SAN JOSE, CA – Patrick Marleau may just be public enemy number one in Nashville these days. For the second time in as many games against the Nashville Predators, Patrick Marleau played the spoiler by beating Preds net minder Pekka Rinne in overtime for a 3-2 win. It was decision time for the Sharks’ all time leading scorer as he bore down on a 2-on-1 break alongside Ian White. Pass or shoot were the options and with the Predators Ryan Suter closing the gap on the odd man rush, and to the delight of the sold crowd at out the HP Pavilion, Marleau fired a snap shot past the glove on the short side to give the Sharks the overtime victory. “I pulled to my forehand and made a quick shot and tried to catch him off guard,” Marleau said about the game-winning goal. The first period finished even with each team lighting the lamp once. Ryan Clowe, who was the game’s first star, opened the scoring for the Sharks. Clowe found himself in the right place at the right time when Jason Demers made an aggressive move at the blue line to keep the play alive and fed Dany Heatley in the slot. Heatley tipped the puck towards the net where it hit Clowe’s foot and caromed in. Clowe played on the left wing with Logan Couture in the middle, who he has played well with when the opportunity has presented itself, and Heatley on right wing. Previously, Couture had been playing the wing with Joe Thornton in the middle and Devin Setoguchi on the other side. The rookie from London, Ontario clearly looked more comfortable playing center and the elevated play in Clowe’s game can only be attributed to the strategic change that was made. “Obviously we’ve had some good chemistry this year,” Clowe said. “We had some real good jump tonight right from the start. We had a lot of great scoring chances. It’s good to see. We have to contribute as much as we can. With Patty, Seto and Jumbo together, they’ll get a lot of attention so they need us to step up.” And step up they did. Both Clowe and Heatley finished the game with two points. Couture was held off the score sheet but contributed on the Sharks second goal by setting a screen in front of the Predators’ net. “I feel that Couture is a little bit better in the middle, he’s around the puck a little bit more and maybe to get Clowe going and it paid off tonight,” Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. The Sharks second marker came from recently called up Justin Braun on the power play. The youngster from the farm has a knack for getting shots through to the net and tonight he tallied his second NHL goal on a slap shot from the point that was tipped by the Predators defenseman and past the Rinne’s glove hand. Braun was all smiles as he took us through the events that led to his goal. “I was just trying to get it past the first guy,” Braun said. “That’s pretty much what they want me to do, get the puck up ice and shoot it from the point. I was lucky enough to have it go off of one of their sticks and end up in the back of the net.” Both of Nashville’s goals came with the man advantage, which operated at 50 percent efficiency on the night. San Jose did what they had to do earn the two points on the night. They did not start the game well but it is the finish that people will remember. Sharks’ goaltender Antti Niemi was good when he had to be and although he was not tested a ton, he made some clutch saves in the third period. The most notable came after a bad bounce on a clearing attempt where the puck ended up on Mike Fisher’s stick all alone in front of the Sharks net with the third period winding down. Fisher got everything he had on a slap shot but could not beat the glove hand of the Sharks’ net minder who earned third star honors. It was Nashville’s best scoring chance of the period and was one the few times the puck wasn’t in their zone. The Sharks played one of their best periods of the season and if not for the stellar play of Rinne, the game would have done with ten minutes left to play. San Jose peppered Rinne with 13 shots but the scoring chances were constant in a period that kept the fans on the edge of their seats. Things worth noting on the night were Jamal Mayers played his 800th career game, which is quite the feat considering role players’ tenures in the NHL tend to not last as long as the superstars of the game. The Sharks now prepare for the league leading Vancouver Canucks who come to town on Thursday. The Canucks are currently on a five game road trip and so far have won their first three. The clash of two of the leagues hottest clubs will be the fourth and final meeting between these teams unless they meet in the post season, which is a very likely scenario. San Jose beat the Canucks 2-1 in Vancouver in late January but lost the previous two outings, 4-3 in San Jose and 6-1 north of the border. Keep your sticks on the ice… Contact the author at  Cam.Gore@prohockeynews.com

SAN JOSE, Ca – It wasn’t until there were less than three minutes left in regulation time that the sellout crowd at the HP Pavilion had something to cheer about and the roof nearly left the atmosphere when team captain Joe Thornton tipped in a Jason Demers point shot to tie the game and eventually force overtime in the 2-1 Sharks victory.
