Sharkspage

Pre-3rd overtime update, Pre-4th overtime update, Post-game notes on the Stars 4OT win in Game 6 to advance

noreply@blogger.com (PJ Swenson) — Mon, 05 May 2008 05:14:00 +0000

Incredible game. A few notes prior to the start of the third overtime:

Milan Michalek is out after a hard hit by Stars captain Brenden Morrow checked him to the ice on the last play of the third period, Curtis Brown was not on the ice for the second overtime and possibly not on the ice for much of the first overtime, Sharks playing with 10 forwards, Time on Ice shift chart for the game in progress, NHL real-time game summary.

Evgeni Nabokov's 1st OT glove save on Brad Richards is yet another example that he is big game playoff goaltender, Nabokov 42 saves on 43 shots after 5 periods, Marty Turco 52 saves on 53 shots, referees are not going to call any penalties from this point forward, Stars captain Brenden Morrow fireman's carried someone to the ice at the Sharks blueline about 8 feet in front of the referee, no call. Hits 73-46 in favor of Dallas after 5 periods. Milan Michalek leads San Jose with 5 hits, Brenden Morrow leads the Dallas Stars with 16 hits.

Both Dallas media blogs are offering twitter-like real time updates. Richard Durrett is manning the Dallas Morning News Stars blog, noting Ribeiro's ice time (41:51), Morrow's number of hits (16), and that it is now Monday in Dallas. Tracey Myers is manning the Fort Worth Star Telegram's Five for Fighting blog, noting Ribeiro's missed scoring chances, and goals by Clowe and Miettinen. Knee Jerk City is also liveblogging Game 6. Not sure what the record is for the longest playoff liveblog, but this game has to be nearing that mark if it does not have it already.

Pre-4th OT update:

This is the longest all-time playoff game for the San Jose Sharks franchise. The previous longest contest was a 3OT game against Edmonton in game 3 of the WCSF May 5th, 2006. According to Richard Durrett, this is the third longest Dallas Stars game, an April 11, 2007 game against Vancouver went into the fourth overtime (Canucks won 5-4), and there was a 5 OT game against Anaheim in 2003 (Ducks won 4-3). This game also featured the most total shots in a Sharks game (110), and the most shots ever taken by a Sharks team in franchise history (61).

Curtis Brown skated in the third OT with Thornton-Cheechoo, and Clowe-Grier. Sharks rookie center Torrey Mitchell had a clean 2-on-1 breakaway halfway through the third overtime. Mitchell moved it to Clowe, who returned the puck back to Mitchell. Torrey chipped the puck off the ice, and an out of position Turco threw his arm behind his body to block the puck, and then trapped it to the ice. Spectacular save, this is an incredible goaltender's duel as both are putting their stamp on this series in game 6. Modano and Daley break into the Sharks zone. Modano showed a burst of speed that looks like he was shot out of a cannon, and it resulted in a scoring chance in front. "No tomorrow for the Sharks" - San Jose radio broadcaster Dan Rusanowsky in the third OT.

Dallas defenseman Nicklas Grossman took a hooking penalty 3 minutes into period number 6. Shock of shocks. I would have lost the house betting on the referees burying their whistles for the duration. Quick flip to NHL on the Fly Final, this has to be the first time all year they are talking about a Sharks game while it is still in progress. Versus is blacked in the Bay Area with the game on Comcast.

Game Winning goal by Brenden Morrow on the power play at 9:03 of the 4th overtime, assists by Robidas and Ribeiro. Morrow finished with 51 minutes of ice time, 7 shots, 19 hits, and the game winning goal in the 4th OT. Dallas Stars goaltender Marty Turco finished with 61 saves on 62 shots to advance to the Western Conference Finals against Detroit. San Jose Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov finished with 53 saves on 55 shots. During post-game handshakes two of the greatest U.S. born players of all-time, Jeremy Roenick and Mike Modano, embraced for an extended moment. Marty Turco and Evgeni Nabokov also had several words with each other. On the way off the ice, a number of Dallas Stars fans and a security guard shook Roenick's hand.

Dallas is going to have to go through Anaheim, San Jose and Detroit just to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. Winning a very tight series against the Sharks without defenseman Brian Boucher, and with Sergei Zubov at less than 100%, the Stars deserve credit for getting the job done with an entire team effort. San Jose battled back in this series, and soon I will post a game recap and a season ending series of notes on the Sharks season. Detroit will be a prohibitive favorite against Dallas by many of the "experts", but if Dallas can play as disciplined and as physical (especially against the Detroit defense that had monstrous injury problems of their own this season), they will make the Western Conference Finals a series.

For a mini-scouting report on the Red Wings, take a look at this January post. Also, that was one of the best photo galleries I have posted all season. Hasek-Turco would be light years more entertaining than Osgood-Turco, they might have to create a new statistical category: MSLR - minutes spent lobbying refs.

[Update] James Mirtle posts the 10 longest overtime games in NHL playoff history:

1. 3/24/36 DET 1, MAR 0 Mud Bruneteau 116:30:00
2. 04/03/33 TOR 1, BOS 0 Ken Doraty 104:46:00
3. 05/04/00 PHI 2, PIT 1 Keith Primeau 92:01:00
4. 4/24/03 ANA 4, DAL 3 Petr Sykora 80:48:00
5. 4/24/96 PIT 3, WAS 2 Petr Nedved 79:15:00
6. 04/11/07 VAN 5, DAL 4 Henrik Sedin 78:06:00
7. 3/23/43 TOR 3, DET 2 Jack MacLean 70:18:00
8. 05/04/08 DAL 2, SJ 1 Brendan Morrow 69:03:00
9. 3/28/30 MTL 2, NYR 1 Gus Rivers 68:52:00
10. 4/18/87 NYI 3, WSH 2 Pat LaFontaine 68:47:00

[Update2] Just an FYI, select posts and photos from Sharkspage will be posted on The Hockey News blog section. There is a permanent link to The Hockey News and the blog section on the right NHL sidebar.

[Update3] Updated the Sharks playoff history page. Overall Playoff Record: 57-62. Overall Playoff Series Record: 9-11.

[Update4] Season Ends In Fourth OT - SJsharks.com.

Facing elimination for the third straight game, the San Jose Sharks looked to force a decisive Game Seven in their Western Conference Semifinal series against the Dallas Stars, but in a cruel twist of fate, they would play the equivalent of a sixth and seventh game, but lose 2-1 in quadruple overtime.

[Update5] More game notes from Alanah at Kukla's Korner:

- Tonight's game officially lasted 5 hours and 14 minutes, beginning at 8:10 pm and ending at 1:24 am. (CST)

- Marty Turco made a franchise-record 61 saves in the game tonight, stopping 61-of-62 shots.

- Dallas had 55 shots on goal. The franchise record is 76 at Vancouver in Game One of their first round series against the Canucks last year.

- The 62 shots against is a Stars opponent record for shots in a playoff game. (was 56 by Vancouver last season).

- Dallas has won four of its last five overtime games in the playoffs. Brenden Morrow has scored the game-winner in three of them (Mattias Norstrom had the other).

- The attendance for Sunday’s game was 18,532, Dallas’ 26th sellout of the season and 12th consecutive sellout (including the last six regular season games). The club has also sold-out 17 of the past 18 home dates.

[Update6] Stars 2, Sharks 1, 4OT - Dallasstars.com.

Captain Brenden Morrow scored 9:03 into the fourth overtime, and Marty Turco made a career-high 61 saves to send the Stars to the Western Conference finals with a dramatic 2-1 win over San Jose in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals on Sunday night at American Airlines Center. Dallas took the best-of-seven series 4-2 to advance to the conference finals for the first time since 2000.

A photo gallery from the Dallas Stars is available here.

[Update7] Brenden Morrow scores in 4th OT, Stars beat Sharks to clinch series - Canadian Press via TSN.

[Update8] Much more is up, including video interviews, photos, and notes, on sjsharks.com.

Elvis Lives, He wears #8 for the San Jose Sharks, and he sent the WCSF series back to Dallas for Game 6

noreply@blogger.com (PJ Swenson) — Sat, 03 May 2008 14:43:00 +0000

THE SHARKS CELEBRATE JOE PAVELSKI'S OT GAME WINNING GOAL

#9 MILAN MICHALEK, #56 SERGEI ZUBOV CRASH INTO #35 MARTY TURCO

#10 BRENDEN MORROW, #63 MIKE RIBEIRO REACT TO A DISALLOWED GOAL

Jimmy Hoffa, the Chupacabra, Al Capone's hidden vault, like the San Jose Sharks playoff hopes after Joe Pavelski's game winning goal 65 seconds into overtime on Friday, now is the time to believe. Granted, this has been a tumultous second season for the reigning Pacific Division champions. There were no game-to-game momentum swings in the Sharks opening series win over the Calgary Flames, more like seven playoff game 1's. After dropping 3 games to Dallas in the Western Conference Semifinals, the Sharks earned back-to-back wins to send the series back to Dallas with an option to tie.

Dallas stormed out of the gates in the first two periods, led by of course team captain Brenden Morrow. After tic-tac-toe passing by Modano, Zubov and Lehtinen resulted in the Stars first goal on the power play in the second period, Morrow appeared to add to that total at 15:31. Almost before the puck was in the back of the net, the referee was skating towards the scorer's table with the play under video review. Matt Carle tried to check Morrow as he was making a b-line for the crease, but Morrow arrived and planted one foot into the right leg pad of Evgeni Nabokov before the puck arrived on the play. The puck did deflect off Morrow's back skate and into the crease, but the correct call should have interference on Morrow not just a disallowed goal. Morrow prevented Nabokov from making the play before the puck was in the crease.

Three and a half minutes later, Morrow added a second goal for the Dallas Stars sans video review. Antti Miettinen hit Brad Richards with a long pass up ice through the neutral zone, and Richards spun and found Miettinen cocked and loaded in the slot. Miettinen's shot was blocked through traffic, but he gathered his own rebound and fed Brad Richards for a point blank chance on the doorstep. Evgeni Nabokov deflected the play wide to his right, but Miettinen had position on 4 Sharks who were focused on the puck. Morrow snapped a shot home from a sharp angle with Miettinen in front, and then glared at the referee. Allowing an even strength goal with 55.3 seconds left in the period briefly sucked the life out of HP Pavilion. Later in the game, Morrow had another goal disallowed on the power play after he tried to toss the puck to his stick only to have it cross the goal line first.

