Stars shining bright in San Jose

Stu Barnes saves the day as he blocks Torrey Mitchell's shot from going into the net

(Steven Cabana / Bay Area Blitz)

Joe Thornton is roughed up in front of Stars' goaltender Marty Turco

(Steven Cabana / Bay Area Sports)

Jay Donde / Bay Area Blitz 

For much of their game against the Dallas Stars last night, the San Jose Sharks answered their critics; they played like the more desperate team. Unfortunately, it wasn't the desperation of feel-good, David vs. Goliath sports films; it was the desperation of a team being out-passed, out-skated and out-played.

Up until the third period, it seemed as if the Sharks had the game in hand. With a 2-1 lead, they were poised to defeat a Stars team that had lost 18 of the 26 regular season games in which it trailed at the end of the second. What the scoreboard didn't show, however, was that the Sharks had benefited from four power plays during the first two periods, three of which came in the first 10 minutes of the game, and had only scored during one.

The Sharks' first goal came at the end of their third power play, 10:13 into the game, when defenseman Craig Rivet took a shot from the Stars' blue line into traffic and center Joe Pavelski chipped it in.

The Stars answered less than six minutes later when a shot by Brenden Morrow jumped out of Nabokov's glove and landed next Stars center Mike Ribeiro behind the net. Nabokov stretched to block the net, but Ribeiro's lucky puck hit Nabokov's skate and, incredibly, was deflected backwards to put the Stars on the board.

"[We had trouble] against the Ribeiro line," said Sharks coach Ron Wilson after the game. "They were dangerous just about every shift."

The Sharks didn't get another opportunity to score until 6:08 into the second period when centers Torrey Mitchell and Jeremy Roenick broke off on a two-on-one against Stars defenseman Trevor Daley, but Roenick's shot flew wide of the net. Ten minutes later, Sharks defenseman Brian Campbell – acquired in February from Buffalo in exchange for Steve Bernier and a first-round draft pick – passed the puck up from center ice to left wing Milan Michalek. Michalek slid past Daley, outmaneuvered Stars' goalie Marty Turco and scored.

Things almost immediately went sour for the Sharks as the third period began, however. Pavelski took the puck to the Sharks blue line less than half a minute into the period, then caught an edge and fell right in front of Stars center Brad Richards, whose shot flew past Nabokov's right shoulder into the net.

"We didn't lose the game on that play," Pavelski said later on in the locker room. "It was still a 2-2 hockey game."

But from that point on the momentum was entirely with the Stars. On a Stars power play 4:39 into the third period, Stars defenseman Sergei Zubov – a game-time decision who's missed 33 games since undergoing foot surgery in January – performed an unbelievable pirouette on the left side of the Sharks' net and blind-passed the puck to center Mike Modano who put it in for the goal.
 

"[Zubov's] got three months of rest, not three months of rust," said Stars coach Dave Tippet of the play that put his team ahead. "How many guys can make a pass like that? That's shinny hockey at its finest."

With a little over six minutes left in regulation, Stars center Brad Richards swung around the back of the Sharks' net with the puck and passed it to left wing Niklas Hagman, who scored and brought the Sharks up 4-2. Five minutes late Hagman scored again on a Sharks empty net to put the game out of reach.

"We have to play better third periods," Nabokov said after the game. "Key saves – that's the biggest thing."

The Sharks head to Dallas, where they've consistently played well, this Friday for Games 3 and 4.

Said Sharks captain Patrick Marleau after the game, "We'll try to limit our mistakes. Having past success [in Dallas], it helps going in."

Gallery 1 (Sharks v. Stars Game 1)

San Jose Sharks Douglass Murray collides with Dallas Stars Jere Lehtinen 

during the first period in Game of their Western conference semifinal hockey game in San Jose.

(Steven Cabana / Bay Area Blitz)

San Jose Sharks' Mike Grier collides with Dallas Stars defenseman 

Trevor Daley during the first period of Game 1 (Steven Cabana / Bay Area Blitz)

The Sharks' bench along with head coach Ron Wilson watch as their teammates battle for the puck in the first period.

(Steven Cabana / Bay Area Blitz)

Sharks' goalie Evgeni Nabokov makes a save on Dallas Stars Steve Ott 

during the first period in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinal hockey game in San Jose.

(Steven Cabana / Bay Area Blitz)

Sharks' center Joe Thornton drives Dallas Stars' defenseman Trevor Daley into the boards in the first period.

(Steven Cabana / Bay Area Blitz)

Stars shine in San Jose

Sharks' forward Jonathan Cheechoo crashes the net for the tying goal in the 3rd period.

