head coach: Darryl Sutter

roster: C - Tony Granato, Bernie Nicholls, Ron Sutter, Dody Wood, Patrick Marleau, Marco Sturm, Viktor Kozlov. LW - Shawn Burr, Murray Craven, Jeff Friesen, Stephane Matteau, Andrei Nazarov. RW - Owen Nolan, Shean Donovan, Todd Ewen, Alex Korolyuk. D - Doug Bodger, Todd Gill, Bill Houlder, Al Iafrate, Marty McSorley, Marcus Ragnarsson, Mike Rathje, Andrei Zyuzin, Rich Brennan G - Mike Vernon, Kelly Hrudey.

injuries: Al Iafrate, d (back, indefinite), Andrei Nazarov lw (knee, day-to-day), Marty McSorley d (groin, day- to-day).

transactions: sent d Andrei Zyuzin to Kentucky, sent rw Alex Korolyuk to Kentucky, recalled lw Steven Goulla and c Jarrod Skalde from Kentucky.

standings:

Western Conference - Pacific Division
Team         GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA  
Colorado     15   7   2   6    20   49   38
Anaheim      14   5   5   4    14   32   35
Los Angeles  15   5   6   4    14   48   44
Edmonton     14   5   7   2    12   29   43
Calgary      15   3   9   3     9   39   50
San Jose     14   4  10   0     8   34   46
Vancouver    15   3  10   2     8   36   55

game results:

10/22 Pittsburgh       L 5-2
10/25 at New Jersey    W 4-3
10/27 at NY Islanders  W 2-1
10/29 at Detroit       L 4-3
10/31 at Chicago       L 5-2
11/01 at St Louis      L 2-0

team news:

by Al Swanson, San Jose Correspondent

In every silver lining...

It's hard, at times, to report on a team like San Jose. You can be Mr. Negative, slam them all you want and most folks will agree with you. No one will fault you, either. Or you could take a team line, slip on them rose- colored glasses and point out that there are positives, even with a 4-10 record. Even with one of the worst power plays in the league. Even after allowing 14 power-play goals. Even after playing 2-5 on the road and the same at home.

I'm gonna take both approaches and try to find that silver lining in every cloud. As I've been saying since the beginning of the year, the Hammerheads do have a few things going for them. If they could get them all going at once, they might even win a few games.

(Silver Lining)

Starting at the net, they DO have Mike Vernon. It's easy to forget the fact that Vernon just finished a Stanley Cup run that brought the trophy to the Motor City for the first time in four decades when he plays like he has most of this year. But he was nearly flawless against both New Jersey and the second match up against the Islanders. And Kelly Hrudey's been there to pick up the pieces when Vernon's let in three...or five.

(Cloud)

Vernon's save percentage is down in the mid 80s. He let in three straight Islander shots in the two team's first match up this year. He let in five more in Chicago before Hrudey stepped in. He has yet to shutout a team. And Kelly's 37. How long can he be there for Mikey?

(Silver Lining)

At the blue line, the Sharkies field one great player, a couple of good players and a few mediocre players. In fact, depending on the game, they all rotate between these descriptions. With Al Iafrate out of the lineup and no date for returning, their one great player is still off the ice. Iafrate's only played 38 game for the Freaks with Fins in two years and when he's out there, the four-time All Star looks every bit the consummate d-man. Doug Bodger (5 pts, +3), Bill Houlder and Todd Gill (6 pts, +1) are the good ones. Houlder (6 pts, -3) has real ability and Gill has four goals, tying Kozlov for most goals this year. Then there's Marcus Ragnursson (2 pts, even), Marty McSorely (4 pts, +2), Mike Rathje (4 pts, -5). The Sharks also have Rich Brennan visiting (0 pts, -2) and Andrei Zyuzin (2 pts, -3) around sometimes.

(Cloud)

Iafrate isn't playing. The Sharks have let in 46 goals. Houlder, Gill and Bodger can't play every shift. Need I say more?

(Silver Lining)

Marco Sturm. You've heard me talk about him. You've seen the goals. Three game winners. Hey, outta 4 wins. Good percentages.

He's a great stickhandler who's not afraid to give a cheery check into the boards to anyone who happens to be near. He is one of the guys to watch.

(Cloud)

The rest of the forwards aren't always there. Yeah, Owen's got two so far -- in 10 games! OK, Jeff's back and he has three -- in 10 games! Even Viktor, whom I roll out as one of the finest, he has four -- but none in six games. Hell, Todd Gill has four!!!

The Sharks went out on this road trip a new team. Two wins against pretty decent teams. They come back the same old lovable Sharks. Three losses in a row. Shades of last year, where they could beat the Stars every time, the Avs three times, but almost always beating themselves against the teams competing for last place.

Game Recaps:

Beware of the Penguins -- Pittsburgh @ San Jose

It's often said in sports that the scores don't tell the whole story. And that was certainly the case when the Sharks met the Pens for the first time this year. (OK, so the score is the only story that counts. So what...) San Jose came out strong in the first. They scored first -- another from Freisen. But Pittsburgh managed to tie it up and then Jagr, off his own shot, blows the rebound by Kelly Hrudey.

Near the end of the third, down 3-2, With Hrudey outta the net, the open-netter goes in and less than a minute later, a shot trickles off Hrudey's shoulder pads and into the net.

But I said the whole story wasn't in the scoring. It was in Owen Nolan (I know I've slammed him a lot, but he's pickin' up the pace) holding the puck while three Pens watch him. All the while, Todd Gill (?!) is streaking in behind them to receive Nolan's pass past those same three Pens and slaps one past Barrasso for his second of the year. It was the SJ d-men shutting down Jagr (for most of the game). It was the fact that three 'soft' goals lost them the game. They weren't completely outplayed. They weren't making huge mistakes. It was a good game. Damn shame they lost, though.