Cue the third period, Patrick Marleau explodes up ice after receiving a breakout pass from his own zone. Marleau splits the defense before they can turn to face him. Marleau makes a move to his right, but Turco dives out of his crease with an extended poke check to cut down the time he had to make a play. After the initial save, the Stars D clear the puck under pressure to prevent a second scoring chance with their goalie far out of position.

The noise level in the third period was loud. San Jose head coach Ron Wilson actually took a shot at the fans after the game for booing their own team when they turned back with possession to get a better breakout opportunity, but the fans played an important part in the third period comeback. Jonathan Cheechoo gets the puck deep, and Joe Thornton digs the puck out from behind the net, spins, and finds Milan Michalek driving the net with his stick on the ice. Goal Michalek, and HP Pavilion is possibly the loudest it has been all season. What was different about Friday night, the noise level and intensity from the fans never died down the remainder of the period. The Sharks pressed the action, and Jeremey Roenick found Brian Campbell accelerating through the neutral zone and rifled a hard tape-to-tape pass. Campbell crosses the blue line, cuts to his left, and rings the game tying goal off the crossbar at 11:07. Fans explode. Ron Wilson does have a point about booing a team on home ice too quickly, at times during the regular season it caused the Sharks to try to force a play that wasn't there. There is so much energy inside the building, it really calls for the need of an organist to channel that into more of an anti-Morrow, anti-Stars, or anti-Belfour direction.

Overtime has not been kind to the Sharks in this Western Conference Semifinal series, Brenden Morrow scored the game winner 4:39 into OT in game 1, and Mattias Norstrom scored off a deflection on Jeremy Roenick's stick to earn the decision in game 3. The Sharks tried to "push the pace" against Dallas in the extra period according to center Joe Pavelski. After getting the puck deep, Antti Miettinen can not clear it out along the wall. Christian Ehrhoff pinches in and passes to Pavelski, who turns and takes the puck directly to the slot. Zubov tried to weakly check Marleau in front, Miettinen dives to the ice to try to get back into the play, and defenseman Nicklas Grossman is caught too far out of position to make a move on Pavelski or to drop down and block a shot. Pavelski holds on to the puck, and then lifts a shot over the shoulder of Turco to send the series back to Dallas. The entire Sharks team converge en masse on Pavelski in the corner.

A photo gallery from the game is available here. Video highlights are available via Versus or Youtube.

[Update] ESPN'S Barry Melrose said last night the San Jose having the most pressure of any team facing elimination in the Semifinals, that the coaches and the players feel pressure after past playoff early departures, and he breaks down Joe Pavelski's game winning overtime goal against Dallas in Game 5.

[Update2] Little Joe. Big goal. San jose shows some grit in comeback against Dallas - SJ Mercury News.

There was desperation, but between the end of the third period and the start of overtime, there also was a plan: Push the pace.

More from the Merc's Mark Emmons, Mark Purdy, and Ann Killion.

[Update3] Twice bitten: Dallas Stars lose 2-0 lead in 3-2 overtime loss - Dallas Morning News.

[Update4] That's the breaks: Sharks stay alive against Stars in OT - Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The Dallas Stars have talked about earning breaks, making breaks, capitalizing on breaks.But on Friday night, an awful break went against the Stars. And despite a two-goal lead, the Stars couldn’t hold off the Sharks.

The Stars were denied a goal in the second period, and the Sharks came back with three unanswered goals to claim a 3-2 victory over the Stars in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals at HP Pavilion on Friday night. The series, which the Stars still lead 3-2, goes back to Dallas for Game 6 on Sunday night.

Scenes from Game 5

noreply@blogger.com (PJ Swenson) — Sat, 03 May 2008 14:30:00 +0000

IT WAS A HARD HAT AND LUNCH PAIL TYPE OF GAME 5

SHARKS FAN CHEERING JOE PAVELSKI AFTER HIS OVERTIME GAME WINNER

FAN SIGN 'HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT'

SAN JOSE FANS WAVE RALLY TOWELS AT THE START OF THE GAME

Sharks battle early but game 3 slips away with third period and overtime Dallas goals, Stars win 2-1 in OT to take 3-0 series lead

noreply@blogger.com (PJ Swenson) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:40:00 +0000

Dallas earned their second overtime win in 3 games as a Mattias Norstrom point shot deflected off of Jeremy Roenick's stick and into the net to give the Stars a 2-1 OT win. Dallas holds a 3-0 WCSF series lead over the San Jose Sharks. Defenseman Sergei Zubov tied the game at 1-1 early in the third period on a 5-on-3 power play point shot that deflected off traffic and beat goaltender Evgeni Nabokov far side. Brenden Morrow provided a screen in front of Nabokov on the play. Dallas was unable to convert a third period Nicklas Hagman penalty shot, awarded after defenseman Christian Ehrhoff hooked Hagman to the ice on a breakaway.

The Sharks opened the scoring on a short handed goal by captain Patrick Marleau 19:25 into the first period. Sergei Zubov missed Jere Lehtinen with a pass, and Marleau jumped on the loose rebound in the neutral zone. After a quick acceleration, Marleau snapped a shot that beat Marty Turco up high. An earlier goal by Marleau was waved off after an early whistle by referee Don VanMassenhoven. Joe Thornton drove the net hard, and tried to stuff the puck passed Turco. Turco could not control the rebound, and Marleau came in and punched the puck home as the whistle was being blown. The referee was behind the net on the play. The Sharks also had a near miss scoring opportunity in the second period as a snap shot by Devin Setoguchi deflected off Turco and trickled an inch wide of the left post.

Marty Turco made 19 saves on 20 shots to give the Dallas Stars a 3-0 series lead. Evgeni Nabokov made 27 saves on 29 shots. The Sharks finished 0-3 on the power play, Dallas finished 0-2 with a 5-on-4 advantage, and 1-1 with a 5-on-3 advantage. Dallas captain Brenden Morrow, with 25:56 of ice time, 2 blocked shots, and 11 hits, was named the first star of the game.

[Update] Sharks on brink after OT loss - San Jose Mercury News.

It came down to this: Forward Jeremy Roenick sprawling on the ice to block an overtime shot, the puck clipping his stick, then floating into the net over Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov's left shoulder. Game over. And, with one more loss, season over. The Sharks fell to 0-3 in their Western Conference semifinal series with the Dallas Stars. Not exactly where a team that considered itself a serious Stanley Cup contender expected to be at this point.

[Update2] After Game 3 win, Dallas Stars have sweep dreams - Dallas Morning News.

Interview with Offwing.com's Eric McErlain and Offwing Photographer Allen Clark

noreply@blogger.com (PJ Swenson) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:38:00 +0000

WASHINGTON CAPITALS VS OTTAWA SENATORS - PHOTO ALLEN CLARK

WASHINGTON CAPITALS GOAL CELEBRATION - PHOTO ALLEN CLARK

Offwing Opinion creator, AOL Fanhouse lead NHL blogger, and Sporting News columnist Eric McErlain answered a few questions about the state of the Washington Capitals rebuilding plan, whether forward Alexander Ovechkin is the most entertaining player in the league, hockey blogs in Washington and the result of the new media push by Capitals owner Ted Leonsis.

[Q] What does this playoff run mean for the Capitals rebuilding effort, and what can fans expect of this team next season?

[EM] At the start of the season Caps owner Ted Leonsis said that the rebuild was over and he meant it. Come around Thanksgiving, there were plenty of understandable doubters, but then new head coach Bruce Boudreau came on board and authored one of the greatest in-season turnarounds in NHL history. As to next season, I think Leonsis and General Manager George McPhee expect this team to qualify for the playoffs for many years to come, with the next goal winning a playoff series -- which in this case will be the first since 1998.

[Q] Watching Ovechkin day in and day out, is he hands down the most entertaining player in the league? What contributes to his success on and off the ice, and do you have a story or two from the regular season or the playoffs that expands on that?

[EM] If he isn't the most exciting and entertaining player in the league this season, I really don't know who else might be. He's really just the complete package when it comes to a hockey player: He's incredibly talented, driven and plays the game with absolute passion. Best of all, he holds himself accountable for his own play and never takes a shift off.

There are almost too many stories from this season: How about the four goals in the OT win against Montreal? Or the shot that looked like it was taken from a golf tee that beat Cam Ward in the last week of the season? Then there's the game-winning goal in Game One of the series against the Flyers where he ripped the puck off of Kukkonen's stick and put it past Biron?

[Q] With the amount of regular season travel, and with a team possibly having to come out of Dallas, Anaheim, Detroit, SJ, Calgary and Minnesota, is the West at a disadvantage for the Stanley Cup Finals?

[EM] Considering that the furthest West the Caps traveled this season was St. Louis, I can't help but think that the current schedule format makes for easier living for Eastern Conference teams. [Q] How many of the Capitals blogosphere did you get to meet while covering games, or while in the stands this season?

[EM] Between games and other get togethers, I've met plenty of folks, in fact, way too many to remember. The fact is that the team made a decision to reach out to local bloggers and it's working great. In Washington to understand what's going on with the team you really must read Japers' Rink, On Frozen Blog and the Peerless Prognosticator. Here's something that's hard to admit: There are so many Caps blogs out there now, I simply don't have time to read them all.

[Q] What impact has owner Ted Leonsis had on the NHL and the fan base in Washington with regards to innovation, adoption of new media, and a genuine passion emanating from the owners box?

[EM] You can't say enough about what Ted Leonsis has done for blogging locally. From the start, I always said that his reaching out to bloggers was just a natural extension of the way he does business. He's said that there will always be room for bloggers in his press box, and come playoff time when the place was packed he kept his promise, and that included finding a place for the Off Wing Photographers during the playoffs too.

