Tag: Nashville Predators

And it looks like the Sharks continue to write their own/new story with home ice not being the issue it “seemed to be” during the regular season, as they are up 2-0 in this series.  (And they are the only team left playing that hasn’t had a regulation loss.)

Game 2 pregame news/links

In past seasons, the Sharks might have a late lead but be unable to hang onto it.  This spring, the Sharks are putting their foot on the throat with more force and confidence, scoring extra empty netters and late goals, regardless of the score.  This came in handy Sunday night when the ENG was the GWG after the late extra attacker goal by Nashville.

Also a huge sigh of relief after Vlasic was hit in the visor by a Weber slap shot (and suffered no injury!).

Black aces get tapped for playoffs.  (That’s goalie Aaron Dell; defenseman Mirco Mueller; forwards Ryan Carpenter, Nikolay Goldobin, and Barclay Goodrow.)

With AHL season ending for @sjbarracuda , #SJSharks recall @CarpyDeuces,@Goldobin78 @bgoodrow23 @muellermirco @ADell32 to stay ready.

— Dan Rusanowsky (@DanRusanowsky) May 2, 2016

Postgame news/links

• AP recap
• AP: Pavelski leading team to wins in first year as captain
• Reuters recap
• Rotoworld recap
• Puck Daddy recap
• Puck Daddy SOTN: #2 Pavelski
• Sportsnet: Sharks are in control
• NBC: Vlasic saved by his visor on Weber slap shot
• NBC recap
• Postmedia recap
• Postmedia: Preds not worried being down 0-2 to Sharks
• Sharks: Update on Josefine Pawvelski (Black Cat of the Tank)
• Sharks: Ward feature (from 4/30)
• CBS with feature on Jo(sefin)e Pawvelski
• SJMN WTC: pregame notes
• SJMN WTC: Sharks looking to find home for Joe Pawvelski
• SJMN: Sharks looking to find home for Joe Pawvelski
• SJMN: Playoff empty seats – temporary or permanent condition?
• SJMN: Sharks take 2-0 series lead
• SJMN Purdy: Bounces go Sharks way in weird game
• SJMN: Jones stands tall in net
• Chron recap
• Gackle: Sharks hoping to find home for black cat
• Gackle: All Pavelski cares about is winning
• Tennessean: Rinnie making unreal saves
• Tennessean: Predators down 0-2
• Tennessean: Five takeaways from game 2

Around the ice we gather for game 2.  Sharks lead the series 1-0.

Game 1 post game news/links

With the Preds coming off a game 7, I knew that game 1 was for the Sharks to lose as they were the fresher team.

Now, to see if the Preds get any bounceback/recovery with another non game day. (They took Saturday off from on ice work.) And if the Sharks can improve on their first two periods, using their speed to the home team’s advantage.

On Saturday, the Preds recalled a third goalie.

#Preds recall goaltender Marek Mazanec from @mkeadmirals. (Will serve as 3rd goalie).

📖 >> https://t.co/WagmAWgkOF pic.twitter.com/6lKPi4UTXH

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) April 30, 2016

With the Barracuda ousted from the AHL playoffs on Friday, there is no word yet (as of Saturday evening) of any “Black Ace” recalls for the NHL playoffs.

But there is an update on “Rally Cat”

@KKurzCSN Not true. The cat has been found at SAP Center and is safe with food and water. More details to follow.

— Scott Emmert (@ScottEmmert44) April 30, 2016

CSN with local pre/post game shows:

RT if you’re ready for #SJSharks GAMEDAY! Game 2 Sharks-NSH 5PM @NBCSN (SNC: Sharks Playoff Central on CSN). pic.twitter.com/FSEVO3r3rf

— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) May 1, 2016

Hear from Coach and the #SJSharks prior to Game 2 against the Predators. #SJSvsNSH https://t.co/LtAlS7bgne

— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) May 1, 2016

Pregame news/links

• Postmedia: Norris finalist Burns is “one of those special athletes”
• AP preview
• Puck Daddy preview
• Sharks: Ward feature
• KNBR transcript with Jones
• SJMN: DeBoer looking for more complete effort from Sharks
• SJMN Purdy: Empty seats in the playoffs
• SJMN: Brent Burns, premiere defenseman
• SJMN Purdy: Playoff series of body sacrifice
• Gackle: Burns silences critics with Norris finalist nod
• Gackle: Sharks changing narrative with resiliency
• Chron: Hertl become offensive force
• Tennesean: Three things to watch for
• Tennesean: Predators need to adapt to Sharks’ attacking style
• Tennesean: Predators finding ways to rest

Let the battle commence. (Pregame news/links)

The teams spent about the first five minutes of play feeling each other out and the Sharks worked on getting the rust out (with bad passes and missed positions).  Period ended 0-0.

Predators scored in the second on their second power play, leading 1-0 after 40 minutes.

The Sharks scored five straight, including two power play goals and two empty nets, in the third.  Predators desperately scored one with goalie pulled.  Hutton came in relief to play the last few seconds of the game.

(And as seen on TV: there was a black cat that ran across the ice before warm ups.  Not mentioned/seen at game, so perhaps it happened before the doors opened?)

