It’s my last game for a couple of weeks (which I’m completely upset about), as I’m going home for Christmas break, and I’ve basically packed up my entire wardrobe, so the only outfit I left out was what I’m wearing tonight.
I’ve had four full days since a game, therefore I’ve had some time to think about an outfit (when I wasn’t stressing about finals and presentations).
Tonight, I decided that I was going to be nice and warm, and somehow wear my favorite Topshop dress. I’ve had this dress for like ever (and by ever I mean like 3 years), and it is one of the most comfortable things in my closet. The stretchy, yet thick material makes it perfect for colder temps, if layered properly.
I love the preppy Cher Horowitz look, because let’s face it, we are the same person (like people stop me at the mall to tell me this). So layering the dress over a button down was an obvious layer to add to the warmth factor. Some sparkly jewels and the most glorious Kate Spade belt are the perfect accessories.
Wearing tights means that I can’t wear heels, but rather boots because it just goes against everything in me to show my ankles in tights (weird pet peeve of mine). My over-the-knee boots were a no-brainer because it adds some sass and warmth…Thank goodness I can layer on the bright green, cheetah-print knee-high socks because that just means that I’m that much toastier.
The length of the dress is the perfect length that it has a little room for the tights to peek out, but not enough to take away the professionalism.
My firm belief that throwing on a blazer over pretty much anything, is not an exception tonight, and it makes everything less “Clueless” and more situationally appropriate.
Press Level Fashion Tip: Layering a button down shirt under a dress can make things instantly more professional. It looks polished and it’s always a good alternative to just wearing a plain ‘ole dress. Layering anything, actually, makes an outfit so much more interesting. It adds dimension. As I mentioned in previous posts, the “third piece” concept is one that everyone should follow. Don’t be boring, people! It’s possible to achieve the professionalism that you need in a look while still having fun with it!
Dress: Topshop, $85.00 (old)
Button Down: J.Crew, Boyfriend Fit, $80.00
Blazer: H&M, $35.00
Boots: Dolce Vita ℅ Nordstrom (Don’t ask how much…It’s truly painful)
If you looked just at the statistics of the game against the Chicago Blackhawks, you would have assumed that the Boston Bruins won in the game Thursday night. Unfortunately such was not the case. Despite outplaying Chicago, the Bruins just couldn’t seem to find the back of the net.
Statistically the Bruins were outshooting, outhitting and beating the Blackhawks in the faceoff circle. Despite all this, the came up short, in the 3-2 game. After the second period, due to a lot of stop and go play as things were whistled, the statistics showed that Patrice Bergeron had won more faceoffs singlehandedly than the entire Blackhawks team combined, as Bergeron had won an astounded 17 of the 20 he faced while the Blackhawks were 15 of the 47 they had seen. The Bruins even managed to kill of a 5-on-3 penalty, which should have given them a lot of momentum.
So just what went wrong? Execution.
When asked post-game about the team’s start and ending up down two goals, head coach Claude Julien was blunt and too the point.
“I don’t think it’s the start, honestly. I think it was the execution,” he told reporters. “I think the effort was there from start to finish, but as you could see in that first period, the execution was poor. We mentioned it in the room—a three on one you don’t get a shot; you almost got an open net there, you tip it over the net.”
The players were also honest with some of the missed opportunities and the fact that despite an impressive effort overall they once again seemed to truly come alive at the tail end of the second, which carried them into the third period. In fact, it looked like the Bruins were go into the second intermission down three goals, when, with just 1:23 remaining in the second, Reilly Smith was able to get one past Scott Darling to at least prevent a shutout on home ice.
Chances were there for the Bruins throughout the evening.
Zdeno Chara
“I thought that for the most part we played a solid game. We could have capitalized on some of the chances and if we would, it might have been a different game,” responded team captain Zdeno Chara, who played his first game since October 23rd. “But again, we can’t be sitting here talking about luck or some bounces. We have to earn those goals.”
Effort was there on paper, but watching the teams play, it was clear that Boston was struggling to finish plays. They were giving the Blackhawks too much space and in some case multiple opportnities. The Blackhawk’s third goal, for instance, was scored by Patrick Kane, on what was his third shot at the net in succession. Kane rarely needs time and space to score, so when he has both, it isn’t a matter of if, but when the puck with hit the twine. And it wasn’t just the Kane goal where the Bruins faltered.
“You look at those goals [by the Blackhawks], they were turnovers that were our fault, being sloppy with the puck,” Milan Lucic said. “It just seems like every time we make a mistake these days it ends up in the back of the net.”
