their game. You saw in the first series, Scottie Nichol and Manny, Malhotra, they all scored big goals for us, got us going at certain times in the games. It’s important. So we expect them.

They had some good looks at the net, as well. A few pucks didn’t go in. They’re working just as hard as anybody right now. They want it just as bad as anybody. So hopefully it goes in for them and hopefully it keeps going in for everyone else, too.

Dany Heatley loses opening pitch duel with 17-year old girl at AT&T Park

San Jose Sharks right wing Dany Heatley learned the first rule of Bay Area major league baseball Monday night at AT&T Park in San Francisco, always root for the Oakland Athletics. On the mound to throw out the opening pitch, Heatley watched as the young girl that preceeded him threw a high arcing strike. With the pressure on in front of 30,035 fans, Heatley fired a bounce pass to Barry Zito at home plate.

To add insult to injury, teammate Ryane Clowe added on the CSN television broadcast “I was impressed by Zito’s pickup.” The Sharks had Sunday off after ousting the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 in the Western Conference Quarterfinals, but returned to practice for the second round Monday. Heatley, Jed Ortmeyer and defenseman Niclas Wallin were given Monday off to recuperate from undisclosed lower body injuries.

The Giants went on to put a 5-1 hurting on the Philadelphia Phillies. Hat tip to the inestimable Puck Daddy for the video.

[Update] Sharks Settle In to Wait, Watch, Rest – Comcast Sportsnet California.

[Update2] Dany Heatley’s First Pitch, The Sharks forward threw out the first pitch at a Giants game – SJsharks.com.

“I’d never thrown out a first pitch before and it was a thrill,” Heatley said. “But now I’d love to take batting practice.”

Heatley may have grown up in Canada where hockey is the national sport, but it never stopped him from following baseball. “Definitely I’m a fan,” Heatley said. “I’m from Canada, but I’ve been in the States a lot. I love watching games and love being at the park.”

Heatley even attended a Giants game at their previous stadium, Candlestick Park, long before he moved to the Bay Area. “We were just in California,” Heatley said of his visit to the Giants old home. “We were on a family vacation and ended up at a game.”

[Update3] In other baseball-Shark related news, the San Jose Mercury News featured a Sunday article/photo feature on the city of San Jose’s efforts to prepare downtown for a possible Athletics ballpark. A 2-phase traffic project would create a streamlined thoroughfare between I-880 and the new arena/HP Pavilion. It would link Coleman Avenue and Julian Street, and allow fans an easier access to I-880 and 101 to the north.

According to the Mercury News, the city purchased one of four plots for phase one of the project, and made offers on three others. With regards to land needed for the second phase, the city also purchased one of four plots. San Jose spent $24.4 million on land for the proposed ballpark, less than half of what is needed for the 14 acre location. There is also the possibility the city could invoke eminent domain to seize properties needed for the project.

Mercury News reporter Scott Herhold parses the traffic congestion that would follow lengthy construction, and adds more details of the financial costs that could delay the second phase of the proposed “Autumn Street connector”. With 2 competing sports arenas in the planning stages for the Earthquakes near the airport, and the 49’ers near Great America in Santa Clara, voters could see a glut of proposed sports complexes on the ballot in the near future. Voters would also have to weigh the city’s financial burden during an extraordinaryly tough fiscal crisis.

That being said, the impact the new thoroughfare and stadium would have on downtown would be similar to the massive revitalization efforts of the 1990’s. It would provide jobs, add to the “big city status” city leaders have been striving for, and it would make San Jose more of a destination. It could also connect penninsula and east bay baseball fans with those in the south bay for a very successful box office draw. Right now fans in the penninsula are hampered by almost untenable east bay traffic levels, and BART trains leading to Oakland currently cut off in Fremont.

San Jose Sharks right wing Jed Ortmeyer named as finalist for Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy

SHARKS RW #41 JED ORTMEYER NAMED AS FINALIST FOR MASTERSON TROPHY

San Jose Sharks right wing Jed Ortmeyer was named Monday as a finalist for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. Defenseman Kurtis Foster of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and goaltender Jose Theodore of the Washington Capitals, join Ortmeyer in contention for the annual award given to the player “who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.”

The Bill Masterson Memorial Trophy is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers Association and will be awarded at the 2010 NHL Awards show in Las Vegas on June 23rd.

Ortmeyer’s situation in San Jose was rather unique. Signed in the offseason along with Manny Malhotra and Scott Nichol, Ortmeyer was considered a veteran “grinder” who could add another layer of defensive responsibility and snarl on the Sharks third or fourth line. A fan favorite on the HMO line in New York (Hollweg-Moore-Ortmeyer), Ortmeyer saw his role drastically diminish in Nashville. After registering 51 games played in 2007-08, he skated in only 2 the following year.