Final score: Sharks 5-2

News links

• Puck Daddy: 11 keys to the series
• Puck Daddy: Black cat in the building
• Puck Daddy recap
• Puck Daddy Stars of the Night: #1 Ward; HMs – Couture, Burns, Jones
• AP recap
• AP: Burns, Doughty, Karlsson named Norris finalists
• Reuters recap
• Rotoworld recap
• Sporting News: 3 stars of the night: #1 Couture
• Sporting News: Black cat on the ice before the game
• NBC: Black cat 🙂
• NBC recap (with highlights)
• USA Today: podcast looking at Sharks-Predators series
• NHL: Burns named Norris finalist
• Sharks: Sharks continue to write new story (preview)
• SJMN WTC: Burns named Norris finalist
• SJMN recap
• SJMN: Sharks fail to sell out game 1
  First playoff game in franchise history that wasn’t a sell out
• SJMN Purdy: Sharks looked rested
• SJMN: Burns is Norris finalist
• SJMN: Have the Sharks found their good luck charm?
• SJMN photo gallery
• Gackle: DeBoer’s blue line stacks up against Preds (preview)
• Gackle: Donskoi ignoring friendship with Rinne during playoffs
• Gackle recap
• Chronicle recap
• NY Daily News: Black cat, good luck charm?
• Tennesean: San Jose black cat
• Tennesean recap
• Tennesean photo gallery
• Tennesean: pundit analyzes game 1 loss
• Tennesean: Five take aways

And so it begins.

Series previews, general links

Predators are coming in hot (but probably battered) from their game 7 win two days ago.  Sharks have been healing and resting (with hard practices) for a week.

I’m expecting both teams to come out hard in the early part of the game to try and get an advantage.

Sharks have yet to change their line up this post season.  Haley, Zubrus, DeMelo,  Tennyson and Reimer have zero minutes of ice time (and the first four haven’t even dressed for a game).  Tennyson is back in NHL after three-game conditioning stint with AHL Barracuda.

#Preds recall forward Pontus Aberg from @mkeadmirals.

📖 >> https://t.co/wufrk9Yd9l pic.twitter.com/9i0h5O4LGg

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) April 29, 2016

Time for a little dreaming

Playoff chances after April 28 pic.twitter.com/YXjMTggfJ4

— Micah Blake McCurdy (@IneffectiveMath) April 29, 2016

News, links

• Postmedia preview
• NBC: Sharks have pent up energy for tonight’s game
• SJMN WTC: A few things to watch for in series
• SJMN Purdy: Sharks are overdogs vs Predators
• SJMN: Hertl can take the punishment, and dish it out
• SJMN: Rinne is Sharks nemesis
• Gackle: Pavelski focused on playoffs not video game voting
• Chron: Sharks hope to keep going
• Sharks hosting pre-game 1 street rally
• Tennessean: Sharks-Predators meet for third time in playoffs

Finally, a known opponent.

NHL Stats

Sharks twitter list
Twitter list of opponent news
Former Sharks on opponent: Carter Hutton; Scott Nichol (Director of Player Development)

Predators flew to San Jose on Thursday after winning their first round series in their first game 7 against the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday, and open up the series on Friday.

The Predators have never won a series against the Sharks, and the Sharks have never faced the Predators in the second round.  Sharks won both the 05-06 and 06-07 WCQF series against the Predators in five games.

The Sharks forwards average 6′ 1″, and 202.8 pounds; defense 6′ 2″ and 212.8. Forwards average age is 28.6, defense 28.4.

The Predators forwards average about the same height, more than two pounds heavier, and a year and a half younger.  Defense is half an inch shorter, more than six pounds lighter and again about a year and a half younger.

Nashville is riding high after its first game 7, and a win.  So could come in “hot” against the Sharks who haven’t played for a week.

This will probably a physical series, based on the # of hits each team had in the regular season.  Predators averaged more than a minute more of penalties per game than the Sharks.  Sharks scored more goals and let in fewer goals than the Predators.

While both teams had good road playoff records in the first round, and the Sharks had a poor regular season home record, I don’t know that it’ll be that much a difference with the intensity of the second round playoffs.

And sometimes all the stats and calculations in the world don’t mean a thing when the puck drops.

My call: Sharks in 6.

Series preview, news/links

• ESPN LeBrun preview/prediction
• SI: Donskoi becoming not-so-secret weapon
• CBS: Round 2 predictions
• Spector’s Hockey: Round 2 picks
• NBC: Round 2 predictions
• AP: Rested Sharks ready to face Predators
• USA Today: Joe Thornton NHL’s most underrated star
• USA Today: Ranking 8 teams remaining in playoffs
• Yahoo: Round 2 picks
• Yahoo: Puck Daddy podcast with Bret Hedican, previewing round 2
• Olczyk round 2 preview
• Sportsnet: Goaltending a weakness for Predators (4/21)
• Sportsnet: series preview
  Hilarious interview with Nick Spaling via telephone (video)
• NHL: Five reasons the Predators advanced
• SJMN WTC: Sharks catching a break (with tired Nashville team)? Not the way they’ve been hitting their stride.
• SJMN: Donskoi, Karlsson providing forward depth
• Gackle: Donskoi earned coach’s trust by playing simple, mature game
• Gackle: Sharks don’t see themselves as favorites over Predators
• Tennessean series preview
• Tennessean: Preds face tough test