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Post by KotW-SJS GM/FWD PA(A-L)/Simmer on Mar 14, 2013 12:09:00 GMT -5
San Jose Sharks Season Wrap Up.It was an up and down year for the Sharks this year. Coming into the year San Jose was right up against the cap with many holes in their lineup. They solve this problem by signing some lower end free agents like former shark Marco Strum, hardnosed defenseman Colin White and two guys who wanted to make one last run at the cup in Tomas Holmstrom and Radek Bonk. The team came out of the gate hot winning five out of six games. Then water found its level and the sharks returned to a middle of the pack team. The team was stacked with top 6 scoring talent but lacked depth and sound defensive play. To remedy this the team traded budding superstar Logan Couture along with goaltender Antti Niemi to Buffalo in exchange for legendary goalie Ryan Miller, Steve Ott the ideal gritty third line center for any team and former first round pick Cody Hodgson. This trade immediately starting paying dividends when Holmstrom went down with an injury. Hodgson and Ott did a great job in Holmstroms absence. All throughout the rest of the year the Sharks were battling to keep their place in the playoffs with teams like Minnesota, Detroit and Phoenix nipping at their heels. Along the way they picked up defenseman Bryce Salvadore from New Jersey to complete a top 4 that was lacking defensive abilities and shipping Dan Boyle whose skills were dwindling and a third round pick to Dallas for former first round pick Scott Glennie. The team came to the trading deadline with a seven or eight seed pretty much locked up so they made a splash and dealt T.J. Galardi along with some other smaller pieces to Ottawa for long time captain and third highest scoring Swedish player in NHL history Daniel Alfredsson. The Sharks were really clicking with Alfredsson and while they couldn’t mathematically be higher than a seven seed they were looking like a team that could make some noise in the playoffs. Then tragedy struck and Alfredsson went down with a head injury and was robbed of his final shot at the cup. The team played hard but eventually went down to the second place team in the western confrence the St. Louis Blues in six games in the first round of the playoffs as the seventh seed. The fan base has not been deterred they expect nothing less than a division crown and a Stanley cup in 2014.
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Post by KotW-SJS GM/FWD PA(A-L)/Simmer on Mar 15, 2013 10:07:53 GMT -5
Sharks Name Martin St. Louis as Teams New Captain.When the San Jose Sharks traded Joe Thornton there were many questions. Who would be the teams new first line center? Can the Sharks succeed without jumbo Joe? And who would be the team’s new captain? Well today the Sharks called a press conference at HP Pavilion to answer one of those questions as Martin St. Louis was named the team’s new captain. “It means a lot to me that coach Yawney, the general manager and most of all the guys in locker room would trust me with this honor after so little time as a shark” St. Louis said while wearing his new jersey with the same old number 26 on the back but a brand new “C” on the front. San Jose acquired the 37 year old winger from the Vancouver Canucks in the offseason for Martin Havlat. A 2004 Staley Cup champion with the Tampa Bay Lightning St. Louis was fifth in scoring on a Vancouver team stacked with talent on the left wing last year with 50 points. This year with the sharks he is moving back to his natural position of right wing and greater things are expected of him. At 5’8’ St. Louis maybe small in stature but has had some big accomplishments over his career cleaning house at the 03’-04 NHL awards by taking home not only the Hart Trophy but the Lester B. Pearson award and the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s leading point scorer. Add to that back to back Lady Byng Trophies in 09’-10’ and 10’-11’ and Martin St. Louis looks bound for the hall of fame but at 37 is he also bound for retirement soon? When asked about it today Martin was unsure “I never thought I would be leaving Tampa Bay let alone being moved twice in one season. It takes a toll on me to be away from my family but at the same time I love this game and have a couple years left on my contract. I guess I don’t know what the future holds for me yet. I’ll see how the season goes. I’m just focused on leading a winning team right now.” In about a month the whole NHL will find out how far this team can go with St. Louis at the helm.