According to a November article by San Jose Mercury News beat writer David Pollak, Ortmeyer nearly walked away from the game after battling a hereditary blood-clotting disorder. The condition initially presented itself after knee surgery performed during his sophmore season at Michigan in 2001. It returned while he was with the Rangers in 2006 as pulmonary embolisms in each lung. “Even then I didn’t really know how serious it was until all of the nurses came in, one by one, and gave me hugs,” Ortmeyer told the Mercury News. “At that point I was like ‘What’s going on?’ And I realized how lucky I was that it pushed through my heart and didn’t cause any major problems.”

After a third knee surgery in Nashville, more blood clots emerged and Ortmeyer had a filter inserted to stop them from reaching critical organs. He missed the first two months of the 2008-09 season with the Predators, but what was termed a “conditioning assignment” turned into 55 games played with AHL affiliated Milwaukee Admirals. Ortmeyer registered 10 goals and 23 points during the regular season, and 7 points during an 11-game run in the AHL Calder Cup playoffs. He skated only twice with the Predators that season.

The Sharks pointed to Ortmeyer’s ability to overcome obstacles when they signed him for 2009-10. According to the Mercury News, Ortmeyer has to take regular shots of an anti-coagulant in order to play in the NHL. He also has a special diet, and uses compression socks to minimize the risks he takes to play. According to the New York Times, Ortmeyer has to wear special rib padding to cut down on the risk of internal injuries, and he undergos monthly ultrasound examinations to detect any potential problems.

“He’s just a very, very driven young man that doesn’t take no for an answer,” his brother Jake Ortmeyer told the New York Times. “I wanted to go out on my terms,” Jed Ortmeyer added.

The Bill Masterson Memorial Trophy is named in honor of the former Minnesota North Stars center and NCAA tournament MVP. Masterson was checked to the ice by a pair of Oakland Seals during a 1968 home game in Minnesota’s inaugural season. Masterson never recovered from the serious head injuries he sustained on the play. The NHL created an award given to the player that best exhibits dedication, sportsmanship, and perseverance.

Since the 1967-68 season, 41 players have received the award including Mario Lemieux, Cam Neely, Lanny McDonald and former Sharks Tony Granato, Adam Graves and Teemu Selanne.

[Update] Hooked on Hockey From a Young Age in Omaha – New York Times.

[Update2] Foster, Ortmeyer, Theodore vie for Masterton – NHL.com.

The veteran forward not only has to work hard each shift to ensure he has a place in the NHL, but also battles a challenging health condition that requires daily attention. At some point each day, Ortmeyer must use a needle to inject a blood thinner directly into his stomach to combat a hereditary blood-clotting disorder that has threatened not only his hockey career, but also his life…

The process is tricky and the timing must be precise. The blood thinner, Lovenox, needs to be in his system during the down time when he’s not on the ice and it needs to be out of his system when he plays or practices so that a hard check or a high stick does not cause fatal bleeding.

[Update3] Ortmeyer A Masterton Finalist The Sharks are excited with Ortmeyer’s Masterton nomination – SJsharks.com.

Darryl Hunt: Zalewski, WorSharks Win Game One Over Manchester 4-3

The Worcester Sharks overcame an early two goal deficit and scored three goals in the third period to defeat the Manchester Monarchs 4-3 in game one of their best of seven Atlantic Division Final Sunday afternoon at the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts. Game two is Wednesday in Worcester.

The last thing the WorSharks wanted to do was fall behind early to one of the AHL’s best defensive teams, but that’s exactly what they did just 35 seconds into the contest. With Worcester opening the game pressuring the Monarchs the WorSharks turned over the puck just inside the Manchester zone, where Oscar Moller was able to stay just a half stride ahead of Worcester defensemen Mike Moore through three zone and skate in on Alex Stalock. Moller fired a wrister over Stalock’s glove for the 1-0 lead.

Manchester would make it 2-0 at 9:17 as the teams skated four on four. With the Worcester defense scrambling around in their own zone, Manchester defenseman Viatcheslav Voynov threw a shot on net from the right point that John Zeiler was able to tip past Stalock.

Worcester would cut the lead in half at 14:54 of the second period when a couple of bounces fell perfectly for them. The first lucky bounce went to Dennis McCauley, who scooped up a loose puck in the neutral zone and skated down the left wing side. McCauley then fed Benn Ferriero, who fired a shot that Monarchs Jonathan Bernier looked to have an easy bead on. Unfortunately for Bernier, the shot tipped off a Manchester defenseman and bounced around Bernier to light the lamp.

