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Gameday Preview: Dallas Stars @ San Jose Sharks (9:00pm CST)

Art_M — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:00:20 -0000

Next Game

Dallas Stars (13-8-9, 8th in West)
@ San Jose Sharks (19-7-6, 1st in West)

Friday, Dec 11, 2009, 9:00 PM CST
HP Pavilion

TV: KDFI
Radio: KTCK 1310 The Ticket

Opponent's Blogs: Fear The Fin / Battle Of California

Complete Coverage >

The Dallas Stars look to shake off some of the struggles they've had lately in finishing games by continuing on the five game road swing with a stop in San Jose tonight to face the Western conference leading Sharks who are also on a bit of a demoralizing skid of their own having lost their last three games - all at home. Tonight's game against Dallas is San Jose's last chance to salvage what has been an unusually bad five game home stand for a team that before the stretch had only lost one game in regulation in the Shark Tank out of their first ten.

The Stars can at least draw some inspiration for tonight from the last time these two teams met up back on November 12th when Dallas rallied in the third period from a two goal deficit to draw even, force a shootout and then actually win it with an unlikely goal from Stephane Robidas.

Over the last few games for both teams it's been proven that no lead is truly safe no matter who you are. The Stars issues have been well documented here the past week, but last Friday San Jose had the St. Louis Blues come back very late in the third period to tie up a game and then win it in a shootout. Saturday they managed to get a 1-0 lead in the second period before giving back two goals to the Calgary Flames in a regulation loss. And then two days ago against the Los Angeles Kings the Sharks needed to claw back from two goals down with over half the game gone to force overtime, only to see a win taken away from them a little over a minute in.

So yes it's a late start tonight, but it's a Friday night and really you can just sleep in tomorrow. Given the unpredictable nature of these two teams lately, this game could be a last shot wins situation!

Follow the jump for a closer look at both teams and the medical reports...

The Dallas Stars:

So now that we've had a few days since the Ducks debacle to calm down and back off the ledge a little bit, we've come to realize that maybe things aren't quite as bad in Big D hockey wise as we think. We as fans have to realize that the young players on this roster are going to make mistakes, but it's not only something we should endure with in hopes that they have bright futures ahead of them, but that the Stars are not the first team to go through growing pains like this.

Isn't that right Mike Heika?

Strangely enough, NHL teams wait out kids every year. They have done it in Pittsburgh and Chicago and LA, and are seeing results. They have done it in Florida and Atlanta and Columbus, and you wonder if they will ever see results. It's a gamble, but it goes on all of the time in this league. It just hasn't happened in Dallas a lot.

Karlis Skrastins will be back tonight after missing a game with a lacerated finger and will be back paired with Trevor Daley. Bryan Sutherby practiced on the fourth line, but coach Crawford has stated he'll still be a game time decision. Outside of that don't expect too many lineup changes in San Jose. Marty Turco is expected to get the start. [Link to Heika's Thursday practice report]

Oh, and in case you needed a "real" hockey authority to truly explain what's been wrong with the Dallas Stars, you're in luck because Barry 'The Mullet' Melrose is here to break it down for you in video form complete with moving pictures n stuff! Ya know, with such a keen grasp of the obvious like that, it's hard to imagine how that guy isn't coaching again in the... ohhhh wait... right.

The San Jose Sharks:

Meanwhile in the Bay Area, the Sharks home woes as of late can be most likely pinned on their poor special teams - especially the team's dreadful powerplay which has not onlt gone 1 for 17 over the last four games, but in the last three games has given up four short handed goals!

While the players themselves may downplay a lack of confidence in the defensive abilities of the power play unit, coach Todd McLellan thinks that could easily be one of the main issues:

We're still going out there with the mentality that we can score goals," Patrick Marleau said. "Obviously knowing that we've given up some goals just means you come back a little bit harder."

But McLellan said there can be a connection."The correlation is called confidence," McLellan said. "I think your confidence gets rattled a little bit when you get scored on."knowing that we've given up some goals just means you come back a little bit harder."

Meanwhile, Sharks play-by-play guy Randy Hahn called his 1,000th NHL game on Saturday night and recalled his favorite and least favorite memories in that span of time. As you can imagine, a somewhat recent game that ranks as one of the best ever for Stars fans isn't as high up on Hahn's list:

"Game 6 in overtime, triple overtime, quadruple overtime — how many was it? — in Dallas," said Hahn of the 4OT loss to the Stars that ended San Jose's Stanley Cup dream in 2008. "To see it end that way, everybody spilling their guts out on the ice and still coming up empty, that one was a really bitter one to swallow."

Key Injuries:

Dallas: Brian Sutherby (C) - Game time decision due to groin injury

San Jose: Brad Staubitz (RW) - Out due to facial laceration, Jody Shelley (LW) - Out due to general soreness

Game Day Preview: San Jose Sharks @ Nashville Predators

Dirk Hoag — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:19:59 -0000

More photos » by George Nikitin - AP

The Predators and Sharks meet tonight in Nashville, in a rematch of last week's 4-3 win by San Jose.