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Post by KotW-SJS GM/FWD PA(A-L)/Simmer on Mar 16, 2013 9:19:30 GMT -5
Sharks Forwards Evaluation: Moving On From Thornton .Going into the offseason the San Jose Sharks had a dilemma on their hands. They were an aging team right up against the cap with some players due raises in the offseason. The handwriting was on the wall one of the teams 2 highest paid players would have to go. Either team captain Joe Thornton or career Shark Patrick Marleau would not be starting 2014 as a shark. In the end it came down to loyalty as the Sharks dealt Joe Thornton back to the team that drafted the Boston Bruins along with a first round pick. In return the Sharks received Johan Franzen, Dennis Seidenberg, former first round pick Henrik Sammuelsson along with a third and first round draft selection. Also in the offseason San Jose acquired Tuomo Ruutu from the Rangers for a second round pick, sent Lubomir Vishnovsky to Columbus for Matt Calvert and plugged the team’s first line right winger hole with Martin St. Louis. With all these moves the team will have a fresh new look for next year. Joe Pavelski is expected to make the move to center and jump to the first line although the team may give Cody Hodgson who centered the second line most of last season a look with the top line as well. Whether it is Pavelski or Hodgson one thing is for sure Marleau will be joining them on the left wing and Martin St.Louis will be flanking them on the right. Then comes the competition for the teams coveted second line winger spots Johan Franzen, Tuomo Ruutu and Ryan Clowe all have the ability to play second or third line time and may be shuffled around if the team doesn’t perform well. Guys like 19 year old Tomas Hertl, newcomer Matt Calvert and Scott Glennie will all compete for a third line spot as well with one or more of them being delegated to fourth line time or sent to the AHL. Ott will return to anchor the team’s third line with Handzus and Brandon Manshinter filling in the bottom line. This season’s group of forwards contains many of the same names as last year but many have grown and with a few new additions it looks to be a deeper more complete team with more responsibility on both sides of the puck. (Marleau Was The Sharks 2nd Overall Pick in 1997)
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Post by KotW-SJS GM/FWD PA(A-L)/Simmer on Mar 17, 2013 10:54:19 GMT -5
Sharks Add Trio of Youngsters in Free Agency.(Recently signed forward Jamie Arniel) Free agency opened this week and it wasn’t a surprise to anyone to not hear the San Jose Sharks linked to any of the big names. The Sharks made a flurry of offseason moves and are right up against the PTPHL salary cap of 68 million dollars for the 2014 season. With many players on the Sharks current roster like Micheal Handzus, Marco Strum, Colin White who are nearing the end of their NHL journey. San Jose needs to find a way to stock the pond with promising youngsters. This week they accomplished that without using a draft pick or trading away any assets by jumping out there the first day of unrestricted free agency and signing forwards Jamie Arniel and Phillip MacRae as well as defender Mattias Ekholm. Phillip MacRae son of former NHL enforcer and journeyman Basil MacRae was drafted in the second round 33rd overall by the St. Louis Blues and will earn 900 thousand dollars for the next two years on a two way deal from the sharks. MacRae stands 6’2” and weighs in at 200 pounds. Another big youngster the Sharks signed is 23 year old defenseman Mattias Ekholm. Ekholm stands tall over most NHL players at 6’4” and may need to fill out his frame a bit at only 194 pounds. Ekholm a former fourth rounder (104th overall to Nashville in 09’) received an identical two year 900 thousand dollar contract that Phillip MacRae signed but the Sharks didn’t stop there as they snatched another former 4th rounder in Jamie Arneil (97th overall to Boston in 08’). Arniel has more offensive skills then the other two and is considerably smaller at 5’11” and only 183 pounds. Jamie will make 975 thousand dollars per year for the next two seasons on a two way contract We recently caught up with the sharks general manager and asked him about his three new players role within the organization “We hope to have them all NHL pretty soon” he said with a grin “All three with need some seasoning in the AHL before we give them a shot with the big team but they could be up this year if they catch fire or in an injury situation. Ekholm will need the most time in the AHL to raise his game and MacRae we see as knocking on the NHL door and wouldn’t be surprised to see him in a fourth line role very soon.”. The team seems very excited about this youth infusion but with the team already carrying 14 expected everyday forwards some players may have to leave San Jose to open up ice time for these youngsters so keep your eyes open for more moves soon.