Considering that the Caps already treat bloggers like any other members of the media, there really isn't anything else to do in that area. And the only suggestion I would deign to make would be to please keep it up and spread the word to other NHL and major league sports franchises.

Offwing Opinion photographer and Offwingphoto.com blogger Allen Clark answered a few questions about the logistics of shooting NHL hockey for a blog in Washington, which other local sports he has been able to cover, what equipment and techniques he uses to shoot hockey, and which photographers have helped him while shooting this season.

[Q] What equipment do you use to shoot for offwing.com and offwingphoto.com? And where can readers find more of the photography from the offwing photographers?

I use Nikon, of the two others one shoots Nikon also and the other Cannon. I have a Nikon D200 as my primary with an old D70 as a backup. Typically I will bring both down to the ice. On the D200 I put on my 70-200 2.8 Nikon lens, this is my primary set-up for nearly anything.

On my D70 I will then put a wild angle lens (11-18, 4-5.6). This is just a fun different thing to do. When the players get near my hole I can stick that lens through the hole and get a different perspective. Honestly, 90% of the stuff is horrible, but that leaves me with 10% of cool stuff that you don't often see elsewhere.

Nearly all of our photos of course show up on www.offwing.com, which was started by Eric McErlain. Last year we started making a concerted effort to expand our coverage to other sports. This led to Eric and I covering the Legg Mason tennis tournament, which is part of the US Open Series. Eric couldn't make it to the early rounds so I was put into the place to do some writing for OffWing. After that Eric urged me to start a blog and some writing, so OffWing Photo was born, a place where we could do more with our photos, experiment a little, and talk about sports photography specifically.

We also use Photoshelter as a way to syndicate photos of the events we cover to our clients. You can also find us on Flickr which is a great place to network with other photographers and people that love the same sports we do.

[Q] What arrangements did you have with the team to shoot this season,. Did they assign any blogs a photo hole, or was there an open policy if there was space available? Did that change for the postseason?

[AC] This is the second year that OffWing has had both editorial and photo credentials. I am fortunate on two accounts, first I followed in the steps of Eric, who worked hard to lay out a plan to credential bloggers. Secondly both Eric and I were lucky that the Cap's owner, Ted Leonsis, is a former AOL exec and hip to blogging.

The Caps treated us with a great deal of respect. In fact they didn't treat us any different than any other photographer. We were there when the Caps were in last place shooting every game and in the end as division champs. Fortunately, I have had a photo hole for every game that I have shot, there have been times when we did not have a hole for a period or two, but for the most part we have been down on the ice.

This didn't change for the post-season, although honestly I would have totally understood. If Sports Illustrated shows up you give them the the hole...but again, we were always treated with respect and I really appreciate it. I would also like to think that we in part earned the respect in the way that we covered the games.

[Q] In addition to the NHL, there were a number of general sports photos posted on offwing. What were a couple of your favorite NHL photos posted this season, and your favorite general sports photos?

[AC] Here are some of the favorites of photos that I took over the past year. Some I like for the straight photo, others I like because of the situation, where I was in the "wrong place," had the "wrong lens," etc. The adversity that I had to overcome forced me shooting the situation in a different/creative way.

NHL Favorites: 1, 2, 3.

General Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

[Q] Did you get a chance to meet other photographers this season, and who were your favorites?

[AC] Over the past year I have been able to meet a lot of great photographers. I have found that the temp of a particular sport determines to what extent you chat with the other photographers. Hockey is tougher because of the speed and that we are spread around the rink, then crashing to post images between periods. Lacrosse is similar in that play is moving so quickly up and down the field.

So far, soccer seems to be the most social. For the most part the photographers are camped out on the ends of the field and there doesn't seem to be the pressure to file photos during the game. Tennis was also a very social sport to shoot.

Mitchell Layton (www.mitchelllayton.com) is a great sports photographer, he is the team photographer for the Washington Nationals, Washington Wizards, and Washington Capitals, he also shoots for Getty and Sports Illustrated. He is a great person and also very open in giving constructive advice. As the Cap's team photographer he assigned holes for games and was very fair, like Eric's experience we were treated just as well as the other credentialed press.

[Q] Is there a tip or two you have learned this season that would help other photographers shoot hockey?

[AC] Over the past couple of years I have learned a few important things for shooting hockey:

- The camera's built in light meter will likely underexpose because of the ice (in the same way it would with snow). Either correct in camera by increasing the exposure more than what the camera reads or in post processing.

- Use custom white balance. This makes the color of your shots very uniform and more pleasing. With a DSLR, this is SO easy, it is something new to learn but it will make a huge difference.

- A friend who shoots belly dancing turned me onto this trick.....use variable ISO. I will turn this setting on and set the uppermost ISO that I will accept for quality purposes. I put the camera on manual mode and set my aperture wide open (I have a 70-200/f 2.8) and the shutter at what ever I need. Voilà a I did this all season and was very happy with the results.

- OK, this last one is a little crazy, I don't know if anyone else does this or not, I haven't heard or read of it anywhere. I shoot without looking through the viewfinder. When I first shot hockey I was missing so many great shots and was unable to track the puck fast enough. So I started looking down the barrel of my lens just over my camera. I kind of lock my upper body and head so that it moves as a unit (no doubt I look silly).

Shooting this way I can use my peripheral vision to anticipate where the action will take place more easily. I have gotten pretty good at this, and also use it when shooting lacrosse. For me the number of keepers went up and the total number of pictures went down.

Thanks very much to Eric and Allen for taking the time to answer a few questions.

The photographers that have stood out this year in San Jose are of course the official team photographers Rocky Widner and Don Smith (Don took a midseason photo of defenseman Douglas Murray checking a forward completely off his feet at center ice that may have been the best of the year), Getty's Christian Petersen, the AP's Tony Avelar, Gary Reyes of the SJ Mercury News, the East Bay's Aric Crabb who does not come down to cover much hockey with the newspaper consolidation, and Rob Galbraith who was at HP Pavilion shooting playoff hockey (hopefully the same R.G.), among many others.

[Update] Ovechkin In Hart Of The MVP Race - National Post.

Hockey Fundamentals: Power Skating

noreply@blogger.com (PJ Swenson) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 07:24:00 +0000

Laura Stamm is an icon in the field of instructional skating. The author of 4 books, Stamm has developed power skating techniques used by amateur and professional hockey players alike. Her teaching system has been used by the Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, the German National team, the Swedish National team, the Finnish Ice Hockey Federation, and numerous individual players.

Originally a competitive figure skater, Stamm later became a figure skating coach at an ice rink also used by the New York Rangers. The Rangers asked Laura Stamm to teach power skating at their summer hockey school. At the request of New York Islanders GM Bill Torrey in 1973, Stamm began working 1-on-1 with Islanders rookie Bob Nystrom. Nystrom became known as one of the hardest working forwards on the team, earning the nickname "Mr. Islander". A pivotal part of the Stanley Cup winning Islanders dynasty from 1980-83, the team later created the Bob Nystrom Award for the player who "who best exemplifies leadership, hustle and dedication". Nystrom has said that without the help of Laura Stamm, he never would have made it to the NHL.

Laura Stamm believes there are three key rules to power skating, that a player must have 100% of his body weight directly above his working skate, that a player must attempt to skate with a 90 degree knee bend, and that the edge of the working skate must always be at a 45 degree angle to the ice. Stamm has also broken down power skating fundamentals into different areas: Balance and Control, Stride, Lateral Mobility, Starts and Stops, Transition, and Agility.

BALANCE AND CONTROL:
According to Laura Stamm skating is fundamentally a one legged activity, and balance on 1 skate is an important factor for power skating. The modern hockey skate blade has an inside and an outside edge seperated by a a crescent-shaped hollow. The depth of this hollow is known as the Radius of Hollow (ROH), and can vary from 1/4" and 1". Balance on the inside edge generates speed and direction, balance on the outside edge is critical for crossovers and maneuverability. Skating backwards maintaining balance is the same as skating forwards, except the weight is placed on the front half of the blade instead of the back half.

STRIDE:
The Laura Stamm power skating system dictates that there are 4 core elements to a powerful stride: windup, release, followthrough, and return/recovery. The windup digs the thrusting skate into the ice at a 45 degree angle, with the body weight centered over the skate, knees bent, and the feet coming together in a V position with each stride. The release transfers the entire body weight to the inside edge of the thrusting skate. The followthrough snaps the hip, thigh, knee, ankle and toe of the thrusting leg into a locked, straightened position providing a strong final push. The recovery returns the free leg to the center of the body for the next push. A powerful arm swings adds rythmn and momentum.

LATERAL MOBILITY:
Forward and backward crossovers are used by hockey players to accelerate on curves, circles and corners, weave, change direction, and move laterally. On the forward crossover the inside skate glides on its outside edge while the outside skate glides on its inside edge. The forward crossover consists of two pushes, one by the outside leg on the inside edge of the blade to maintain the momentum of the stride, and on the second push the outside leg crosses over the front to glide while the inside leg crosses behind to push on the outside edge of the blade. The backward crossover uses a similar two pushes, with the crossover outside skate passing in front of the inner skate.

STARTS/STOPS:
According to Stamm's power skating system aggressive starts contain three elements: quickness, power and distance. The first few strides are taken quickly on the toes, power is developed by pushing off explosively with each skate in the proper direction, and distance comes from the body leaning forward with each stride. Three types of starts can be utilized, the front start, the side or crossover start, and the backwards start. Each start utilizes a specific first step, its own system of pushes for acceleration, and a stance designed to maximize power and efficiency with each stride. Basic stops include the forward snowplow and the t-stop, but the most commonly used stop at the professional levels is the hockey stop. Both skates and the hips are turned 90 degrees from the direction of travel and the players weight is driven into the ice with a deep knee bend.