Browse more photos »

Can the Nashville Predators avenge a disappointing last-minute loss in San Jose last week, as they host the Sharks at the Sommet Center this evening? Remember, there's no TV tonight (at all), but you still have time to get tickets - you can follow this link and use the special offer code "PREDS" to get discounted seats.

After the jump, let's take a look at how these two teams match up...

Meet the Enemy

You know 'em, you hate 'em, you're sick of looking up at 'em in the Western Conference standings - yes, it's the San Jose Sharks once again. At 14-4-4, the Sharks are cruising along atop the Pacific Division despite L.A.'s surprising start.

It looks like Devin Setoguchi and Brad Staubitz will both miss this one for the Sharks, which saps their depth up front a bit. The guys at Fear the Fin are focused on looking ahead, however, to the return of Torrey Mitchell, which is expected soon (but not tonight). David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News projects their lines as follows:

Heatley-Thornton-Clowe
Malhotra-Marleau-Pavelski
Ortmeyer-Nichol-McGinn
McLaren-Couture-Ferriero

Meet the Good Guys

With Colin Wilson and Wade Belak day-to-day (and Wilson likely headed to the AHL for conditioning when he's ready), we're likely to see a similar lineup to Saturday's:

Forwards

Sullivan - Arnott - Dumont

Erat - Santorelli - Hornqvist

Ward - Legwand - Smithson

Thuresson - Goc - Tootoo

Defense

Suter - Weber

Bouillon - Klein

Hamhuis - Franson

The good news here is that the Preds seem to be getting solid play from all lines and defensive pairs, and have improved their record to 9-8-1 after a 3-6-1 start.

Keep an eye out for Patric Hornqvist, who hopes to impress Swedish Olympic coach Bengt-Ake Gustafson as he tours the NHL while deciding upon the roster for the Tre Kronors.

Even Strength Play

	5-on-5 Team Data from Behind the Net
Team	GP	GF	GA	GF/60	Shots For/60	Sht %	GA/60	Shots Ag/60	Save %	+/- per 60
San Jose	22	47	36	2.8	30.2	9.2	2.1	28.0	924	+0.6
Nashville	18	26	30	1.8	29.1	6.3	2.1	28.7	.926	-0.3

As daunting a challenge as this might appear, the numbers aren't quite so skewed as they were last week when the Preds visited San Jose. The biggest opportunity for Nashville still lies in that Shooting Percentage, which is 3rd-worst in the NHL during 5-on-5 play. As we all saw Saturday night, piling a ton of shots on net is fun, but putting them behind the goaltender is even better.

San Jose PP vs. Nashville PK

The loss of Setoguchi, who draws penalties like a magnet, is significant here; the Sharks boast a dangerous power play (25%, 4th in the NHL), and keeping them off the PP is critical for Nashville tonight. Following the morning skate today, Barry Trotz stressed the importance of staying out of the box and "checking with your feet", i.e. making sure that back-checking Preds work hard to keep pace with the San Jose forwards, and avoid situations where they have to hook or hold to slow an opponent up.

On the PK, however, the Preds continue making steady progress, having climbed now to 20th in the league with a 79% kill rate.

Nashville PP vs. San Jose PK

Not only do the Preds have an NHL-worst power play (11.6%), but the Sharks boast the league's best penalty kill at 87.8%.

Dare we hope for an anomaly tonight, and a Predators power play outburst?

Goaltending

Thomas Greiss gets the start again for the Sharks; against Nashville last week, he made 23 saves on 26 shots to earn the win.

Thomas Greiss

#1 / Goalie / San Jose Sharks

Height: 6-1

Weight: 200

Born: Jan 29, 1986

	GP	MIN	W	L			GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Thomas Greiss	3	147	2	1			5	2.04	73	68	.932	0

For the Predators, Pekka Rinne gets to follow up on his 22-save shutout of Montreal Saturday night. In two career games against the Sharks, he's 1-0-1 with a 1.92 GAA and .942 Save Percentage.

Pekka Rinne

#35 / Goalie / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-5

Weight: 206

Born: Nov 03, 1982

	GP	MIN	W	L			GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Pekka Rinne	11	590	6	4			23	2.34	272	249	.915	2

Summary

Having reversed a slow start with a 6-2 record in their last 8 games, a tough test begins tonight for the Preds against the top team in the West, and continues Thursday night when the East-leading Devils come to town. If the team plays anything like they did last week in San Jose, they should fare well here - especially now that the Sulivan-Arnott-Dumont line is reunited and creating dangerous scoring chances consistently.

It wouldn't hurt for Rinne to to rise up and steal a game for the team as well (especially since they gave him an easy time of it against Montreal Saturday night).

For further pre-game musings check out (from the San Jose side) Mike Chen at Battle of California, and for the good guys, Paul McCann and Preds On the Glass.

Turco's Stonewalling of Sharks Leads to Stars' Rally ; Shootout Win

Brandon Bibb — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:58:17 -0000

More photos » by Ben Margot - AP

about 1 month ago: San Jose Sharks' Dany Heatley, left, races to the puck in front of Dallas Stars goalie Marty Turco (35) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Browse more photos »

It's late, so of course this recap is going to be brief.