“Jason made a great play, he shot for my stick and it was a tip but he had great eyes to get his head up, I just had to lay my stick on it.” is how Joe Thornton described the first and only goal scored by the Sharks in sixty-five minutes of play.
Overtime solved nothing and it came down to the shootout.
Ryan Clowe was the first shooter and the only man to score on either goalie. Clowe has netted his fair share of goals on breakaways and shootouts by faking the shot and going high to the backhand. Last night he did just that, but not to be predictable he added one more juke at the end bringing the puck back to his forehand side to open things up enough to bury the puck above the pad and below the blocker of goaltender Brian Elliott.
“I was thinking of probably going backhand and then I looked up and he might have been leaning a little bit to the glove side so I tried to go low blocker,” Clowe said “It’s always a tough save for goalie.”
Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski were unable to beat Elliott for the Sharks but only one goal was needed to earn two points against the struggling Avalanche.
On the day that Antti Niemi signed a four year contract extension, averaging 3.8 million per year, he demonstrated his shootout skills stopping Milan Hejduk, Matt Duchene and David Jones. Hejduk was stoned by Niemi’s glove hand and Jones shot missed the net high on the glove side. Duchene was the only person to beat the Sharks goalie but hit iron on his deke move to his backhand side.
“Giving up one goal and getting two points is great.” said Niemi.
While enjoying the man advantage the Sharks had good puck movement but the scoring chances were just not there. Clearly this team is missing their power play quarterback, Dan Boyle. When all said and done the Sharks went 0-4 on the power play and the penalty kill finished the night 1-2.
Coach Todd McLellan commented on the power play after the game, “Some of it has to do with how they are killing but a lot of It was us, we killed our own power plays with passing and not retrieving pucks. We have to be better.”
Both periods ended with the Sharks applying good pressure and creating scoring chances but they were unable to keep that momentum going into the 2^nd or the 3^rd.
“We talked about that in between periods and we wanted to have a good start.” said coach McLellan “Between the first and second we anted to re-establish our game and we didn’t quite do that, we were chasing it and obviously with this team we are going to face on Thursday (referring to the Detroit Red Wings) we will have to be better.”
The Sharks team that we saw earlier in the season may have imploded after two periods of strong play with no results and gotten away from the game plan, however the team that has vaulted themselves into the Pacific division lead stuck with it and gutted out a tough win.
Next in town to face the Sharks are the Detroit Red Wings. Their last visit to the Bay area was November 30^th and they came away with a 5-3 win. Since then the Sharks have beaten the Wings twice in Joe Louis arena by the scores of 5-2 and 4-3.
Tonight’s match up will be the fourth and final meeting of the regular season between these organizations and promises to be a game worth watching.
Keep your sticks on the ice,
Contact Cam.Gore@prohockeynews.com

SAN JOSE, CA – The San Jose Sharks have charged up the Western Conference ladder as of late and they have done it by displaying something that many believe they are lacking – an exuberant amount of heart. From the outside looking in on a playoff position only weeks ago, the Sharks now find themselves on top of the tight Pacific Division after a 4-3 OT win in Calgary and trailing only Detroit and Vancouver in the west. While Vancouver’s nine point lead may be insurmountable, the Red Wings are only two points ahead of San Jose which means after a slow and dismal start, finishing the regular season in second place in the conference is a reality. I will cover all the details as to why the Sharks have turned things around but if you had to sum it up in one word it would have to be HEART. When you look up the word heart in the dictionary, it gives a number of meanings. Those that relate to the San Jose Sharks play as of late include bravery, determination, guts, spunk and spirit. That’s what it takes to win in the NHL and that is how this team has been performing. To get to a point where a team can show heart, they have to go through trials and tribulations. For the Sharks, it has been two new net minders, learning to trust old line mates again and new players joining the mix. It has been the growth of young players as well as a young head coach and his evolving staff. The goaltending of Antti Niemi has been rock solid, so good in fact that he was named the NHL’s top star of the week recently. Let us not forget that it was this time last season that he took the starting job away from Cristobal Huet when they both played with the Chicago Blackhawks and went on to win the Stanley Cup. Niemi has become this team’s number one between the pipes since Antero Niittymaki went down with a lower body injury. He has found a groove, starting the last 17 games in a row with no signs of slowing down. The 6’2” Fin has proven his durability in the month of February and that he has