san jose sharks-hockey sportsbooks internet hockey betting sites

Malkin's scoring streak ends against Sharks

2006-11-06T13:51:00.000-08:00

Russian rookie Evgeni Malkin's record scoring streak came to an end when he failed to find the net in the Pittsburgh Penguins' 3-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Saturday.

Malkin entered the contest bidding to become the first rookie to score a goal in each of his first seven career NHL games.

The 20-year-old Russian has had a spectacular start to his NHL career with a goal in each of his first six games, equaling the record set by the Ottawa Senators' Cy Denneny and the Montreal Canadiens' Joe Malone and Newsy Lalonde in the league's inaugural season in 1917.

Malkin, who has been playing on line with last year's rookie sensation Sidney Crosby, had three shots on goal during the chippy, penalty-filled contest.

The loss also halted the Penguins' five-game winning streak, the team's longest in nearly five years.

Kyle McLaren, Matt Carle and Mike Grier each had a goal for the Sharks, who have won three of their last four.

Michel Ouellet and Dominic Moore scored the Pittsburgh goals.

NHL: San Jose Sharks Still Undefeated

2006-10-10T10:08:00.000-07:00

The San Jose Sharks remain unbeaten in the National Hockey League after three games.

Goalie Vesa Toskala made 29 saves and San Jose got goals from four scorers to defeat the host Calgary Flames Monday night, 4-1. Toskala was three minutes away from a shutout when he allowed a goal to Alex Tanguay.

With the win the Sharks stay tied for first place in the Pacific Division with the Anaheim Ducks, who are also 3-0 after beating the St. Louis Blues, 2-0.

The Columbus Blue Jackets remain unbeaten as well after a 5-1 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes. Nikolai Zherdev scored two goals to lead Columbus, which has two wins and a tie to lead the Central Division.

In other NHL games, the Toronto Maple Leafs beat Florida in a shootout, 2-1, and Atlanta edged Tampa Bay, 1-0.