And Lucic’s effort was there, and it was his strong play and determination to get the puck to Torey Krug that resulted in the Bruins closing the gap to just a single goal with still 7:43 remaining in regulation. Unfortunately, it may have been too little, too late as it took them almost two periods to get their first goal on the evening. Less than ten minutes of the game did not seem like enough time to tie the game, let alone win it. And unfortunately it wasn’t.
“Maybe we were giving them a little bit more space than we did later in the game,” Chara said. “It doesn’t mean we were afraid of them, we were just kid of respecting the game plan, but in a way we have to be also aware that we can’t be always turning the switch every time we are behind a goal or two and then start to play a little bit more desperate. We’ve just got to be playing like that for the whole game.”
Torey Krug
And perhaps this is the most important thing about the Bruins approach to the game this year. Too often they appear to be waiting for something to cause them to flip that switch. It could be getting down a couple of goals or the start of the third period. Regardless of what it is, the reality is that to be effective they need to hit the ice on full tilt—everyone’s switch needs to have already been flipped.
“We always seem to wait for the third period or when we’re down a couple goals to play desperate,” said Krug. “I think it’s one thing if we can stay on top of it and kind of come out with that jump and that jam and that little edge that we kind played with in the third period, then I thin we’ll see ourselves have more leads in hockey games and play a better overall 60 minutes.”
All of this talk about playing on their toes from the first puck drop will be tested as the Bruins take on the Ottawa Senators in a Saturday matinee at the Garden before heading out on a road trip. The Senators have just lost their coach, so they have had a shake up, and they have lost the last three of four games, so they are looking to get back to winning.
Riddled with injuries, the San Jose Sharks hosted the Minnesota Wild in a wet and wild day in the Bay Area Thursday night. Marc-Edouard Vlasic was questionable with an upper body injury while both Matt Nieto and Mike Brown were put on IR. Therefore, the Sharks recalled Matt Tennyson and Chris Tierney from Worcester. Tennyson got substantial ice time (and was a plus-1) and Mirco Mueller also helped pick up the slack with an absent Vlasic. Antti Niemi got banged up before the Oilers game last Sunday, giving Alex Stalock a chance. And, after two consecutive wins, McLellan rewarded him with his third consecutive start, for the first time in his NHL career, against the Wild. With many line changes and combinations being played around with in the last several games means the Sharks are still in transition mode to find an identity, amid dealing with injuries. The last few games they have established somewhat of an identity and it was prudent that they stayed consistent with that identity in this game.
The third-best power play team, the Sharks, were up against the second-best penalty killing team, the Wild, in the first period. Not only did they kill the penalty, the Wild also had a shorthanded chance that dinged off the crossbar.
Melker Karlsson, in his second game with the Sharks, already had 2 shots on goal in the first, followed by a shot on goal by Zach Parise about a minute later. Both sides were getting shots off, 9 shots for the Sharks, including one on that power play, to the Wild’s 5 shots. The teams were playing fast, physical hockey, but with no score by the end of the first, we wondered if any of those shots would get past Stalock or Darcy Kuemper.
Toronto wanted to see a possible goal that was called on the ice as a no-goal, by Minnesota about two minutes into the second period. After video review, the call on the ice stood. With the way things were going, it was clear that the first goal would probably be the most important goal in this matchup.
4-on-4s leave a lot of open ice, and the Sharks almost paid the price in the second period. Mueller got caught up and Stalock was wide open, but Logan Couture made a great defensive play to keep this game at zero. The Sharks were giving up odd-man rushes, too, and if it wasn’t for some great saves by Stalock, this game would be very tilted.
But the Sharks showed offense as well at about halfway into the period. A pass from Patrick Marleau was tipped by Tommy Wingels, but saved. Karlsson got another chance too, and was robbed by Kuemper.
The Sharks went on the power play again, and this time, the Wild were not able to kill it. Brent Burns received a nifty pass from Justin Braun, and one-timed it from the blue line and blasted it to the back of the net. Burns had the Sharks’ last goal in the 5-2 game versus the Edmonton Oilers, and he got the first goal here. Speaking of Burns, that was his ninth goal on the year, ranking him second among all defensemen for goals. An added bonus was that it was the all-important first goal in this game.
Clearing the zone in the third period was a big problem for the Sharks. The curse of being ahead and not being able to keep a lead was creeping up on them again. The Wild would get that no-goal call back by defenseman Christian Folin, with his first NHL goal. Another curse the Sharks seem to have – letting the other team get “firsts.” Folklore or not, luck just doesn’t seem to be on their side sometimes.