The WorSharks would get even early in the third period when Brandon Mashinter crashed the net raising the ire of Bernier, who knocked the onrushing forward to the ice. While that was going on Danny Groulx sent a hard pass from the left point across the slot to Steven Zalewski, who was unable to control the speedy puck and it bounced away from him. Dean Strong was able to pounce on the loose puck and blast a one-timer past Bernier at 2:02 to make the game 2-2.

Just seconds after the WorSharks tied the score Manchester almost grabbed the lead right back when Gabe Gauthier found himself all alone in the slot with the puck coming right at him, but Stalock was able to square himself to the shot and get the glove up to snuff out the scoring chance.

Cory Quirk would give Worcester its first lead of the series at 6:29 after a great play by McCauley sent Quirk and Ferriero into the Manchester zone on a two on one. After some pressure from Manchester McCauley was able to dig the puck free from along the left side halfboards and send it up ice, where Quirk picked it up and skated into the Monarchs zone. With several Monarch players diving to get into the passing lane Quirk never took his eye off of Bernier, and beat the netminder over the glove side.

No one expected Manchester to roll over after giving up the lead, and they gave their numerous fans in the building something to cheer about when Dwight King took a Justin Azevedo feed from behind the Worcester net and blasted the puck on goal. Stalock was able to get a small piece of it with his glove, but not enough to stop the laser from lighting the lamp at 9:32.

The WorSharks would put the final nail in the coffin under two minutes later when Strong sent Mashinter deep in to the Manchester zone with a pass from the left point. Bernier made the pad save on Mashinter’s blast, but Zalewski was streaking to the far post and flipped the rebound over Bernier to make it 4-3 at 11:10 of the third.

Manchester continued to press in the Worcester zone, with the WorSharks defense collapsing on their netminder to prevent any rebounds from being shot back on goal. The Monarchs were unable to generate much offense with an extra attacker after pulling Bernier, and after an easy clear after a late faceoff in the WorSharks zone time expired on Manchester’s hopes of tying game one.

GAME NOTES
Worcester started the game with the same line-up as game five against Lowell, but lost T.J. Trevelyan for the game to a high stick just over six minutes into the contest. Manchester defenseman Joe Piskula received a double minor for the high stick, although it looked like the stick that injured Trevelyan belonged to linemate Kevin Henderson.

The game one victory was the first ever in WorSharks history, having lost the first game in each of their four previous playoff series. Manchester and Worcester have previously met in the playoffs, with the Monarchs defeating the WorSharks 4-2 in a best of seven opening round series in 2006-2007.

According to the Manchester Monarchs, Oscar Moller’s goal 35 seconds into the game marks the third time in the last three games that the Monarchs have opened up a playoff game by scoring within the first 35 seconds; center Marc-Andre Cliche scored 35 seconds into game three of the Portland series and right wing Trevor Lewis scored 31 seconds into game four of that same series. They also note that Worcester’s three third period goals are the most Manchester has given up all season.

The three stars of the game were
1. Zalewski (gwg,a)
2. Strong (g,a)
3. King (g,a)

The Sharkspage player of the game was Dennis McCauley.

BOXSCORE

Manchester 2 0 1 – 3
Worcester 0 1 3 – 4

1st Period-1, Manchester, Moller 2 (Loktionov, Lewis), 0:35. 2, Manchester, Zeiler 2 (Voynov, King), 9:17. Penalties-Piskula Mch (double minor – high-sticking), 6:18; Braun Wor (hooking), 8:49; Desjardins Wor (high-sticking), 10:11.

2nd Period-3, Worcester, Ferriero 4 (McCauley), 14:54. Penalties-King Mch (hooking), 3:01; Henderson Wor (holding), 9:41; Desjardins Wor (unsportsmanlike conduct), 11:56.

3rd Period-4, Worcester, Strong 1 (Zalewski, Groulx), 2:02. 5, Worcester, Quirk 1 (McCauley, Joslin), 6:29. 6, Manchester, King 1 (Azevedo, Holloway), 9:32. 7, Worcester, Zalewski 1 (Mashinter, Strong), 11:10. Penalties-No Penalties

Shots on Goal
Manchester 12-7-6-25
Worcester 7-9-11-27.

Power Play Opportunities
Manchester 0 of 4
Worcester 0 of 3.

Goalies
Manchester, Bernier 4-1-0 (27 shots-23 saves)
Worcester, Stalock 5-1-0 (25 shots-22 saves).

A-1,708. Referee-Chris Brown (86). Linesmen-Bob Bernard (4), Chris Libett (19).