(Steven Cabana / Bay Area Blitz)

The Dallas Stars gather around their captain after their overtime goal in Game 1

(Steven Cabana / Bay Area Sports

Julio Lara / Bay Area Blitz

There would be no actual punches thrown this time around as the San Jose Sharks and the Dallas Stars met up for Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals in San Jose. The Stars did land the first crushing blow of the series with a 3-2 victory last night.

Brendan Marrow’s shot from the right circle four minutes into overtime gave them the first win of the best-of-seven series.
The goal was the second of the night for Morrow, the fifth of his playoffs.

Unfortunately for the Sharks, the game followed a trend set from their first round match-up with Calgary – while San Jose did outshoot the Stars 27-15 in regulation, Dallas went the route of quality over quantity. It was their scoring with so little opportunities that frustrated San Jose head coach Ron Wilson.

“They must have had five good scoring chances,” Wilson said. “From a defensive point of view, I thought we played pretty good.”
Of that there is no denying.

The Sharks came out strong defensively, allowing only two first period shots. They also came as the aggressors, bringing the physical battle to a supposed more physical team.

But Stars goaltender Marty Turco proved to a ball Friday night. While the stat sheet will show that he stopped 25 pucks, the real story is that Turco shut down the Sharks, making some acrobatic saves throughout the night.
There was no mystery to what the Sharks needed to do – when they were able to cause traffic jam in from of Turco’s net, they were successful.

Hence, the first goal of the game – after turning the puck over in their offensively zone, Joe Thorton made a pretty play, gliding in on net and holding on to the puck to the last possible second and found Milan Michalek who shot crawled underneath Turco’s pads and across the line at 4:50 of the second period. The goal was the first of the playoffs for Michalek who was San Jose’s second leading scorer in the regular season, but failed to put up a point in the previous series.

But the Stars responded almost immediately. A hooking penalty later gave the Stars a powerplay and they didn’t waste any time taking advantage. Mike Modano’s shot from the blue line had eyes and found its way to the back of the San Jose net to tie the game at one a piece.

Riding the momentum of the game-tying goal the Stars completely silenced the crowd three minutes later when Morrow struck for his first goal.

Mike Ribiero got the primary assist, this after his wrap-around attempt ricocheted off of Evgeni Nabokov’s left pad right to
Marrow who beat his defenseman to the net and cleaned up for the easy goal.

“We lost the battles,” Wilson said. “When you turn [the puck] over against a great line … it’s going to end up in your net.”

The Sharks seemed flat at times. Wilson labeled it as a form of “resisting” to make a play. As time ticked away, San Jose and their patented crowd appeared to awaken.

The traffic in front of Turco’s net was the key in Jonathan’s Cheechoo’s equalizer who a little over three minutes left in the game.

Tory Mitchell’s shot from the point caused a loose puck that Cheechoo muscled from just inside the crease. The goal wasn’t pretty, but it got the job done.

“For us, it’s a matter of executing,” Cheechoo said. “We have to get more bodies in front of Turco. He’s a good goalie. We can’t allow him to see those shots.”

A late penalty forced the Sharks to play conservatively in the game’s waning minutes instead of using the momentum from the late goal to try and win it.

And in overtime Dallas turned the tables – outshooting the host 3-0. Morrow’s shot from the right circle beat Nabokov to his lower left.

“We have to put it behind us,” Cheechoo said, “and come out ready to play on Sunday.”

Steve's Prediction: First Round Exit

by Steve Kennedy / Bay Area Blitz

The Sharks so very often take a lead in a game during a playoff series, blow that lead, then blow the series as a whole. This is exactly what Sharks’ fans should expect if the Sharks continue their disturbing playoff trend.

Sharks fans seem to be less and less excited for the playoffs as the years go by, and no one can blame them. For some reason their team seems to be content with having a great regular season, and making unremarkable playoff exits.

Last night the Sharks came out of the gate with one of the best starts they've had in their playoff history, scoring three goals in the first 3 1/2 minutes, and chasing Mikka Kipprusoff from the net. Kipprusoff left the ice in a fit of rage, smashing the glass with his stick and throwing it down the hallway that leads to the locker room. You can’t blame the guy. After all, giving up three goals in that short span of time of a playoff game is inexcusable.

However, the Sharks, felt that this lead was enough, started to coast through the game. Their captain was run over multiple times, bloodied and battered and yet they showed no emotion, no fire, and no heart. They allowed the Calgary Flames to walk all over them without any fear of retribution.

Here is a lesson: A three goal lead is not enough to sit back on when you have 55 minutes left, and you are getting repeatedly run over, beaten and bruised in a playoff game. You can’t do that against a playoff game that has a history of knocking you out from the playoffs. Last night’s game was a playoff game that will more than likely decide whether or not the Sharks will make a first round exit.