The excitement of scoring his first goal was short-lived, however, when (Joe) Thornton passed one to (Joe) Pavelski. The Joe to Joe combo is magnificent, and nothing more magnificent was Pavelski’s execution of the goal, even getting down on one knee to shoot the puck. He makes goals look pretty. The Sharks got the lead right back. So maybe the curse was lifting. Folin reflected on his first ever NHL goal after the limelight was stolen: “We talked about getting a good start to the third period, and I think we did with my goal there. But it’s tough when they score right away like that.”
The Wild got another chance on a power play, but were held with no shots on either man-advantages.
Kuemper was pulled with about two minutes left of play and Marleau shot wide of the empty net. No matter, though. The Sharks won 2-1 and ended the night with 30 shots on goal, to Wild’s 19 shots.
Another interesting statistic to note, the Sharks blocked 23 shots, which was two under their season-high of 25 blocked shots in early November against the New York Islanders. This kind of defense and putting themselves in the line of fire are what the team needs to do, and it has paid off.
Eleven seasons with the same team. This might not seem that significant until you consider that this is the ECHL and players come and go faster than the latest fashion trend. Former Colorado Eagles Captain Riley Nelson decided to hang up the skates at the beginning of this season after making a career with the team. The thirty-six year old Nelson finished his career as the team’s all-time leader in goals (303), assists (489) and points (792)
In addition, Nelson also ranks first in Eagles history in all-time plus-minus rating (+244), power-play goals (94), short-handed goals (29), game-winning goals (40), games played (657) and shots on goal (2,082). He also exited as the team’s all-time playoff leader in points (128) and assists (80) and is tied for first with 48 playoff goals. He served as the Eagles captain from 2009 to 2014.
The Colorado Eagles, proud affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames and Adirondack Flames of the AHL, are excited to announce the festivities surrounding Eagles legend Riley Nelson’s number retirement ceremony on December 12, 2014 (12/12) before the game against the Stockton Thunder.
The Eagles will honor Nelson along with his family for their long-time support of the team and community. All of the current Eagles players will sport #12 Nelson jerseys during pre-game warm-ups. The 18 jerseys the current Eagles players will wear will be sold at the merchandise stand for $250, on a first-come-first-served basis, while a 19th jersey will be auctioned off during the charity cowbell auction in the Water Valley Tap. The night will be complete with special videos to compliment the ceremony taking place in Nelson’s honor.
Time to Retire
At the end of the 2013-14 season, in an interview with The Pink Puck, Nelson said that he was determined to retire on his own terms, that he didn’t want an injury to stop his play. After dealing with a shoulder injury that sidelined his 2012-13 season, he went through rehab and came back to play another season.
“I came back because I wanted to play and I wanted to win another championship. I didn’t want to end my year and my career in Colorado that way.”
The Eagles made another run at the playoffs and Nelson finished the season. His decision to retire was a natural progression and he realized that he couldn’t play at the level that he needed to to be successful every night. From the press release announcing his retirement on September 16, 2014, the Eagles Captain stated:
“The injury I suffered two years ago set me back and I think every athlete gets to that point. I was lucky to play for as long as I did and Chris Stewart gave me every opportunity since I first arrived in Colorado. I will always hold him in the highest regard as both a coach and as a friend,” said Nelson. “I want to sincerely thank my family and most importantly, my wife Colleen. Without their love and support, my playing career would not be possible. I would also like to thank the fans for everything that they have done over the last 12 years. They have been incredible to me and to my family. In fact, I probably wouldn’t have continued playing as long as I did if I were playing anywhere else.”
The relationship between Nelson and Eagles Coach Chris Stewart runs deep. The two have known one another since Nelson’s hockey youth. Coach Stewart had nothing but praise for the his team’s Captain and friend.
“Riley truly symbolizes what the Colorado Eagles stand for as an organization; dedication, integrity, hard work and the drive to settle for nothing less than excellence,” said Eagles president and general manager Chris Stewart. “I want to thank Riley for not only his tremendous accomplishments on the ice, but for being a true leader and an asset to this community. We will miss seeing him in an Eagles sweater, but we are happy that he will continue to call Northern Colorado home and he will be forever honored with the legends who grace the rafters of the Budweiser Events Center.”
Nelson retires with quite a list of accomplishments and accolades. He is the only player that has worn the Eagles sweater in each of the team’s first 12 seasons. He scored the team’s first goal in history on October 17, 2003. While with the team, he captured two CHL Championships, was named the CHL’s MVP in 2011, was a member of the All-CHL team in three consecutive seasons (2009, 2010, 2011) and voted the CHL’s “Best Overall Player” in those same years. In addition, Nelson was named the CHL’s Man of the Year in 2007.