the mental focus to become the Sharks’ top goalie for years to come. The month of February has been one to remember for the franchise and if things work out in the post season, we will look back at this time as a turning point. The team went 11-2 in the shortened month and both losses were one goal defeats on the road. Most everybody on this team has played better hockey but the team game is what really stands out. Patrick Marleau has been doing what he is paid to do – score goals. Lately, he has been Captain Clutch, notching the winning tallies against Phoenix while shorthanded (with his parents in the house to celebrate his 1000^th NHL game), Nashville, Columbus and Pittsburgh. Devin Setoguchi has picked up his game since he has been paired with Joe Thornton and Logan Couture, scoring a hat trick against the Avalanche and a pair against the Red Wings. Couture started the month off as consistent as he has been all year long netting game winners against Boston and Washington two games in a row while the team recorded shutouts. Ryan Clowe continues to lead by happily playing on any line and still putting up numbers, all the while patrolling the ice as a physical presence who is not afraid to settle his own scores. Marc-Eduoard Vlasic has shown why he is considered a second line defenseman with his great stick play but he has shown a more physical side to his game lately. What really impressed last night against the NHL’s hottest team, the Calgary Flames, was not only did they come from behind to earn points in a shootout but they did it without the team’s workhorse Dan Boyle. Boyle missed his first game of the season last night and the rest of the D-corps did an admirable job of picking up the slack. Boyle is one of the league’s top blue liners and so far this season nobody has logged more minutes per game. He is the best puck mover the Sharks have on the blue line and is the most important player on the team. Their ultimate success depends on his return. Newcomers Ben Eager (from Atlanta for a 5^th round draft pick), Kyle Wellwood (on waivers) and Ian White (from Carolina for a 7^th round draft pick) have all played a key role. Eager adds some much needed grit to the line-up along with some energy and as we have seen, he can fire the puck as he showed when he beat Anaheim’s all-star goalie Jonas Hiller from the blue line on a rush. It was Eager’s fight with Tim Jackman that turned around a slow start for the Sharks against Calgary. Wellwood started his season in the KHL in Russia until he was brought back by the Phoenix Coyotes and put on waivers, which is when Shark’s GM Doug Wilson claimed him. Wellwood has always been known for his great hands but not one to follow the required diet and exercise plan to be a regular NHLer. So far, he has shown good chemistry with everyone he has played with. His ability to win face-offs and his consistent play in the defensive zone are keys to his success. His playmaking ability adds another threat to the forward core as well good depth at the center position. White has been a long shot his whole career but has continued to surprise and improve. Standing 5’9″ and weighing 185 pounds, White is on the small side for a NHL defenseman, which is why he must constantly prove himself. His big shot from the point and his offensive flair are what helped him score 13 goals this season while sharing time between Toronto and Calgary. If he finds a comfort zone in San Jose, he will impress and become a fan favorite. What this all adds up to is a team that is better prepared for a deep playoff run. The Sharks are doing things the hard way, which makes them battle-tested and a difficult team to play against. More importantly, it makes them a mentally tougher team going forward towards the playoffs. San Jose enjoys the confines of the HP Pavilion, also known as the Shark Tank, for nine of their next eleven games. The Tank has been voted one of the toughest buildings to play in by opposing players. The next game is against the sliding Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday March 1^st. Keep your sticks on the ice, Contact the author at  Cam.Gore@prohockeynews.com

The San Jose Sharks have charged up the western conference ladder as of late and they have done it by displaying something that many believe they are lacking, an exuberant amount of heart. From the outside looking in on a playoff position only weeks ago the Sharks now find themselves on top of the tight Pacific division after a 4-3 OT win in Calgary and trailing only Detroit and Vancouver in the west. While Vancouver’s nine point lead may be insurmountable the Red Wings are only two points ahead of the San Jose which means after a slow and dismal start finishing the regular season in second place in the conference is a reality. I will cover all the details as to why the Sharks have turned things around but if you had to sum it up in one word it would have to be HEART. When you look up the word heart in the dictionary it gives a number of meanings. Those that relate to the San Jose Sharks play as of late are “bravery, determination, guts, spunk and spirit.” That’s what it takes to win in the NHL and that is how this team has been performing. To get to a point where a team can show heart they have to go through trials and tribulations. For