~~Blood in the Water (Reboot)~~ The Story of the San Jose Sharks...

[johnstone1987]

Red Hot PENGUINS crush SHARKS 6-2...




RECAP 2/6/20






Pittsburgh, PA- The red hot Pittsburgh Penguins(41-9-4) continue their surge this Season with a 6-2 victory over the Stanley Cup Champions San Jose Sharks(30-17-7) inside the PPG Paints Arena on Thursday night.

NHL's Leading Scorer Sidney Crosby didn't let up as he came into tonight's game with a NHL leading 36 Goals.

"I kinda felt like I got robbed last year with my Concussion that cost me a good half of the year and we struggled in the Playoffs. We're all on a mission this year and it's showing out there on the ice." Crosby stated.

Last year Crosby played in 53 Games with just 15 Goals as he suffered a bad Concussion that kept him out until mid April.

By then the Penguins lost in the First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to the New York Rangers.

This year it appears Crosby and the Pens are on a redemption path as they have been blowing up the Stats and continue to be the best Team in Hockey sitting at 86 Points and are running away with the President's Trophy.

"We went quietly into our Off-Season after Crosby went down. We have the depth in our locker room but when Sid is out there we're a complete Team." Penguins Head Coach Mike Sullivan stated.

Pittsburgh(41-9-4) got on the board early when it took just 90 seconds before Patric Hornqvist scored his 17th Goal of the year.

Hornqvist would get injured in the First Period and had to leave the game. He took a huge hit. A evaluation will follow soon. Crosby and Kessel also had 2 Assists each.

"They got our attention real fast." Sharks Head Coach Peter DeBoer stated. "After that first Goal we buckled down pretty good I thought."

And San Jose(30-17-7) did just that. The Fins kept Pittsburgh off the board the entire First Period after that.

But it was all Penguins in the Second Period...

Captain Sidney Crosby got the Pens going with his 37th Goal of the year, Geno Malkin followed with a Power Play Goal, his 36th of the year that gave Pittsburgh a 3-0 lead inside the PPG Paints Arena. Erik Karlsson was called for Tripping.

A second Erik Karlsson Tripping penalty and a Jay Beagle Boarding penalty on Malkin gave the Penguins 2 Power Plays.

Pittsburgh failed to capitalize on the Man Advantage.

"Shut down the Power Play pretty good but they kept scoring regardless. They've been the best Team in Hockey all year." DeBoer added.

Jared McCann(10) and Logan Shaw(10) both scored to give the Pens a 5-0 lead to end the Second Period.

To start the Third Period San Jose made a change sending in Joey Backstrom to replace Martin Jones who had 31 Saves and allowed 5 Goals.

"Bad night. Pittsburgh is the best Team in Hockey. It's going to be hard for anyone to beat them it seems like." Jones said.

Phil Kessel's rocket shot past Backstrom gave the Pens a 6-0 lead to start the Third. His 34th Goal of the year.

But then Backstrom shut the door for good turning away the last 8 Shots.

San Jose(30-17-7) rally attempt began with Kevin LaBanc(12) and Joakim Ryan(3) both scoring to get the Fins on the board.

Matt Murray had 37 saves to close the door and give the Penguins their 41st win of the year.

San Jose(30-17-7) will continue their East Coast Road Trip as they head to Buffalo to play the Buffalo Sabres(29-20-4) on Saturday night as Darryl Sutter has his Hockey Club in 3rd Place in the Atlantic Division.

[johnstone1987]

SABRES lose to SHARKS 5-2 in Buffalo..





RECAP 2/8/20






Buffalo, NY- Brent Burns scored twice, Joey Backstrom had 22 Saves, and the San Jose Sharks(31-17-7) bounced back from back to back losses with a 5-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres(29-21-4) inside the KeyBank Arena on Saturday Night.

Sharks Defenseman Brendan Dillon(5) scored first to get San Jose on the board.