TRANSITION:
Professional hockey players must be able to change directions quickly, pivot, and instantly turn on a dime. According to Stamm, two-foot turns are the most basic where a player switches his body from facing forward to backward or vice versa with a quick change of direction simultaneously by each skate. The open turn consists of gliding forward on the inside edge of one skate, drawing the free skate in while facing it backwards. The hip is turned, and the lead skate is lifted off the ice while the trailing skate is placed on the ice. Both feet are in a wide V while briefly together on the ice. Forward-to-backward turns, and backward-to-forward turns can be executed more explosively, and each can be used at an angle, on a straight line, or in a circle. Each can utilize an open V or a crossover.

For more information on Laura Stamm's power skating techniques and a list of skating clinics and schools visit laurastamm.com. Also make sure to take a look at her skating tips section. A sample Laura Stamm forward stride analysis video is available on youtube here.

Laura Stamm's Power Skating, a Pro Coach's Secrets, and Power skating the hockey way books are available on Amazon.com.

[Update] Hockey Fundamentals: Goaltending - Sharkspage.com.

[Update2] Interview with San Jose Sharks scout Pat Funk - Max Giese for Sharkspage.com.

Four unanswered goals in third period down Sharks 5-2, San Jose heads to Texas down 2 games to 0

noreply@blogger.com (PJ Swenson) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 16:36:00 +0000

#91 BRAD RICHARDS CAPITALIZES ON A TURNOVER TO TIE THE GAME AT 2-2

#10 BRENDEN MORROW CELEBRATES MODANO'S GW GOAL IN 3RD

#8 JOE PAVELSKI DEFLECTS A GOAL HIGH OVER MARTY TURCO IN THE 1ST

THIS SIGN IN SAN JOSE WILL HAVE MORE MEANING FOR GAME 3

There is a train station next door to HP Pavilion. After each game a number of fans race across West Santa Clara street to catch the last train out of San Jose. After the Dallas Stars scored 4 unanswered third period goals en route to a 5-2 win on Sunday night, the Stars second straight win on San Jose home ice, the Shark train literally and possibly figuratively left the building.

The turning point of game 2 came with the Sharks up 2-1 at the start of the third period. As the Sharks were moving the puck out of their own zone, Dallas center Brad Richards stepped up to center Joe Pavelski at the blueline. Pavelski caught an edge and hit the ice, leaving the former Conn Smythe winning Richards alone in front of Evgeni Nabokov with the puck. Richards uncorked a hard wrist shot to tie the game, igniting a 4-goal onslaught by Dallas in the final 20 minutes of play.

After the game Pavelski mentioned to the media that the turnover was something he would think about, but try to put behind him as quickly as possible. It is something he should not think twice about. Pavelski (4G, 4A, 9GP), tied with Ryane Clowe (4G, 4A, 9GP) and Joe Thornton (2G, 6A, 9GP) for the Sharks playoff scoring lead, has been the most consistent offensive threat for San Jose. Pavelski has two power play goals in the postseason, two game winning goals, and has shown the killer instinct around the net that at times has been lacking from other forwards. The Plover Wisconsin native led the Badgers to their sixth NCAA national championship in 2006, and he has won at every level of hockey he has participated in a la Chris Drury.

Midway through the first period, Pavelski expertly deflected a Craig Rivet point shot high over the shoulder of Marty Turco. It was the Sharks first power play goal, after three consecutive penalties by Grossman (holding the stick), Turco (interference) and Lundqvist (roughing) had the Stars reeling. Marty Turco kept the game from getting out of hand early, getting a shoulder on a Jeremy Roenick deflection and the tip of his leg pad on another point blank shot emanating from a pile of bodies in front of the crease.

On the other side of the ice, Evgeni Nabokov struggled with his most uneven performance of the playoffs. After the Stars kept the puck in the zone late in the first period, a Brenden Morrow point shot ricochetted off of the end boards. Center Mike Ribeiro noticed that Nabokov did not seal the near post after making a save on Richards, and Ribeiro banked a shot off the Sharks goaltender and into the net to tie the game at 1-1. After the bad break led to a Richards game tying goal early in the third period, Nabokov did not look good on goals allowed to Mike Modano (PP) and Niklas Hagman. San Jose Sharks head coach Ron Wilson pulled Nabokov for backup goaltender Brian Boucher with over three minutes remaining, but in the post-game press conference he said that he wanted his team to have a breather without having to take a timeout.

After the game a TSN reporter asked Sharks assistant captain Joe Thornton if the Sharks needed better goaltending from Evgeni Nabokov in order to win this series. Thornton scoffed at the question, said that the team needs to give Nabokov better goal support, and politely excused himself from answering any more questions. It was a similar theme taken later that night by NHL on the Fly's Dave Reid. Reid broke down Nabokov's collision with Ehrhoff and stumble getting across the crease on Brenden Morrow's OT game winner in game 1, broke down his misplay on the Ribeiro goal and the shaky third period in game 2, and noted that Nabokov had the worst save percentage in the playoffs (.883).

It was a similar concern voiced by some in the media when the topic of the Vezina trophy was raised, but it should be noted that the Sharks forwards focus on dropping down to block shots, and the suffocating play by the defense greatly skewed that save percentage number during the regular season. In the playoffs the Sharks often outshot their opposition 2-1, registering 287 shots while facing only 205 shots against. Nabokov faced only 10 in game 4 of the WCQF against Calgary, and only 18 shots in the overtime loss to Dallas in game 1 of the WCSF. To the Sharks coaching staff and the Sharks locker room only one statistic matters, wins and losses.

NHL on the Fly's Dave Reid also broke down the return of Dallas Stars offensive defenseman Sergei Zubov. The 6-foot-1, 220 pound blueliner has missed the last half of the regular season with a foot injury and surgery to repair a sports hernia. He has not played since a January 17th regular season game in San Jose. In Zubov's return, he registered 16:19 of ice time, 2 shots, 1 assist, and 2PIMs. On the fly focused on his slow reaction to a Michalek drive to the net resulting in a first period hooking penalty, another weak stick check by Zubov that Michalek powered through to score the second Sharks goal, an errant pinch leading to a 2-on-1 and a missed point blank opportunity by Torrey Mitchell (a Stu Barnes backcheck bailed out Zubov on the play), and a spin-o-rama assist setting up Mike Modano for the game winning goal on the first Stars power play of the game in the third period. It was a mixed bag performance by Zubov in his return, but he can only be expected to improve with each game.

Marty Turco made 29 saves on 31 shots to earn his second straight road win to open this WCSF series. Evgeni Nabokov made 21 saves on 25 shots, and backup goaltender Brian Boucher did not make a save in 1:19 of reserve duty. The Stars finished 1-3 on the power play, the Sharks finished with 1 power play goal in 4 opportunities. The San Jose Sharks are 9th out of 16 playoff teams in power play percentage (17.9) scoring 7 power play goals on 39 opportunities, and last place in penalty kill percentage (73.3) allowing 8 goals against on 30 power plays. The Stars are 2nd on the power play (12-46) and 6th on the penalty kill (6-33) in the postseason.

A photo gallery from the game is available here. Youtube video highlights from the game are available here.

Post-game press conference transcript, San Jose Sharks head coach Ron Wilson, Dallas Stars head coach Dave Tippett

noreply@blogger.com (PJ Swenson) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:34:00 +0000

SAN JOSE SHARKS HEAD COACH RON WILSON POST-GAME

Post-game press conference comments from San Jose Sharks head coach Ron Wilson:

We are down 2-0. Am I disappointed? Yes.

They got a lucky break. Joe Pavelski lost an edge. They were in a great position, and a great player took advantage of just a bad break. We got a power play and we were doing great. There was a bad call on Christian (Ehrhoff). He got called for holding. I would like to see the hold, but nonetheless they took advantage of that situation as well. From that point on we were playing against a team that shuts down things as well as anybody. We had a tough time generating offense. We had a tough time trying to shut down the Ribeiro line. They were dangerous just about every shift, until the third period when we changed up who was playing against him. Now we just have to look. We have played very well in Dallas all season long. We are down 2-0. We can just relax and push the pace. Simple as that in Dallas, play as a desperate hockey team.

We missed a lot of chances. There's the Torrey Mitchell open net chance, we hit a post on a power play, in the second period there were plenty of missed opportunities, but you have to keep playing on you don't wory about your missed opportunities. We went into that third period with a lead. Again, there is nothing you can do when a guy loses an edge on a play.

It is a combination of two things. When you are playing against some really good hockey players, the Ribeiro line is as good as any in the playoffs right now, you have to be aware of that and keep them on the outside, not turn pucks over, and win little battles down low. We got caught on a couple of poor exchanges between the goal and defense, and when they sense a potential for a turnover they jump on it. If not, they back right off. They took advantage. The first goal they scored, they took advantage of a miscommunication behind the net, and 25-30 seconds later they scored. In the third period, it is kind of difficult to say. Ignore the fourth and the fifth goals, the tying goal is nothing we can do about it. A guy slips and falls, in an almost non-dangerous situation. The other one we got puck focused, and Zubov made an unbelievable pass.

We believe (in our team). That is all that matters. Not what you (the media) believe. We have been counted out a number of times this year, so we'll bounce back. I am confident of that. The record showed it throughout the season, were the best road team in the NHL. Now we have a chance to prove that.

DALLAS STARS HEAD COACH DAVE TIPPETT POST-GAME

Post-game press conference comments from Dallas Stars head coach Dave Tippett:

On the goal in the third period, it is simply a situation where a player lost an edge. Richy is an opportunistic guy that way. It is one thing to get a turnover, but it is what you do with it that makes you really look at it. What he did with it was pretty special.

I look at (Zubov's absence) as three months of rest, not three months of rust. That is what we said after the game. All the guys that have been playing two pass with him after practice to get him in shape, cheers to them tonight.

We happened to mention that pass in the scrum after the game. That is shinny hockey at its finest. But Zuby, that is part of his game. That is pretty special. To find a guy right on his tape, spinning around like that, that is a pretty special play. But we have seen that from Zuby around here for a long time.

The game was pretty tight, we got a break early in the third. I think we started the game pretty well. Then we ended up taking those penalties which really put us on our heels. We clawed ourselves back in, and in the third period we wanted to come out and push the envelope a little bit and we got a break on the early goal. We kept pushing. I thought we pushed right until the end. We needed a strong period to win the game, and our guys came up with that.