NHL: SHARKS: Memories Flood Back For Former Shark Whitney

2006-06-13T09:59:00.000-07:00

He was surrounded by a horde of reporters seeking information. He had seen mob scenes like this before in June, when he used to live in Edmonton and was the stickboy for the often-crowned Stanley Cup champion Oilers in the 1980s. This time, Ray Whitney was on the other side, as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes, competing for a Cup title against a new era of Oilers.It was less than 24 hours after Whitney had scored two of Carolina's four third-period goals en route to a 5-4 victory in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. He was answering each question with rapid-fire confidence, about his goals, once being a stickboy and getting a $100 Christmas gift for personally shaving Wayne Gretzky's sticks so well for "The Great One", how he still has the Oilers jacket he wore in 1986-87 and 1987-88, when the team won the third and fourth of its five championships, and the night Marty McSorley, while shaving his playoff beard, took the scissors to Whitney's mullet.Then suddenly, Whitney was stumped ... briefly, when the subject of the seriousness of the injury to Oilers' No. 1 goaltender Dwayne Roloson came up and someone wondered about who might be in goal for Edmonton in Game 2.The choices were obviously Ty Conklin or Jussi Markkanen. But ... with a twist."Any thoughts on Floyd being the third goalie?" one reporter asked, referring to Ray's dad, Floyd, a retired cop and former head of the canine unit for the Edmonton Police Department who has served for years as a third goalie for the Oilers ... and actually was signed to a one-game contract and was sitting in the team's locker room in full gear for a game against Washington in December of 1999 in case Tommy Salo got hurt after Bill Ranford, the No. 1 goalie, left the game with a bruised toe.After pausing briefly to chuckle, Ray Whitney said, "I hope so."When Oilers coach Craig MacTavish was quizzed on the same subject, he, too, laughed and said, "Ray would go from two goals to six. ... And that's with Floyd trying."Ray Whitney knows that as the Oiler's stickboy when he was 14 and 15 back in the 1980s, he was privileged to get a firsthand look at how the locker room of one of the greatest NHL teams of all-time worked."What kid wouldn't want to be in my shoes working for the Oilers?" Ray asked. "That was when Gretzky was in his heyday. ... I remember watching the games from the bench. You couldn't get a better seat than that."Those Oilers didn't lose often, and when they lost ugly, it got ugly in the room. Maybe growing up and seeing that made an impression. They didn't rant and rave all the time, but when it was needed, they weren't shy."Whitney also took from those old Oilers a sense of what it means to love the game and how important it is to have fun playing it.After being a second-round pick in the 1991 draft by the San Jose Sharks, Whitney fondly recalls his first NHL goal in a 26-game stint in 1992-93 being a goal against Oilers goalie Ron Tugnutt in San Jose in a 3-1 loss in December of that season."My goal came on a power play," he recalled after Game 1, quickly spitting out all of the details like it happened yesterday. "It was a turnover by Edmonton and it went from Doug Zmolek, across to Pat Falloon, who I played juniors with, and he threw it backdoor to me and I scored off Ron Tugnutt. It was on TV back home, so everybody from where I was from obviously saw it. It was very special to get it against Edmonton."Whitney spent the first six years of his career playing for the Sharks after they made him the 23rd overall pick in 1991. The left wing registered 121 points (48 goals, 73 assists) in 200 career games with the Sharks before leaving in the 1997-98 season to play with Edmonton.The Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, native, who is now 34, played in nine games with the Oilers in 1997-98, with one goal and three assists, as part of a 14-year NHL career in which he has also performed for Florida, Columbus and Detroit, before signing with the Hurricanes last August. He had 17 goals and 38 assists for Carolina in the regular season and now eight goals and five assists in 18 playoff games.You could say Whitney now has a chance to get back at the Oilers for first passing on him once in the 1991 draft ... and then putting him on waivers back in November of 1997. But, while there are still feelings about his old team, Ray and Floyd are only thinking about beating Edmonton ... this time."There's no revenge whatsoever. I wouldn't trade those times with the Oilers for anything," Whitney laughed. "My dad might think a little differently, because of me. Blood, you know. I guess you could say he's a man without a team ... for now. Or maybe he's a man with two teams."You can see the poise in the step of the undersized 5-foot-10, 178-pound Whitney, from the time well-spent in the championship Oilers' locker room. He didn't waste any time pouncing on his old team in Game 1."It's nothing personal, all business," he laughed.Then, Whitney went off on another one of those fanciful trips down memory lane."I remember being added late to the All-Star Game in Toronto in 2000 and scoring a goal," Whitney said. "It was ironic, because I scored against Tommy Salo and Mark Messier assisted on the goal. The funny part of the story is that I guess I had a flashback to the old Oilers days, because I swear, I remember waiting for him to tell me to get the shoeshine box."For now, Whitney is one of those veterans who has a knack for finding the holes in an opponent's zone. The diminutive winger also adds plenty of grit and an innate ability to shoot on the move that has allowed him to score more than 20 goals in a season five times, setting a career-high in 1997-98 when he combined that season with Edmonton and Florida."He's a smart player," said Hurricanes captain Rod Brind'Amour. "He's small, but he never quits working and fighting to find an opening.""And he's got a real quick release and dangerous shot," said center Doug Weight."He makes everyone else better," coach Peter Laviolette said. "And he's not shy about speaking his mind in the locker room. He's never shy about that. He makes everyone else better."Though he now wears No. 13 for the Hurricanes, he has long worn No. 14 because of his fondness for current Oilers coach Craig MacTavish."We always knew Ray has a lot of pretty good skills" MacTavish said. "You don't just will 20-goal seasons like he has so often in his career. It takes talent and a lot of mental toughness to fight through the heavy traffic areas where he scores a lot of his goals. I'd like to think he got some of that passion from watching us back in the 1980s."There always seems to be a story-within-a-story theme when the Stanley Cup is up for grabs. Seeing Ray Whitney and Oilers left winger Ryan Smyth on the ice after being stickboys in Edmonton is yet another delightful morsel in Cup history.It wouldn't be too trite to say that Smyth and Whitney now have a chance to carve out a little of their own history.