WCQF Game 6: Pavelski shines with 2 goals, assist — Sharks down Avalanche 5-2 and advance to Semifinals

The San Jose Sharks closed out the WCQF with a 5-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche Saturday night at the Pepsi Center. Clutch center Joe Pavelski scored 47 seconds into the game, added an assist on Dan Boyle’s game tying goal, and roofed the game winner 9:02 into the third period. Devin Setoguchi and Douglas Murray added empty net goals, and Evgeni Nabokov stopped 16 of 18 shots against to advance the Sharks to the semis.

Two trending themes remained constant throughout this series. The San Jose Sharks stressed a message of overcoming obstacles. That came when Marek Svatos and Brandon Yip erased a 1-goal lead. Svatos drove around Joe Thornton on the left wing, who stopped skating just long enough for him to turn the corner. With Murray and Boyle focused on covering players yet to reach the goal mouth, Svators cut across the crease and deposited the puck in the back of the net on a diving shot. Yip gave the Avalanche their only lead of the game 4:51 into the third period on a hard cross ice feed by Paul Stastny.

The Avalanche threw cauton into the wind all series, but injuries to key players and the physical toll exacted by San Jose started to have an impact. The Avs had no answer for the puck possession style of 6-foot-2, 225-pound Ryane Clowe. Clowe sent a fluttering puck across the goal crease in the second period, and was a screen twice on the scoring sequence by Dan Boyle to tie the game. Clowe plowed defenseman Kyle Cumiskey to the side of the crease, allowing a Dany Heatley shot to ring off the crossbar. He then made a b-line for a screen in front of Craig Anderson. Dan Boyle’s heavy point shot beat Anderson gloveside to tie the game at 2-2.

The Clowe-Pavelski-Setoguchi line finished as the hottest line of the game, and the hottest line of the series. On Saturday night they combined for 3 goals, 3 assists, 9 shots on goal, and a +11. Pavelski’s intial goal in the first period came on a solid individual effort behind the net. He battled defenseman Kyle Cumiskey for body position, then snapped a wraparound that beat Anderson 5-hole. Pavelski’s game winning goal 9:02 into the third period came on a variation of the “Pavelski move” normally unleashed in the shootout. On a 2-on-1 rush with Devin Setoguchi, Pavelski fumbled the puck on his patented hesitation shot. He regained control, and roofed the puck over a Craig Anderson who was clearly thinking 5-hole. The Sharks scored two goals in 1:29 to earn a 3-2 lead.

The Avalanche called a timeout with 1:46 left in the game, and pulled Craig Anderson for an extra attacker. Devin Setoguchi worked the puck free from a pile along the half boards, and scored on an empty net to effectively seal the win. Douglas Murray scored a second empty net goal 21 seconds later.

Evgeni Nabokov turned in another solid performance in goal. His toughest save came on a first period one-timer by former Hobey Baker winner Kevin Porter. After making a hard push across the crease to his right, Cody McLeod fell on the prone Nabokov with a hard elbow. No call. Nabokov also made key stops on Paul Stastny and Marek Svatos. He finished with 16 saves on a minisule 18 shots against. “He has one of the best glove hands in the league, and it has been on display all series long,” CBC analyst and former goaltender Kevin Weekes said after a highlight reel Nabokov glove save in the second period.

On the physical side of the ledger, 5-foot-9, 180-pound Scott Nichol lead both teams with a game high 6 hits. He launched T.J. Galiardi sideways with a huge hit in the neutral zone in the first period, and followed that up with a big hit on defenseman Kyle Cumiskey in the second. Kyle Porter answered for the Avalanche with a check that sent Nichol hurtling towards the ice later in the period.

Post-series comments from San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan and Colorado Avalanche head coach Joe Sacco

Post-series comments from San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan:

“It was a hell of a game tonight. They played extremely hard. We knew they would do that. The third kind of mirrors what has happened throughout the whole series. We picked that overcome theme in the beginning. With about 8 or 9 minutes left in the game, we were still trying to overcome.”

“I am proud of the way the guys played, but it was a hard series for us to play in. 1-8, we learned how tough that could be last year. Just because the numbers are 1 and 8 doesn’t mean the teams are that far apart. I said that earlier in the series. Colorado did a tremendous job in competing. They pushed us to the limit. It was a tough series for us, not only while the play was going on, the passing, the hitting and the shooting. But it was tough between the ears. I was proud that we managed that part of the series well.”

“There was some frustration in our team today. We had a lot of the play in some of the games, and maybe showed up expecting some of that again. We talked about it between the second and the third. They are allowed to push back, they are allowed to play hard. We had to channel the frustration the right way. We calmed down, and started to play.”

