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Sharks falter on the big
stage
Kings take Stadium Series match up on Gaborik
goal
After several days of build up, the players finally
hit the ice and played what amounts to the biggest regular season game in
Sharks history on Saturday night. The much anticipated Stadium Series Game with
the Los Angeles Kings was a hotly contested affair, but in the end it turned
out to be a microcosm of the direction each team is headed. The Kings Marion
Gaborik scored the go ahead goal early in the 3rd period to lead Los Angeles to
a hard fought 2-1 decision over San Jose in front of 70,205 fans at Levi's
Stadium in Santa Clara.
The division match-up turned out to be much
more than a hockey game played on a grand stage. The two teams are jockeying
for one of the final playoff spots in the NHL's Western Conference. Los Angeles
grabbed that spot by virtue of winning the game, hop-scotching San Jose in the
standings. They have a bigger card in their hand having played three fewer
games than San Jose. Had San Jose won the game, the Kings would have been 4
points behind the Sharks. Now they sit in the 7th position at 68 points.
San Jose also has 68 points along with the Calgary Flames, but the
Flames have also played fewer games than the Sharks. That leaves San Jose on
the outside looking it for a playoff spot. San Jose hasn't missed the playoffs
in 10 years, but their 3-6-2 record in February suggests an early off-season
for a team still searching for an identity.
In what amounted to a
should win game, the Sharks floundered. All their holes were on display for the
sellout crowd to see. Poor goaltending and an offense that can't seem to
generate goals when they need them has pushed the Sharks to 7 losses in their
last 10 games. Only the conference cellar dwellers, Arizona and Edmonton have
an equally poor record over that stretch.
The NHL's celebration of its
game in venues bigger than your average NHL arena was a spectacle to say the
least. It was an evenly matched game minus the little mistakes that ended up
costing the Sharks in the end. San Jose just got beat by a better team. A team
that seems to rally when it matters most. And like last year's playoff team,
the Sharks fizzled when it mattered most.
San Jose knew the first 5
minutes of the game would be their toughest. Even armed with that, they let the
butterflies get the best of them early in the game. They allowed Los Angeles to
control the tempo and keep the Sharks pinned in their own zone.
Kings
tough guy Kyle Clifford broke the ice with the game's 1st goal just 2:46 into
the contest by tipping a Jake Muzzin shot from the left point. Muzzin threw it
on net as Clifford crossed through the slot from right to left. Antti Niemi
appeared to have the shot lined up, but the redirection tucked under the
goaltender's blocker for the early 1-0 Kings lead.
The Sharks struggled to get the puck out of their own
end, much less mount any offensive chances in the frame. San Jose was stuck on
6 shots in the period for a good 5 minutes before they kicked things into gear
and made a late push.
Joe Thornton found himself with the puck in the
slot and a shooting lane out in front of the Kings goal, but elected to turn
his back on the net in search of a teammate to pass instead of shoot.
Surrounded by white and grey jerseys, he would turn it over, killing what could
have been a decent scoring chance.
San Jose finally got things moving
forward late in the period. Brent Burns carried the puck up the right wing
boards before unleashing a wrist shot that clipped Kings goaltender Jonathan
Quick's stick and found twine. The goal was Burns' 16th of the season and just
like that the game was tied.
The stadium erupted on Burns goal, but it
would be the last thing they would be able to cheer about. It was unfortunate
given the momentum that 70,000 voices can generate. The Sharks just failed to
capitalize on that backing.
Robyn Regehr put the Sharks on their 1st
power play of the evening when he hooked Thornton in the Kings zone at 7:24 of
the 2nd period. San Jose would not score, but they put enough shots on Quick to
eclipse the Kings in that category after trailing all of the 1st period.
The hitting intensified later in the period as both teams hoped to
send a message. Melker Karlsson found himself upended along the Kings end
boards after a hit by Clifford bounced him off the glass. Tommy Wingels repaid
the favor moments later with his 10th hit of the game at that point. Wingels
would finish the game with 11 hits.
Los Angeles jumped ahead 4:04 into
the 3rd period when Gaborik ripped a shot from the left wing, evading Niemi.
The shot was direct and stoppable, but somehow the Sharks netminder let it slip
past him. Gaborik was the benefactor of a Marc-Edouard Vlasic pass that
pin-balled off a skate as the Sharks were trying to gain the Kings zone. The
puck bounced right to the Kings forward, setting up a partial break. Vlasic
tried cutting Gaborik off, but he was an instant to late as the game winning
shot was uncorked.
Dustin Brown setup a perfect opportunity for the
Sharks to try and claw their way back into the game, but the ensuing power play
turned out to be as fruitless as the two that preceded it in the game. San Jose
would only generate a 70-foot shot from defenseman Matt Irwin that Quick
brushed aside with ease.
The Sharks pulled Niemi with 1:20 to play,
but Los Angeles simply intercepted and punted every puck that entered their
zone.
The final horn sounded and fireworks vaulted into the air,
celebrating the Sharks mediocrity. The business-like Kings came to town and
took care of business, and San Jose just created more questions. It was a grand
evening that left you with a hungry feeling.
Game
Notes:
* Coaches from both teams wore high school style letterman's
jackets on the bench.
* John Fogerty played an enthusiastic set at the
1st intermission. Fogerty played 5 or 6 songs, which included Proud Mary and
Born on the Bayou. Melissa Etheridge played the 2nd intermission, belting out
tunes that made the hair stand up on eh back of your neck.
* As a
perfect indication of why the Sharks offense has struggled, defenseman Brent
Burns led the team in shots on goal (6). Forwards Andrew Desjardins, Joe
Thornton, John Scott and Tyler Kennedy had no zero shots among them.
*
In a peculiar move, Sharks head coach Todd McLellan benched forward Chris
Tierney in favor of John Scott. Tierney was a force on Thursday in Dallas.
Scott was inserted into the lineup for more physicality, but that never seemed
to be a factor in the game.
* One of the issues the Sharks faced was
Los Angeles propensity to block shots. Having figured out that San Jose throws
a high volume of pucks on net from the blueline, the Kings denied several
attempts late in the game. Forward Anze Kopitar led the Kings with 5 blocked
shots.
* The Sharks inability to convert on the three power play
chances was magnified by the fact that the Kings have the league's 25th ranked
penalty kill. Their penalty kill on the road rankes 27th in the league.
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think of this story? Post your comments on the
Feeder Forums |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| LA |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
| SJ |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
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| 1st period - 1, LA,
Clifford 3 (Muzzin), 2:46. 2, SJ, Burns 16 (Wingels), 18:56 |
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| 3rd period - 3, LA,
Gaborik 17 (Carter), 4:04. |
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| 1st period - Dillon, SJ
(holding), 6:33. |
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| 2nd period - Regehr, LA
(hooking), 7:24; Irwin, SJ (hooking), 13:06; Muzzin, LA (delay of game - puck
over glass), 16:03. |
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| 3rd period - Brown, LA
(tripping), 10:06. |
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Shots |
Saves |
| LA - Quick |
32 |
31 |
| SJ - Niemi |
29 |
27 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| LA |
12 |
6 |
11 |
29 |
| SJ |
10 |
15 |
7 |
32 |
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| Referees:
O'Halloran, Dwyer. Linesmen: Barton, Brisebois. |
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