This is starting to become a disturbing trend in the recent world of Sharks hockey. They manage to show great talent, poise, and determination during the regular season, only to drop off unexpectedly during the playoffs.

In the 03-04 season, the Sharks were tied two games a piece with Calgary in the Western Conference finals, only to completely sputter out in the final two games, only managing one goal. In the 05-06 season, they were up 2 games to the Edmonton Oilers in the second round, only to lose four in a row. The Oilers basically pushed the Sharks around and had their way with them, even shutting them out in the final game of that series. Last season, the Sharks had a 2-1 series lead versus Detroit in the second round, only to lose three in a row and again scored only one goal the final two games.

Evgeni Nabokov said it best himself when he said that the Sharks were playing like boys and the Flames were playing like men. If the Sharks don't start playing like men, we're going to see a first round exit. And if history repeats itself, it will be another completely lackluster exit leaving an even more disappointed Sharks fan base.

Sharks fans will have the opportunity to see if the men or the boys come to play tomorrow night. If it's the latter, at least they have another Pacific Division banner to show for their efforts this season. But there’s no point being the Pride of the Pacific when you can’t even put up a remarkable playoff run.

PHOTO GALLERY 2 (Game 2 vs. Flames)

Recently acquired defenseman Brian Campbell falls to the ice to stop a shot.
(John Remus III / Bay Area Blitz)

Flames' netminder Mikka Kipprusoff gloves down a high shot in the third period
(John Remus III / Bay Area Blitz)

Sharks' mascot, SJ Sharkie, brings out the "Sharks Win" flag
after his team defeated the Flames 2-0 last Thursday
(John Remus III / Bay Area Blitz)

PHOTO GALLERY 1 (Game 2 vs. Flames)

Sharks' defenseman loses his footing in the third period.
(John Remus III / Bay Area Blitz)

Eric Nystrom shoots the puck on net in the first period.
(John Remus III)

Sharks' netminder Evegeni Nabokov makes a save in the third period.
Nabokov finished with a shutout, stopping all 21 shots he faced in the Sharks 2-0 victory last Thursday.
(John Remus III / Bay Area Blitz)

Flames' Eric Nystrom collides with Evgeni Nabokov in the third period.
(John Remus III)

Sharks' forward Jonathan Cheechoo skates the puck out of his zone in the third period.
(John Remus III / Bay Area Blitz)

Sharks even series behind Nabokov's shutout

San Jose Sharks' center Torrey Mitchell (right) throws his arms up in celebration

after scoring the second goal of the night in a 2-0 victory over the Calgary Flames.

(John Remus III / Bay Area Blitz)

Sharks' defenseman Kyle McLaren fights for puck possession against

Flames' center Matthew Lombardi in the second period of Game 2.

(John Remus III / Bay Area Blitz)

The Sharks powerplay unit celebrates as Mitchell's goal gave them

a 2-0 lead midway in the second period.

(John Remus III / Bay Area Blitz)

by Audren Zarrabi / Bay Area Blitz

The Stanley Cup playoffs are sports’ most grueling postseason. What made this postseason series unusual is that it featured back-to-back night games. During the regular season the Sharks posted a record of 11-4, and the Flames a 9-3 record on the second night of back to backs respectively. Thursday night’s game turned into a test for the hometown Sharks who were looking to even the series with the Calgary Flames at one game a piece.

One night after quieting a ruckus crowd at HP Pavilion in San Jose with a 3-2 victory, the Flames came into Thursday’s game looking to make another statement. Already stealing home ice advantage away from the Sharks, the Flames looked to take a commanding 2-0 lead in their best of seven series with the Sharks and head back home to Alberta, Canada with their heads held high.

The games first period featured stellar defensive plays from both teams, particularly Sharks’ goaltender Evgeni Nabokov. During one sequence, the Flames carried possession of the puck into the Sharks defensive zone, Flames defenseman Cory Sarich pinched down from the blue line and charged the net. A nifty pass from defenseman David Moss saw Sarich with a wide open net to the glove hand side of Nabokov, however Nabokov slid over to his left and denied Sarich the goal.

“It’s actually fun to watch both of these goalies work against each other,” said Sharks’ head coach Ron Wilson. “I’m sure Warren Strelow is upstairs watching with a big smile on his face at this kind of exhibition in goaltending.”

Strelow was a long time goaltender coach in the league who passed away last spring. Both Nabokov and Kiprusoff were under Strelow’s tutelage in San Jose.

Both teams went scoreless in the first period, with the Flames posting 10 shots on goal to the Sharks’ 8.

With the start of the second period, it was evident that both teams wanted to step up the physicality of the game. Flames defenseman Dion Phaneuf looked to push around his weight, especially when the Sharks’ sure handed center Joe Thornton was on the Ice. Equally, the Sharks’ defensive tank Douglas Murray, who also is known for his big hits, was matched up with the Flames’ superstar captain Jarome Iginla.