There are certain times, you see the way a guy prepares. (Niklas Hagman) has really worked hard at it here the last few days. He was a little bit snake bit in the Anaheim series, so it is good to see him come up and get a couple. That is the kind of team we have to be. We are not going to rely on any one or two guys to do it. There were stretches where I thought the Ribeiro line was the only line we were getting things from, but it was great to see Richards and Hagman put up a little speed, I thought it would be good for them tonight. We were fortunate to get a couple. Haggy got a couple. One on an empty net, but he still got a couple.

We should recognize what happened last series. We came out of there with a 2-0 lead. We knew our opponent was going to play a very strong game. There is no reason not to think they are going to come in (and play the same way). We talk about a desperate team, whatever it is, but we have to go back and make sure we play our best game at home. If we do that, we will have the best chance to win.

Brenden Morrow scores twice in Dallas 3-2 OT win in Game 1, defensive lapses and Stars neutral zone trap a concern for San Jose

noreply@blogger.com (PJ Swenson) — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 15:16:00 +0000

SHARKS AND STARS LINE UP FOR THE U.S. NATIONAL ANTHEM

SAN JOSE SHARKS CENTER #8 JOE PAVELSKI WINS THE OPENING FACEOFF

DALLS STARS CAPTAIN #10 BRENDEN MORROW SPEAKS WITH THE MEDIA

The San Jose Sharks outskated, outshot (27-18), and outhit (31-27) Dallas on Friday night in the first game of the Western Conference Semifinal, but the Stars emerged with a 3-2 overtime win based on a tight defensive game and more intensity in critical situations. Three defensive miscues by the Sharks lead to three Dallas Stars goals, and despite a late push to tie the game in regulation it was too big a deficit to overcome. As with Calgary, the Sharks displayed a vastly different game than the suffocating defensive style that helped them become a dominant team in the second half of the regular season.

San Jose captain Patrick Marleau hopped over a Mike Modano power play point shot in the second period that may have given goaltender Evgeni Nabokov less time to see the shot, but that was the least of the Sharks problems on Friday night. 9:09 into the second period, Stars captain Brenden Morrow battled defenseman Christian Ehrhoff in the corner before backhanding the puck deep behind the Sharks net. Mike Ribeiro beats Torrey Mitchell to the puck, and explodes to the side of the net with two hard strides. Ribeiro tries to stuff a backhand wraparound attempt, but the puck deflects off a mass of bodies to the far side of the crease. Morrow beats Ehrhoff off the wall and sweeps in an uncontested goal to give the Stars a 2-1 lead. A collision between Jere Lehtinen and defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic left Vlasic on the ice, Mitchell tried to tie up Ribeiro for a rebound but a backchecking Patrick "Rizzle" Rissmiller ran into him and fell to the ice, and Mike Grier was too far off from the play to help Ehrhoff contain a crashing Morrow. Every Shark on the ice save for Nabokov made a mistake on the play, and with a disciplined style and a tight defense from Dallas one goal could be the difference in any game this series.

The third defensive breakdown for San Jose resulted in the overtime game winning goal for Brenden Morrow at 4:39, his second of the night. The Sharks outshot Dallas 27-15 in regulation, but the Stars registered all 3 shots in OT. Dallas center Mike Ribeiro drives down the left wing and pulls up at the half boards. Ribeiro saucers a cross ice pass to defenseman Stephane Robidas, who can not control the puck at first touch. A diving Patrick Marleau forces Robidas back behind the net before crashing into the boards. Robidas circles behind and finds his defensive partner Mattias Norstrom open on the left point. Norstrom moves it to an unchecked Brenden Morrow near the right faceoff circle and Morrow slaps a one-timer passed Evgeni Nabokov glove side. Dallas Stars take the WCSF game 1 with a 3-2 win in overtime. The Stars have won 7 of their last 8 games at HP Pavilion.

Offensively, the Sharks did what they needed to do in order to score goals on Marty Turco. One Canadian analyst held his hands 6 inches apart and noted that all of the San Jose Sharks goals came from that distance, with a mass of bodies creating traffic in front of the net. Milan Michalek rung a shot off the crossbar in the first period, but in the second period the left winger scored his first goal of the postseason. Many in the media have been focusing on Michalek's lack of playoff production, but when the large scoreboard flashed that it was his first goal the crowd at HP Pavilion erupted in a near standing ovation. A turnover by Dallas in their own zone started the play. Brian Campbell moved the puck to Joe Thornton in the slot, who kicked the puck to his stick and then fired it to Michalek on the right side. Michalek stickhandled twice to his left forcing Turco to go down early, then snapped a shot that found its way through a Niskanen/Cheechoo battle in front. Turco was caught out of position, and the puck trickled its way over the goal line. After the initial San Jose goal there was a long Tuuurrr-cccooo, Tuuurrr-cccooo chant from the crowd.

The second San Jose goal to tie the game at 2-2 late in the third period was of a similar variety. The Sharks had a number of shots from the defense all night, 10 total, but more importantly they were finding their way on net and creating opportunities for rebounds and deflections if the forwards were in position. A point shot by Rivet was blocked, but the puck deflected to Matt Carle on the opposite side. Carle fires a low shot on net as the Sharks outnumber Dallas 3-1 in front of Turco. Two Dallas Stars are too far off the crease and out of the play. The puck deflects off the upper body of Turco and drops to the ice in front of him. Three Sharks are in position to take a whack at the rebound, but Cheechoo is the first to hammer it home before getting checked on top of Turco. Cheechoo started celebrating mid-air before falling on Turco.

Marty Turco made 25 saves on 27 shots to earn the game 1 win. Evgeni Nabokov made 15 saves on 18 shots, including only 2 shots taken by Dallas in the first period. The Stars finished 1-5 on the power play. San Jose was held scoreless in 4 power play attempts. Semenov, Ozolinsh, Brown, Shelley, and McLaren (lower body) were scratched for San Jose. Barch, Winchester, Boucher, Crombeen, and Zubov were scratched for Dallas.

A photo gallery from the game is available here. Youtube video highlights from the game are available here.

NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Western Conference Semifinal preview, #2 San Jose Sharks vs #5 Dallas Stars

noreply@blogger.com (PJ Swenson) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:08:00 +0000

SAN JOSE SHARKS GOALTENDER #20 EVGENI NABOKOV - FILE PHOTO

DALLAS STARS GOALTENDER #35 MARTY TURCO - FILE PHOTO

The San Jose Sharks emerged from the most physical and intense playoff series of the first round with a strong game 7 performance against the Calgary Flames. The Flames challenged the Sharks to within an inch of their breaking point, but they could not withstand a withering offensive attack that could cause damage with any line. A fifth seed Dallas Stars lineup will be an even more difficult matchup. The Stars, as with Calgary, had regular season success registering a 4-2-2 record against the Pacific Division winning Sharks. The Stars established a high intensity work ethic 5-on-5, on the penalty kill, and on the power play that is perfectly suited for playoff hockey. Dallas plays a smashmouth style of hockey, relies on a more balanced offense, and athletic goaltender Marty Turco will probably not be pulled at the first sign of adversity.

There were a number of warning signs exhibited by the Sharks in the first round, primarly their performance early in game 1, allowing four unanswered goals to Calgary in game 3, and the entire 60 minute performance en route to a 2-0 shutout loss in an elimination game 6. San Jose has depth unmatched by any team left in the postseason, but the shift-to-shift intensity needs to improve in order to realize that potential. A strength for San Jose during the regular season, a mobile puck-moving defense that initiates offense, had trouble getting into gear against the Calgary forecheck. The Flames gave the Dallas Stars a blueprint for how to shut down the Sharks offense. San Jose will need to rely on its leaders, Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Ryane Clowe, Milan Michalek, and Joe Pavelski to win battles and score goals from in front of the net.

The Dallas Stars will not get the free penalties that helped them dethrone last season's Stanley Cup Champion Anaheim Ducks in the first round. In fact, if the Sharks coaching staff could take anything from the first round and apply it to round two it should be to lobby the referee's more often. Dallas plays with patience and poise, and ESPN analyst Barry Melrose labeled them "the hardest working team in the NHL". Defenseman Stephane Robidas may be the MVP of the first round for Dallas, scoring a goal and 5 assists while defenseman Sergei Zubov and Philippe Boucher were recovering from injuries. Former Los Angeles Kings captain Mattias Norstrom and rookie defenseman Matt Niskanen will face a heavy load trying to contain a Shark attack that will keep pressing the action. Mike Ribeiro, Brenden Morrow and Brad Richards may be the most difficult offensive threats on the surface, but the Stars have a gritty lineup top to bottom that will make San Jose pay for turnovers and inopportune penalties.

Prediction: Sharks win in 7 games.

Regular season SJ-DAL series: 4-4

Oct29@DAL - SJ 4, DAL 2
Nov7@SJ - DAL 3, SJ 1
Nov14@DAL - SJ 4, DAL 3 (SO)
Dec5@DAL - SJ 3, DAL 2
Dec15@SJ - DAL 4, SJ 2
Jan17@SJ - DAL 4, SJ 2
Mar27@SJ - SJ 3, DAL 2 (OT)
Apr6@DAL - DAL 4, SJ 2

Interview with Sportingnews.com reporter and former San Jose Sharks beat writer Victor Chi

noreply@blogger.com (PJ Swenson) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:38:00 +0000

Sportingnews.com NHL reporter Victor Chi, a former San Jose Sharks beat writer for the Mercury News for over 10 years, answered a handful of questions about working in the American half of the orginal six, visiting Columbine High School after the school shooting tragedy, Mike Ricci taking a ceremonial faceoff with Queen Elizabeth, the Sharks-Flames series, the impact of late goaltending coach Warren Strelow, questions and expectations surrounding Joe Thornton and Sharks captain Patrick Marleau, and offered insight into the rigors of covering a team over an 82-game regular season.

A graduate of Northwestern University, Chi returns to campus each summer to teach journalism as part of the Cherubs program. Victor Chi and his wife Jenny recently started a blog on travel and cuisine at grubtrotters.com.

