San Jose Sharks
Korpikoski, Coyotes hold off Sharks
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Lauri Korpikoski scored two goals to lead the Phoenix Coyotes to a 5-3 win over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night.
Down by two goals late, the Sharks’ Patrick Marleau scored with 32 seconds left, but the Coyotes’ Radim Vrbata scored at 19:59.
With one of the worst home records in the league, Phoenix’s picked up its 11th at home this season (26 points), and only Montreal and Columbus have less points at home.
The loss snapped a three-game losing streak by San Jose. Phoenix won for the second time in its last six games.
In the middle period, the Coyotes picked up three goals on six shots to take a one goal lead into the final session. Despite falling behind 1-0, Phoenix managed to create leads of 2-1 and 3-2, and one more in the final period.
Late in the second period, Martin Hanzal picked up the game winner.
Taking a pass from Ray Whitney in the left face-off circle, Hanzal drove the puck into the upper left corner of the net for his sixth of the season with 46 seconds left in the second period, and that put Phoenix into the lead for good.
The goal was Hanzal’s first in nearly two months. During this stretch, he missed 12 games due to upper body injury.
Coming into the game, the Sharks allowed two goals in its last three games and the defense continued to shut down the opposition. In the first 11 minutes of the game, the Sharks’ defense limited Phoenix to two shots on Antti Niemi, but eventually ended the opening session with 11 shots on net.
The Sharks struck first less than 4 minutes into the second period, but the Coyotes responded 32 seconds later.
First, Logan Coulture’s shot from outside the crease trickled off goalie Mike Smith pads and into the net for Clouture’s 22nd of the season.
Raffi Torres drilled a 30 foot slap shot from the slot past Niemo at 4:16 to knot the score at 1-1.
Phoenix then surged ahead when, falling to his knees, Korpikoski’s shot from the slot ripped past Niemo midway through the second session. Korpikoski added his second of the game when he converted a pass from Boyd Gordon in front of the net at 8:03 left in the game.
Jamie McGinn’s power play goal created a 2-2 tie until Hanzal scored in the final minute of the period.
NOTES: Phoenix D Oliver Ekman-Larsson played in his 100th NHL game. . The two assists by Sharks’ Ryane Clowe was his first two point game since Dec.21 against Tampa Bay and his seventh of the season. . Hanzal’s goal was first since Dec. 14 at Anaheim. . Gordon picked up three assists, a career high.
Coyotes 5, Sharks 3
Lauri Korpikoski scored two goals to lead the Phoenix Coyotes to a 5-3 win over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night.
Down by two goals late, the Sharks’ Patrick Marleau scored with 32 seconds left, but the Coyotes’ Radim Vrbata scored at 19:59.
With one of the worst home records in the league, Phoenix’s picked up its 11th at home this season (26 points), and only Montreal and Columbus have less points at home.
The loss snapped a three-game losing streak by San Jose. Phoenix won for the second time in its last six games.
In the middle period, the Coyotes picked up three goals on six shots to take a one goal lead into the final session. Despite falling behind 1-0, Phoenix managed to create leads of 2-1 and 3-2, and one more in the final period.
Where are the Sharks now? A ten game arc
Today we learned that Owen Nolan is making an announcement about his career on Tuesday. The Sharks will give him a forum at HP for the press conference but Brodie Brazil has already said it will be a retirement announcement. Thank goodness Brazil cleared that up. No one could have guessed that, no one was giving Nolan the option to say the word himself. Darren Dreger even congratulated Nolan on Twitter using a tweet and not even an @ message or a DM. I’ll go ahead and save the congrats until Nolan has a chance to speak for himself.
Niemi is feeling better, so Sexsmith has been sent back to Worcester. Not sure what they’ll do with Nitty now. He didn’t play today, although he was sent there to, you know, play. Whatev. It’s one loss not on his record.
Last night I wrote down several impressions of the Sharks game against Dallas. I decided that, since they were not playing today, I would finish it in the morning. I woke up and was completely sick of…
Coyotes-Sharks preview
The San Jose Sharks have rediscovered their scoring touch while boasting the same stingy defense they displayed just before the All-Star break.
That may not bode well for the struggling Phoenix Coyotes.
San Jose seeks a fourth straight victory overall and an 11th in the last 13 meetings with Phoenix on Saturday night at Jobing.com Arena.
The Sharks tallied only six goals while losing three of four prior to All-Star weekend, but they’ve put those low-scoring efforts behind them by beating Columbus 6-0 on Tuesday and Dallas 5-2 on Thursday.
Pacific Division-leading San Jose (29-14-6) went 2 for 5 on the power play against the Stars and has converted 5 of 13 chances (38.5 percent) in its last five games.
“Our power play got us two and I thought our penalty kill was good too,” coach Todd McLellan said. “The power play is starting to look like it should. There is some emotion.”