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Post by KotW-SJS GM/FWD PA(A-L)/Simmer on Mar 18, 2013 9:51:59 GMT -5
Sharks Goaltending Evaluation: More Miller & a New Face in Town .(New San Jose Backup Henrik Karlsson) Goaltending is the one area where the sharks needed little work this offseason. Everyone knows Ryan Miller is the go to guy for 60 or more games a year. Miller had a good year last season putting up 32 wins in 58 games with 4 shutouts and 2.30 goals against average. That’s pretty good but not the return to his 2010 Vezina winning form or as great as his performance on the way to a silver medal with team USA in the 2010 winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. “We are defiantly looking for Ryan to step up and carry this team when he needs to. He has been solid for us but we know he is capable of being the league’s best when he’s on.” said Coach Trent Yawney when asked about Millers performance in 2013. Andrew Raycroft’s play last year was an all-out embarrassment as he only collected seven wins in 23 appearances with a 87.3 save percentage .Raycroft who the team picked up off waivers last year after cutting Antero Niitymaki for cap reasons will not have his contract renewed in this offseason and will hit the UFA market. To backup Miller the team picked up 29 year old goalie Henrik Karlsson from Calgary in return for Bryce Salvadore. Karlsson has played in 26 career NHL games while only collecting five wins with a 2.79 goals against average but spent the entire year last year with the Flames farm team the Abbotsford Heat of the AHL. When stepping off the plane from Calgary Henrik had this comment on playing for the sharks “I know I won’t be seeing a ton of action in San Jose but I’m excited and it’s a good chance to show the league what I can do against NHL talent now that I’ve matured.” Henrik Karlsson entered the NHL as a free agent but the sharks once previously owned Karlsson’s rights and traded them to Calgary in 2010 for a sixth round pick but now it seems they have a spot on the ice for Henrik and he is pleased to be a Shark.
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Post by KotW-SJS GM/FWD PA(A-L)/Simmer on Mar 19, 2013 10:21:38 GMT -5
Sharks Preseason Preview & Draft Wrap up Report .Recently the NHL draft was held and while the San Jose Sharks had dealt most of their picks away they did pick a couple promising young prospects in the 2013 draft. The Sharks earliest pick was their second rounder which stood at 47th overall. With that pick they selected Connor Rankin. Rankin was ranked 53rd overall amongst prospects before the draft. The 17 year old center from North Vancouver spent the last three seasons with the Tri-City Americans of the WHL. The Sharks are expected to bring him up to the teams AHL affiliate the Cleveland Barons. San Jose has high hopes for Rankin. When asked how he sees Connor turning out the Sharks GM said “I feel confident that he will be decent two-way center with second or third line talent.” The Sharks also held Boston’s third round selection which was 81st overall. They selected right wing Joe Chambers with this pick. Chambers has a decent shot and will spend this year playing junior hockey. Rankin and Chambers are both expected to be given a chance to show their skills at this year’s training camp and will most likely see preseason time as well but they are not the only exciting youngsters who will be in attendance. Scott Glennie, Tomas Hertl & Matt Calvert will all be competing for full time roster spots with the Sharks. While other players will be in the lineup more for experience such as former first rounder Henrik Samuelsson, recent offseason additions Mattias Ekholm, Jamie Arneil, Phillip MacRae and top AHL players like Matt Pelech, Nick Petricki, Marek Viedensky as well as goaltender J.P. Anderson and a few other players too . San Jose will most likely give most of their veteran players some time off during the actual preseason but all the Sharks are excited to get to training camp and start this year’s chase for hockey’s ultimate prize the Stanley Cup. (Sharks 2nd round pick Connor Rankin)
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Post by KotW-SJS GM/FWD PA(A-L)/Simmer on Mar 20, 2013 11:11:27 GMT -5