The lead was short lived however as Buffalo(29-21-4) tied it up late in the First Period when Zemgus Girgensions(5) scored.

"I thought we played great in the First Period but we let it slip away after that. Can't do that against San Jose. They took advantage of our mistakes." Sabres Head Coach Darryl Sutter stated.

"We took our foot off the gas. We made that mistake. That's on us." Sabres Captain Jack Eichel stated.

San Jose pulled away for good in the Second Period when Evander Kane scored his 26th Goal of the year to put the Fins up 2-1.

Buffalo had a chance to tie when Sharks Winger Kevin LaBanc was called for Tripping. The Sabres did nothing with the Man Advantage.

"We had chances but didn't capitalize." Sutter added. Buffalo would go 0/2 on the Power Play.

"I thought it was a very good Game from us in all phases." Sharks Head Coach Pete DeBoer stated.

In the Third Period San Jose(31-17-7) lived up to being the #1 Power Play Team when Defenseman Brent Burns scored his 8th Goal of the year. San Jose's Power Play Unit ranks first in the NHL at (56%).

The Second best is Pittsburgh(26%).

The Stanley Cup Champions will go all gas in the Third Period as Brent Burns will score again, (9), and William Karlsson(24) will score to make it 5-1 in favor of the Sharks.

Captain Joe Pavelski, Ryan Carpenter, and Kevin LaBanc would pick up Assists.

Sabres Kevin Hayes scored to cut the deficit to 3. His 7th Goal of the year.

Buffalo's Goalie Carter Hutton would have 45 Saves as San Jose unleashed a flurry of Shot on Goals.

The long road trip will continue for San Jose(31-17-7) as they now head to North Carolina and will meet the Carolina Hurricanes(29-19-6) on Monday Night.

[johnstone1987]

NHL Early Coach of the Year Favorites

2/8/20




The NHL Season is entering the final months as February is in full effect and April 5th is fast approaching. Here's our early picks for NHL's Coach of the Year AKA the "Jack Adams Award"..




1. Mike Sullivan- Pittsburgh Penguins

Our first choice is none other than Mike Sullivan of the Penguins. Last year Pittsburgh lost Sidney Crosby for half a year. Thanks to the incredible depth that the Pens have on the bench they still made the Playoffs. However it was a short ride as Pittsburgh lost to the Rangers in the First Round as Crosby never once touched the Ice. This year the Penguins are on a redemption path with Crosby and Company blowing up the Stat sheet. The Penguins are hands down the best Team in the NHL with a 42-9-4 record.




2. Bruce Boudreau- Minnesota Wild..

The best Team in the Western Conference this year has been the Wild. Minnesota has been on a little redemption path of their own. Last Spring the Wild were swept in the First Round at the hands of the San Jose Sharks. This year the Wild have been running away with the Western Conference until Anaheim and San Jose have found ways to win to keep pace for Home Ice in the West. The Wild are leading the Central Division with a 3 point cushion over St. Louis. Boudreau deserves to be in the Jack Adams conversation as the Wild look to be on a redemption path.



3. Peter DeBoer- San Jose Sharks

Last year's Coach of the Year Peter DeBoer is in the conversation again. The Man who brought a Stanley Cup to the Bay Area of California for the first time has the Sharks poised to make another Playoff run and defend their Cup. San Jose is in 2nd Place in the Pacific Division behind the Anaheim Ducks.

[johnstone1987]

SHARKS wrap up Road Trip with 9-0 crushing of HURRICANES...



RECAP 2/10/20




Raleigh, NC- Brent Burns, Joe Pavelski, and Tomas Hertl scored twice. Backup Goalie Joey Backstrom had his first Shutout of the year and the San Jose Sharks(32-17-7) crushed the up and coming Carolina Hurricanes(29-20-6) inside the PNC Arena on Monday Night.