“I believe it does (prepare us for the next round). Obviously we will need some rest. The game we played we will have to take with us to the next round. We don’t know who our opponent is, so a lot of things might change. The general type of game we played is the game we have to, to have a chance at being successful.”

“I thought Danny (Boyle) got better as the game went on again tonight. You need your top players to do that so that everyone else settles down. I think you are refering to his goal, but he did a lot of real good things down below our goal line. Their dump and their forecheck was a lot better tonight than it had been earlier. He and the other 5 defenseman did some really good work below the goal line to get our puck out.”

“Joe (Pavelski) has talent. You can’t do what he did in this series and not have talent. He has the ability to do it. He has got a real good drive and a will to win. He wants to be up to bat in the bottom of the ninth with 2 men out, is probably the best way of putting it.”

“I talked about (top line scoring) earlier. I thought they needed to get on the scoreboard for us to have success. Patrick Marleau did. They were probably not at the top of their game. I actually liked their last 15 minutes of play. I thought that was maybe some of their best hockey. They looked strong and fast. They got themselves through it, they will be fine. We will continue to work, we will move forward.”

“If I wasn’t involved with any of the teams, I would tell you this anyhow. It is so competitive, it is hard to win. 1, 8, 2, 7, it is hard to win when the playoffs start. It just doesn’t matter. The only benefit you have is home ice for one extra night.”

“Nabby was very, very good. I think when I talked about the game between the ears, in game 2 Nabby put it behind him. We also talked about how tough that game was for him to play. He hadn’t had any shots. They got a couple of bounces again. I thought you could tell he was a veteran that had played in a lot of pressure type games down the stretch.”

“I think the second period of game 1 (was the turning point). When we didn’t peform well. We didn’t manage the neutral zone, that was the talk after game 1. I thought we made some adjustments, and did a much better job coming through and playing in their end.”

Post-series comments from Colorado Avalanche head coach Joe Sacco:

“I think that from day 1 in training camp we tried to recreate the identity of this organization as far as how we wanted to play. How we wanted to be perceived. We wanted to try to do it as quickly as possible. We had no timetable on it, but we thought we could do it quickly. We thought we could turn things around quickly. I think we did that. I think we got back on track. We established the type of team we want to be, and how we want to play.”

“I think there were a couple of good turning points in the series. I thought we battled extremely hard. We got off to a good start in game 1. In game 2 we gave up the lead with a minute to go, or under a minute to go. In game 4 we lose in overtime, kind of a turning point to the series. It was what we expected, it was hard fought. I am proud of the way our guys competed throughout the series. Not once did we ever mention our injuries. I have to admit that it really took a toll on us. It affected us over the course of a series, there is no question we were missing some key players. I am proud of the guys that stepped in there and did a good job, the guys that were able to come in and grab an opportunity.”

“We are certainly headed in the right direction. We are going to be a team that is young, full of energy, we are going to play to our identity. I really see a lot of upside here. It is tough right now because we are disappointed. We thought that we if we could win tonight we could force a game 7, but its not going to happen. There is a lot to look forward to, the future is bright. We have to work and do the right things to get ready for next season.”

“I thought that whole line played very well (Clowe-Pavelski-Setoguchi). When you lose in a series, somebody has got to beat you. It was that line, and the other line I thought we did a good job against. They were opportunistic, they did well. It is a good mix with him, Clowe and Setoguchi. They were probably the difference, they were the difference in the series for sure.”

[Game Notes] With the 5-2 win over the Avalanche in game 6, the San Jose Sharks increased their overall franchise playoff record to 63-68, and their overall franchise playoff series record to 10-12. A dismal 2-13 franchise record (13.3%) in game 6’s now stands at 3-13 (18.75%), but the Sharks are a respectable 9-4 in the opening round of the WCQF (69.2%).

Center Joe Pavelski scored a pair of goals, including the game winner and an assist on Dan Boyle’s game tying goals in the third period. Pavelski (5G, 3A) and linemate Ryane Clowe (1G, 7A) lead the San Jose Sharks in playoff scoring with 8 points each. Paul Stastny lead the Avalanche with 1 goal and 4 assists, including an assist Saturday night on Brandon Yip’s third period goal. The Sharks top line of Marleau-Heatley-Thornton was held to only one goal in the series, but they registered a combined 7 assists.

The Sharks overcame a littany of unexpected obstacles and odd bounces. The Avalanche received deflection goals off the skate, throat and stick of defenseman Rob Blake, Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Dan Boyle in the first three games. The fans, media and players keyed on Boyle’s “own goal” to end game 3. He quickly made ammends with a bomb from the point 1:12 into game 4, but he did not put the incident behind him. “I put it aside, I didn’t necessarily put it behind me,” Boyle told CSNCA’s Brodie Brazil after the series finale. “Now I can officially turn the page.”