New Season Brings High Expectations.(San Jose Sharks Head Coach Trent Yawney) After today’s practice the a few Sharks players and head coach Trent Yawney sat down with us to answer a few questions. Reporter:” Are you guys as a team proud of last season’s accomplishments?” Trent Yawney: “I was very proud of our team last year. We set out to make the playoffs and we did. Don’t get me wrong the first round playoff exit didn’t please me but the season as a whole was good.” Patrick Marleau: “I felt like we had more to give. Toward the middle of the season some guys got tired and if we would have pressed a little harder we could have been in a better position going into the playoffs.” Reporter: “are you talking about anyone in specific?” Patrick Marleau:”Let’s just say we were an older team and I think we will be better off this year” Reporter: “Was it disappointing to see the team trade away Joe Thornton in the offseason? He’s one of the best centers in the game today!” Brent Burns: “He will definitely be missed. He was a great guy to have in the locker room and as for on the ice you couldn’t ask for much more. The Bruins are a lucky team to have him.” Trent Yawney: “No doubt Joe was a great guy but some things are just business decisions. He is a very skilled player but we are happy to have Mule (Johan Franzen) and Seidenberg.” Reporter: “this question is for Cody Hodgson. Last year no one really knew what to expect from you and you stepped up and became a big part of the team with your 48 point season now your being discussed as a possible top line center. How are you handling the pressure?” Cody Hodgson: “I don’t really see it as pressure. I have a roster spot locked up and that’s all I ask for. I would enjoy the opportunity to be the team’s first line center but winning games comes first.” Patrick Marleau: “Cody has shown us he is ready for whatever the league can throw at him. If he ends up on the top line opening night he will be great. “Reporter: “I have one last question and I’d like to hear from everyone on this one. What are your hopes for the Sharks this season?” Brent Burns: “I go out there with the same goal every year. Win a Stanley Cup. Anything short of that is a failure in my eyes” Patrick Marleau: “Of course everyone wants to win a cup every year but I think the key to our success is winning the division and this year we are going to do it.” Cody Hodgson: “This year I’m gonna work hard to get my +/- up and it would be nice to score 25 goals.” Trent Yawney: “The fans deserve a Cup that comes first and foremost. I am all about improvement I would like to see us go further in the playoffs and be more competitive in the regular season. You get worn down when you’re always fighting to keep your playoff spot. If we could get a cushion in the standings and rest some guys going into the playoff it could really pay off.” Reporter: “Well thanks for taking the time to sit down with The Shark Bite and we wish u guys all the best this year and hope to talk to you later in the season.”
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Post by KotW-SJS GM/FWD PA(A-L)/Simmer on Mar 21, 2013 10:13:05 GMT -5
Checking in: Sharks at Halfway Point of Preseason.(19 year old Tomas Hertl is a lock to be on the Sharks final roster) The Sharks have hit the halfway point of preseason action and they are still searching for their first win. The problem hasn’t been goaltending as J.P. Anderson and Thomas Heemskerk have stood on their heads trying to keep San Jose in these games but with the defense allowing an average of 39 shots per game to get to the young goalies and the offense only putting more than one goal on the scoreboard once against Vancouver the Sharks haven’t been able to put a tally in the win column yet. The offense which is led by Matt Calvert and Tomas Hertl who only have a disappointing two points each has stalled in large part due to the wealth of NHL talent most teams are putting out on the ice this preseason as opposed to the mostly AHL and prospect laden roster the Sharks concocted for these exhibition games. Recently the Sharks have been mixing in a few veterans into the lineup to get their conditioning level up to a regular season level. With Ryan Miller getting a start in net tonight and Brent Burns expected to be on the blue line the next couple games San Jose could end up with a victory by the end of this preseason. The team is also anticipated to be making its first round of cuts soon. Players on the bubble of being sent back down include Matt Pelech, Brodie Reid, Nick Petricki & Travis Oleksuk. By the end of the preseason the Sharks will have to cut their current roster almost in half to 23 players and there are several players they would like to get in the lineup but there simply won’t be room for. Head coach Trent Yawney has reportedly been impressed by the play of Matt Calvert who came over from Columbus this offseason for Lubomir Vishnovski and has liked the way recent free agent signing Phillip MacRae has looked on the ice. Whether one, both or neither of those guys and a few other prospects can crack the lineup will rest on their play in the second half of this years preseason.