[Q] After 15 years working at the Mercury News, 10-11 as the beat writer for the San Jose Sharks and time spent in Chicago, Detroit, Boston and New York, what are your thoughts on the state of the industry?

[VC] Yes, I’ve had the pleasure of working in the American cities of the Original Six plus covering an Original 22 franchise. It’s a unique perspective. The newspaper industry is obviously going through a painful transition phase. It can be depressing with news of layoffs --- I have first-hand experience with that --- and buyouts almost every day. But the public has a tremendous appetite for information so other opportunities are going to develop.

[Q] How would you compare the hockey coverage in each market?

[VC] Each has a distinct characteristic that lends itself to the media’s coverage and the fans’ interest. Boston has a huge and tradition-laden college hockey scene in the city, which helps create a generally more puck-centric culture. Chicago is a great hockey market, but unfortunately the relevance of the Blackhawks and the NHL really diminished over the past 10 years. Between untelevised home games and a poor on-ice product, even the devoted fans with Indian heads tattooed on their arms lost faith. It was great to see the start of a revival this season. There are three teams in the New York metropolitan area. The Rangers are clearly No. 1 in terms of media attention, even though the Devils have won three Cups since the Rangers’ last title. The Red Wings did a great job of creating the Hockeytown identity. Their fans embraced it, and while other pro teams in town were struggling --- and in the case of the Lions still are --- the Wings were winning three Cups.

But looking at the big picture, even though these are Original Six markets, hockey is generally going to find itself behind football, baseball and basketball in the pecking order. Minnesota might be an exception. The Red Wings, because of their success plus proximity to Canada, have been able to get a bigger slice of the media pie in Detroit. The dynamics can change somewhat, particularly during a playoff run, because everyone loves a winner. Frank Deford made the best analogy I have ever heard to describe how hockey fits in the landscape of sports in this country. He said the NHL is like RC Cola, while the NFL, MLB and NBA are like Coke and Pepsi. RC Cola has been around a long time, has a loyal following and continues to do a nice business. RC will never be as big as Coke or Pepsi, but it also doesn’t waste time trying to mimic the big boys or fighting an inferiority complex. In the Bay Area, the Merc always gave the Sharks more space and exposure than the other area papers because the team is in San Jose. But overall the same deal applies here: teams like the 49ers and Giants are Coke and Pepsi. On the flip side, the Sabres get a lot of attention in Buffalo because there is no NBA or MLB team in the market.

Canada is obviously a different story. After Vesa Toskala got traded to the Maple Leafs over the summer, he showed up for a press conference in Toronto. There was a swarm of reporters and cameras waiting for him. When somebody asked if he had ever seen such a media gathering in San Jose, Toskala said, "We only had two of them around." The next day Ross McKeon sent me an e-mail, saying: "Not anymore."

[Q] As a graduate of Northwestern, when you return each summer to teach journalism as part of the Cherubs program, what are new journalism students thoughts or plans for their future profession?

[VC] They are excited about multimedia because this generation of students has never lived in a world without the Internet. (Wow, does that make me sound old, or what?) Cherubs will learn about podcasts, online video editing, etc. But the Cherub program’s main points of emphasis are teaching students how to become better writers, sharper thinkers and above all sticklers for accuracy. You can have the fanciest high-tech equipment, but it is all worthless unless you can deliver a good story with relevant information in a clear fashion. You can't do that without knowing how to interview a source, how to structure a story or how to not get sued for libel.

[Q] In your time covering the San Jose Sharks, what are one or two of the stories that stick out the most from your reporting?

[VC] I had so many memorable moments on assignment that it is difficult to isolate just one or two. The Sharks' win in Game 7 at St. Louis was obviously a huge moment in franchise history. Visiting Columbine High School with the Sharks on an off-day in Denver about a week after the tragedy was heartbreaking. Seeing Mike Ricci take a ceremonial faceoff with Queen Elizabeth dropping the puck was comical. Ron Wilson is a big fan of team-building functions, and I was fortunate to tag along when they ate lunch with the midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy. They had two Sharks assigned to each table, so some midshipmen got to hang out with stars like Damphousse and Marleau and Nabokov. I felt sorry for the midshipmen at my table, who were stuck with me and a Sharks media relations guy.

The night of the Joe Thornton trade in Dallas was wild. Ross McKeon and I saw Jim Fahey and Niko Dimitrakos, dressed in suits, get off the elevator in the press box about 10 minutes before faceoff. Then just as the game was about to start, we noticed Fahey and Dimitrakos in full hockey gear, scrambling to get to the bench because Stuart, Sturm and Primeau had become last-minute scratches. Of course, we didn’t know exactly why they were scratched at that point. Vesa Toskala was injured that night, so he was in the press box. During the first intermission, Rossie and I tried grilling Toskala, but if he knew anything, he wasn’t giving it up. Then Jari Kurri, who was in town to scout for the Finnish Olympic team, tried his hand at quizzing Toskala, and he didn’t get any answers either. Thornton’s first two games were at Buffalo and Toronto with the Leafs game being the Hockey Night in Canada broadcast, so the media scene was an absolute zoo. It's probably smart for me to end my rambling here, because this could go on all night.

[Q] What was your favorite headline?

[VC] Reporters, of course, don’t write the headlines to their stories. I know you understand that, but I thought I would mention it here because I was constantly receiving e-mails from readers ripping me for what they considered to be bad headlines. Anyway the one headline that really sticks in my mind was from Game 4 of the 1998 playoff series against Dallas. The Sharks won 1-0 in overtime. Dan Brown, better known to readers as the Merc’s outstanding baseball and football writer, was working the copy desk that night. He wrote the legendary "Suddenly Zyuzin" headline.

[Q] Which road trip had the most problems, and which was the most rewarding?

[VC] Considering how extensive the travel was, I consider myself lucky that I didn't encounter more nightmares. But here are a few:

- I was flying home from Edmonton on Christmas Eve. I was supposed to connect through Vancouver. But a huge blizzard closed down the airport in Vancouver. Same with Seattle. I got to the Edmonton airport at 9 a.m. and saw that all flights heading west were cancelled. Fortunately for me, I found a helpful agent at the counter, and she re-booked my ticket without charging any fees. The route, though, was Edmonton to Calgary, Calgary to Dallas, Dallas to San Jose. I kept telling myself I was racking up more frequent-flyer miles this way. I got home at midnight.

- Heading to St. Louis for the 2000 playoffs, I had to connect through Dallas. The Dallas-to-St. Louis flight was about a minute from taking off when a big thunderstorm hit. No takeoff. We had to wait out the storm. Five hours later, the storm had passed, but the pilots had exceeded their FAA-mandated daily limit for hours in a cockpit. The flight was cancelled. Dallas was hosting some massive convention so getting a hotel room was nearly impossible. I ended up at some motel along the freeway. I slept about four hours with one eye open, caught the first available flight to St. Louis the next day, but still missed the morning skate.

- Getting to Detroit for the playoffs last year was a farce. The connecting flight to Dallas was cancelled. All the subsequent Dallas flights were full. I ended up flying San Jose to Austin, Austin to Chicago, Chicago to Detroit. I arrived in Detroit at 1:30 a.m., but my luggage didn't.

- The most rewarding trip is easy. I take some pride that I logged every mile of the Sharks' 10-game, 18-day trip in 1999. I can still rattle off the travel sequence: Phoenix-LA-Phoenix-Chicago-St. Louis-Tampa-Florida-Detroit-Buffalo-Washington. And the games against the Sabres and Capitals to end it were on back-to-back nights. That was the same season the Sharks opened with two games in Tokyo against the Flames.

[Q] You wrote recently about center Joe Thornton, and the Sharks come-from-behind win against Calgary in Game 4. What are your thoughts on some of the postseason criticism Thornton receives from the press?

[VC] The best player on the team is always going to take heat after a disappointing playoff exit. That comes with the territory. Thornton was a first overall pick in the draft and he has been league MVP. The expectation is that he has to deliver a championship to fulfill his destiny, like Peyton Manning. Fair enough. But let’s also remember that Steve Yzerman didn’t win his first Stanley Cup until his 14th season in the league. This is Thornton’s 10th. This isn’t to suggest that I expect Thornton will go to win three Cups like Yzerman. But much of the skepticism heaped on Thornton now --- can he win the big one? --- is similar to what the pre-Cup Yzerman had to absorb.

Obviously his no-points performance in the Bruins’ upset loss to Montreal in 2004 is a glaring blemish on his record, but that was the series he probably should not have played because of a bad rib injury. Not to be an apologist for Thornton, but the guy has 36 points in 40 playoff games as a Shark. Those aren’t exactly hiding-behind-the-sofa numbers. But could he have done more to help the Sharks turn the corner against Edmonton and Detroit the past two years? Absolutely --- they got shut out in the elimination game both years --- and I think Thornton has always acknowledged that. But sometimes in the heat of the moment, rational and legitimate criticism loses out to piling on.

[Q] Do you think those questioning Marleau's heart are ignoring his playoff contributions the last 3 years, and what he brings to the lineup on a daily basis? In the oft-referenced playoff series with Detroit, I took photos of Marleau throwing his body around, battling Holmstrom in front of the net, and making plays with the puck. But compared to Joe Thornton, his shift-to-shift intensity was not there. He did make plays, but was not a factor for 2 or 3 shifts afterwards. He did not provide the usual dominant contribution fans and the team expect from him, and an avalanche of criticism from fans, the media, and coach Ron Wilson followed. What are your thoughts of Marleau's captaincy overall, and what he has meant to the team this postseason?

[VC] The Sharks could have won that series against Detroit with no points from Marleau. But they couldn’t survive it with no points AND his string of late-game defensive gaffes. The no points didn’t kill them. The minus-5 did. That’s why after everything that happened in the Detroit series and the miserable first half of this season, it is worth noting that Marleau was one of forwards on the ice near the end of Game 7 when the Flames had pulled the goalie.

[Q] Evgeni Nabokov or Martin Brodeur for the Vezina trophy? Who would have your vote and why?