But the number 1 star of the night was clearly Marty Turco. He kept the Stars in it having only allowed two second period goals from Dany Heatley and Ryan Clowe. He shined during the third period, particularly with the game on the line after a late Mike Modano slashing penalty put the Stars a man down.

But he saved his best stop of the game for the second round of the shootout. Dan Boyle executed a series of splendid dekes to get Turco out of position. Or so Boyle thought. When he went to backhand the puck and tuck it inside the near post and Turco, the Stars' netminder flopped onto his back and with a last minute desperation move, kept the puck out with his glove hand.

And after Ryan Vesce had made it five consecutive shooters from both teams to not dent the twine, Stephane Robidas finally notched the first shootout win of the season for the Stars with an absolutely sick snapshot over Evgeni Nabokov's left shoulder into the top corner of the net.

Other quick thoughts:

Once again, why doesn't the league use replay to correct mistakes on high sticking penalties? In the second period, they whistled Steve Ott off even though replays never conclusively showed he high sticked. Then in the third, Joe Pavelski was victimized when officials called him for high sticking James Neal, even though it was obvious that the Real Deal was the victim of some friendly fire from the stick blade of Nicklas Grossman.

The Sharks were able to take advantage of that phony call on Ott. But fortunately for the refs, the Stars weren't able to do anything with that late power play off the flat out bogus call on Joe Pavelski.
"Crankshaft" appears to be a very appropriate nickname for San Jose's Douglas Murray.
No doubt James Neal had a very strong game tonight for the Stars. And when he tries to take games by the bull horns like he did tonight, the Stars will be successful more nights than not.

But dare I suggest that if he continues to get chances in the shootout that he find another move since the one he has, while effective at beating goaltenders, keeps ringing the post?
Speaking of Neal, I thought it was somewhat fitting that his goal canceled out the fluky goal that Ryan Clowe scored. And it continued to be fitting when Mike Modano's blast canceled out Dany Heatley's snipe from close range.
Sure, San Jose deserved that 2-0 lead by virtue of their domination of the middle frame. But the first period was evenly played and the Stars dominated much of the third period and deserved to have this contest tied at 2-2 going into OT.
About that ugly 1 for 34 against San Jose's penalty kill dating back to last season. Yeah, might want to get that one sorted out at some point during the season series, Stars.

Not like they weren't getting chances. But like Razor mentioned, when they did get chances on the man advantage, those chances fizzled into nothing without Nabokov having to do much to thwart them.

At the very least, I want the Sharks' best penalty killer to actually be the best penalty killer if the Stars are to not score on the man advantage. That rarely happened last year. Or tonight for that matter.
Remember that point I made to Sevy two weeks ago about how good a job fighting does to bring closure to issues on the ice? Exhibit A from tonight's game certainly has to be Krys Barch's fight with Brad Staubitz.The Sharks' tough guy came in a little too late for the Stars' liking on Tom Wandell.

Barch challenged him to a round of fisticuffs, they settled right then and there. And you didn't hear another word about that hit for the rest of the game.
There's a part of me that actually feels sorry for San Jose. Because no matter what they accomplish during the regular season this year, nobody in the hockey world outside of San Jose will give a damn until about the Sharks until they at least advance to the Western Conference Finals. And for some, that might not even be enough.

Fireside Chats: Eric Lindquist, November

FTF Staff — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:00:19 -0000

View full size photo »

Eric Lindquist has been the play by play commentator for the Worcester Sharks the last three years, and currently assumes the duties of Director of Public Relations and Broadcasting. He also won the Showcase Showdown on the Price is Right, but Plank and TCY were unable to confirm if he kissed Bob Barker upon winning. Mr. Lindquist was nice enough to be our resource for all things related to the Worcester Sharks during last year's run through the Calder Cup playoffs, and has returned to shed some light on the state of the San Jose Sharks' AHL affiliate in Massachusetts. You can catch Eric's play by play for all Worcester's games on WTAG AM 580, and visit the Worcester Sharks site for more info on the team. Enjoy.

[Editor's Note] We had the usual conversation with Eric this month, but also asked some questions about the city of Worcester and the experience of attending an AHL Sharks game. Those answers, along with additional questions about the Sharks prospects, can be found after the jump.

Alex Stalock has put up some impressive numbers through nine games this season, posting a 1.84 GAA .931 SV%. Has he shown that he could step up and contribute in San Jose if Evgeni Nabokov (who will be a UFA next season) is not brought back?

Stalock has been very impressive. He's gotten a lot of attention throughout hockey circles, mostly because his excellent stick work allows him to act as a third defenseman on the ice. Alex is real fun to watch, you can see his "fire" when he plays in net. He simply reeks of confidence. You can tell that the Sharks know they have a chance to win every time he is in net.

By most accounts, Nick Petrecki has struggled at the professional level so far. Do you see any problems with his game? In your opinion, what does he need to work on?

What accounts? Everyone forgets he is just twenty years old and only played two years at Boston College. Im my opinion, he has gotten better with every passing game. Nick has a presence about him, in addition to terrific size and strength. He also has a mean streak, and when he hits, the opposing player feels it. I look forward to seeing him play after 20 games, and 40 games...