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Post by KotW-SJS GM/FWD PA(A-L)/Simmer on Mar 22, 2013 8:18:56 GMT -5
Sharks Defenseman Evaluation: Getting Tougher & Younger .In the 2013 playoff the Sharks defense age was a glaring weakness. The team allowed four or more goals in four of the six games against the St. Louis Blues and allowed 30 or more shots to get to goalie Ryan Miller twice. Outside of the team’s top two defensemen Marc Eduard Vlassic and Brent Burns the San Jose blue line looked like an NHL old folk’s home. Colin White (35), Bryce Salvadore (37) and Lubomir Vishnovsky (36) were all retirement risks and at age 33 Douglas Murray and Brad Stuart were no spring chickens either. San Jose could either watch their defense retire and dwindle until a rebuild was a necessity or get to work. So the Sharks shipped Salvadore to the Flames for a new backup goalie and Vishnovsky to the Blue Jackets for Matt Calvert and a fourth round draft selection in 2014. San Jose also packaged up Doug Murray with young defensed Jason Demers and traded them to Tampa Bay for a future second round pick. To fill these holes the Sharks got German born Dennis Seidenberg from the Bruins in the Joe Thornton deal and Dan Hamhuis from the Canucks where he lead the team in +/- with a +24 for Matthew Nieto of the AHLs Cleveland Barons and prospect Dan O’Regan. The team also added Jonathan Ericsson from Calgary where he was a casualty of the salary cap for a fifth round draft selection. With five defense men in their prime in Ericsson, Seidenberg, Vlassic, Burns and Hamhuis along with the leadership of older guys like Brad Stuart and Colin White and the excitement of a budding defenseman like Nick Petricki or Matt Pelech in the lineup this team is looking to shut down the opposition while still chipping in offensively. The team may look to upgrade on one of their bottom three blue liners later this year but hopes are this group can gel and be together for years to come. (New Shark Defender Dan Hamhuis)
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Post by KotW-SJS GM/FWD PA(A-L)/Simmer on Mar 24, 2013 14:25:41 GMT -5
Sharks Fans Players & Staff Alike Excited For Season to Begin.The San Jose Sharks open up their season in St. Louis against the Blues tonight. Ryan Miller will be in the net, Trent Yawney will be behind the bench and the seats in Scottrade Center will be full of fans that have been waiting all summer long for hockey to return. San Jose would love to play in front of their home crowd but that will have to wait almost three weeks. In that time the Sharks will play three road games before returning to HP Pavilion to play five straight home games including two back to back games the 21st against Edmonton followed by a visit from the Predators on the 22nd and the Tampa Bay Lightning come to town October 24th but they better not get too comfortable in the visitors’ locker room because they have to clear out for the Blue Jackets who take on the Sharks the very next night on the 25th. The Sharks wrap up the month of October with a visit to Winnipeg on the 28th. That schedule may sound a bit wacky but it doesn’t damper any moods in the Shark’s locker room. “I just wanna get out there against NHL talent in games that actually count. Exhibition games are great for getting in shape and adjusting to the speed of the game after a summer away but the hits aren’t as hard and the goals just don’t feel as good” Said defenseman Marc-Eduard Vlassic when asked if he was pumped for the season opener. San Jose assistant coach Doug Wilson is looking for the sharks to start the year hot as he made clear with his statements earlier today “When you don’t play that many games in the beginning of the year every point is worth a little more. We need win games early so we are keeping up with the super competitive Western Conference and not playing catch up in February.” Sharks fans held a rally at HP Pavilion on Wednesday where the team answered questions from the fans and signed autographs. “This was a great chance to meet the team we follow all year. I think it’s great the way they give back to us” one fan in attendance said. After the rally the fans gave the players a sendoff complete with standing ovation outside of Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport. Ryan miller said of the event “It’s great to see that the fans support us as much before game one as they do during a playoff run. It means the world to all of us. Without the fans none of us would be able to play this game for a living.” With the entire buzz around the beginning of this new sharks lineup it seems like failure isn’t an option for this team this year