The Sharks managed to get the puck into the net after 4:56 into the second period. Sharks blue liner Marc-Edouard Vlasic slapped a shot from the point that ricocheted off the end boards and in front of the net. Joe Pavelski of the Sharks was able to shoot the puck past Flames goaltender Mikka Kiprusoff, scoring his first goal of the postseason and putting his team up 1-0 in the game. The assists went to Vlasic and Sharks’ captain Patrick Marleau.

The second period saw the Flames take seven minor penalties. With two men already in the box, Calgary defenseman Jim Vandermeer was called for slashing Thornton. With a full two-man advantage, the Flames’ penalty killers, and Kiprusoff dug down deep and killed off the first part of the two man advantage, proving the old hockey adage that your best penalty killer is your goalie.

Finally the Sharks were able to add an insurance marker and make the score 2-0 with nearly two minutes left in the second period during the final seconds of Vandermeer’s penalty. The Sharks finally capitalized on their power play chances, and saw rookie forward Torrey Mitchell score his first playoff goal, assisted by forward Milan Michalek and defenseman Craig Rivet.

During the second period, the Sharks outshot the Flames 27 to 3, setting a franchise record for most shots in a single postseason period.

“I thought we were pushing the pace and forcing them into taking some penalties,” said Wilson. “It took a little while to wear down Kipper but we eventually got to him.”

The highlight of the night came from Nabokov, as once again he made a glove save that trounced the one he made in the first period. Not only did this save appear more outstanding, but it came against Flames rugged winger and former Sharks’ captain Owen Nolan. After receiving a pass of the right slot, Nolan had the entire left side of net open to bury the puck, but once again Nabokov’s glove was in the right position to make the save.

Nabokov’s save of the game came with 4:51 left to play in the third period. Had that shot gone in, the Flames would have had plenty of the time to get the potential tying goal and be a greater thorn in the side of the Sharks.

Wilson didn’t forget to sing the praised of his own goaltender.

“We know how good Nabby is and I think he’s deserving of the Vezina trophy,” said Wilson. “He’s been the best goalie this year, and I think a night like tonight shows why we think so highly of him.”

The Flames continued getting called for penalties, being cited for four more infractions in the third period and had a total of 12 penalties for the game.

During the postgame interview, Calgary head coach Mike Keenan was asked about the number of penalties called against his club.

“I’ll share those thoughts with the league, and with the supervisor of officials,” Keenan said. After the second period had expired, Keenan stayed behind the bench and was seen jawing with officials about the number of penalties called against his team.

Although the Sharks failed to score with the man advantage in the third period, their effort to draw the last penalty won them the game.

With 17:29 gone by in the third period, Sarich cross-checked Sharks forward Ryane Clowe. Sarich’s penalty negated any possibility of the Flames making a two goal come back because the Flames would’ve had only 31 seconds to score two goals once Sarichs’ penalty had expired.
The Sharks were contempt effectively playing keep away with the puck on their final man advantage, eating away the clock, securing their victory, and sending the series to Calgary for games three and four tied at one game a piece.

PHOTO GALLERY 2 (Game 1 vs. Calgary Flames)

Evgeni Nabokov stops Alex Tanguay in the second period. Nabokov allowed 3 goals on 23 attempted shots
(Steven Cabana / Bay Area Blitz)

Former Sharks' captain Owen Nolan tries to evade Joe Thornton's poke check in the third period.
(Steven Cabana / Bay Area Blitz)

Owen Nolan steamrolls Sharks' center Joe Pavelski in the third period.
(Steven Cabana / Bay Area Blitz)

The Flames swarm Kipprusoff at the end of regulation.
He stopped 37 shots in last night's 3-2 Flames' victory.
(Steven Cabana / Bay Area Blitz)

PHOTO GALLERY 1 (Game 1 vs. Calgary Flames)

Dion Phaneuf gives the Calgary Flames the early 1-0 lead in the first period
(Steven Cabana / Bay Area Blitz)

Miikka Kiprusoff denies Sharks' center Joe Pavelski wraparound attempt.
(Steven Cabana / Bay Area Blitz)

Ryan Clowe attempts to jab at a loose puck.
Clowe ended up with both of the Sharks' goal in last nights 3-2 loss.
(Steven Cabana / Bay Area Blitz)

Kipprusoff lets Clowe know not to venture in his crease in the second period
(Steven Cabana / Bay Area Blitz)

Patrick Rissmiller and Stephane Yelle collide in the second period.
Yelle had 2 goals for Calgary

(Steven Cabana / Bay Area Blitz)