Ryane Clowe returned with a goal Thursday after missing the previous six games with a facial fracture.
“I felt stronger as the game went on,” he said. “There were a couple of times early when I got the puck in the neutral zone and got caught from behind. I had to remind myself to keep my feet moving. I had to get up to the pace.”
The Sharks’ defense has picked up where it left off before the break. Opponents have scored three goals in the last four games, and Thomas Greiss stopped 19 Dallas shots after Antti Niemi suffered a lower-body injury in practice Wednesday.
However, it was Mike Smith and the Coyotes’ defense that stole the show in the most recent meeting between these teams, as Smith made 31 saves in a 3-0 win Nov. 12.
Phoenix (22-21-8) hasn’t had much success lately, though, going 4-8-5 since its last back-to-back victories Dec. 20 and 21.
Smith allowed three goals on 18 shots and was pulled midway through the second period in the Coyotes’ 4-1 loss to Anaheim on Tuesday.
They went ahead on Ray Whitney’s goal in the first period but couldn’t hang on.
“We had control of the game and we let it get away,” captain Shane Doan said. “We never capitalized on our opportunities.”
The Coyotes are 12 points back of the Sharks for the division lead, but only five behind eighth-place Minnesota in the Western Conference playoff race.
If they’re to catch up, they’ll likely need improvement from a power-play unit that has gone 2 for 26 (7.7 percent) over the last 11 games.
Phoenix converted a season-high three times with the man advantage – two by Doan – in its season opener Oct. 8, but it fell 6-3 to San Jose.
Andrew Desjardins and Joe Pavelski each scored twice in that Sharks victory, which marked their 10th in 11 meetings with the Coyotes prior to Phoenix’s win in November.
Pavelski has six goals in his last six games versus Phoenix.
It’s unclear if Niemi will be healthy enough to go Saturday, or if Greiss will make his third start versus the Coyotes this season.
Greiss has gone 3-0-1 with a 1.22 goals-against average in his last four overall, while Niemi is 5-1-1 with a 2.12 GAA lifetime versus Phoenix.
Owen Nolan Press Conference Scheduled With the San Jose Sharks
via Sharks Media Relations,
WHAT: Former Sharks Captain OWEN NOLAN will make an announcement regarding the future of his hockey career.
WHEN: Tues., Feb. 7
TIME: 2:30 p.m. (PDT)
WHERE: The Grill at HP Pavilion
WHO: * Owen Nolan
* Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Wilson
* Special Guests
Clowe returns, scores in Sharks’ win
Ryane Clowe had plenty to celebrate. He played his first game since a facial fracture two weeks ago and scored a goal. Even better, his father was among the sellout crowd.
”I looked up and saw him pumping his fists,” Clowe said. ”He seemed to be having a good time.”
Clowe and four others scored in helping the San Jose Sharks win their third straight, beating the Dallas Stars 5-2 on Thursday night.
Several of the Sharks played in front of their fathers, who were seated in a luxury suite and were shown, beers in hand, on the big screen every time the Sharks scored.
Michal Handzus, Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau also scored for the Sharks, who beat the Stars for the fifth straight time.
”We all enjoy having our fathers here,” Thornton said. ”They all turn into kids when they are at the rink.”
Clowe scored with 8:26 remaining. He has eight goals and 23 points against the Stars, his most against any team.
”I felt stronger as the game went on,” he said. ”There were a couple of times early when I got the puck in the neutral zone and got caught from behind. I had to remind myself to keep my feet moving. I had to get up to the pace.”
Steve Ott and Jamie Benn scored for the Stars, who have yet to win the second game of back-to-backs this season in nine chances.
”There were a lot of frustrating things tonight,” Ott said. ”We didn’t get the result we wanted and collectively there were a lot of little breakdowns. I think our faceoff percentage was about 15 percent and when that happens you’re going to chase the puck around a lot.”
The Sharks had a 77 percent faceoff advantage, the best by any team since the lockout.
Thomas Greiss stopped 19 shots to earn his seventh win for the Sharks, who established a franchise record for the longest scoreless streak by their opponents of 190:51. Dallas’ Richard Bachman made 32 saves.
Handzus gave the Sharks an early lead, taking a pass from Brent Burns, who skated the puck out from behind the net, and converting at 4:42 of the first period.
Pavelski scored on a power play with 3:38 left in the period to pad the Sharks’ lead.
”Our power play got us two and I thought our penalty kill was good too,” Sharks’ coach Todd McLellan said. ”The power play is starting to look like it should. There is some emotion.”
Ott was credited with an unassisted goal during a power play midway through the second period. Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle tried to take the puck away, but he put it into his own net.
The Sharks answered with two goals in the final five minutes of the period. Marleau redirected a shot from Burns off the skates of Stars defender Trevor Daley.