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Post by KotW-SJS GM/FWD PA(A-L)/Simmer on Mar 31, 2013 11:02:41 GMT -5
15 Games in Sharks Youth Leading the Way.It’s early in the NHL season but so far it seems like the San Jose Sharks busy offseason has paid off. The team went without a regulation loss from its season opener at St. Louis October sixth all the until October 24th when the Tampa Bay Lightning came to visit HP Pavilion and completely shut down the Sharks en route to a 4-0 shutout victory. Since then the sharks have continued their steady play and find themselves only four points behind the Anaheim Ducks who lead the Pacific division but have four games in hand on them and will almost surely make up the difference. The San Jose line up has been playing well from the top line down to the backup goalie but in large part has been led by rookie sensation Tomas Hertl, Cody Hodgson, offseason acquisition Johan Franzen and the steady play of goaltender Ryan Miller. Hodgson came over to the team midway through last year but has really found his form since his promotion to first line center. Another player who has greatly benefited from increased ice time is Tomas Hertl. Tomas joined the team for last year’s playoff run but failed to have much of an impact. This year the Sharks seem to be all in on the 19 year old Czech winger giving him top six minutes and power play time. Sports writers around the country are already talking up Hertl as a possible Calder Trophy nominee for rookie of the year as he has put up 12 points in 15 games. It hasn’t all been success for San Jose. Martin St. Louis has been able to figure out where he fits in with the sharks. The team’s captain has seen time on the first and second lines as well as in many different combinations on the power play which has struggled in its own right to this point. At only 11.36% the Sharks rank only ahead of the Phoenix Coyotes with the man advantage. When you take all this into account the sharks look poised to battle for the division crown all year but in the NHLs western conference it can only take one injury or losing streak and you’re on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. (Sharks Leading Scorer Cody Hodgson)
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Post by KotW-SJS GM/FWD PA(A-L)/Simmer on Apr 9, 2013 11:35:57 GMT -5
Sharks Rookie Tomas Hertl Making a Name for Himself in a Big Way.(Rookie Scoring Leader Tomas Hertl) If you took a quick look at the names on the Sharks roster you might think the team’s offensive leaders would be guys like Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski, Cody Hodgson and team captain Martin St.Louis and in large part you would be right but there is one player who has consistently outscored them all. That player is Tomas Hertl. This is Hertls first full season as an NHL player and he has led not only his team but all NHL rookies in scoring for the better part of this season. Currently Tomas has 27 points which ties him for the scoring lead on the Sharks with Joe Pavelski and ties the co-leader among 1st year players Charlie Coyle of the Edmonton Oilers. Hertl is also tied for 10th in the league in +/- with a +17 as well as having played in all 33 of San Jose’s games this season. Hertl has also shown some real grit and edge to his game and has racked up 30 penalty minutes which is 2nd on the Sharks to team enforcer Brandon Mashinter. Hertl could be a midseason Calder Trophy favorite as he continues light things things up on the ice but regardless whether he is judged to be the league’s best rookie this year or not he will be making an impact in this league for a long time to come.