“Winning two championships certainly stands out when you look back at the last 12 years, but being able to compete for a championship every season and being part of an organization that doesn’t accept anything less was really amazing,” said Nelson. “Nobody is going to have success on their own and I’ve played with so many great players from the start. It was such an honor to play with guys like Ryan Tobler, Aaron Schneekloth, Brad Williamson, Greg Pankewicz, and the list goes on and on. I’ll never forget that. It’s been a great ride. My family and I have made our home here in Northern Colorado and this is where we are staying.”
Moving Forward Behind the Scenes with the Eagles
At the beginning of October, Nelson took on a new role with the team off the ice, as part of the coaching staff, serving as the team’s Video Coach and Special Consultant. His longevity with the team gave him tremendous insight to provide feedback on player development and advanced scouting. Coach Stewart said that even though Nelson would only be available on a part-time basis, it made him very happy that he would continue to play a major role in the Eagles Organization.
“I’m excited to learn the other side of things,” said Nelson. “I’ve been a player for a long time, so this is a good opportunity for me to get behind the scenes and learn a little more about the game.”
In the days leading up to his number retirement, Nelson spoke with Loveland Herald reporter Cris Tiller about his journey beyond retirement. The part time coaching gig gives him the opportunity to test the waters of coaching without all the headaches and stress which is just perfect for him right now. On his number being raised to the rafters, Nelson told Tiller that he was a little nervous about it because he would have to speak and he wanted people to have a good time.
“I haven’t really thought about the moment when I’m out there and they’re raising the banner. It’s probably going to be pretty emotional, so I don’t want to overthink it. Not a lot of people get to do it, so I’m very blessed that I’m in a position where the team would do that for me.”
The honor is well deserved, an honor the fans will truly appreciate and find emotional for themselves as Nelson moves beyond the ice and up into the rafters of Eagles history. #ThankYouNelly
The Bakersfield Condors had the game in their favor with a 2-3 win on Wednesday night when they opened the scoring with C.J. Ludwig getting a one-timer past Reign goaltender Jussi Olkinuora at just 4:19 of the first period. The Ontario Reign quickly bounced back after Geoff Walker forced a turnover in the neutral zone that let Tristan King fire and score at 8:35. Bakersfield held on to the lead again at 11:43 when Ludwig took a deflected shot and slapped it into the net to end the first at 2-1.
The second period was when Ontario started kicking things into gear. They tied up the score after Matt Register‘s shot rebounded off of Condors netminder Frans Tuohimaa, giving Tyler Scofield the chance for a backhander at 2:30. This was his first goal as the newest member of the team.
The scoreless third period was a fight to the finish for both teams but the Condors proved victorious in the end after an overtime play. Bakersfield’s Connor Jones scored the game winner into the open net with an assist from his twin brother, Kellen Jones at 1:04. Olkinuora took the overtime loss with 28 saves while Tuohimaa won with 27.
Thursday night’s feat
History repeated itself once again for the Reign. The Condors jumped to the lead with a power-play goal from Chase Schaber at 11:09 of the first period with assists from Ludwig and Brendan Brooks.
Ontario finally woke up in the third period on the power-play when Scofield passed the puck from the right corner to Kitsyn. Kitsyn shot a one-timer past Rimmer at 11:27, which would be the key to force overtime.
The Reign has a late power-play opportunity during the extra time but failed to take advantage of it. The match led to the Condors taking a 2-0 lead in the shootout and winning for the second night in a row. Olkinuora ended the night with 30 saves and Rimmer with 21.
The Ontario Reign will be looking for a major turnaround against the Utah Grizzlies on Dec. 12.
But, Kinkaid’s prowess in his first NHL start was a major factor in the Devils’ one point earned from the regulation tie before Kane’s goal gave Chicago their seventh consecutive win–nine out of the last 10.
Patrick Sharp made his return from the long-term injured reserve and Scott Darling tended goal in for injured Corey Crawford as the previously hot Blackhawks struggled versus a competitive New Jersey team at the Prudential Center Monday.
Neither team could take advantage of a power play–with Chicago going 0/3 and New Jersey 0/1.
New Jersey had the Blackhawks’ game down pat, shutting down prime scoring opportunities from the start. The Hawks led the Devils 39-24 in shots on goal, with Chicago defense blocking eight and the Devils blocking 17.
No one tallied in overtime, leading to the shootout, when Darling stopped Marty Havlat and Jaromir Jagr, while Kinkaid was unable to stop Toews and Kane.