Roy Sommer just achieved his 400th win, the fourth highest total in AHL history. What's his philosophy as a coach-- does he stress defense first, or does he encourage a dynamic and aggressive forward group?

Roy and [assistant] coach Cunniff follow the same system as the San Jose Sharks. When interviewing the players, they all seem to agree that Roy is a "players" coach. All the guys really enjoy playing with him. It helps that Roy has a great working relationship with Coach Cunniff; Cunny works with defensemen while Roy works with the forwards. Roy and Cunniff were roll up your sleeves type players when they played and they expect the same from their players.

Mashinter, Staubitz, McLaren. All have shown that they are willing to bring a physical presence to the ice. Who would you pick to be Jody Shelley's successor?

All three are REAL tough. Frazer McLaren blossomed at the end of last season, contributing on the PK and skating on a very effective third line. When he engages in battle, well, I can't recall a fight that he lost in a one-sided bout. However, he's not a "goon"; he's a tough guy who can play. Frazer dropped the gloves 21 times last year, good for a Worcester Sharks record.

Though 13 games Brandon Mashinter has fought 5 times and is 5-0. He'll take a punch to throw one, but usually only fights on his terms. He has played on the top line and shows some real offensive skills, and I think he'll only get better with confidence. He's a real exciting player to watch because he always seems to be involved in the game mentally and physically.

Lastly, Brad Staubitz is as tough as they get. The opposing team knows when he's on the ice. Staubitz has become a tremendous body checker and boasts a wicked shot. I would put Staubitz up pound for pound against any one in either league.

Eric was also kind enough to fill us in about what it's like to take in an AHL tilt in Worcester. If you're ever in Massachusetts and want to take in some Sharks hockey, consider this your guide.

Is there an establishment near the arena that fans get together at before the game? What's the atmosphere like?

The Uno's Chicago Bar and Grille across the street is usually busy before and after the game with Sharks fans, and sometimes players. Worcester is filled with nice bars and restaurants so there really isn't a true "meeting spot" before each game.

What's the best seat in the house to catch the game?

With the new seamless glass and rink there really isn't a "best" place to watch the game... every seat is a real good one. There are some real unique sight lines at the DCU Center, for instance, there are seats in the corners that almost jet onto the ice surface. The seats behind the goals are real close to the action, and the "balcony level" offers a real good look at the ice. Even when the arena is half full the building gets real loud because everyone is so close to the playing surface.

In terms of food and beverages, what vendors at the arena you would recommend?

You can't beat the $1 hot dogs on Wednesday night. The Charter Zone, a full service bar located behind the goal where the Sharks shoot twice offers a unique place to hang and watch the game while in a friendly bar setting.

Any interesting quirks to the building?

I really like our building. The broadcasters have one of the best looks in professional hockey with a makeshift platform at center ice above the press section. The bar located behind the goal is real cool and the seats behind the goals are unlike any other in the AHL.

*****

Go Sharks.

Game Day Preview: Nashville Predators @ San Jose Sharks

Dirk Hoag — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:19:50 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Chiu - AP

Tonight the Nashville Predators enter the HP Paviliion to take on Dan Boyle (22), Joe Thornton (19), and the rest of the Pacific Division-leading San Jose Sharks.

Browse more photos »

As they continue to battle their way through an early-season schedule loaded with road games, the Nashville Predators (7-7-1) head into San Jose to face a 12-4-2 Sharks team that has yet to lose in regulation on home ice. Last season, the Sharks won their first 9 home games before the Preds came to town and beat them in overtime. Does Nashville have it in them to break up another San Jose streak?

After the jump, let's break down the matchup...

Meet the Enemy

The Sharks have assumed their usual spot atop the Pacific Division, eclipsing the feel-good starts of both Los Angeles and Phoenix. San Jose won't be content with yet another successful regular season, however, they're geared for the playoffs, and that's what the acquisition of elite goal-scorer Dany Heatley was meant to address. There's also been a bit of a leadership shakeup, with defenseman Rob Blake taking over as team captain from Patrick Marleau.

As they continue to get healthy players back in the lineup, the forward lines are likely to look as follows, per Fear the Fin:

Heatley - Thornton - Setoguchi
Marleau - Pavelski - Clowe
McGinn - Malhotra - Ortmeyer
Shelley - Nichol - Vesce

Containing the top line is obviously going to be a challenge for any club, but the 2nd line is dangerous as well.

Fear the Fin also has the outlook for tonight from the San Jose perspective.

Meet the Good Guys

Nashville might also get a big name back in action tonight as Shea Weber was able to practice yesterday. Obviously it's critical to have your #1 defenseman available for a big game like this, but he's also the Preds' leading goal-scorer, too. If Weber does play, here's what the Preds should look like:

Forwards

Sullivan - Arnott - Hornqvist

Erat - Santorelli - Thuresson

Smithson- Legwand - Ward

Scatchard - Goc - Tootoo

Defense

Suter - Weber

Bouillon - Klein

Hamhuis - Franson

With Jody Shelley a possibility for San Jose, Wade Belak might skate for Nashville. We shouldn't be surprised, either, if Tootoo reacquaints himself with Brad Staubitz, who broke Tootoo's nose in a fight last year.

