Saturday afternoon in San Jose, saw the Dallas Stars face off in the SAP Center, as the Sharks try and secure their play-off spot this year, after missing out last year.
Douglas Murray, as a Sharks Alumni, gave a ceremonial puck drop before the game. The man whose motto was “head down, eyes up” and his highlight reel is full of big hits, and this attitude was evident throughout the game.
Antie Niemi was out for Stars, despite not having as much as good form as Kari Lehtonen of late. Perhaps Lindy Ruff felt that Niemi had more to give against his former team, perhaps Lehtonen was just tired and wanted a night off, whatever the reason, Niemi certainly didn’t look anxious at the start of the game.
Antti Niemi stoned Sharks – Photo by Jack Lima
Antoine Russel took a couple of hits half way through the first, and every time he came back on to the ice went looking for Tommy Wingels.
During the first, Sharks were leading in shots on goal 12-3, and Brent Burns had picked himself up another record – most shots on goal in the regular season. Somehow, however, with five minutes left in the first, Stars managed to get the first point on the board.
The puck was passed back to Jordie Benn out at the blue line, and his shot was given a minor deflection by Mattias Janmark. Martin Jones at the back for Sharks was struggling to get across in front of the original shot, and had no chance of stopping the deflection.
Following some more from Russel and his dogged determination to get physical with Wingels, and barely five minutes in to the second, Janmark once again struck, and with Jones on his knees off to the side of the goal, the puck came off Tomas Hertl’s skate and slipped in to the net.
Burns’ long shots weren’t enough to beat Niemi, Joe Thornton couldn’t do it with his close to the goal work, and Patrick Marleu’s speed and efficiency in splitting the defence wasn’t enough to get the Sharks going, and as the game passed the half way mark Sharks were still to score.
By now, and sitting 2-0 up, Russel had settled down to being verbal with Wingels, and they managed to spend a bit of time on the ice together without touching.
During the first period, the Sharks had been energetic and exciting, but as time carried on through the second period they seemed to lose some of their vigour. They continued to generate shots on goal, but the speed and passion wasn’t present.
Joe Pavelski obviously felt this, and with a huge hit, Johnny Oduya was hammered in to the boards, which resulted in all the skaters getting together to enthusiastically discuss what had just happened. Pavelski was given two minutes to think about it in the penalty box.
While this may have energised the Sharks somewhat, it gave the advantage to the visitors, and half way through the power play, Patrick Sharp’s one timer flew over Jones’ shoulder and in to the top of the net.
Stephen Johns continued the physical game, and earned himself an elbowing penalty. Roman Polak passed the puck across the Stars blue line, and Jones carried on in sending Polak sprawling on to his back. This gave the Sharks their third power play of the evening, and once again Marleu split the defence but miss-hit his shot.
Thornon and John Klinberg then got physical behind the Stars net, which again ended in a ten man pile up. Both players headed to the dressing rooms rather than the penalty box, as there was only three seconds left to play in the period, but it did mean that the third was going to start 4 on 4.
Jamie Benn got his stick a bit involved with Pavelski, well behind the play, just seconds in to the third, making it 4 on 3 in favour of the Sharks. Shots against Niemi now up to twenty four, and this the fourth power play for the Sharks of the night.
Stars went straight on a power play as all the other players returned to the ice, but Sharks managed to get a short handed goal. While Niemi was behind the goal recovering the puck, he was knocked by Joel Ward. A fluffed defensive pass, was picked up by Ward who was now parked in front of the empty net, his flick meant Niemi couldn’t get a shut out.
This caused the Sharks to perk up, and they went on a sustained attack on the Stars goal. The Stars finally manged to clear the puck but it was a long clear and the crowd went wild as the puck was taken back for a face off in Stars territory.
The face off was won by the Sharks, and a few passes saw Pavelski take a shot. The shot was knocked away by Niemi, but Hertl was following behind the play. As the rebound bounced away, and Niemi’s momentum slid him clear of the goal, Hertl gave a little tap and took the Sharks back to within one goal.
With just over six minutes to go, Sharks were given another power play, but shot after shot was knocked away by Niemi. The couple of times Stars managed to clear the puck, the Sharks took it straight back, but they just couldn’t get the equalizer. The crowd voiced their disappointment as the crossbar rang, as the puck finally went past Niemi, but still there was no third goal for the Sharks.
With less than two to play, Jones made a run for the bench, getting the extra player on for the Sharks. Sharks coach Peter De Boer called his time out during the next break in play, obviously giving his team a breather, preparing them for the final 95 seconds of the game, where the Sharks would be battling hard.
Jamie Benn, however, on a rush from the Stars end, reached the centre spot and had already wound up a huge shot, which he unleashed, dead straight, in to the empty net at the end of the rink.
Sharks headed back to the locker room, unable to say they had clinched that play off spot. The could still get it today, if Coyotes lose in regulation, and they still have eight to play in the season, so it is definitely within their reach, but they host LA Kings on Monday, then fly straight to Vancouver to play the Canucks Tuesday, so with a pair of big, back to back games, they need to have their heads on straight and go in to them fighting.
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