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Post by KotW-SJS GM/FWD PA(A-L)/Simmer on May 5, 2013 12:55:16 GMT -5
Series Preview Sharks vs. Wild.The First round playoff matchups were final set last night and the San Jose Sharks have drawn the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the PTPHL playoffs. This will undoubtedly be a clash of western conference titans as the two teams were separated by only four points I the regular season standings. Let’s take a look at both squads and see how they match up. Forwards: =The Wild have a first line that San Jose simply can’t compete with in Parise, Datsyuk and Heatley. The question for the Sharks will be how to contain these three offensive juggernauts. Beyond that the Sharks have a much deeper group of forwards that features four lines that can play significant minutes with most of the players being responsible at both ends of the ice. While to the contrary the Minnesota Wilds lines beyond the top unit look a bit like the island of misfit toys. Featuring questionable players like Alexander Frolov, Hugh Jessimen, Stéphane Veilleux and Anton Lander it makes one wonder whether or not this group will be able to compete against a team as deep as the Sharks. When you take all this into account the two teams seem about even when it comes to forwards. Defense: Advantage WildThe Sharks aren’t inept on defense but they will be relying heavily on Brad Stuart & Dan Hamhuis to play big minutes in all situations. San Jose had hoped to improve their lot by adding another “true top four defender” at the deadline but they came up short. The Wild feature one of the league’s best on defense in Ryan Suter as well as 20 year old phenom Jonas Brodin and veteran Andrei Markov. The Sharks will counter with the capable duo of Victor Hedman and Marc-Edaurd Vlassic as their top two. The real separation comes when you look at the teams 3-6 role playing Defensemen. The Wild have a better group with guys like Justin Faulk and Andrej Sekera. Jonathan Ericsson, Colin White & Nick Petricki don’t stack up and will leave much of the burden on the Sharks top defenders. Goaltending: Advantage SharksBarring any injuries this comes down to Ryan Miller vs. Josh Harding. Miller is an elite talent and a veteran goalie hungry for his first Stanley Cup. Harding has had a breakout year at age 29 and although both goalies have similar regular season numbers, he is nowhere near the future hall of famer Miller when you get down to brass tacks. When you take all this into account it’s going to be a thrilling series that will likely go six or seven games but in the end the San Jose Sharks Should come out on top.
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Post by KotW-SJS GM/FWD PA(A-L)/Simmer on May 6, 2013 13:23:28 GMT -5
Sharks Start Playoffs Strong with Back to Back Wins.This week the opening round of the PTPHL playoffs kicked off and the Pacific Division champion Sharks are taking on the sixth seeded Wild. The Sharks were coming in hot winning their final five games of the regular season. The wild on the other hand had some concerns coming into game one of the series. Namely that arguably the league’s best and unquestionably Minnesota’s best defenseman Ryan Suter would be watching from the press box instead of suiting up in the locker room. The Wild haven’t won a game since Suter went down on April fourth after landing awkwardly o his ankle after what looked like a routine hit by Colorado’s Steve Downie. Game one against the sharks was no different as San Jose got off to a fast start with Cody Hodgson scoring less than two minutes into the first period. That was followed up within five minutes by another Shark’s goal. This time it was Scott Glennie who light the lamp assisted by two former Red Wing defensemen in Jonathan Ericsson & Brad Stuart. Things seemed bleak for the visiting team however the wild would not be silenced as they came back to tie the game in the second period on goals by Finnish forward Mikko Koivu and defenseman Tyler Cuma. It was all on the line for both teams going into the game’s final frame and this time it was the Sharks veteran players who would rise to the occasion with Ryane Clowe and Brad Stuart scoring in the third to bury the Wild 4-2. Stuart’s goal would turn out to be the game winner pair that with two assists and the 34 year old defender was the game’s first star. A couple days later the teams took the ice for game two. The Sharks were feeling confident. They were still playing at home and Ryan Suter’s ankle was still too sore to play on. The game start much like the first game of the series Brad Stuart kept his Conn