the Sharks it has been two new net minders, it has been learning to trust old line mates again as well new players joining the mix. It has been the growth of young players as well as a young head coach and his evolving staff. The goaltending of Antti Niemi has been rock solid. So good in fact that he was named the NHL’s top star of the week recently, and let us not forget it was this time of year last season that he took the starting job away from Cristobal Huet when they both played with the Chicago Blackhawks and went on to win the Stanley Cup. Niemi has become this team’s number one between the pipes since Antero Niittymaki went down with a lower body injury. He has found a groove and has started the last 17 games in a row with no signs of slowing down. The 6’2 Fin has proven his durability in the month of February and that he has the mental focus to become the Sharks top goalie for years to come. The month of February has been one to remember for the franchise and if things work out in the post season we will look back at this time as a turning point. The team went 11-2 in the shortened month and both losses came on the road and were one goal defeats. Most everybody on this team has played better hockey but the team game is what really stands out. Patrick Marleau has been doing what he is paid to do, score goals and lately he has been captain clutch notching the winning tallies against Phoenix while shorthanded (with his parents in the house to celebrate his 1000^th NHL game,) Nashville, Columbus and Pittsburgh. Devin Setoguchi has picked up his game since he has been paired with Joe Thornton and Logan Couture scoring a hat trick against the Avalanche and a pair against the Red Wings. Logan Couture started the month off as consistent as he has been all year long netting game winners against Boston and Washington two games in a row while the team recorded shutouts. Ryan Clowe continues to lead by happily playing on any line and still putting up numbers all the while patrolling the ice as a physical presence who is not afraid to settle his own scores. Marc-Eduoard Vlasic has shown why he is considered a second line defenseman with his great stick play but he has shown a more physical side to his game lately. What really impressed last night against the NHL’s hottest team, the Calgary Flames was not only did they come from behind to earn points in a shootout but they did it without the team’s workhorse Dan Boyle. Boyle missed his first game of the season last night and the rest of the D-corps did an admirable job of picking up the slack. Dan Boyle is one of the league’s top blue liners and so far this season nobody has logged more minutes per game. He is the best puck mover the Sharks have on the blue line and is the most important player on the team. Their ultimate success depends on his return. The newcomers Ben Eager (from Atlanta for a 5^th round draft pick), Kyle Wellwood (on waivers) and Ian White (from Carolina for a 7^th round draft pick) have all played a key role. Ben Eager adds some much needed grit to the line-up along with some energy and as we have seen he can fire the puck as he showed when he beat Jonas Hiller the all-star goalie from Anaheim from the blue line on a rush. It was the Ben Eager and Tim Jackman fight that turned around a slow start for the Sharks against Calgary. Kyle Wellwood started his season in the KHL in Russia until he was brought back by the Phoenix Coyotes in waivers, which is when Shark’s GM Doug Wilson claimed him. Wellwood has always been known for his great hands but not one to follow the required diet and exercise plan to be a regular NHLer. So far he has shown good chemistry with everyone he has played with. His ability to win face-offs and his consistent play in the defensive zone are keys to his success. His playmaking ability adds another threat to the forward core as well good depth at the center position. Ian White has been a long shot his whole career but has continued to surprise and improve. Standing 5’9 and 185 pounds is on the small side for a NHL defenseman, which is why he must constantly prove himself. His big shot from the point and his offensive flair are what helped him score 13 goals season while sharing time between Toronto and Calgary. If he finds a comfort zone in San Jose he will impress and become a fan favorite. What this all adds up to is a team that is better prepared for a deep playoff run. The Sharks are doing things the hard way which makes them battle tested, and a difficult team to play against. More importantly it makes them a mentally tougher team going forward towards the playoffs. San Jose enjoys the confines of the HP Pavilion, also known as the Shark Tank for nine of their next eleven games. The Tank has been voted one of the toughest buildings to play in by opposing players. The next game is against the sliding Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday March the 1^st. Keep your sticks on the ice, Contact Cam.Gore@prohockeynews.com

SAN JOSE, CA – The San Jose Sharks add grit and skill to the roster by acquiring Ben Eager and Kyle Wellwood to the roster.
Ben Eager was traded from the Atlanta Thrashers to San Jose for a 5^th round draft pick and Kyle Wellwood was picked up on waivers after playing 25 games in the KHL in Russia.