”The Sharks played a good game from start to finish,” Stars’ coach Glen Gulutzan said. ”Good indications were the faceoffs. They were manhandling us in the draws.”
San Jose scored less than two minutes later after Pavelski stole a pass and gave Thornton an empty net to shoot at for an easy goal.
”It’s good to see Joe creating some offensive numbers,” Clowe said. ”When he starts to score like that you know he’s creating a lot of opportunities.”
Benn made it 4-2 early in the third period when he took advantage of Griess’ inability to cover the puck.
NOTES: Sharks G Antti Niemi missed the game because of an injury. The Sharks recalled G Tyson Sexsmith from Worchester of the AHL to be Greiss’ backup. … Sharks D Jason Demers was placed on the injured list to make room for Clowe, who was activated before the game. … Stars D Nicklaus Grossman was back in the lineup after missing a game due to flulike symptoms. … San Francisco Giants pitcher Ryan Vogelsong became the second baseball player to visit the Sharks in two days. Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Nyjer Morgan skated with the Sharks on Wednesday. … Ott has four points in two games. … Benn scored for the second straight game since returning from an injury.
Sharks’ fast start too much for Stars
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — All-Star Logan Couture scored a power-play goal to extend his point streak to five games and the San Jose Sharks won their third straight, beating the Dallas Stars 5-2 on Thursday night.
Michal Handzus, Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton and Ryane Clowe also scored for the Sharks, who beat the Stars for the fifth straight time.
Steve Ott and Jamie Benn scored for the Stars, who have yet to win the second game of back-to-backs this season in nine chances.
Thomas Griess stopped 19 shots to earn his seventh win for the Sharks. Dallas’ Richard Bachman made 32 saves.
Ratings: Winter X Games, San Jose Sharks, Senior Bowl
Recent sports TV ratings, including weekend coverage of the X Games on ESPN, local ratings for the San Jose Sharks on CSN Bay Area, and a decline for college football’s Senior Bowl. Sunday’s X Games Coverage Up Double-Digits: Sunday’s Winter X Games telecast on ESPN earned a 1.2 U.S. rating and 2.015 million viewers, up 33% in ratings and 25% in viewership from last year (0.9, 1.619M). The telecast benefited from a lead-in by an NBA regular season game (SA/DAL: [...]
Ask Joe Thornton: Post-ASG Edition
From the bowels of the now-defunct Melt Your Face-Off, Internet teen pop sensation LeNoceur returns to channel the advice-giving muse of Sharks captain Joe Thornton. You can follow LeNoceur on Twitter @meltyourfaceoff. The actual Couch Tarts are in no way responsible for the content of this post. Well, other than the fact that they invited me to do it, and gave me administrator privileges to post it. Other than that, totally not their responsibility.Hey there, uh, Couchicans? Tartesians? The **** I call you people? It’s been a while since I dropped some wisdom on you. Not for lack of problems on your part. Oh, no. Let’s get to it.Dear Joe: After several years of really bad behavior (drinking too much, sleeping with several married men and general promiscuity, dabbling in drug use and generally not being a good person), about six months ago, I finally managed to stop all of this cold turkey. I can’t make up for what I did, but I plan to spend the rest of my life working t…
How to be a gracious host to the losingest team in the league
When the game is winding down and the Sharks have a power play and Vlasic is out there with Douglas Murray, John McCarthy, and Brad Winchester, something has gone awry.
Here is where I begin a rant likely to alienate any hockey fan who bothers to read my blog. If it makes a difference, I know how you feel: alienated. So we have that in common. For the sake of that common experience, I apologize in advance.
I felt badly for the Blue Jackets going into the third period of last night’s game. What a disaster they are, how depressing to be them. That said, I wouldn’t for a second indulge their need to hit something. I’m not that much of a softie.
I guess the Sharks felt differently.
I introduced another friend to hockey last night. While Dan Boyle was punching the kneeling Brassard, my friend commented: “It’s not very gracious to be doing that, when the Sharks are up by so much. It isn’t very sportsmanlike.”
Continue reading “Ho…
Cam Gore: An Alex Stalock update
Alex Stalock is a twenty-four year old goalie drafted in the 4th round (112th overall) of the 2005 NHL entry draft by the San Jose Sharks. His numbers and accomplishments are what you would read at the beginning of a NHL net minders resume at the end of a long and successful career.
As a rookie in the AHL in 2009/10 he set a league record for wins with thirty-nine, he was selected to the AH…
Sharks 6, Blue Jackets 0
Joe Thornton scored twice to get San Jose off to a fast start out of the All-Star break and Antti Niemi posted his 17th career shutout in the Sharks’ 6-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.
Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski, Jamie McGinn and Michal Handzus also scored for the Sharks, who have beaten the Blue Jackets 19 times in 21 games at HP Pavilion.
