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San Jose Sharks-Chicago Blackhawks: Road Warriors Take Game One
Posted: 17th May 2010 by MJ Kasprzak in NHL
The San Jose Sharks came into Game One 5-1 at home in the playoffs and on a five-game winning streak. Perhaps because HP Pavilion was voted by players as the most difficult place to play in the NHL.
The Chicago Blackhawks came into San Jose 5-1 on the road in the playoffs, with a five-game winning streak of their own. Something had to give.
It was not the road warriors. While the ...
Goaltending for the San Jose Sharks in the second round is a little bit harder to define than the blueline grades .
For instance, Jimmy Howard out-performed the combination of Evgeni Nabokov and Thomas Gress—his save percentage was a respectable .910 and he gave up just three goals per game despite one game going into overtime. Sharks goaltenders combined for a save percentage of .894 and gave up two more goals ...
San Jose Sharks Bounce Back in Game Five, Advance into Conference Finals
Posted: 10th May 2010 by MJ Kasprzak in NHL
It is after Mother's Day, and there are two unusual things in the beautiful Bay Area: The rain has not left us for the summer yet, and the San Jose Sharks have not, either. I have seen each happen only once since I moved out here in 2003, and I hope both become commonplace.
And maybe I should say there are three unusual things, because Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau ...
I know, I know: Todd McLellan hates to call any game the team is not facing elimination a must-win. The fact is the Detroit Red Wings still have three games to win and clinch nothing by winning Saturday night.
But after a 7-1 blowout loss like the one the San Jose Sharks suffered Thursday night, they clearly not only let the fighter off the ropes at Joe Louis Arena, but took ...
Sharks-Red Wings: San Jose Finds Another Way Into Victory Lane
Posted: 6th May 2010 by MJ Kasprzak in NHL
This team that nobody gave credit to has a chance to do the unthinkable—sweep the Detroit Red Wings in the second round and pass their big brothers in ability.
But more importantly, they would also be laying to rest their past playoff failures, both as a team and among its stars.
We all know the team has failed to make it out of the second round in each of the past four ...
For the first time since the Olympics, the San Jose Sharks were impressive against a quality team. In that time, San Jose has beaten only one team that finished with over 100 points and had something to play for—a 4-2 victory at home over the Vancouver Canucks that included an empty net goal by Ryane Clowe.
In that game, the Canucks had more shots (37-30) and a better giveaway/takeaway ...
NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Preview: Conference Semifinals
Posted: 29th April 2010 by MJ Kasprzak in NHL
Now that the first round is over, my expertise has been brought to light...
I know the Western Conference, where I was right on all four winners. In fact, I was only off on the number of games San Jose and Detroit would need by one, and had even suggested the Sharks might need six.
However, I clearly do not know the Eastern Conference, where I was wrong on three of the ...
No, the three stars of this series will not be awarded to the three forwards on the "second" line, but they could be. That line accounted for 22 points, nine of the team's 19 goals, three of the four game-winners, and averaged better than a plus-five.
But this series was far too close for any one line to get all three stars. In examining the three stars of an entire series, ...
Monday, the New England Patriots released outside linebacker Adalius Thomas. The Jacksonville Jaguars also released defensive tackle John Henderson.
Both of these players will receive a lot of interest throughout the league. Both play positions the Green Bay Packers may have need for, and to see whether they should be sought by the team, check out my companion article on Packer Chatters.
The 32-year-old Thomas was the prize free agent in 2007 ...
San Jose Sharks: Patrick Marleau and Dany Heatley Awaken, Jumbo Still Sleeps
Posted: 23rd April 2010 by MJ Kasprzak in NHL
In examining Game Five of this series, there were some things that the Sharks had been lacking that came together, including success for some of the Sharks stars: Dany Heatley awoke with two assists and a plus-one rating, while Patrick Marleau scored the first goal for the Big Three and was also plus-one.
And then there was Joe Thornton. He had no points and was even in a game the team ...