Hossa and the Hawks Get Their Groove Back in Nashville
Despite a campaign to “keep the red out,” the red jerseys and “Let’s go, Hawks” chants gave the Blackhawks a home advantage feel when they played the Nashville Predators Saturday–and Hossa scored two goals in their 3-1 victory. The Blackhawks also reclaimed first in the Central Division.
Nashville outshot Chicago 33-31 and outhit them 23-7. The Blackhawks were 0/2 on the power play while the Predators were 0/1. Despite this, Darling was able to hold off the Predators and the Hawks were able to maintain a lead through regulation.
‘Haappy’ Saad Sends Hawks Over Habs in Last Seconds
The Blackhawks and Montreal Canadiens battled through the final minute of regulation Dec. 5 in Chicago–leaving more than the standing room only crowd on its feet.
The Canadiens led 41-36 in shots on goal, 20-11 in blocked shots, and 19-15 in hits. Chicago was 1/5 on the power play and Montreal was 1/3, though their goal came when P.K. Subban scored after a questionable tripping call on Kane–ending a long-running penalty kill streak for Chicago.
23 for 23 streak by #Blackhawks penalty kill ended by a goal by a guy named PK.
To welcome Chicago fans, and the St. Louis Blues, back to the United Center, the Blackhawks carried out a 4-1 win.
Despite a 41-32 shots on goal deficit, the Blackhawks managed to find the back of the net three times more than the Blues–once again only faltering in the second period. The Blues were 0/6 on power plays while the Hawks were 0/3.
Despite repeated efforts, the Blues couldn’t catch up and the Hawks couldn’t set Kane up for the hat trick.
News and Nexts
Winger Jeremy Morin is with the Rockford IceHogs on a conditioning assignment, for a maximum two weeks, which allows him to play with the AHL team while avoiding being placed on waivers.
Crawford is out of his boot and on the ice again, but there’s no date set for his return. Darling is set to start Thursday at 6 p.m. CT against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden.
Next, the Blackhawks play the New York Islanders at 6 p.m. CT Saturday and return home to face the Calgary Flames at 7 p.m. CT Sunday.
It was a mixed bag for the Stockton Thunder, who celebrated their tenth anniversary by hosting the Alaska Aces for a three game series. In the end, the Thunder collected three out of a possible six points. Both teams sit in the last two positions in the Pacific Division, so gaining points was critical.
The first game in the series ended in overtime with last second heroics from the Alaska Aces. In fact, those same last minute goals were what allowed Alaska to take it to an extra frame. Aces rookie forward Olivier Archambault netted a goal with just 46 seconds left in the third period. Archambault has been dangerous on the ice and in 20 games he has 13g, 9a for 22 points, earning the CCM ECHL Rookie of the Month for November. The Aces would then score the overtime winner as Brad Cole wristed the puck past Thunder netminder Kent Simpson with just 42 seconds left on the clock, the final score 4-3 Alaska. Late goals are momentum changers, giving life to the goal scorers and deflating the team that lets the puck slip by. Both teams have a knack for scoring in the dwindling seconds of a period, but in this weekend series it was definitely the Aces who were able to use them to their advantage.
“It’s about bearing down when you are on the ice with a one goal lead at the end of the period,” said Head Coach Kromm about the Thunder’s struggles to keep the Aces from scoring in the last moments of the period. “Those goals are always momentum shifters in our favor if we are able to score a goal in the last minute or score a short handed goal, those are areas right now where they have the upper hand on us.”
Aces Brad Richard checks Thunder Adam Phillips
Short handed goals against are something the Thunder have had struggles with as the power play has looked more like a power outage over the last few games. Stockton has been generating very few shots on goal with the man advantage; it’s hard to score a power play goal with so few good looks at the net. In last Friday’s game the Thunder were one-for-seven on the power play and allowed a short-handed goal by Aces forward Chris Francis with just 48 seconds left in the second period .
“They pressured really aggressively and we didn’t recognize some of their strategies,” said Coach Kromm. “Shorthanded goals are killers and we can’t allow those types of goals. On our end we have to be more effective putting the puck in the net on the power play than we were.”
Blueline Ryder
Solid defence is one way to keep the puck out of the net. Solid blueliners give the forwards some insurance and confidence to venture into the offensive zone and score. For the last game in the series the Thunder were able to tighten up defensively and kill Alaska’s fast zone entries right at the blueline. Defencemen John Ryder has quietly been contributing to the Thunder blueline since his arrival in early November. He does all the little things right, whether it be poke checking at the blueline or digging the puck out of the corners, Ryder is making an impact and his hard work is getting noticed.
