In the final stretch of the 2014-15 regular season, every point and every game counts for the San Jose Sharks. Post trade deadline and prior to their matchup with the Nashville Predators Thursday night, the Sharks have been on a confident high, winning 4 of their last 5 games. Heading into their final game at home before a 7-game road trip so late in the season will test their confidence and ability to beat the odds as playoffs are on everyone’s minds.
Although both teams came out strong in the first with a shot of momentum with quick legs and lots of puck movement, there was no scoring. The Sharks were outshot the entire game, but never more so than in the first frame when Antti Niemi stopped 14 shots (compared to only 6 shots that Pekka Rinne faced). After two power plays in the first, the Sharks were finally able to capitalize on their third power play in the second period – a nifty backhand by Tomas Hertl. Chris Tierney got the primary assist, his first of two points on the night. The Predators pulled Rinne late in the third as the Sharks began their fifth power play, and with about a minute left, Tommy Wingels wristed one right into the empty net. Hertl got the secondary assist and second point of the night, making this his fifth multi-point game this season. Wingels’ goal was his first against Nashville in his five career games against the club, and his 14th of the season.
The Wingels – Hertl – Tierney line was the only line that produced on the scoresheet. Coach Todd McLellan reflected on this, noting that when the top line doesn’t produce, it is a chance for the other guys to step in and do their part to make an impact:
“That Tierney line, I thought, was our best line tonight. Our power play, our first group, which has been very strong all year, really struggled tonight. It was an opportunity for that second group to get out there and they got us the goal. It happened again on the empty netter, on the power play as well, so it was a great reward for those three.”
Along with those three, Niemi was absolutely stellar. He stopped 35 shots, which led to his fifth shutout of the season and 32nd of his career. He has now shut out the Predators twice in his career. “He’s been solid. That’s what we need. We play with a lot of confidence when he plays like that,” commented Joe Pavelski after the game.
Plus, the Sharks blocked 21 shots before they even reached their goaltender, indicative of how much pressure they were facing against this Nashville team. Defense was the Sharks’ biggest tool and Niemi was the main reason they were able to hold on and get the win.
Now the Sharks hit the road for 7 games and will take 5 wins in 6 games in hand, something to feel good about. With the roller coaster season this team has had, any and every win further enhances their confidence, which is what they need in this final 14-game stretch. They need to be solid now more than ever.
Rules are obviously meant to be broken, and when I bought a navy blazer, I immediately knew of one that wouldn’t hold me back: navy and black. So for all of you haters, navy and black actually do go quite well together.
When deciding on which color I was going to buy, I originally wasn’t so keen on navy considering how much black I tend to wear. My thoughts were overthrown, though, and my manager at J.Crew convinced me that those style rules are so in the past.
Antoine Vermette took the ice last night in Arizona, but this time in a whole different uniform. Just shy of two weeks after being traded from Arizona his new team, the Chicago Blackhawks, faced off against the Coyotes on his old home ice. Vermette seems to have already acclimated himself well to the Blackhawks system. Directing team “traffic” during the power play from the bench, and playing at the pace the Blackhawks are known for.
A nice video montage was played during the game to honor the ex-Coyote and all of his efforts during his 3+ seasons with the club.
‘Hawks fans travel well
You know the Blackhawks are in the house when it feels like you’re at the United Center during the national anthem-the cheers are so loud. Blackhawks fans definitely travel well. Gila River Arena was sold out-17,534 people in attendance- meaning that the team was down to standing room only. The crowd was loud and rowdy, something that goaltender Mike Smith said is “exciting” no matter who they are rooting for.
Opposite sides of the spectrum
The pace of the Coyotes game varies greatly from the Blackhawks. Chicago plays fast, and they are a really physical team. They’re going to hit, and they’re going to pressure any team that they face. They have the offense to overpower a team like the Coyotes who lack in this area, even without star forward Patrick Kane. To even stay in the game, the Coyotes knew that they would have to play a full 60-minutes, something that they’ve struggled with all season long.
The Coyotes are now almost entirely comprised of young players. This was the intention, but you play a team like the Blackhawks and they play at a whole different velocity. Veterans like Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp can control a game, and have the capability of being high goal scorers.
What went wrong?
Even though they gave up a goal early, the Coyotes penalty kill was- once again- the best part of their game. Arizona has now killed off 19 of their last 22 penalties. Out of the seven penalties that the Coyotes were given, they killed off five of them. The Blackhawks only scoring was on their power plays, and it’s astounding that out of the seven, they only scored on two.