Four of San Jose’s goals came on second chances as Steve Mason struggled to control his rebounds all game. Mason finished with 37 saves as the Blue Jackets lost their fifth straight.
With a daunting second-half schedule that includes a nine-game, 15-day road trip with three sets of back-to-backs this month, the Sharks could ill afford a slipup at home against the NHL’s worst team.
San Jose came out strong as the struggling power-play unit delivered a goal, the team tied its second-highest scoring game of the season and Niemi made 30 saves for his second straight shutout.
The Sharks looked well-rested while the Blue Jackets just appeared rusty. San Jose had 16 of the game’s first 20 shots on goal and broke out to a 2-0 lead before the midpoint of the first period. The game was never in doubt after that.
After a sluggish power play following a penalty on Jared Boll for hitting Thornton in the head just 20 seconds into the game, the Sharks got rolling. Marleau got the rebound of Justin Braun’s point shot and lifted it past Mason for his 375th career goal midway through the first.
Just 2 seconds after that goal, San Jose’s Jim Vandermeer squared off in a fight with Boll in apparent retaliation for the early hit on Thornton. Vandermeer and Boll fought again early in the third.
Thornton got his own version of revenge less than 2 minutes after the first bout. Andrew Desjardins pressured Fedor Tyutin into a turnover and Thornton took advantage, putting his own rebound past Mason to make it 2-0.
The Sharks, who had converted on just 13.8 percent of their power-play chances over the past 28 games, got a man-advantage goal in the second period with Derick Brassard off for interfering with Colin White in the offensive zone. With Derek MacKenzie playing without a stick, Pavelski fired a shot from the point that deflected off MacKenzie’s glove and inside the post to make it 3-0 early in the second.
McGinn added a rebound goal later in the period for his 10th of the season. Handzus added his first goal since Dec. 15 early in the third off another rebound chance.
Thornton, who hadn’t scored in 10 straight games before the break, struck again midway through the third to give him his second multigoal game of the season.
Notes: F Ryane Clowe missed his sixth straight game for San Jose with facial injuries but could be back Thursday. … D Jason Demers sat out with a lower-body injury. … The Sharks recalled F John McCarthy from Worcester of the AHL. … This was a milestone game for San Jose D Dan Boyle (800th career game), Brent Burns (500th) and Douglas Murray (400th), as well as Mason (200th.) … The Blue Jackets did beat San Jose in Sweden last season when the Sharks were designated as the home team. … Each team got three additional fighting penalties in the chippy third period, including a rare one for Boyle against Brassard. There were three misconducts issued in the period.
NHL Trade Scenarios: 4 San Jose Sharks Who Need a Change of Scenery
As we get closer and closer to the pivotal NHL trade deadline of the 2011-2012 season, more and more eyes are turning towards the San Jose Sharks, who could use some vast upgrades to boost their club.
With injuries to several key players, the Sharks are lacking depth offensively and have put up very little goals in the past few games.
So, that should mean that the Sharks should try to make a trade to increase their depth. There are several players that GM Doug Wilson surely has in mind to move at the deadline, but none more obvious than frustrated goaltender Antero Nittymaki.
Read on to see which players might join Nittymaki on the trading block.
4. Antero Nittymaki
Unfortunately, the above photo is just about the only good memory that Sharks fans have about Antero Nittymaki. In a playoff game started by Antti Niemi against the Los Angeles Kings, the Sharks quickly found themselves down 4-0. Nittymaki came in to relieve Niemi, and the Sharks came back to win it 6-5.
That …
Sharks G Niitymaki clears waivers
San Jose Sharks goaltender Antero Niittymaki cleared waivers Thursday.
Niittymaki was placed on waivers Wednesday and has only appeared with the team’s AHL affiliate in Worcester this season on a pair of rehab assignments.
The 31-year-old Niitymaki underwent hip surgery in the offseason, and the Sharks are now set with Antti Niemi and Thomas Greiss in net.
“I know they’ve been working hard to find a place for me to play,” Niittymaki said of San Jose’s attempts to trade him. “It’s probably not as easy as it sounds, because I’ve been out with the (hip) surgery and I’ve only played games in the minors.”
Niitymaki appeared in 24 games with San Jose last season, posting a 12-7-3 with a .896 save percentage and 2.71 goals-against average.
Sharks acquire Kennedy from Panthers
The San Jose Sharks have acquired forward Tim Kennedy in a trade with Florida that sends defenseman Sean Sullivan to the Panthers.
The Sharks have assigned Kennedy to top development affiliate Worcester in the American Hockey League.
The 25-year-old Kennedy has split the season between Florida and San Antonio of the AHL. He posted two points in 27 games with Florida and nine points with three goals in 18 games for San Antonio.
The 27-year-old Sullivan was second among Worcester defensemen this season with 24 points – five goals and 19 assists – in 32 games.