San Jose Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov held the Avalanche to two goals or less all but once in the series, and earned his 7th career playoff shutout in game 5. When asked whether he would like an extra day or two of rest prior to the next series, Nabokov displayed a little combative truculence with the media. “It is really tough to even think what do you like and what you don’t. Whatever comes, we will take it. We have no choice, you would rather play a game 7?” Colorado Avalanche goaltender Craig Anderson set a franchise record for saves made in a playoff series with 223. Evgeni Nabokov stopped 138-of-149 shots against for a .926 save percentage, Anderson stopped 223-of-239 shots for a .933 mark to lead the NHL.

NCSF Game 4: Stockton dominant with 6-2 win over Bakersfield in ECHL Battle of California playoff matchup, lead series 3-1

STOCKTON THUNDER FORWARD #37 MATT MARQUARDT DRIVES ZONE IN 2ND

YOUNG FAUHAWK WEARING STOCKTON THUNDER FAN CHEERS TEAM

2005 ANAHEIM 7TH ROUND DRAFT PICK J.P. LEVASSEUR 17 SAVES ON 22 SHOTS

The Stockton Thunder exploded for 3 goals in a span of 5:09 against Bakersfield on Friday night. In what has been a very tight ECHL National Conference Semifinal series, both teams combined for 5 goals in a wild second period. One game after being a healthy scratch, left wing Matt Robinson scored a goal and added two assists, and 5 other Stockton players scored in a 6-2 route on home ice.

“I don’t think we scored the first goal all series, or even in the playoffs. It was huge,” Robinson said after the game. “It was very big to get the ball rolling, we were all over them in the first period.”

Right wing James Bates split a pair of defenseman to find Robinson in front of the net with one minute left in the first period. After a slight hesitation, the British, Columbia native snapped it pased Bakersfield Condors goaltender J.P. Levasseur. It was the first time in 8 playoff games the Thunder have scored the first goal.

“As well as we played in the first period, to only score with a minute left, I think if it ends up 0-0 after one there is a potentially different element to the remainder of the game,” Stockton Thunder head coach Matt Thomas said. “It was a huge goal, and a huge play. More importantly it was a play we have been preaching. James Bates doesn’t try to beat a guy one-on-one, he puts it into a space and goes over and gets it. We have good support with Robby driving down the gut… and a good finish. It was an important goal for us, it really got us going and we responded well with that momentum in the second period.”

Left wing Garet Hunt’s hit on Bakersfield defenseman Kevin Morin set the tone physically for Stockton in the second period. The Condors were scrambling in their own zone, resulting in a goal by Jason Pitton with one minute left. Morin tried to retaliate behind his own net with a monster hit that a Stockton forward sidestepped at the last second. Pitton, alone on the right wing, popped in an easy shot far-side against Levasseur. The 5-1 lead carried into the second intermission all but sealed Bakersfield’s fate.

“You want to win every game. Waiting to win a game is something you never want to do. As much as the playoffs are a marathon, for us it is a sprint. You want to get to those wins as quick as you can,” Stockton head coach Matt Thomas said on his team’s approach to Game 5. “At the end of the day, it is a seven game series for a reason. We are looking to take care of business in our own building where we have all of the elements that give us an edge.”

Stockton goaltender Andrew Perugini stopped 27 of 29 shots against. The Thunder were held without a power play for the game, but took 4 minor penalties of their own in the third period. Bakersfield’s only penalty came on matching fighting majors when Pokuluok fought Gongalsky in the first. The Condors finished 1-4 on the man advantage. The Thunder will have an opportunity to advance to the third round of the ECHL Kelly Cup playoffs tonight for the first time in their 5-year franchise history.

A photo gallery from the game is available here. Video highlights and postgame reaction from Thunder left wing Matt Robinson, left wing Garet Hunt and head coach Matt Thomas are available from the Stockton Thunder youtube channel here.

Official box score:

Bakersfield Condors 2 at Stockton Thunder 6
Apr 23, 2010 – Stockton Arena

Bakersfield 0 1 1 – 2
Stockton 1 4 1 – 6

1st Period-1, Stockton, Robinson 3 (Bates), 19:00. Penalties-Pokulok Bak (fighting – major), 20:00; Gongalsky Stk (fighting – major), 20:00.