“You give a team like that too many power plays, they’ll burn you. It was a good lesson.”- Mike Smith on Blackhawks PP opportunities
The Blackhawks somehow weren’t able to score the amount of goals that they were given the opportunity, and this was a huge factor as to why the games final score was only 2-1. The Coyotes gave up way too many chances in their defensive zone, and left their goaltender to do all of the work, which-luckily-he did.
“When you traipse them out onto the power play for seven times, you’re playing with fire,” said Tippett about the many power-play chances given away to the Blackhawks.
The Coyotes offense was, once again, barely existent. The final shot on goal count was the Blackhawks with 44 to the Coyotes with only 15. They not only didn’t have a whole lot of shots, but they didn’t shoot when they had opportunities. During the third period, there were several times when they had chances, but they just didn’t take them, and head coach Dave Tippett seems awfully frustrated about this aspect of their game.
The Coyotes, who look quite a bit different after the trade deadline, seem to mesh better and better each game that they play. The team now has four games under their belts, and during this time, they’ve continued to improve in their overall play. Granted, there are many aspects that need improvement, especially after last night’s game. Overall, though, they’ve been playing well with what they have.
“There’s no qualms about the effort or the try,” said Tippett. “But tonight … we could have played way smarter, and that’s frustrating.”
Smith faces 44 SOG’s
Mike Smith has had a less than fantastic season, but the way that he has been playing lately has kept them in games. I previously mentioned him being referred to as their “best player on the ice” in those vital moments, and this statement continues to be true. Stopping 42 out of 44 shots on goal from the Blackhawks power-forwards was a major factor in how they stayed in the game.
“Mike (Smith) hung around, allowed us to hang around the game,” said Tippett on Smith’s play. “Our execution was poor throughout the night and we took penalty after penalty and Mike allowed us to hang around, but ultimately when you take that many bad penalties it is going to catch up to you.”
Smith got physical at one point in last nights game after Kris Versteeg was pushed into Smith by Mark Arcobello. Smith laid down a few punches and got himself a roughing minor that was served by Sam Gagner. Smith said that he didn’t know at the time that Versteeg was pushed, and if he had known, he wouldn’t have taken the measures that he did.
“When you get buried in the top of the head, the wires cross a little bit and the emotions come out,” Smith said about the altercation with Versteeg.
Things to know
Coyotes face off against the New Jersey Devils at home on Saturday, March 14th.
Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson who was boarded by Joakim Nordtrom in the last minute of the game is day-to-day. OEL skated off of the ice with an upper-body injury but is not ruled out to play on Saturday.
The Minnesota Gophers women’s hockey team is one of the greatest teams in the NCAA. On March 14, 2015, the Gophers are set to face the RIT Tigers in the first round of the NCAA playoffs at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis, MN.
The Gophers have a record of 31-3-4, and are ranked number two in the NCAA, just behind the Boston College Eagles, who have a record of 33-2-2. The Gophers have many talented young women, and among the top talent are forwards Hannah Brandt, Dani Cameranesi and Kelly Pannek. The leading scorer, Hannah Brandt, who is a junior, tallied a total of 67 points this year in only 37 games. The next leading scorer, sophomore Dani Cameranesi, earned 62 points this year in 37 games. Kelly Pannek, who is only a freshman, tallied 42 points in 38 games. Among the top defensemen for the Gophers are senior Rachel Ramsey, junior Milica McMillen and sophomore Lee Stecklein. Amanda Leveille, the junior starting goalie, has a strong GAA of 1.16, and a save percentage of 94.6%.
The RIT Tigers have a record of 15-18-5. Their leading scorer and senior captain, Lindsay Grigg, has 18 points in 38 games. Among RIT’s top defensemen are senior captains, Taylor Thurston and Morgan Scoyne. The Tigers’ goalie, Ali Binnington, also has an impressive GAA of 1.69, and a save percentage of 94%.
The game should be a great one, as the Gophers look to make it to the Frozen Four to win a national championship after a loss in the final game last year; and the Tigers look to upset the Gophers, and make a run in the NCAA playoffs.
The AHL movement West took another step to completion this week with the announcement of the name and logo for the new Calgary Flames affiliation in Stockton, CA. Beginning in the Fall 2015, the Stockton Heat will take the ice at Stockton Arena in place of the ECHL Stockton Thunder. The Heat will join the Ontario Reign, San Diego Gulls, Bakersfield Condors and the as yet unnamed San Jose Sharks AHL affiliate in a new Pacific Division in the AHL Western Conference next season.