“I try to just stand guys up at the blueline and if I can, lay a big hit.,” said Ryder on his playing style. “But mainly just play simple, chip pucks out, make safe plays and let our forwards get it done on the offensive end.”
In the game last Saturday night, his diving poke check to fling the puck back down into the Aces zone prevented an odd man rush. Ryder’s grittiness in the corners stymied the drive of Alaska forward Brendan Connolly, who has had a scoring streak against the Thunder.
Coach Kromm commented on Ryder’s simple but effective game. “Sometimes the simple is a lot better. When you don’t really notice the defensemen that usually means that they are doing their job well. Ryder was physical all night and kept it simple and it made a difference for us.”
Forwards Making Marks
Since Alexandre Mallet‘s arrival, his name has been a constant on the game sheet, in goals scored and making textbook passes for the assist. He’s been paired up with Jt Barnett, who scored his first goal in a Thunder sweater during last Thursday’s game and continues to impress. He is a speedy skater and is able to quickly get up the boards, generating odd man rushes that have led to goals. Barnett isn’t afraid to stick up for his teammates too. After forward Lukas Sutter took a big hit from behind, JT stepped up.
“Anybody that gets hit like that, especially one of my friends, I have to step in and stick up for him,” said Barnett after Saturday’s 5-3 win over the Aces. “I like to play with a lot of emotion and those moments bring it out of me.”
Thunder Sebastian Collberg roofs it past the Aces netminder
Barnett said that playing physical against the Aces top line was definitely a strategy because it wasn’t something that Alaska wanted to do. His physical play gave the Thunder momentum and seemed to turn the tide in their favour for the rest of the game. In a way it knocked the wind out of the Aces offense and opened the door for recent arrival Sebastian Collbergs‘ phenomenal goal. Collberg, down from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on a conditioning stint, walked around the Aces defense as he dangled the puck and then went upstairs with just three minutes remaining in Saturday’s game to net the game winner.
“It was just a nice pass and I didn’t really know where the defender was going to go so I just tried to make a move and get a shot away and fortunately it went in,” said Collberg on the game winner. “When you play three games you learn how they play against you. Tonight we played a 60-minute game and I think that’s why we got the win.”
Tenth Anniversary Jerseys
The Thunder took the ice on Friday and Saturday nights wearing their new Tenth Anniversary sweaters. They will take the place of their alternate jerseys for this season. They are definitely sharp, showcasing a full set of lightning bolts on the front and sleeves. Here is Thunder forward Ryan Hayes sporting the new look. The jerseys went on the road as Stockton takes on the Colorado Eagles in a four game series out in Loveland, Colorado.
The last time there were two quick goals in a San Jose Sharks game was last week against the Boston Bruins. The Sharks came back from two in the hole to register a win. On Tuesday night, the Sharks battled the Edmonton Oilers at home and were on top of the world early with two quick goals in less than six minutes into the game – one by Joe Pavelski and one by Barclay Goodrow. Accompanying Goodrow was rookie Melker Karlsson, recalled from the Worcester Sharks to replace Tyler Kennedy, who was put on IR (shoulder). Karlsson was signed as a free agent earlier this year and has mostly played in the Swedish Hockey League.
The first goal came at about four minutes and some change in the game, a sweet pass from Joe Thornton to Pavelski, who backhanded it in. Then, about a minute later, Goodrow scored his first NHL goal. That goal was also a first for newcomer Karlsson, registering his first NHL point.
“We had a good cycle going. Honestly, I can’t even really remember exactly what happened, the puck just came out front and Melky made a good play. I had a pretty full net to put it home,” Goodrow commented in a post-game interview.
By that second goal, the Sharks already had five shots on goal, and two of those shots went in, to Oilers’ zero shots. It was a very exciting start with nice energy.
Change in Momentum
The energy began to shift at about the halfway point in the first. McLellan commented after the game “We played two [different] first periods, the first ten minutes and the second ten minutes. In the first ten, we did what we wanted to do. In the second ten, we started to bring pucks back, we started to pass through the opposition instead of around them or by them, so that ends up in your net.”
Jordan Eberle got past a wide open Alex Stalock, who got his second consecutive start. Thus the Oilers began its pressure in the San Jose zone, with special effort from Eberle who showed great individual skill in a spin-o-rama shot that hit the post. Then, four minutes later, David Perron got on the board and tied it up. Change in momentum has continued to be a huge thorn in the Sharks’ side – when they are ahead, they let off the gas and allow the other team to catch up. And at this point in the game, the Sharks’ D looked non-existent and raised a major red flag, as it was clear that there is so much more work to do to fix all the problems.