Even Strength Play

Team	GP	GF	GA	GF/60	Shots For/60	Sht %	GA/60	Shots Ag/60	Save %	+/- per 60
Nashville	15	19	25	1.6	26.5	6.1	2.1	29.2	.928	-0.5
San Jose	18	38	27	2.7	31.6	8.7	2.0	28.0	.930	+0.8

Just like last year, the Sharks are among the most prolific 5-on-5 shooting teams in the league, and a healthy advantage in Shots For/Against shows just how regularly they tilt the ice in their favor. While both teams boast superior goaltending in this situation, the difference really lies in shooting; not only do the Preds not put as many shots on net, but they don't score very often when they do; that 6.1 Shooting Percentage in 5-on-5 is 3rd-worst in the NHL.

San Jose PP vs. Nashville PK

At 25.3%, the San Jose power play is, as you'd expect, one of the most lethal in the NHL. What makes them doubly dangerous is that they get lots of PP opportunities, due to the high-skill forwards who force opponents into hauling them down.

The Nashville penalty killers are slowly improving after a wretched start, and currently sit 24th in the league. Already one of the least-penalized teams, the Preds will need to take special care to stay out of the box tonight.

Nashville PP vs. San Jose PK

Getting Weber back will provide a nice boost for the power play, which was just starting to click when he hurt his foot. At 12.3%, the Preds PP is still dead-last in the NHL, and it will be up to agitators like Jordin Tootoo to get under the Sharks' skin and create some chances for Nashville. San Jose is normally a pretty disciplined group, but with the bad blood between these two teams there could be some fireworks tonight.

Goaltending

Evgeni Nabokov continues to benefit from playing behind a stellar group of skaters, but according to Preds radio play-by-play man Tom Callahan, it's Thomas Greiss in net tonight for the Sharks:

Thomas Greiss

#1 / Goalie / San Jose Sharks

Height: 6-1

Weight: 200

Born: Jan 29, 1986

	GP	MIN	W	L			GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Thomas Greiss	2	87	1	1			2	1.38	47	45	.957	0

For Nashville, Dan Ellis is expected to get the start, building on a 27-save performance in L.A. on Saturday:

Dan Ellis

#39 / Goalie / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-0

Weight: 188

Born: Jun 19, 1980

	GP	MIN	W	L			GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Dan Ellis	9	436	3	3			20	2.75	212	192	.906	0

Summary

The Preds should come into this one with a "nothing-to-lose" mentality, and really all the pressure is on San Jose here. After topping the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-0 Saturday, there's definitely the possibility of the letdown on the part of the Sharks. If Ellis can put together another strong effort, and Weber can resume his dominance on the blueline, the Preds will have a puncher's chance tonight.

And speaking of a puncher's chance... here's a bit of a flashback to November of last year...

Gargamel Finally Caught Those Rotten Smurfs

RudyKelly — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:05:58 -0000

It's like that part in To Kill a Mockingbird where Atticus kills the rabid dog; I mean, you know he's pretty cool and everything but you never knew he could do anything like that. Raitis Ivanans was a man possessed during that sequence, frantically trying to get at Brad Staubitz* before turning his ire to an unsuspecting Jody Shelley. The best part is that Shelley grabbed him from behind and got a few licks in as soon as he turned Ivanans around, but Raitis recovered and put a beating on poor Jody. Ivanans is usually methodical when he fights, using his weight advantage to pull someone off balance before throwing a few jabs, but tonight he was trying to hurt someone.

There's absolutely no way Kevin Westgarth could fight like that. Now if only Raitis would fight like that all the time.

*What the fuck, Brad Staubitz? He just didn't know it was an icing, right? There's no way he thought it'd be a good idea to rock a defenseman who is touching up for icing while said defenseman is already engaged with another player, right? Also, it's cool that Ivanans jumped in immediately, but it's also cool that Drew Doughty and Brad Richardson did so as well.

Off the Post - September 24

Conico do Mayo Miracle — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:00:53 -0000

Regular season begins one week from today - or as it seems to us, in 604,800 seconds.
Manny Malhotra has won over our teal hearts by signing for $700,000. The catch - his autograph sessions will feature a change jar.
Speaking of autographs - Brad Staubitz will be at the Sharks Store today at 4:30pm.
A readable and informative Mercury News article on the Sharks not written by David Pollak? What's next - Mark Purdy stops saying "our beloved Los Tiburones?"
Just in case you thought we were alone - four other teams are without a captain.
I always imagined Earl Sleek's voice to be a bit more sultry... but I've been disappointed before.
Could Seattle or Portland support an expansion team? Make it 25, bitches!
Please please please please PLEASE let this be the new St. Louis Game Time logo.

