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Couture named to All Star
Team Sharks get to rest vets
Logan Couture was named to the NHL All Star roster
today by the league, the only Sharks player to attend this season's game in
Ottawa. Couture is third on the team in scoring, but leads the team in goals
scored with 17. It was the first All Star selection for the second year player,
who has been one of the most consistent players for San Jose this season.
Captain Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau lead the Sharks in scoring,
but both were left off the roster. As has become a more common practice in the
NHL, veteran players are more frequently lobbying their general managers and
coaches to push for omission from the game.
It's not clear if Thornton
and / or Marleau lobbied to be left off, but both veterans will probably
welcome the rest. San Jose wraps up a series of 7 road games in 9 games,
including a 3 game stretch from January 21st through the 24th that will take
from British Columbia to Alberta.
San Jose then plays 14 games in
February, which includes a monster 9 game road trip from the 12th through the
26th. Any additional rest can only benefit the Sharks, who have played the
fewest games in the league and get to make them up in March. San Jose plays an
insane number of games in March (17), where they get no more than a one day
break between any of those games during that stretch.
As a Calder
Trophy finalist for the league's top rookie player last season, Couture has
steadily worked his way to become one of the Sharks top forwards. His 56
points, which included 32 goals, as a rookie during the 2010-11 season elevated
him to national notoriety last year. He's become a player that opposing
defenses need to keep an eye on, having scored 8 game winners as a rookie.
Joe Pavelski, who is tied with Couture in points (30P, 16G, 14A) was
also left off the All Star roster. His omission was more of a surprise than
that of Thornton or Marleau. Defenseman Brent Burns was also a candidate to
attend the game in Ottawa, but his offensive output this season has been
slightly lower than the number's he's put up in Minnesota. Burns is on pace for
14 goals this year, down from the 17 he scored for the Wild in 2010-11.
Clowe Caged
Reports out of
Winnipeg had Sharks forward Ryane Clowe sporting a full helmet cage at the
morning skate on Thursday. Clowe was apparently pushed into the boards in
Minnesota on Tuesday, where he sustained a jaw injury.
He is expected
to play Thursday night against the Jets.
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