The announcement took place at the University Plaza Waterfront Hotel in front of over 100 fans who have been waiting to see what the new look for the team would be.Team President Dave Piecuch and the Mayor of Stockton Anthony Silva shared the stage, revealing the name and logo.
Team President Dave Piecuch and Mayor of Stockton Anthony Silva photo: Jack Lima Photography
“Calgary wanted to rebrand the team for a couple of reasons,” Piecuch said. “First, they wanted the fans to have no confusion that this is a new team at a higher level. They were also eager for a fresh start for hockey in the City of Stockton under a new banner.”
“The new owners opened a name the team contest so that the fans could have a say in what the new name would be. The name Stockton Heat was selected as the winner out of a group of five finalists submitted by the fans.
“The name Heat, which was one of the most-entered names, was chosen out of the five finalists because the Central Valley is certainly known for its heat and it kept the name weather related, something that California is known for across the world.”
The winner of the name the team contest was Daniel Harms as he walked away with the grand prize of two season tickets for next year’s inaugural AHL season and a brand new Stockton Heat sweater to wear at all of next year’s home games.
The new home and away sweaters were showcased at the event. They represent a new era of hockey in Stockton and are a symbol for the success the city and hockey have found for the past decade of partnership. The sweaters feature the Calgary colors, a prominent “S” with a touch of a flame and the shoulders continue the tradition of featuring flags, this time a California State flag on the left and the American flag on the right.
photo: Jack Lima Photography
photo: Jack Lima Photography
Fans can reserve their seats for the inaugural Heat season in the AHL by calling (209) 373-1500. For more information, visit StocktonThunder.com/ahl.
When the Syracuse Crunch (AHL affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning) took on the Albany Devils, Friday, February 27, fans were seeing “pink in the rink!” The Syracuse Crunch Foundation partnered with Upstate University Hospital to honor those who have fought breast cancer and cardiac issues by hosting ‘Hockey & Heels: A Night of Women’s Health.’
The night began with a special pre-game ‘Hockey 101’ with Shannon Zettler, wife of head coach Rob Zettler. The hockey basics talk was followed by information from breast and cardiac health experts from Upstate University Hospital, along with screenings for blood pressure, body mass index and cardiac risk assessment. Attendees were treated to refreshments and had access to exclusive raffle items. Fans were able to purchase pink and red autographed mystery pucks to benefit the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fundand Strong Women, Strong Hearts.
The pre-game ceremony tugged at everyone’s heart strings, when breast cancer and heart disease survivors were escorted on the ice by Syracuse Crunch players. The event was made even more personal when forward Kevin Lynch escorted his own mother Sue.
Fans and staff alike were encouraged to wear pink and red to that night’s game to help raise awareness about breast and cardiac health. As a “Sponsorship Services” intern for the Syracuse Crunch, I worked closely with our partner’s representatives for this game – assisting with the pre-game ceremony line up of Syracuse Crunch players and the survivors, as well as with the raffle table.
For this look, I pulled out some pieces from the archives. The A-line floral patchwork skirt is by Nanette Lepore and was purchased with the short sleeved bubblegum pink sweater atSaks Fifth Avenue several years ago. Since it can be chilly in the rink, I added my black boyfriend-style blazer from Anthropologie. The cuffs of the blazer have a similar pattern to that of the background in the skirt. I finished the look with black opaque tights and my flat, black leather Cole Haan boots. For accessories, I chose to carry by black, leather envelope clutch from Kate Spade. For jewelry I kept it simple and classic with a vintage pearl necklace and earring set and a vintage cocktail ring. I enjoy layering necklaces, so I added my single pearl and sterling silver necklace from Dogeared and my men’s inspired two-tone watch from Citizen.
With the Nashville Predators coming into the game against the Arizona Coyotes on a six-game losing streak, it was obvious that the game wouldn’t be easy. An excellent performance by both goaltenders Louis Domingue and Pekka Rinne set the pace of the game, and they were the best players out on the ice.
Sticking things out
Kyle Chipchura
No matter how disastrous the Coyotes season has been, they are still on a mission to stay focused on this current season and focused on turning out all of the points they can. A third period goal by Kyle Chipchura kept the ‘Yotes in the game, and pushed things out to overtime. Two of the past three games the Coyotes have played, they’ve been able to get a couple of points in a shootout win and an overtime loss.
“We found a way to stick around and we had a chance,” said Chipchura. “Unfortunately that’s been the story lately, just not finding that extra mode to win the game.”