[VC] I don’t actually have a vote on this one because NHL GMs handle the Vezina balloting. But I did have a vote for the NHL All-Star teams and went with Nabokov. Why? This might seem like a cop-out, but it’s just because I saw more Sharks games than Devils games. They were so close that ended up being the tiebreaker for me. They played the same number of games. Nabokov held the edge in goals-against (2.14 to 2.17) and wins (46-44). Brodeur was on top in save percentage (.920 to .910) and shutouts (6-5). It would be foolish to, as they say in politics, go negative against either candidate.

[Q] Late San Jose Sharks coach Warren Strelow helped establish the science of coaching goaltenders. What were some of the keys to his success, and what did a Strelow-coached goaltender learn to help him compete and excel at the NHL-level?

[VC] Strelow’s brilliance was knowing how to coach both the technical and mental aspects of goaltending. He was not doctrinaire in terms of a goalie’s style. Strelow understood that each goalie had natural strengths and weaknesses. The best style, in his estimation, was one customized to maximize an individual goalie’s strengths and minimize weaknesses. Square people don’t die round.

Strelow worked his goalies very hard on the ice as he stressed the fundamentals. There is good reason why his nicknames were the Taskmaster (self-explanatory) and the Doctor (he had a PhD in goaltending).

But his goalies loved Strelow because they knew he cared for them like sons. Strelow’s support was unwavering and he emphasized positive reinforcement in handling adversity. Strelow used to say that the position of goaltending itself is inherently negative, so he wanted to accentuate the positive.

[Q] Which NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series has been the most intense and physical of the first round?

[VC] The Sharks-Flames series was the most physical. The Flyers-Captials was the most entertaining. It was great for the league that these were among the series that went the distance.

[Q] Do you think a West team that has to advance past a Detroit, Anaheim, Dallas or San Jose, along with the rigors of regular season travel, will be at a disadvantage against an East team in the finals?

[VC] The wackiest travel disparity between two Cup finalists might have been 1994. Vancouver kept having to fly further in each round of the playoffs with Calgary, Dallas and then Toronto. The Rangers played the Islanders (bus trip), Washington (one flight) and New Jersey (bus trip). Travel for Western teams is a grind that can take its toll. But Anaheim’s success last year should be a message to the other Western teams: You can’t use travel as a crutch or an excuse.

[Q] If you could make one change to the NHL on the ice, and one change to the NHL off the ice what would they be?

[VC] I am going to cheat and give you two on-ice changes. One, scrap the instigator rule. Two, whenever there is a video review, make referees use their microphones and explain the decision to the people who pay good money for their seats. Don’t just say “goal” or “no goal” and then line up for the faceoff. Tell the fans inside the rink precisely why. They deserve it just on general principle, but it becomes even more of an issue when some buildings do not show the replay in question on the big screen.

Thanks very much for taking the time to answer a large number of questions. This blog is more of an informal jumble of notes and photos than a traditional column, but time and time again I would write a phrase or focus on one aspect of a game only to read a near identicle comment in one of Victor Chi and Ross McKeon's articles. A product of reading both for 10+ years each. What made both two of the best hockey writers in the NHL was that they had more facts and information than could fit in one article.

Interesting comments by Victor Chi regarding headlines written for his content, there was a good man-bites-dog headline after one game but "Suddenly Zyuzin" was a great one too. Also interesting analogy with regards to the NHL and the other big 3 sports, and the relationship between media coverage and the NHL locally. Most of the fans I interact with understand the lay of the land, but far too many reporters take shots at hockey fans and the sport itself instead of offering legitimate criticism.

Pinning down a New Jersey guy and a former Sharks beat writer on Nabokov vs Brodeur is almost as difficult as asking a French Canadian to choose between Brodeur or Roy.

[Update] Interview with SF Chronicle columnist Ross McKeon - Sharkspage 9/2004.

Three Californian ECHL teams bounced in the first round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs, Stockton, Bakersfield, and Fresno fail to advance

noreply@blogger.com (PJ Swenson) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:09:00 +0000

It was a rough opening round for the three Californian teams in the 2008 ECHL Kelly Cup Playoffs. The Stockton Thunder, Bakersfield Condors, and Fresno Falcons joined the defending champion Idaho Steelheads on the outside looking in for the second round. Next year a fourth CA team will join the ECHL, the Ontario Reign will operate out of southern California as an affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings.

The Stockton Thunder (27-40-5) lost its National Conference Quarterfinal series with the powerhouse Las Vegas Wranglers (47-13-12) 4-2 in a battle of Alberta affiliates (Edmonton vs Calgary). After shocking Las Vegas with a 4-2 win on the road in game 1, the Thunder dropped three straight games including critical overtime losses on goals by left wing Ryan Donally and right wing Adam Cracknell. A strong start by Las Vegas in game 6, and 31 saves by goaltender Kevin Lalande held off a brief Stockton rally as the 4-1 Wranglers win ended the series and the season for the Thunder.

The 7th seeded Bakersfield Condors (26-37-9) lost its National Conference Quarterfinal series with the only Canadian team in the league, the Victoria Salmon Kings (42-23-7), 4-2. The Bakersfield Californian's Andy Kehe notes that the 6-5 loss in game 6 was not as painful as back-to-back second round playoff exits after previous 40-win seasons. Although the Condors had to fight down the stretch to make the playoffs this season, with 147 wins over the last 4 seasons the franchise has quietly built itself into an ECHL contender with a solid and enthusiastic fan base.

Kehe writes that it is not in-game promotions or contests, or even wins and losses that help an ECHL team succeed in local markets, but it may just be an affiliation with an NHL team. As NHL and AHL teams are eliminated from the postseason, the prospects are typically flooded back down through the system. Playing in the postseason helps their development, and fans are excited to get a look at prospects that might be able to take it to the next level. The Bakersfield Condors have played without an NHL or AHL affiliation for some time, but with success on the ice, one of the largest fan bases in the league, a content-heavy website, and a cult blog following, they should be an attractive target for any NHL team paying attention.

The third seeded Fresno Falcons (42-22-8) also lost their first round National Conference Quarterfinal series with six seed Utah (32-30-10) 4 games to 2. The Falcons closed out their 5-year stay at Fresno State's Save Mart Center on a sour note. Next year the team will move down the street to a smaller Selland Arena, where the Falcons won a 2002 Taylor Cup in the WCHL. The Fresno Bee's Jeff Davis reports that the Falcons fell behind in the series deciding game 6 by two goals, and could never recover. Davis notes this is the second straight first round playoff exit for Fresno.

A full first round Quarterfinal playoff game-by-game recap, and second round Semifinal matchups and previews are available from the ECHL here.

[Update] Stockton Thunder silenced. Thunder season ends, Las Vegas advances on Fraser's two-goal night - Stocktonthunder.com.

Curtis Fraser scored two goals and the Las Vegas Wranglers led in a wire-to-wire fashion, elminating the Stockton Thunder from the Kelly Cup Playoffs in a 4-1 Thunder defeat, before a crowd of 3,464 at Orleans Arena on Tuesday night in game 6 of the National Conference Quarterfinal round.

The Thunder, who fell in the best-of-seven series at a 4-2 series mark and got its only goal of the game from Stephane Goulet, were also backstopped by Tim Boron's 32 saves, setting a new Thunder playoff record with 230 saves in the series, shattering Devan Dubnyk's mark (188, set in 2007). Las Vegas, who advances to the second round of the playoffs for the third straight season, will face the Alaska Aces in the National Conference Semifinals.

[Update2] Salmon Kings advance with overtime win! Ash Goldie's OT goal eliminates Bakersfield in Game 6 - VictoriaSalmonKings.com.

[Update3] Falcons Help ECHL Increase Attendance - Fresnofalcons.com.

The Falcons welcomed the largest crowd of the ECHL season with 12,590 on Feb. 9 for the second-annual "Pink at the Rink." Falcons players wore special pink jerseys which were auctioned off following the game to benefit the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation. Fresno also had the league’s fourth-largest crowd of the season with 11,582 on Mar. 22 against Bakersfield, and the sixth-largest crowd with 10,669 on Jan. 11 against Phoenix. Fresno attracted 181,271 fans to Save Mart Center this season, and finished the regular season seventh in the ECHL with an average attendance of 5,035.

"This is the first time since the team moved to Save Mart Center in 2003-04 that we have averaged 5,000 fans per game in back-to-back years," Falcons CEO John Tull said. "We would like to thank our fans for the tremendous support over the last two seasons, and for giving us a lot of momentum for our return to Selland Arena in October."

Fresno, Bakersfield and Stockton are putting up impressive attendance figures year after year. Central California is more of a traditional hotbed for football and basketball, but when you mention hockey in California you have to note the 3-season ECHL attendance champion Stockton, one of the largest single game playoff attendance figures in Bakersfield, and a whopping 12,590 regular season mark in Fresno. Fresno (2006) and Stockton (2008) recently hosted ECHL Allstar Games.

Sharks part the Red Sea, 4-point game by Jeremy Roenick clutch as Sharks advance to WCSF with 5-3 win over Calgary Flames

noreply@blogger.com (PJ Swenson) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:28:00 +0000

#20 EVGENI NABOKOV MADE 19 SAVES, SHARKS ADVANCE TO WCSF

#10 EHRHOFF, #52 RIVET CELEBRATE A GOAL BY SETOGUCHI IN 2ND

#44 VLASIC SHAKES HANDS WITH #28 REGEHR POST-GAME

There was a mix of nervous energy and excitment inside the packed HP Pavilion on Tuesday, but from the Sharks locker room there was only a quiet confidence. A confidence in themselves, a confidence in their style of play, and a confidence in the ability of Evgeni Nabokov to bring home a win in one of the biggest games of his career. Jeremy Roenick, a healthy scratch for game 6, was an impact player in game 7. Roenick registered 2 goals and 2 assists to help the Sharks battle back from a 2-1 deficit and earn a 5-3 win to advance to the Western Conference Semifinals. Calgary Flames head coach Mike Keenan called Roenick a "difference maker" after the game, and with the puck on his stick the 9-time All-Star looked determined and menacing.