Wellwood has played a total of 339 games in the NHL splitting time between Toronto and Vancouver prior to this season. He is known as a decent face-off man with soft hands and can be very crafty with the puck. He will add some depth to the second power play unit and is responsible in his own zone. The biggest knock on Wellwood is he always leaves you wanting more, and not in a good way. With great hands and composure with the puck many consider him to be an under-achiever. He stands at 5’9 and a 175 pounds but has proven to be rather durable throughout his career.
Ben Eager on the other hand is a strapping 235 pounds and stands at 6’2. He was a part of the Stanley Cup winning Chicago Blackhawks from last season and plays an in your face style who is not afraid to mix things up when needed. After a poor reaction to San Jose star rookie Logan Couture’s knee on knee incident last week by the Leafs enforcer Colton Orr a need for more sand paper became alarmingly apparent.
Even more impressive about these two additions is that GM Doug Wilson parted with a 5^th round draft pick for both players.
Head coach Todd McLellan spoke about the newest members of the club at practice.
“The two different players are here for two different reasons,” McLellan said. “ Ben Eager has some size and the ability to skate, has played in big games and can give a team a ton of energy. We’re looking for him to create time and space on the ice for himself and his teammates. Kyle brings a totally different skill set. He’s crafty with the puck and has a very good mind for the game. He sees things happening. He’s good in the face-off circle and has the ability to play on the power play with some poise and some vision.”
These two moves add some depth to a team that along with injuries will have to go without the services of Scott Nichol until after the All-Star break due to a 4-game suspension for a hit against Phoenix Coyotes defenseman David Shlemko. Nichol is not known as a dirty player but did leave his feet and got his elbow up in a 4-2 win over the Coyotes on Monday afternoon in Arizona.
Ryan Clowe remains sidelined after being clipped by a skate and his return is unknown. Skate injuries have become more common in the NHL and Dion Phaneuf the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs missed the better part of two months recovering from his laceration earlier in the season.
Torrey Mitchell is another Shark forward who has been sidelined until after the All-Star break and is expected back some time in early February. With injuries adding up to the forward core of the Sharks GM Wilson needed to step and do something to bolster team teal.
John McCarthy just returned from the injured reserved list as Antero Niittymaki was put on it prior to yesterday’s game. Niittymaki is out for at least a week with a groin injury.
Jordan White from the University of British Columbia was called in on a one day try out basis to back up Antti Niemi last night against the Vancouver Canucks. The Sharks were in a tough position because they were unable to fly a goalie from Worcester to the west coast in time for the game.
After the game White was exasperated with the experience and had this to say.
“It was a great experience, all the moments exceeded everything I thought they’d be, but tomorrow I’m focused on playing for my team, and getting us into the playoffs, I didn’t get paid for the game, but the jersey, and the hat are all I need to remember this experience.”
Every year the Sharks invite the people who are most deserving to tag along on a road trip with the team, the fathers of the players who spent countless hours in rinks so their kids can enjoy the sport of hockey.
Let’s put this into perspective for a moment. These guys aren’t sitting inside a heated gym or breathing fresh air while out walking on a sunny golf course. They are up early in the morning often driving through blistering snow storms, and then they get to watch the games or practices in sub-freezing temperatures. Most of these events take place on week-ends so the adults social calendar takes a hard hit as well. No one is more deserving than dads of hockey players for such a trip.
The team’s fathers were flown in for a home game against the visiting St. Louis Blues and it couldn’t have come at a better time. The team had lost six straight games and needed something to inspire them to raise their level of play. Everyone plays better when their father is there and the Sharks came out performing like they had a breath of fresh air. After snapping their losing streak against the Blues by the score 4-2 they continued to play inspired hockey against the Coyotes in Phoenix beating their division rivals by the same score. With a couple of days off before visiting the conference leaders in Vancouver everyone enjoyed rounds of golf in the Phoenix sunshine. Who says Phoenix Arizona doesn’t have a place in the NHL.
Last night the Sharks went into the Rogers Center to take on the Canucks who have been the league’s hottest team as of late. These teams had met twice before last night’s game and the Canucks won them both. In one of the most exciting games of the season the Sharks earned their first win of the year over the conference leaders 2-1 with Joe Pavelski scoring the shootout winner. Both goalies were on top of their game in a playoff atmosphere.
