|
|
Reid and Sgarbossa shine at
Teal & White
Burns makes debut on HP Pavilion
ice
Sharks fans got their first taste of the 2011-12
roster decked out in teal and white on Tuesday night as San Jose hosted its
annual private scrimmage for season ticket holders at HP Pavilion. Even the
most seasoned fans may have conducted a double take or two in order to figure
out who half the new players in attendance were. Having purged nine regulars
from last season's roster, there are jobs to be had and plenty of new faces to
fill them. Tuesday night's affair was an introduction of the wave of new
personalities that will make up this year's team.
The most notable of
the new additions in uniform were defenseman Brent Burns and centerman Michal
Handzus. Both players made their debut in teal and white. Burns was a regular
participant throughout the evening, logging what may have been the largest
number of minutes of any defenseman.
There were no official stats,
because this affair was simply a scrimmage, so it's impossible to definitively
say how many minutes Burns actually loggers, but suffice it to say, he was on
display. A public display, to let the season ticket holders see how the roster
stacks up this season, with their big acquisition at the helm.
Big is
an understatement however. The first thing that stands out is his size. The
6'5", 220lb defenseman is a hulking presence that skates with as much ease as
the most fluid forward. Burns stick handling was a little raw throughout the
evening, but his presence on the ice was far more imposing. You knew when he
was out there, and every move was magnified by his mammoth frame.
The
game itself was an entertaining one for the 6 to 7 thousand fans in attendance.
Team Teal prevailed on a Michael Sgarbossa goal with 47.3 seconds left in
regulation to take a 5-4 decision. Sgarbossa has been one of the pleasant
surprises in camp thus far. The 19 year-old winger was a scoring standout for
Sudbury last season. His goal on Tuesday night came as he flanked Joe Thornton
late in the contest.
Another prospect who raised eyebrows was Brodie
Reid, who scored a pair of goals. Reid sent a one-timer past Thomas Greiss
after taking a feed through the slot from Freddie Hamilton at 26:11 of the
first half (the Teal & White scrimmage consists of two 30 minute halves).
Reid deflected another puck past Greiss at 21:53 after Team White
setup a shot from the right point.
Another one of the situational
scenarios both squads work on during the scrimmage is an extended 5-minute
power play. Team Teal was presented with an opportunity to work on their power
play skills fist. Newly signed defenseman Colin White simplified things for
Team Teal by taking a tripping minor at 17:28 to give Team Teal a full two
minute 5-on-3.
Joe Thornton converted on the 2 man advantage at 16:32
after Patrick Marleau made a feed to the outside of the right post. Joe
Pavelski tied things up with another power play goal at 14:13 on a put back
down low after Marleau bounced a shot off goaltender Hari Sateri.
Torrey Mitchell opened the 2nd half by taking a tripping penalty, setting up
Marleau's second goal of the evening.
Handzus tied the game at 3-3
with a shot from in front of the right post at 21:24.
Teal scored 30
seconds later after Douglas Murray bounced a goal off his own goaltender.
Marleau credited with the goal. Jamie McGinn scored on Team White's extended
power play to knot the game at 4-4 tipping a shot past goaltender Tyson
Sexsmith.
The club dedicated some time after the scrimmage to work on
the shootout. Reid scored the prettiest goal of that session, roofing a shot
past Sexsmith.
Game Notes:
HP Pavilion was sporting some
new changes inside the bowl. The most noticeable change is the new glass
circling the rink. The panes are wider than the glass used in prior years,
opening up the viewing areas. The stanchions appear to be a plastic / polymer
material, unlike the metal variety used before.
The other, less
noticeable change, are the new rotating ad billboards that are located between
each of the four faceoff circles and the blueline.
 |
|
| What did you think of
this article? Post your comments on the Feeder Forums |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