Dany Heatley's image on the Scotiabank Place gets replaced with that of Alexei Kovalev. (note - look at second row of the photo gallery)
Jeremy Roenick Heritage Night will go down in Chicago on November 15th, with the Sharks in town. Is it weird to link a fanshot of a fanshot, idunno? :-D
Grant Fuhr is out as Phoenix's goaltending coach. Let's not speak of their head coach...
$25 for lower level Coyotes tickets on their opening night... no comment out of respect for OdinMercer.
Photos of a Detroit fan attacking Iceburgh during Game 6 - karma's a bitch, son.
Finally, not only can Manny Malhotra beat Ken Daneyko's ass, but he can also do a mean Bobby Orr impersonation:

2009 NHL Free Agency / Teams by Cap Space / Unsigned UFA's and RFA's

Robert L — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 19:19:41 -0000

This is a listing of NHL teams by order of remaining cap space as of July 4. The Islanders top the list with approximately $23M left to spend. The Sharks have just under $2M remaining. The list is helpful in determining which team are closest to filling out their 2009-10 lineup. As one can see, there is much work to be done at both ends of the spectrum. The numbers figures are based on totals given by NHL Numbers.com.

1 - New York Islanders: $23.265 (18)

UFA: Andy Hilbert C 28, Dean McAmmond C 36, Mike Sillinger C 38, Thomas Pock D 27, Yann Danis G 28, Joey MacDonald G 29.

RFA: Nate Thompson C 24, Jeremy Colliton C 24, Jamie Fraser D 23, Jack Hillen D 23.

2 - Phoenix Coyotes: $21.972 (18)

UFA: Brian McGrattan R 27, Dmitri Kalinin D 29, Ken Klee D 38.

RFA: Nigel Dawes L 24, Joakim Lindstrom C 25, Enver Lisin R 23, Scottie Upshall R 25, Daniel Winnik C 24, Keith Yandle D 22.

3 - Atlanta Thrashers: $19.599 (15)

RFA: Eric Perrin C 33.

UFA: Kari Lehtonen G 25, Colby Armstrong R 26, Jim Slater C 26, Boris Valabik D 23.

4 - Nashville Predators: $17.913 (16)

UFA: Radek Bonk C 33, Scott Nichol C 34, Greg de Vries D 36.

RFA: Ryan Jones R 25, Antti Pihlstrom L 24,.

5 - New York Rangers: $16.436 (13)

UFA: Blair Betts C 29, Mark Bell L 28, Patrick Rissmiller C 30, Paul Mara D 29, Derek Morris D 30.

RFA: Christopher Higgins R 26, Ryan Callahan R 24, Brandon Dubinsky C 23, Lauri Korpikoski L 22, Nikolai Zherdev L 24, Corey Potter D 25.

6 - Anaheim Ducks: $14.295 (17)

UFA: Rob Niedermayer F 34, Todd Marchant C 33, Francois Beauchemin D 29, Bret Hedican D 38.

RFA: James Wisniewski D 25.

7 - Tampa Bay Lightning: $14.295 (17)

UFA: Matt Pettinger L 28, Wade Brookbank L 31, Jason Ward R 30, Marek Malik D 34, Josef Melichar D 30, Cory Murphy D 31, Noah Welch D 26.

RFA: Martins Karsums R 23, Radek Smolenak L 22, Matt Lashoff D 22, Matt Smaby D 24, Mike Lundin D 24, Karri Ramo G 22, Mike McKenna G 26.

8 - Columbus Blue Jackets: $13.313 (20)

UFA: Chris Gratton C 33, Manny Malhotra C 29, Michael Peca C 35, Jason Williams C 28, Christian Backman D 29.

RFA: Jiri Novotny C 25, Marc Methot D 24, Ole-Kristian Tollefsen D 25.

9 - Dallas Stars: $13.193 (19)

UFA: Sergei Zubov D 38, Brendan Morrison C 33, Joel Lundqvist C 27, Mark Parrish R 32, Landon Wilson R 34, Tobias Stephan G 25, Darryl Sydor D 37.

RFA: Mark Fistric D 23.

10 - St. Louis Blues: $12.295 (22)

UFA: Trent Whitfield C 32, Dan Hinote R 32, Jay McKee D 31, Manny Legace G 36.

RFA: Brandon Crombeen R 23, Chris Porter C 25, Steve Regier L 24, Roman Polak D 23, Jeff Woywitka D 25, Marek Schwarz G 23.

11 - New Jersey Devils: $12.129

UFA: Brendan Shanahan L 40, Kevin Weekes G 34, Niclas Havelid D NJ.

RFA: Travis Zajac C 24.

12 - Toronto Maple Leafs: $12.022 (20)

UFA: Brad May L 37, Bates Battaglia L 33, Andre Deveaux C 25, Boyd Devereaux C 31, Jeff Hamilton C 31, Kris Newbury C 27, Ben Ondrus R 27, Jay Harrison D 26, Jamie Heward D 38, Martin Gerber G 34, Olaf Kolzig G 39, Curtis Joseph G 42.

RFA: Jeremy Williams R 25, Justin Pogge G 23, Jaime Sifers D 26, Ryan Hollweg C 26.

13 - Chicago Blackhawks: $11.797

UFA: Aaron Johnson D 26.