From the drop of the puck, the Sharks pressed the action forward. San Jose head coach Ron Wilson said the Sharks came at Calgary in waves, and eventually he thought they would break. Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Ryane Clowe, and Joe Pavelski were battling in front of the net early, the Sharks defense was aggressive on both sides of the ice, and Evgeni Nabokov was focused despite seeing less than half the action of his counterpart Miikka Kiprusoff. Each team traded power play goals in the first, Joe Thornton scored his second goal of the series at 10:57 after a laser of a pass through the crease by Cheechoo. Jarome Iginla countered, deflecting Adrian Aucoin's point shot past Nabokov 16 seconds into a power play to tie the game at 1-1.

A sustained San Jose attack did not slow down in the second period despite a breakaway goal by Owen Nolan that gave the Flames their first lead of the game. The Sharks outshot Calgary 14-5 in the first period, and that margin continued with a lopsided 21-8 output in the second. A strong forecheck in the Calgary zone allowed Christian Ehrhoff to keep the puck in and deflect it to Jeremy Roenick. Roenick slowed the puck with one touch, spun, and snapped a shot that beat Kiprusoff from the faceoff circle at 6:04. Exactly three minutes later, Roenick followed his initial shot from the half boards and one-timed his own rebound up high before exploding in a goal celebration.

The obstacles continued to mount for Calgary, with Regehr coming out of the penalty box Ehrhoff fired a shot/pass to Mike Grier at the side of the net. Grier trapped the puck with his body, and then feathered a pass to Joe Pavelski in front of the net. Pavelski has been a hammer all series with 7 points and 2 game winning goals in seven games. The Wisconsin native buried the puck from the doorstep to give the Sharks a 4-2 lead at 14:01. Calgary Flames head coach Mike "captain hook" Keenan then pulled Miikka Kiprusoff in one of the most questionable moves of the series. Shades of soviet coach Viktor Tikhonov pulling Vladislav Tretiak.

With Kiprusoff on the bench, the Sharks Devin Setoguchi scored 52 seconds into the Game 7 tenure of backup Curtis Joseph. Setoguchi took the puck off the half boards, and wristed a shot that beat Joseph far corner. Calgary defenseman David Hale leveled Patrick Marleau initiating a scoring chance in the third period. Hale then moved the puck down low to Nystrom. Pass to Moss, who fires it into a mass of bodies crashing the net. Primeau with his stick on the ice scored his first goal of the series to make it 5-3. The Flames outshot the Sharks 9-6 in the third period, but pulling Kiprusoff appeared to deflate Calgary instead of energizing them.

The Sharks finished with a 5-3 win, defeating the 7th seeded Calgary Flames 4-3 in the only opening Western Conference Quarterfinal series to go seven games. Evgeni Nabokov finished with 19 saves on only 22 shots. Miikka Kiprusoff and Curtis Joseph combined for 36 saves on 41 shots. Jeremy Roenick's 4 points tied a San Jose Sharks playoff single game scoring record. In his first playoff start, fourth line center Marcel Goc won 4 of 5 faceoffs in 7:04 of ice time. Jody Shelley, Curtis Brown, Alexei Semenov, Tomas Plihal, and Sandis Ozolinsh were healthy scratches. Defenseman Kyle McLaren is listed as day-to-day with a groin injury.

A photo gallery from the game is available here. Youtube video highlights from the game are available here.

Post-series press conference transcript, San Jose Sharks head coach Ron Wilson, Calgary Flames head coach Mike Keenan

noreply@blogger.com (PJ Swenson) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 07:39:00 +0000

SAN JOSE SHARKS HEAD COACH RON WILSON POST-GAME

San Jose Sharks head coach Ron Wilson post-game press conference comments:

"J.R. was struggling a little bit. Throughout the season we gave him convenient little rests for him. We tried to schedule it where it is not a rest for 1 day, it is a rest for 3 or 4 days. I told him that well before game 6. He wasn't going to play, but he was going to play either game 7, or game 1 of the next series if it came to that. We needed his energized play. I texted him last night and told him I am going to rely on him heavily. He was real excited about that."

"Did I expect him to have 4 points? No. Maybe I chip in on our power play. He has got a lot of poise. I did not expect the kind of game he gave us, or Marcel Goc, or Devin Setoguchi. They ended up being the difference in the game, and we hadn't had that from a 4th line all series. In fact, we were struggling with our 3rd line, giving up way too many scoring chances. Mitchy's line had a great game tonight, applied a lot of pressure, and drew penalties. That was the deciding factor."

"I have to compliment everybody, those that critiqued Joe (Thornton) and Patty (Marleau), and the whole organization or the team. We won 2 huge games. Game 4 was an incredbile effort statistically, and tonight was as dominant as you could be in a Game 7. I am very proud our team played its best hockey when it mattered most."

"We have been tentative in the first 10 minutes of game. Outside of Game 3, where we stormed out of the gate and got a 3 goal lead, Calgary essentially outplayed us in the first 10 minutes of every game, even the game we won. We wanted to play our game, forget about what Calgary was trying to do. Establish our forecheck, and chellenge their defense at every opportunity to see if we can draw some penalties. To our team's credit, they stuck with the game plan the whole way through. We were skating and we had every body going. It was fun to watch."

"This is the first round. It was my first 7th game with the Sharks, and for our fans to feel that atmosphere, and some of our younger players, and for the Joe Thornton's and Patrick Marleau's who receieve a lot of criticism for not performing when it mattered most, those guys were giants tonight. It is gratifying (winning game 7), but it is just one small step. We have a ton of work ahead of us. History says the first series, they are wars out there. They are usually difficult."

"I'm not going to talk about Dallas. I am going to enjoy beating Calgary, focus on enjoying tonight's game for a couple of hours. We'll sit down and talk about Dallas tomorrow."

"The first period (not the second period) was our best period. We outshot them 14-5. We kept coming. We knew that, we didn't know but we planned on them breaking at some point, if you keep applying the pressure. So the second period was basically a continuation of the first. The important thing for our team was not to lose its poise after we went down 2-1. We didn't. We kept hammering away, drew a penalty, and got ourselves back into the game."

CALGARY FLAMES HEAD COACH MIKE KEENAN POST-GAME

Calgary Flames head coach Mike Keenan post-game press conference comments:

"I didn't think the play was controversial, Kipper didn't play very well. So that was the 4th goal we had scored against us. Certainly I was surprised he wouldn't give us his best game. He just wasn't on tonight."

"They started the game with a strong push. We didn't get the response early in the first period. Certainly we didn't get the response in the second period. As I said, Miikka did not play well but our team didn't respond very well, particularly when we had the 2-1 lead. That is when we should have kicked it up a notch, and maybe carried the play, or at least neutralized the play rather than sitting in a position where we really ignited their resolve. I have to give them credit for really turning it up in the second period. After Owen Nolan had scored a goal to make it 2-1. They took control of the game from then on."

"In the end, it was Jeremy tonight (who made the difference). Ryane Clowe had a prety good series overall as well, he was a strong player. Jeremy did not have the consistency that he did, but he was a good player from start to finish, a difference maker to be sure. (Jeremy Roenick) was ready to play, and he stepped up. He was one of the players who took over when we had the 1 goal lead. He has responded well in game 7's historically, and he was ready to play tonight. He got a little more ice time as the game wen ton. He found himself in a position to make a difference, and he did."

[Update] Tickets for the first two games of the Western Conference Semifinals will go on sale Thursday, April 24 at 10 a.m. Tickets are available at the HP Pavilion Box Office, ticketmaster.com and Ticketmaster ticket centers, and charge by phone (408/998-TIXS or 415/421-TIXS).

[Update2] The schedule for the San Jose Sharks vs Dallas Stars WCSF series was announced late Tuesday night:

2008 WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINAL:
#2 SAN JOSE SHARKS VS #5 DALLAS STARS

Game 1, Friday April 25, 7PM - HP Pavilion
Game 2, Sunday April 27, 6PM - HP Pavilion
Game 3, Tuesday April 29, 4:30PM - AAC
Game 4, Wednesday April 30, 6PM - AAC
Game 5*, Friday May 2, 7PM - HP Pavilion
Game 6*, Sunday May 4, 6PM - AAC
Game 7*, Tuesday May 6, 7PM - HP Pavilion

*If necessary
AAC - American Airlines Center

[Update3] And here come the questions... - Inside the Flames.

Scenes from Game 7

noreply@blogger.com (PJ Swenson) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 07:01:00 +0000

SAN JOSE MASS TRANSIT SUPPORTS THE SHARKS

FLAMES FANS WITH TICKETS FOR GAME 7

A MINI CALGARY FLAMES "POOL OF RED" PRE-GAME AT HP PAVILION

SAXAPHONIST MIKE MENDOZA PLAYS THE U.S. AND CANADIAN ANTHEMS

Earlier this series, Mercury News columnist Mark Purdy traveled to Calgary and witnessed a flood of Flames jerseys downtown. There were a large number of Calgary fans out on the streets of San Jose prior to Game 7 on Tuesday night, but after 5PM a sea of teal jerseys filled downtown. Cool temperatures (60 degrees) and a light rain did not prevent many Evgeni Nabokov's (#20's), Joe Thornton's (#19's) and Patrick Marleau's (#12's) from filling the Tied House and Britannia Arms to the bursting point.

Pat Falloon (#17) was in front of Vincent Damphousse (#25) and a Hernandez (?) in line at Washington Mutual. Joe Pavelski (#8) and a Capital's Rod Langway (?) tipped the trumpet player after he played taps for a group of Calgary Flames fans. Outside of HP Pavilion, there were only two groups of fans. Those with tickets, and those frantically trying to find them. There was no pregame street party prior to Game 7. This series deciding game was all business.

When asked what to expect when the puck dropped later that evening, a Joe Thornton jersey wearing fan said "The Sharks are going to take it to them." A solemn fan wearing Jeremy Roenick's #29 agreed.

A small photo gallery of fans preparing for game 7 in San Jose is available here.