2nd Period-2, Stockton, Eizenman 3 (Caudron, Constant), 0:53. 3, Stockton, Young 1 (Hunt, Eizenman), 4:46. 4, Bakersfield, Goulet 3 (Regan, Stoflet), 7:04. 5, Stockton, D’Alvise 5 (Robinson, Hemingway), 9:55. 6, Stockton, Pitton 4 (Hunt, Bendfeld), 19:00. Penalties-No Penalties.

3rd Period-7, Bakersfield, Regan 2 (Naglich, Calder), 10:07 (pp). 8, Stockton, Marquardt 3 (Robinson, Pitton), 18:50 (en). Penalties-Marquardt Stk (interference), 6:02; Caudron Stk (tripping), 9:34; Constant Stk (high-sticking), 11:52; Robinson Stk (hooking), 16:28.

Shots on Goal-Bakersfield 6-6-17-29. Stockton 11-10-2-23.

Power Play Opportunities-Bakersfield 1 of 4; Stockton 0 of 0.

Goalies-Bakersfield, Levasseur 3-2-1-0 (22 shots-17 saves). Stockton, Perugini 6-2-0-0 (29 shots-27 saves).

A-4,932
Referees-JM McNulty (21).
Linesmen-Steven Berry (77), Wally Lacroix (89).

[Update] GAME 4 RECAP: Stockton 6 – Bakersfied 2, Robinson’s three points help Thunder take 3-1 series lead, put Bakersfield on brink of elimination – StocktonThunder.com.

[Update2] Winning one the easy way – Scott Linesburgh for the Stockton Record.

Stockton scored first to grab its first lead in regulation in the series and used a four-goal second period to overwhelm the Bakersfield Condors 6-2 in front of 4,952 fans at Stockton Arena. Stockton leads the best-of-seven series 3-1 and can finish off Bakersfield at 7:30 p.m. today at the arena…

The Thunder had not scored the first goal in any of its postseason contests until Matt Robinson took a pass from James Bates and beat Jean-Phillippe Levasseur to give the Thunder a 1-0 lead with 59.7 seconds left in the opening period. It was Stockton’s first regulation lead in 199 minutes, 0.3 seconds of play against Bakersfield.

[Update3] Bakersfield digs early hole, faces elimination in Game 5 today – Bakersfield Californian.

Steve Ott scores first career hat trick in 5-1 win over San Jose, Sharks served a wake up call

The Sharks failed to build on a successful homestand, registering a 5-1 loss at Dallas in a lethargic opening to a 4-game road trip. Less than a minute into the game Mike Ribeiro took a bizarre unsportsmanlike conduct penalty during an offensive zone faceoff. It was the Stars who would open the scoring short handed. Patrick Marleau turned the puck over to Steve Ott 25 feet from his own goal, and the agitator-turned-goal-scorer buried it with a one-touch slapshot gloveside. It was the first of three goals Ott would score for his first career hat trick.

Logan Couture, recently named to the AHL All Rookie Team along with Worcester Sharks goaltender Alex Stalock, provided the lone goal of the game for San Jose with 17 seconds left on Ribeiro’s unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. After a clean faceoff win by Dany Heatley and a point shot by Dan Boyle, Couture gained position inside of defenseman Karlis Skrastins and deflected a high shot under the glove of Marty Turco. The play went to video review, but Couture’s stick was judged to be lower than the crossbar.

The game would steadily decline from there from a Sharks perspective. Prior to the drop of the puck, head coach Todd McLellan said his team’s memory was short, but not short enough to erase memories of the 8-2 meltdown in the last visit to Dallas on March 16th. “I think if you head into a game and that is your primary motivation, you don’t end up doing what you want to do,” McLellan told reporters. That loss, combined with undisciplined and uninspired play, helped the Sharks tack on 3 more games to a season worst 6-game losing streak.

McLellan stressed that the team needed not just to win, but to win playing a fundamentally sound game with all 20 players contributing. The Sharks fell short on both fronts, with sloppy defensive play and individual performances that failed to congeal into a unified effort. Simple plays, a goaltender to d pass, a d pass up ice, were bobbled or not made cleanly. Rookie defenseman Jason Demers failed to see Loui Eriksson driving back door, resulting in a clean tap-in goal. After Brad Staubitz took an interference minor at 13:19 of the first period, defenseman Douglas Murray took a second interference minor 45 seconds later. Two blocked shots by Manny Malhotra, and a spectacular Evgeni Nabokov save on Trevor Daley with traffic in front, helped kill off the 5-on-3.

The Sharks would have to attempt to turn it around in the second without forward Ryane Clowe, who left the game after taking a puck up around the throat area. The breakdowns and sloppy defensive zone coverage would actually intensify. On another power play, Patrick Marleau tried a between the legs pass up high in his own zone and turned the puck directly over to James Neal. The points on the power play, Dan Boyle and Joe Pavelski, had no chance to catch up to Neal allowing for a clear breakaway scoring chance. Nabokov bailed out Marleau with a quick pad save down low.