RFA: Cam Barker D 23, Troy Brouwer R 23, Ben Eager L 25, Colin Fraser C 24, Kris Versteeg R 23.

14 - Colorado Avalanche: $11.654 (15)

UFA: Joe Sakic F 39, Ben Guite R 30, Brian Willsie R 31, Andrew Raycroft G 29.

RFA: Kyle Cumiskey D 22, David Jones R 24, Cody McCormick C 26.

15 - Montreal Canadiens: $10.454 (16)

UFA: Alexei Kovalev F 36, Saku Koivu C 34, Alex Tanguay L 29, Robert Lang C 38, Mathieu Schneider D 40, Tom Kostopoulos R 30, Mathieu Dandenault D 33, Patrice Brisebois D 38, Francis Bouillon D 33, Marc Denis G 31.

RFA: Tomas Plekanec C 26, Matt D'Agostini R 22, Guillaume Latendresse R 22, Kyle Chipchura C 23, Gregory Stewart L 23.

16 - Los Angeles Kings: $10.285 (21)

UFA: Derek Armstrong F 36, Denis Gauthier D 32, Kyle Calder L 30.

RFA: Jack Johnson D 22, Teddy Purcell R 23.

17 - Washington Capitals: $9.720 (15)

UFA: Viktor Kozlov C 34, Alexandre Giroux C 28, Bryan Helmer D 26, Brent Johnson G 32.

RFA: Jeff Schultz D 23, Shaone Morrisonn D 26, Milan Jurcina D 26, Eric Fehr R 23, Boyd Gordon R 25.

18 - Buffalo Sabres: $8.976 (16)

UFA: Matt Ellis L 24, Dominic Moore C 28, Andrew Peters L 29, Teppo Numminen D 40, Maxim Afinogeno F 29,

RFA: Andrej Sekera D 23, Drew Stafford R 23, Clarke MacArthur L 24, Patrick Kaleta R 23.

19 - Florida Panthers: $8.405 (18)

UFA: Ville Peltonen L 36, Richard Zednik L 33, Jassen Cullimore D 36, Nick Boynton D 30.

RFA: Anthony Stewart C 24, Steve Eminger D 25, Tanner Glass L 25.

20 - Carolina Hurricanes: $8.083 (18)

UFA: Ryan Bayda L 28, Dennis Seidenberg D 27.

RFA: Tuomo Ruutu C 26, Anton Babchuk D 25.

21 - Vancouver Canucks: $7.282 (18)

UFA: Mats Sundin C 38, Jason Krog C 33, Rob Davison D 29, Ossi Vaananen D 28, Curtis Sanford G 29, Michel Ouellet R 27.

RFA: Shane O' Brien D 25. Kyle Wellwood C 26, Jannik Hansen R 23.

22 - Minnesota Wild: $6.296 (20)

UFA: Stephane Veilleux L 27, Krys Kolanos C 27, Marc-Andre Bergeron D 28, Kurtis Foster D 27, Martin Skoula D 29.

RFA: Dan Fritsche C 23, Benoit Pouliot L 22, Kyle Brodziak C 25, Josh Harding G 25.

23 - Edmonton Oilers: $6.404 (20)

UFA: Ales Kotalik R 30, Dany Sabourin G 28.

RFA: Liam Reddox L 23, Gilbert Brule C 22, Ryan Potulny C 24, Rob Schremp C 22, Denis Grebeshkov D 25, Ladislav Smid D 23.

24 - Detroit Red Wings: $5.554 (16)

UFA: Darren McCarty R 37, Aaron Downey R 34, Chris Chelios D 47.

RFA: Jiri Hudler C 25, Ville Leino L 25.

25 - Boston Bruins: $5.340 (18)

UFA: Stephane Yelle F 35, P.J. Axelsson L 34, Manny Fernandez G 34.

RFA: Phil Kessel F 21, Matt Hunwick D 24.

26 - Ottawa Senators: $4.649 (22)

UFA: Mike Comrie C 28.

RFA: Brendan Bell D 26, Brian Elliott G 24.

27 - Pittsburgh Penguins: $3.137 (19)

UFA: Mike Zigomanis C 28, James Connor L 26, Miroslav Satan L 34, Petr Sykora R 32, Janne Pesonen L 27, Philippe Boucher D 36.

RFA: Paul Bissonnette R 24, Tim Wallace R 24, Ben Lovejoy D 25, John Curry G 25.

28 - Calgary Flames: $3.053 (19)

UFA: Todd Bertuzzi R 34, Andre Roy R 34, Rhett Warrener D 33.

RFA: Dustin Boyd C 22.

29 - Philadelphia Flyers: $2.125 (20)

UFA: Josh Gratton L 26, Boyd Kane L 31, Andrew Alberts D 28, Lasse Kukkonen D 27, Martin Biron G 31, Antero Niittymaki G 29.

RFA: Jared Ross C 26, Danny Syvret D 24.

30 - San Jose Sharks: $1.774 (16)

UFA: Claude Lemieux R 43, Jeremy Roenick C 39, Tom Cavanagh R 27, Alexei Semenov D 28, Mike Grier R 34, Marcel Goc C 25, Tomas Plihal L 26, Lukas Kaspar L 23.