On the Road Again -- Sharks @ Devils

With Zyuzin and Korolyuk headed to Kentucky for re-education and Bernie Nicholls on the bench for his lack of production, with a string of four losses hanging over them and a road trip ahead promising nothing but more embarrassment, the Sharks needed a win against the New Jersey Devils. And while you don't always get what you want, if you try sometimes, you get what you need. Nolan scored his first (Finally!), Freisen got his third goal in as many games, Todd Gill made his third (!) goal of the season (keep in mind the last time a shot of his saw the back of the net was over 500 days from his first of this season) and Tony Granato slapped in his second. BTW -- the first three of the game from SJ: Gill, Nolan and Granato, went past NJ goalie Mike Dunham in a 2:33 span of the first. Scott Niedermayer also managed to put two in for New Jersey.

Todd Gill started the scoring on the power play -- the first Shark ppg in 37 attempts during the man advantage and his third of the year. Sitting out that Ottawa game has had a magical effect on Gill. Owen Nolan's first was as pretty as they come. He deked past rookie defenseman Brad Bombardir and slid one under Dunham in the way Nolan can do when he's on his game. 23 seconds later, Granato took a pass from Freisen and blasted one over Dunham's shoulder to make it a 3-1 game. Finally, Freisen (who along with Nolan ended up with 2 points for the night) deflected a power play shot from the recently called up Skalde to make it a 4-2 SJ lead. The Fantastic Fins finished with a 4-3 win, allowing only four NJ shots in the scoreless third period.

All in all, a good start for a road trip filled with pot holes.

Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold -- on the Ice! SJ @ Islanders

Less than two weeks ago, the Islanders showed the Chickens of the Sea just how prepared to play hockey they were. They weren't. San Jose lost that contest 5-2, with Ziggy Palffy scoring a natural hat trick. This meeting was a bit different. The Sharks played solid D -- although McSorley (yes, he's playing D again) was forced to leave in the third with a strained groin -- and handed the Islanders their third straight home loss. Only fitting after they did the same for the Sharkies.

The power play didn't return, though, as the Sharks went 0 for 5 on the man advantage. SJ is still 2 for 59. That can be overlooked as the Sharks put together their first back-to-back wins of the season.

Nicholls sat out this one, too, as rookies again made their presence known. Marco Sturm scored the game winner (his third game-winner this year) and recent call-up Stephan Goulla scored the only other SJ goal (and his first of the year). Sturm's goal came 28 seconds after Ziggy shot at an almost perfect Mike Vernon and had the soft shot bounce through the crease. In fact, that shot was under review as Sturm's shot went over the goal line with less than a minute to play. Well, NY, review the ending score. HA!

Against the Wings without a Prayer -- Red Wings vs. Sharks

San Jose has never won a regular season game at Joe Louis Arena. Going in to the game - Vernon's first back in HockeyTown since the trade - the Sharks were 0-11 in Detroit. In fact, as far as regular season goes, the Sharkies are 2-21-1 against the defending Stanley Cup champs. But coming off two straight tough wins, including a win in NJ were they also had never won before, it looked as if Los Tiburones could pull it off.

Tony Granato's two goals in the first looked convincing, as did the play from the rest of the team. Detroit, however, was just as convincing, tying up the score 3-3 in the second period. I've said before that I am loath to blame officiating for a game, but this is one case where it couldn't be more true. With less than a minute to go, both teams grinding toward a tie, and Kris Draper lying in the crease, Larry Murphy put one past the returning hero. On review, it was clear that Draper was in the crease. Detroit fans knew it, San Jose fans knew it, the players knew it, even Dennis LaRue knew it and acknowledged it, saying Draper was held in by a Shark. Garbage goal, garbage officiating and another loss in Detroit.

Sharks out of water in Windy City -- SJ @ Chicago

The one game your humble correspondent thought we'd win... Oh, well, SJ finished up this contest on the losing side 5-3. Nolan says his inability to clear the puck from Chicago strongman Tony Amonte cost them the game. But I think the rest of the season so far is as much to blame. The Sharks are again right next to the bottom, with a 4-10 record. One play didn't do it.

Bernie Nicholls sat out his third game this year, but he had company as Viktor Kozlov and Stephan Goulla sat with him. And by the end of the game, Sutter had sat his top line, too. Nolan, Freisen and Sturm kept the bench warm through the third.

The Sharks went in on a 2 and 0 road trip against a struggling Chicago team that couldn't put two pucks in the net each game.

That is, until the Sharks came along. Todd Gill put in his 4th of the season on a power play in the first. Owen Nolan hit the back of the net on a power play goal for SJ, but that only made the second SJ goal while Chicago already had their third.

Special teams, long a problem for the Sharkies, held up their own against the Hawks. Too bad the 5-on-5 couldn't.

Blues-singin'-Sharks -- Sharks at Blues

Grant Fuhr and the Blues were the only ones happy after San Jose's third loss in a row on the road trip of five games. Fuhr recorded his 22nd career shutout and the Sharks recorded another loss. All the more disappointing is the fact that the two teams were scoreless until 2:33 left in the third. Chris Pronger put in one on Kelly Hrudey that Kelly didn't even see. And then Blair Atcheynum put in one Kelly couldn't stop on the empty netter.

Sharks lose, 2-0.

[ issues | web extra | stats | nhl archive | home | chat | mailing list | about us | search | comments ]

1997 © Copyright LCS Hockey All Rights Reserved