Smyth bid alive by scoring within three minutes of first puck drop. That was followed up 2:30 later by Andreas Nodl getting his first goal of the post season to San Jose up 2-0 after the first period. Things changed in the second period as it seemed like something had awoken in the Minnesota Wilds star powered top line. Both Zach Parise and Dany Heatley scored in the first half of the second period. The Sharks were looking out of place all over the ice. Even Ryan Miller the consummate professional looked shaky in the net so head coach Barry Smith called a time out. He was visibly angry on the bench smashing a clipboard on the bench while grimacing at his team. The team responded in a way Smith could have only dreamt. They shut down the Wild not only for the rest of the period but the game holding Minnesota to only 18 shots for the entire game. Calder Trophy candidate Tomas Hertl found the back of the net early in the third period with what would turn out to be the game winner. Cody Hodgson put a cherry on the sundae with an empty net goal when the Wild pulled disgraced goalie Matt Hackett with two minutes remaining. Now the series shifts back to the Excel Energy center in St. Paul and the Sharks have to be ready for anything. The Wild fans are just that and Ryan Suter is closer to probable then questionable for game three. This series could be one where Sharks fans break out the brooms or could go the distance. Only time will tell.
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Post by KotW-SJS GM/FWD PA(A-L)/Simmer on May 9, 2013 8:40:05 GMT -5
After 1st Round Sweep of Wild, Sharks Take on Blackhawks.cdn1.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/7758113/160787491.0_standard_352.0.jpg [/IMG] The Sharks were able to polish of the Minnesota Wild in four games in the opening round of the playoffs. Game 3 was a 6-2 blowout for the Sharks and the Wild played a hard in game 4 but just barely came up short to the Sharks in a 4-3 San Jose win. Defenseman Brad Stuart was the series MVP with two goals and five assist for seven points in four games. The Sharks will gain home ice advantage in round two but don’t expect things to get easier for them as they take on the Chicago Blackhawks. Let’s take a look at the upcoming matchup a little more in-depth. Forwards: Advantage ChicagoBoth teams have a lot of depth up front but the Blackhawks feature many offensively gifted forwards and up and coming young stars. The Sharks are also very deep at forward but have more two way players. San Jose had some unlikely heroes during the first round of these playoffs like Brad Stuart and his seven points, Cody Hodgson’s three goals, a two assist night from Jonathan Ericsson or just the all-around solid play of Scott Glennie. Some players have disappointed Sharks fans this post season like Captain Martin St. Louis and rookie sensation Tomas Hertl whose names have not appeared very often in the box score since the regular season. Many of the Blackhawks big guns have been kept relatively quiet as well but we feel with the ability of either team to break out Chicago has the edge in the forwards department. Defense: Advantage ChicagoThe Sharks have a solid group of defense man who played well in the first round but Chicago has a simply better defense with Del Zotto and McBain having a way better all-around game then the Sharks gritty top paring of Hedman and Vlassic. Even beyond that the Blackhawks 3-7 defenders are stronger and for the most part better two way guys. The Sharks forwards will have to be on top of their game to get the puck past the Blackhawk defense. Goaltending: Advantage SharksWe all know if there is one position that can win or lose you a series it’s the goalie. The Sharks will continue to start Ryan Miller who looked great against the Wild allowing more than two goals only in the fourth and final game of the series. Miller has also had several days to rest up for the hawks. The Blackhawks will counter with Corey Crawford who has been lack luster despite taking his team to the second round. Ryan Miller can give a team fits and this gives the sharks the clear advantage. Things don’t look great for San Jose going into this series. If they hope to win they must take advantage of home ice advantage, play up to their competitions level and Ryan Miller is going to have to come up big in net. Chicago is nursing some injuries which could help out the Sharks in the first couple games. We see this series going six or seven games as both teams are western conference power houses but in the end the San Jose Sharks will prevail again.
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