RFA: Torrey Mitchell C 24, Thomas Greiss G 23, Brad Staubitz R 24.

Worcester Watch: Don't Call it a Comeback

That'll Cheech You — Sat, 09 May 2009 17:46:24 -0000

	@ 4:05 PST

Series	Providence leads 2-1
Radio	WTAG
Antagonists	Stanley Cup of Chowder

I have never seen a team thrive under pressure like the Worcester Sharks do. Down 2-0 in yet another series, Worcester's offense exploded last night. Forwards T.J. Fox, Jamie McGinn, Andrew Desjardins, Riley Armstrong and Defensemen Patrick Traverse all scored for Worcester; the five goals were the most scored against Bruins' goalie Tuukka Rask in these playoffs.

However, Rask doesn't have off nights often, so Worcester is going to have to step up their defensive game if they want to complete their second comeback of this postseason.

After watching two Worcester games, I can see why McLaren (not Frazer, there's two McLaren's on this team) was so important to this squad. Defensively, McLaren is a leader and a veteran presence. Without him, Worcester lacks a solid defensive player who keeps the game-plan going. Joslin is a talent, to be sure, but he needs work on his defensive play.

If you were to simply look at stats from the year, you'd think that Greiss was having a ho-hum season. However, after watching Worcester in the playoffs, I'm beginning to see that Greiss is playing much better than is stats may lead you to believe. If by the off-chance one of our NHL goalies isn't wearing teal at next year, I'd be confident enough in Griess as the backup.

For everyone keeping track at home, there were a few other players who had big games last night. Ryan Vesce had two assists while Brad Staubitz and Lukas Kaspar added one each. I'm thinking that the time they spent in San Jose did wonders for their development. Although Kaspar is yet to really "bring it" on the NHL level, I've been impressed with his play in the NHL. On a side note, DaSilva's six game point streak ended last night, but he still played a strong overall game.

Because of the schedule, Worcester is back home to play game four. If they win tonight, they'll go back to Providence to start a 3 game series.

Prediction: Sharks win 4-2. Goals by McGinn, Joslin, Armstrong, and Staubitz. Staubby drops the gloves with Rask and gives him the Tootoo treatment.

The Staubitz-Tootoo scrap

James Mirtle — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:16:26 -0000

Boy, has this fight ever received a lot of coverage the past few days. Here's the latest, from The Tennessean's John Glennon:

Don't expect Predators forward Jordin Tootoo to extend a warm welcome to San Jose defenseman Brad Staubitz when the two teams meet tonight.

The unusual circumstances involving a fight between the two last week in San Jose prompted the Predators to call the matter to the NHL's attention.

Staubitz — in mixed martial-arts fashion — used his padded elbow to hammer Tootoo several times, bloodying Tootoo's face and forcing Tootoo to miss a large chunk of the game while getting medical attention.

Neither Tootoo, Predators General Manager David Poile nor league executives had ever seen such a tactic used. There's no specific rule that addresses it — or forbids it.

All right, so looking at the video, it's tough to see the elbow, but it does appear that at one point, that's what Staubitz is swinging. I'm not sure that it's intentional, but you can imagine the damage that would do:

It's incredible that Tootoo can walk after a beating like that. And that he might want a rematch tonight.

What do you think?

Poll

Did Staubitz use a tactic in this fight that should be considered illegal?

Yes

197 votes

No

204 votes

401 votes | Poll has closed

SB Nation - Brad Staubitz

Gameday Preview: Dallas Stars @ San Jose Sharks (9:00pm CST)

Next Game

The Dallas Stars:

The San Jose Sharks:

Key Injuries:

Game Day Preview: San Jose Sharks @ Nashville Predators

Meet the Enemy

Meet the Good Guys

Even Strength Play

San Jose PP vs. Nashville PK

Nashville PP vs. San Jose PK

Goaltending

Thomas Greiss

#1 / Goalie / San Jose Sharks

Pekka Rinne

#35 / Goalie / Nashville Predators

Summary

Turco's Stonewalling of Sharks Leads to Stars' Rally ; Shootout Win

Fireside Chats: Eric Lindquist, November

Game Day Preview: Nashville Predators @ San Jose Sharks

Meet the Enemy

Meet the Good Guys

Even Strength Play

San Jose PP vs. Nashville PK

Nashville PP vs. San Jose PK

Goaltending

Thomas Greiss

#1 / Goalie / San Jose Sharks

Dan Ellis

#39 / Goalie / Nashville Predators

Summary

Gargamel Finally Caught Those Rotten Smurfs

Off the Post - September 24

2009 NHL Free Agency / Teams by Cap Space / Unsigned UFA's and RFA's

Worcester Watch: Don't Call it a Comeback

@

4:05 PST

Series

Providence leads 2-1

Radio

WTAG

Antagonists

Stanley Cup of Chowder

The Staubitz-Tootoo scrap

Did Staubitz use a tactic in this fight that should be considered illegal?

Yes

No