On Brian Sutherby’s goal at 12:16, CSNCA television color commentator Drew Remenda detailed a series of San Jose mistakes that lead to the goal. Nicklas Wallin’s initial turnover in the neutral zone to Jamie Benn, Demers and Wallin both moving over to Sutherby allowing Benn a clear lane to the net, and a failure to clear the puck out of the crease or to box out Sutherby’s stick or body from getting a shot at the rebound. Wallin fell down while trying to get over for the second man. In the third period, Remenda would plantiffly state that Sharks players were making errors on simple defensive reads, jumping up into plays and missing their guys, not taking their man, and that their minds were checking out on plays they have made all season. With 5 games left in the regular season, this is the exact opposite of where the Sharks need to be.

At one point, the Sharks television broadcast team of Randy Hahn and Drew Remenda were speachless when trying to figure out a reason for the lackluster play on the ice. “If you are scratching your head, so are we tonight,” Hahn said. Both also discussed last season’s early playoff exit and ruminated on the question of whether it was the Sharks players or coaching staff’s responsibility to have them ready to play at the start of the game. Drew Remenda noted that head coach Todd McLellan tried all season long to shift the responsibility for being game ready to the players, but at some point they have to take it upon themselves to make it happen. “You would like to see the Sharks moving their feet, and showing they care,” Remenda said while the Sharks were down 5-1 and on a power play.

Ott added two more goals in the second period. Sutherby may deserve first star honors over Ott for taking an enormous hit from Douglas Murray to set up the fourth Stars goal. On a breakaway down the right wing Sutherby tried to turn back into the middle of the ice and was “decleated” by the 240-pound Murray. Sutherby was able to hit a driving Ott with a crisp pass in the split second before being knocked flat. With his stick on the ice and body position inside of Scott Nichol, Ott tipped the puck just inside the near post. Ott sealed the hat trick on a failed clearing attempt by Kent Huskins. The longtime agitator who has averaged nearly 120 PIMs a season, 152.2 in the five full NHL seasons he has played, recorded his first career hat trick. “We’ve got a lot of pride in this dressing room. We might not make the playoffs, or it’s pretty unrealistic right now, but to finish with character and finish with pride, I think means more than anything.” Ott told reporters after the game.

Marty Turco made 29 saves on 30 shots for 21st win of the season. After stopping only 16 of 21 shots against after 20 minutes, backup goaltender Thomas Greiss started the third period and made 8 saves on 8 shots. Joe Thornton sat out his second straight game after being injured against Vancouver. Ryane Clowe left the game after only 4 shifts and 4:33 of ice time due to an undisclosed upper body injury. According to beat reporter David Pollak, Clowe has been wearing an ‘A’ on his jersey in Thornton’s absense. Rob Blake returned after sitting out a game, his usual defensive partner Marc-Edouard Vlasic was scratched after previously returning to play 5 games after a lower body injury. Defenseman Jay Leach was scratched for the 6th straight contest. Mike Ribeiro returned after being suspended for Monday’s game against Anaheim for missing a team meeting. Mike Modano was scratched for the 9th straight game after having an appendectomy, an interview with him played on the Sharks radio network during the second intermission.

[Update] Ott’s hat trick helps Stars stave off elimination – Mike Heika for the Dallas Morning News.

Maybe Steve Ott was being weighed down by his appendix.

Since emergency appendectomy surgery on Feb. 8, Ott has been on a tear. He has eight goals in his last 16 games, including the first hat trick of his career Wednesday in a 5-1 win over the San Jose Sharks.

“It was probably in junior – a lot of years ago,” Ott said when asked when he last scored three goals in a game. “I’ve had a lot of seasons with low numbers. It seemed things have bounced my way.”

[Update2] San Jose Sharks uninspired in loss to Dallas Stars – San Jose Mercury News.

[Update3] San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan’s post-game comments after the Dallas loss via Comcast Sportsnet California:

“It is going to be a collective thing for me again tonight with you guys. I am not too sure it starts with skill, it starts with something else…”

“Clowe has played very well for us. I thought we had a little letdown after he left. Maybe he means that much to the team, but moving forward we don’t get to pick and choose who is going to be healthy and who isn’t. Mother Nature takes care of that. When you lose people, you should be able to elevate your game, elevate the intensity and become more competitive rather than go the other way. That is the way we went.”

“It has got nothing to do with where you lose em (on being asked about second straight lopsided loss in Dallas), it is how you lose em.”