Playoff Notes [Patrick Roy edition]- Keys for SJ: Hammer Forsberg and Sakic each time they touch the puck, use an agressive forecheck to punish Foote and Blake, and utilize the speed of Selanne, Sturm, & Marleau to gain the zone and set up an effective PP.
- Keys for COL: Keep the net clear in front of Roy, keep Nolan/Selanne and the Sharks PP off the score sheet, play disciplined 5-5 [no smash-mouth hockey], take advantage of SJ penalties.
- [Q from Chris] I expected to see more rabid Sharks [anti-Colorado] froth dripping from your site.
[A] Both teams are equally froth-worthy. The Sharkspage editorial staff of one will try to remain objective about the upcoming series, unlike SI's David Fleming.
- Patrick Roy: NHL playoffs all-time goaltending leader in games played, shutouts, and wins, 3 time Conn Smythe trophy winner, 1.87 GAA vs LA in the first round.
Sharks win game 5, series
Marleau scores a goal, a helper, and Nabokov makes 22 saves to send the Coyotes back to Phoenix .
With the 4 - 1 victory, San Jose can sit back and wait to see who they will face in Round 2.
[Game 1 pictures]
SJ vs Phoenix playoff notes II- More important than a career-best 26 goal season is Scott Thornton's ability to park in front of goalies during the playoffs.
- While many fans complain about the lack of local Sharks coverage, I am checking out Catherine Frazier at hockeycorp.com. Hockeycorp is an interesting online venture majority owned by 150 NHL players.
Read two of her latest columns: Sharks Regroup For Trip To The Desert and Sharks Look For Long Playoff Run.
- Phoenix is in a must-win playoff situation for Game 5, time for playoff hockey.
- Mild props to myself for this Sporting News column.
- More playoff notes here.
Hockey a cult?
From Glenn Dickey in today's Chronicle:
"As a rule of thumb, in sports, the more enthusiastic the fans, the smaller the audience... hockey is a cult, not a sport."
The Sharks do not have a larger following because Bay Area youth do not grow up playing hockey. In addition, televised broadcasts do a poor job at best of capturing the excitement of the game.
The solution, put an outdoor roller hockey rink across from the Compaq Center in the city-owned park, organize a few youth teams, and consider inviting a few local cinematographers and directors to take a stab at filming a game.
You grow the fan base from the ground up, give downtown San Jose a little more identity, and you get a few new ideas on how to increase television ratings [glowing puck bad].
The good, the bad, and the goalies
Evgeni Nabokov
[gm1] 22 shots, 21 saves
[gm2] 23 shots, 20 saves, 1 PP goal
[gm3] 36 shots, 35 saves
[gm4] 30 shots, 29 saves
"We have to find a fine line" Evgeni Nabokov said after a Game 2 loss. "We don't want to play up and down. We want to play all 60 minutes."
Sean Burke
[gm1] 27 shots, 25 saves, 1 PP goal
[gm2] 28 shots, 27 saves
[gm3] 35 shots, 31 saves
[gm4] 24 shots, 22 saves, 1 PP goal
"I think Teppo Numminen in the lineup made a difference. With him back, other guys didn't need to play as many minutes" according to Phoenix goalie Sean Burke.
"That was where our composure came from, having him back in the lineup."
[Ask Sean a question]
Sharks bite Coyotes 2-1 
A non-stoppage of play in the Phoenix zone led to a critical Vincent Damphousse goal in the 1st period.
Several of the Coyotes stopped after Owen Nolan fell on the puck and the arena music started blaring.
Damphousse re-gained possession, passed it to the point, and then converted on a tap-in from the opposite side of the net.
Sharks playoff ticketsTickets for the first two games of the 2002 Stanley Cup Playoffs to be played at Compaq Center at San Jose (Games "A" and "B") will go on sale to the general public on Monday, April 15th at 10 AM.
Due to the limited number of tickets, individuals will be allowed to purchase a TOTAL of two tickets - two tickets to one game or one ticket to two games.
Tickets are available at the, Compaq ticket center office, all Ticketmaster ticket centers (including select Rite Aid and Wherehouse locations, Tower Records and Ritmo Latino stores), charge by phone at 408/998-TIXS & 415/421-TIXS and online at www.ticketmaster.com.
For the April 15th ticket sale, the Compaq Center Ticket Office will be utilizing the pre-numbered wristband system for all purchases. Wristbands will be handed out from 8-9 a.m. The drawing to determine the numbered wristband which becomes "first" in line will take place at 9:30 a.m.
Game 1 [A], Wednesday, April 17, 7:00 p.m. @ SJ
Game 2 [B], Saturday, April 20, Noon @ SJ
[Official press release]
Player Profile: Jeff Jillson
A brief look at Jeff Jillson, the Sharks 7th defenseman:
- #1 rookie d-man in scoring
- 44 GP, 5 goals, 12 assists
- GW goal March 7 vs. Ottawa
- GW goal Nov. 3 vs. Vancouver
- 3 PP goals, 11 PP assists
- 9 takeaways, 35 giveaways
2002 USA Tier II, 17 & under championshipsThe Tier II 17 & under championships continue this weekend at Logitech Ice in San Jose.
The Finals will be held Sunday at 11:30 AM.
Shark notes- The Frozen Four semi-finals start Thursday, April 4. Michigan, Minnesota, Maine, and New Hampshire will compete for the NCAA Men�s Ice Hockey Championship.
- Sharks prospects Jim Fahey and Doug Murray did not make it to the final selection round for the Hobey Baker award.
- Who is the Sharks go-to guy? Evgeni Nabokov, hands down.
- SJ post-game reaction to dropping 10 goals on the Blue Jackets, from KNTV channel 11.
- Now that Detroit has clinched home-ice advantage, Yzerman, Lidstrom, Hasek, and Larionov get a spring break pass from Scotty Bowman.
- The FoxNews legal "expert" that was clamoring for a lawsuit against the NHL should be ashamed of himself. He should realize Gordon Gekko was a fictional character, and that greed is actually bad.
- GM Dean Lombardi to the Rangers?