Backstrom led the way with 17 saves picking up his first Shutout of the year. Brent Seabrook and Curtis Sawyer each had 2 Assists. Kevin LaBanc, Erik Karlsson, Evander Kane, and Barclay Goodrow each had one as San Jose had its Offense going.

"The way our Offense was going you're going to be on the Scoreboard fast and that's how we wanna play." Sharks Head Coach Peter DeBoer stated. "Score Goals, play fast and hard, limit the opposition. I thought this was our best Game we've played this year."

The Sharks(32-17-7) raced out of the gate when Captain Joe Pavelski scored his 26th Goal of the year for a 1-0 lead.

"After that first Goal it was kind of like the Flood Gates opened with how many Goals they got on us. It was a rude awakening for us." Hurricanes Head Coach Rod Brind-Amour stated.

A rude awakening indeed. Carolina(29-20-6) still sit in Third Place in the Metropolitan Division with 64 Points.

San Jose raced out to a 3-0 lead in the First Period when Brent Burns(10) and Tomas Hertl(13) scored inside the PNC Arena.

In the Second Period it was more of the same. Goals by Logan Couture(27), Jay Beagle(9), and Tomas Hertl(14) gave the defending Champions a 6-0 lead.

To start the Third Period Carolina pulled Semyon Varlamov from the crease after allowing 6 Goals with 13 Saves.

Carolina sent out Petr Mrazek in an attempt to slow down the Sharks Offense. But it was the same story as San Jose rattled off another 3 Goals. Erik Karlsson(7), Joe Pavelski(27), and Brent Burns(11) gave the Fins a 9-0 lead.

Mrazek finished with 13 Saves and 3 Goals allowed.

San Jose(32-17-7) wraps up their East Coast Road Trip going 4-2 and will head back home to the Shark Tank on Thursday Night to begin a 3 Game homestand.

Their first challenge will be the Pacific Division leading Anaheim Ducks(35-18-3).

[johnstone1987]

NHL Trade Rumors heating up, Waiver Claims, More News

2/10/20



As the NHL Trade Deadline approaches (February 27, 2020) we have Teams that have made some news with others making waves as well. Lets take a look at some moves across the NHL..



Vegas Golden Knights have made the most surprising move today when they announced a Trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Vegas took the NHL by Storm in 2017-2018 when they made the Stanley Cup Finals to lose to the Washington Capitals in Five Games. Last year the Knights had a Hangover Expansion when they failed to make the Playoffs. It also didn't help that Vegas had numerous Stars on the shelf like Marc Andre Fleury, Jonathan Marchessault, Mark Stone, etc.
This year however the Golden Knights have been healthy but have struggled to replicate that 17-18 Season and sit in 5th Place in the Pacific Division with a 24-24-7 Record. Rumors have circulated that Head Coach Gerard Gallant may have lost the locker room and changes may be coming this Spring.
Today we have news that the Vegas Golden Knights have traded Goalie Malcolm Subban, Center Erik Haula, and Defenseman Jon Merrill to the Maple Leafs for a 2021 First Round Draft Pick, a 2020 Second Round Draft Pick, and 2 others. Toronto is looking to build off their Stanley Cup appearence last Spring and sit in Second Place in the Atlantic Division with a 32-19-5 Record.




Jake Evans claimed off Waivers by the San Jose Sharks. Evans will be sent down to AHL San Jose Barracuda. Montreal also picked up Andreas Borgman from Toronto. The Maple Leafs waived Trevor Lewis who was picked up by the Washington Capitals.

As the Trade Deadline approaches we have rumors out of Sin City that more Golden Knights are requesting trades. It appears Gallant may have lost the locker room.

[johnstone1987]

[johnstone1987]

I'm back. Took a little time to deal with personal issues but this hasn't stopped.

[SENS_AK27]

Quote: Originally Posted by johnstone1987

I'm back. Took a little time to deal with personal issues but this hasn't stopped.

Welcome Back my friend.