The amount of chances the Coyotes have had that they haven’t been able to capitalize on is encouraging and dispiriting all at the same time. The past good chunk of games has warranted lots of attempts, but nothing seems to be bouncing in their favor. Last night, they were able to cash in on a bounce and eventually get a point out of it by taking it into overtime.
The penalty kill that keeps getting better
Once again, the penalty kill has been a huge factor in keeping the score of the game low. Nashville went 0 for 5 in their power play chances, and it isn’t by coincidence. The Coyotes have now killed off the past 14 of their last 15 penalties. This is a vital piece of their game, if they aren’t producing offensively.
“There’s quite a few there, you know the way the team is right now, we’re putting people in a role, we see them moving forward. We brought Brendan Shinnimin in tonight, Cunningham’s (Craig Cunningham) a penalty killer, Vitale (Joe Vitale) is obviously a penalty killer,” said head coach Dave Tippett about the PK. “We’re putting people in roles so we can see exactly where they are, and our penalty killers did really well for us tonight.”
Dominigue dominating
Louis Domingue
Goaltender Mike Smith was given a break from the net to give backup Louis Domingue his second NHL career start. He had 38 saves in an overtime loss, following a win against the Montreal Canadiens on February 1st in his debut. Domingue has collected three of the four possible points he could’ve helped the team earn in his two career games.
The first shot on him rang off of his mask, and he said that it definitely “wakes you up”. Dominigue kept them in the game from there, not allowing a goal in the first, but facing a good amount of offense. An early goal in the second was the only one that Domingue allowed in the entirety of regulation. An untimely shot by James Neal in overtime caught him off guard after facing seven shots over 2 minutes into the bonus hockey.
“We played some good games in the six-game losing streak but we played a lot of games that weren’t us,” said the OT goal scorer, Neal. “Tonight we were back on the positive and doing good things in the offensive zone that makes us a great hockey team, and obviously it paid off.”
At this point in the season, I’m mixing and matching things from my closet that I’ve already worn to make them new and fresh for game night. Which is undertandable, because even someone with as ridiculous an amount of clothing as I own comes to a point where they wear something more than once in a hockey season.
So I just about fell over backwards when I went through my jacket arsenal before the Sharks Monday night tilt against the Pens and realized that I hadn’t worn one of my favorite blazers yet this season! Part of that is because I’ve been on a cardigan kick–thanks for the inspiration, “How To Get Away With Murder” binge sesh–but part of not pulling this fabulous piece out is because it is so noticeable that it doesn’t have the same impact if I wear it too often.
I mean, look at it. It’s hella bright!
The Basics: Black-and-white striped three-quarter length sleeve tunic dress from H&M. DKNY black tights. Black flats. Standard game night stuff.
The Jacket: If you’ve followed my outfits since last season, you’ve season my crazy coral H&M blazer before. They really do have the best quality jackets without blowing your paycheck and having to live off ramen for a month. While I love me a good boyfriend blazer, having a a girly work jacket like this one is a real must. Its single button closure hits right at my waist so it creates the ultimate femme silhouette (I know I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again, always try your jackets on before your purchase them!)
The Arm Party: Yes, the blazer is the focal point of this outfit. But pairing fun jewelry in an opposing color can still work. I pulled some silver-and-aqua pieces that are pretty loud–come on, I put my gigantic watch and Turkish eyes bracelet together for goodness sake–but wouldn’t fight too hard with the coral jacket. Unfortunately I cannot for the life of me remember where the multi-bead ring is from, but I’m sure something similar can be dug up on Etsy.
Watch, I’m not going to want to wear any bright colors for about a month. It will totally happen.
In my excitement over a purchase that will be shown off at Thursday night’s game between the Blackhawks and Coyotes, I struggled not caving in and just wearing it last night against the Predators. Nothing was coming even close in comparison, so I just settled on some classic pieces for the night.
I love this take on the white button down. The black chevron beading on the pockets makes things interesting and takes a staple piece and turns it into a statement piece. Button down’s are always a good thing to have in your closet, and when this one came out at J.Crew, I jumped on it. Perfectly classy and professional with a hint of glam.
I love these nude Topshop heels because they are so comfortable, yet completely adorable. I can stand around for long periods of time, and walk comfortably, and when trying to maneuver around the arena, this is exactly what you want in a shoe. The style is so classic and I think everyone should have a pair in a variety of colors.
Pearl necklaces are a favorite of mine. This specific chunky necklace gets a lot of use, and I get so many compliments on it. No one believes me when I tell them that I bought it for $13 at Forever 21, and that’s exactly what I want! They took the classic look of the whole outfit and amped it up.
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