The Sharks return home to battle with the Wild from Minnesota on Saturday night at the HP Pavilion.
Keep your sticks on the ice,
Contact Cam.Gore@prohockeynews.com

SAN JOSE, CA- The level of play and consistency shown by the Sharks as of late can only make the hockey world wonder if this team is finally starting to play up to their potential.

With tough road wins in the rearview mirror this team appears to be coming together. The Sharks started out with an unacceptable record away from the confines of HP Pavilion but as of late, San Jose seems to be quite comfortable playing spoiler in the oppositions arena. The road can be a team’s best friend or worst enemy. Players and staff either bond or create angst among themselves.
After San Jose blew a third period one goal lead in Nashville by giving up two markers less than a minute apart, it would have been easy for them to get down on themselves. This team played well for 59 minutes and for one minute late in the third period the Sharks went from heroes to zeros in a 3-2 loss. The way the schedule works they had no time to dwell on their mistakes because the very next night team teal went into Dallas to play the Stars who have won both meetings this season and both were in San Jose. Just three nights prior the Stars won in a shoot-out 3-2 at the Shark Tank. Showing great professionalism San Jose came out and played a great road game winning 4-3 in overtime on a Logan Couture winner off the post and in.
To finish off the road trip the Sharks visited St. Louis and Yaroslav Halak who shut out them out in the only other meeting of the season between these two teams. Hockey players have good memories and San Jose came out knowing that they would have to break down the Halak wall in net, and they did just that. They were able to carry momentum from an instrumental win in Dallas and handle the Blues with ease winning 4-1.
The turnaround in the play by the Sharks can be credited to a number of things.
Logan Couture has been lights out for the Sharks all year long but even more so as of late. He is a rookie in the NHL and if he is able to maintain the pace he is on he will most certainly win the Calder Trophy which goes to the league’s top rookie. This young man does everything well. He is faster than he looks, stronger than his 6’0, 175 pound frame shows and takes care of his own zone as well as ten year veterans do.
“I’m still learning a lot about the game at the NHL level,” said Couture “The points will come, I’m not worried about them right now, I’m trying to do the little things right up here whether it’s face-offs or playing in your own zone, but for now my focus is on the details.”
Couture is mature beyond his years and has been the Sharks’ best player night in and night out for coach Todd MacLellan and his staff who had this to say about Couture after the overtime win in Dallas.
“Catalyst would be a very good word,” MacLellan said. “He’s scored some very big goals. Our special teams were below par but he found a way to get the winner in overtime. He’s one of the top, if not the top, rookie in the league and when you have that type player on your team, you’re thankful.”
Couture has found great chemistry with winger Ryan Clowe who was awarded the NHL’s star of the week award ending December 12^th. The 6’3, 225 pound winger from Newfoundland Canada is having a career year playing with Logan.
Couture doesn’t lead the team in points, but he does lead his squad in goals with 18 and most importantly in game-winning goals with 5. His plus/minus is + 8, second only to Clowe.
Another reason for the Sharks turnaround is the offensive help they are getting from defensemen other than Dan Boyle. Marc-Edouard Vlasic has found the offensive side of his game as of late along with Niclas Wallin. Recently called up from the AHL is Justin Braun who after his first six games in the NHL had five points with a goal and four assists. Derek Joslin chipped in with his first ever NHL goal and Douglas Murray has added some offense to go along with his bruising physical play.
Add in secondary scoring from the likes of Devin Setoguchi back from injury and Torri Mitchell finding the back of the net and the Sharks are on their way to turning things around.
This is a team that has had regular season success in past years but faltered in the playoffs, so they are doing things different this year. They are taking the high road to the postseason hoping to have different results. You don’t see San Jose win the easy games this year or the blowout games. Teams don’t take the night off against the Sharks which should help better prepare this team for deep playoff run. They have had to fight harder to earn their points and their division is one of the toughest in hockey.
Aside from their Christmas hangover against the Kings on the 27^th of December where they lost 4-0, the Sharks have been one of the league’s most exciting teams to watch.
San Jose travels to Minnesota tonight to square off against the Wild and then on to Chicago two days later which is always an exciting game. 
Keep your sticks on the ice,
Contact the writer at: Cam.Gore@prohockeynews.com
Photographer Lewis.Bleiman@prohockeynews.com