But more problems for the Sharks’ blue line persisted when Marc-Edouard Vlasic suffered a hit into the boards and left the ice near the end of the first period and never returned. This caused coach Todd McLellan to shuffle the D pairings quite a bit for the missing Vlasic in order to keep legs as fresh as possible.
Big Guys Step Up
The Sharks took the momentum back when Scott Hannan blasted one from the blue line to Logan Couture, who tipped it in behind his back. The team depends on quality, skillful plays like that one from their top men. The Sharks went on a power play shortly after Couture’s goal. Talk about quality play – this play was the epitome of what you’d expect from the Sharks top line. It all started with a faceoff win by Patrick Marleau, to Thornton, and then to Brent Burns on the blue line. He passed it back to Thornton, skating up the wing, and Marleau tipped it to a waiting Pavelski in front of the crease. That’s solid communication and play, and it all started with the all-important faceoff win. That goal put the Sharks ahead, once again, by two. Also, this was Pavelski’s second on the night. Pavelski has a two-goal curse. This was the fourth time this season that he has had a two-goal game. Pavelski will continue to search for the ever elusive hat trick. Additionally, that power play goal puts Pavs (with two others – Evgeni Malkin and Brock Nelson) in the lead for power play goals this season (8).
To seal the deal, Burns netted his eighth goal on the season, to make it 5-2 in the third period. Burns contributes offensively as a defenseman, and currently ranks second in the league in goals scored by a defenseman. He is a solid player, but it leaves one to wonder if he’s better off as a forward in the long run. This question is added to the long list of questions that surround this club.
Resilience Wins Despite Mounting Injuries
I’ve talked about the San Jose Sharks and their relationship with resilience before, and this game was a great example of that. Sure, there are many problems to be dealt with and questions to be answered, but they got the win and for now, that’s what matters. McLellan finished the night by recognizing that resilience he saw in his team tonight. “The positive thing is, the guys accepted those facts between periods [the fact that the momentum shifted and Oilers got those two goals] and we went back to playing the way we need to play.” Also, the Sharks started off with a very injured roster – another notable injury coming into this game was Matt Nieto (ankle) – and ended the night with even more damage. Karlsson left to the locker room and Mike Brown limped off as well. However, the team was still able to get the W. That’s resilience in a nut shell… or an ice rink.
This has been a strange season for the Devils. It was always going to be a little strage without Martin Brodeur in net, but there were a lot of projections for success. New additions to the offense, bringing back most of last seasons top ranked D corps, and giving Cory Schneider control of the net after his stellar 2013-14 campaign led to many predicting the Devils would return to the post season play. And yet, almost 30 games in, the Devils are 5th in the division and have yet to really find their game.
Their penalty kill is ranked 28th after being #1 last year.
They are giving up an average 30 shots a game – 22nd in the league. They averaged 25.5 last year – #1 in the league last year.
They just don’t look like the Devils. They aren’t consistent, they aren’t possessing the puck, they aren’t holding leads and for Devils fans, it’s strange.
Look at the last 5 games as an example. They’ve played 2 of arguably their best games – and lost. 2 of arguably their worst games – winning 1 and losing 1. And one decent game where they blew out a team who had won 5 straight. It’s just strange.
This 2-2-1 run began against the Metro-leading Pittsburgh Penguins. The Devils lost 3 forwards throughout the course of the game but played with a toughness that they hadn’t displayed this season. The much maligned penalty kill held the Penguins top ranked power play unit scoreless, they held a team averaging over 30 shots a game, to 23 and they outplayed a team that could have – probably should have – run over them. Even though they lost 1-0, the effort put forth by an undermanned team gave fans hope that the Devils had finally found themselves.
The Devils followed up that performance with a solid effort against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs had won 5 straight, the Devils had lost 5 straight and yet the Devils scored early and often, beating the Leafs 5-3. Role players scored goals while the stars were out injured, Schneider played a strong game and now there was hope that the Devils had really turned a corner.
Then the Washington Capitals came to town and the Devils laid an egg. A team that has been middle of the road and right near the Devils in the standings, came into The Rock and took it to New Jersey. The Devils gave up weak goals including a short handed goal and failed to capitalize on their own short handed opportunity (which led directly to a Caps PP goal). All the momentum and energy the team had built up went out the window and once again fans were left wondering which was the real Devils team.
Optimists would suggest the Capitals game was a fluke, and heading to division bottom-dweller Carolina would be an easy 2 points. Unfortunately the Hurricanes had different ideas. The Devils gave up 40 shots to the home team, and blocked another 33. That’s 73 shot attempts for a team who is 29th in the NHL in scoring (granted that may be why they only scored once on 73 attempts…). Schneider made key stops – never the highlight reel save – but lots and lots of stops gave his team a chance. The Devils mustered a measly 16 shots but managed to get 2 of them past Cam Ward for the victory. They were outshot 17-1 in the third period and spent the last 1:45 trapped in their zone unable to clear the puck or change lines. They had no business winning the game, but kept the strangeness going with another W.
Which brings us to tonights game. A rested Chicago team against a depleted Devils lineup that had to give everything they had to hold off the 2nd worst team in the NHL the previous night. Coach Pete DeBoer all but waived the white flag before the game even started, giving Keith Kinkaid his first NHL start against the 2nd best team in the league. The Devils had 5 Albany players in the lineup due to various injuries and other depletions (Kinkaid, Seth Helgeson, Mike Sislo, Reid Boucher, Peter Harrold). There was no reason to think this team had a chance – and yet strange strikes again. Even with the Devils being outshot, Kinkaid was solid in net and the Devils actually held two leads with goals from Jordin Tootoo and Stephen Gionta. While the end result was still a (shootout) loss, this was another performance leaving Devils fans optimistic. They held the Blackhawks scoreless on the power play, including a 4:00 PP during regulation and a full 2:00 4 v 3 in overtime. They had their chances and played a relatively solid defensive game against the likes of Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa and Jonathan Toews.
So which is the real Devils team? The team who held their own against Pittsburgh and Chicago – or the team who was outshot 17-1 by the Hurricanes? And knowing that the latter is the only game of the three that they won, which team do you want?
There is plenty reason for hope in New Jersey. They have played an NHL leading 18 road games so far and will have a heavy home schedule over the next couple months. They should get healthier – Marty Havlat, and Jon Merrill are finally back, while Travis Zajac, Patrik Elias, Mike Cammalleri, Dainius Zubrus and Adam Larsson are hopefully not far off. They’ve received solid performances and scoring from role players like Tootoo, Gionta, and Steve Bernier. And Keith Kinkaid showed he is more than capable of playing in the NHL, hopefully allowing DeBoer to give Schneider more rest. And we’ve seen them play their best games against the top teams in the NHL. Plus, how much more strange can one team face?
Although the Penguins and Islanders have pulled away slightly, the Devils have not played themselves out of contention yet. If they can start putting together consistent efforts like they did against Pittsburgh, Chicago, and even Toronto, it’s not out of the question for this team to start reeling off wins. They have the system, the players and the history to still find the success many expected them to have this season. And if they don’t? You’d have to imagine it’s finally time for the likes of the 5 young defenseman (Merrill, Larsson, Eric Gelinas, Damon Severson and now Helgeson), Boucher, Stefan Matteau, Kinkaid and the other young Devils to get their chance to bring success back to NJ. Stranger things have happened.
Goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov has signed a one-year contract with his former team, the Anaheim Ducks. Bryzgalov, whose lively personality is well-known throughout the NHL and NHL fanbase, has a long history with Anaheim. He won the Stanley Cup with Anaheim in 2007 as the backup goaltender, and was actually drafted by Anaheim in the 2nd round of the 2000 NHL entry draft.
Bryzgalov has not seen any ice time this season. According the NHL website, he will join the Ducks’ AHL team, the Norfolk Admirals in Virginia for a period of time for conditioning. He will likely begin practicing with the Admirals on Wednesday. Although the financial terms of Bryzgalov’s contract have yet to be officially disclosed by the NHL, Orange County Register reporter, Eric Stephens, speculated on Twitter that the 34-year old netminder’s one-year contract is worth $2.88 million.
Bryzgalov has spent his playing career moving around the NHL. He has spent time with the Ducks, the Phoenix Coyotes, and the Philadelphia Flyers. The Russian native played last season with both the Edmonton Oilers and the Minnesota Wild. In total, he has played 220 career games with a solid .913 save percentage.
Bryzgalov’s return to the Ducks seems like a good fit for both Anaheim and the Russian goalie who has earned the nickname “Mr. Universe” after making some memorable comments about space in a video from 2011. He will serve as a back-up to current Ducks’ number one Frederik Anderson. All that Anaheim needs from Bryzgalov is to be a solid back-up, ready to come into games and start on short notice. This is a great opportunity for him to continue to play while being a part of an elite team in the NHL, at least for now.
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