Sharks In Good Position For Next Season

2006-05-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

The San Jose Sharks have had a week to digest their semifinal loss to the red hot Edmonton Oilers and although the loss was difficult for Team Teal, the 2005-06 season was still successful. But now it’s time to look toward the future and start preparing for the 2006-07 season. Sharks General Manager Doug Wilson and his staff have not only done an excellent job of developing players from within, but also of signing them proactively. For this reason, the Sharks will be returning virtually their entire roster filled with players that propelled the Sharks one of the top teams in the League. Wilson made decisions in the middle of the season that will help the Sharks for years to come. He signed Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner Jonathan Cheechoo to a multi-year deal as well as the goaltending duo of Vesa Toskala and Evgeni Nabokov. Patrick Marleau signed a multi-year deal before the beginning of the 2005-06 season and the trade that brought Hart Trophy candidate Joe Thornton also brought a contract that will guarantee he will be in San Jose for the next two years. Other crucial pieces to the puzzle that are locked up for next season include defensemen Matt Carle, Josh Gorges, Scott Hannan, Kyle McLaren and Tom Preissing. On the offensive side, rookie standouts Milan Michalek and Steve Bernier, as well as Nils Ekman and Ville Nieminen, will also be wearing Teal come September. There are a handful of current Sharks that are restricted free agents, meaning the team has exclusive rights to sign them before anyone else gets a crack at it. Current Sharks in this category are Rob Davison, Christian Ehrhoff, Jim Fahey, Marcel Goc, Doug Murray, Scott Parker, Patrick Rissmiller, Mark Smith and Grant Stevenson. Alyn McCauley is the only unrestricted free agent on Team Teal. Because he is unrestricted he will be able to sign with any club he chooses. Overall the Sharks are in great shape. In addition to all the key players that are locked up, their minor league system is in the same boat. Former first rounders Lukas Kaspar and Devin Setoguchi are signed and will be ready in the coming years to make the transition to the NHL. Without a doubt, the Sharks are sitting in a good position to make another run at the Stanley Cup in 2007.

The Season Is Over For The San Jose Sharks

2006-05-22T08:26:00.000-07:00

The Edmonton Oilers have reached the Western Conference finals for the first time in 14 years by downing San Jose 2-to-0. The Oilers won the last four games of the series after dropping two at San Jose.
The Sharks flew home overnight. Instead of preparing for a decisive Game 7 at the Shark Tank tomorrow night, the team will pack up their lockers and head for their perspective home towns.
The Sharks had the momentum early in the series, but the team seemed to fall apart during their final home game in San Jose. The Sharks couldn't even score one goal last night in Edmonton.
Dwayne Roloson posted his first career playoff shutout by stopping 24 shots while helping the Oilers kill off the Sharks' eight power plays. Roloson faced only 12 shots after the first period.

Michael Peca put the Oilers ahead to stay by beating Vesa Toskala eight-21 into the contest. Shawn Horcoff added an insurance goal midway through the final period.
It's the first time the Oilers have won a series after trailing two-games-to-none. Edmonton now prepares for the Anaheim Mighty Ducks.

And a Child Shall Lead Them

2006-05-17T12:54:00.000-07:00

By Mike Brody
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Rookie goaltenders have had success in the Stanley Cup Playoffs before – most notably with Ken Dryden in 1971 and Patrick Roy in 1986, both leading the Montreal Canadiens to the Cup – but never before has a crop of rookie goalies dominated the playoffs like they have this season.

Of the five remaining teams in this year’s playoffs, three are led by rookie goalies and another by a first-year starter. Carolina’s Cam Ward, Buffalo’s Ryan Miller, Anaheim’s Ilya Bryzgalov, and San Jose’s Vesa Toskala have all enjoyed incredible playoff success thus far.

Seven-year veteran Dwayne Roloson of the Edmonton Oilers, who was acquired in a mid-season trade with the Minnesota Wild, is the only experienced goaltender left. I don’t think anyone would have predicted that, especially with the presence of such big-name goalies as Martin Brodeur and Miikka Kiprusoff, and other veteran backstops or NHL powerhouses like Detroit’s Manny Legace, Dallas’s Marty Turco, and Colorado’s Jose Theodore, among the contenders.

The New Favorite

Thanks to a surprisingly easy 4 games to 1 victory over the New Jersey Devils, and a dominating performance winning four straight games over Montreal after losing the first two in Round 1, the Carolina Hurricanes have emerged as the new favorite to win Lord Stanley’s Cup. Despite finishing the regular season with 112 points, just 1 behind Eastern Conference leader Ottawa, the Hurricanes’ odds of winning the Cup entering the playoffs were posted at 10-1. That was before the oddsmakers had seen Ward turn away almost every shot he’s faced.

In 10 playoff games, the 22-year-old rookie has allowed just 17 goals while posting a 1.77 goals against average (GAA). Ward let in just five goals in Carolina’s four victories over New Jersey as he outplayed his boyhood idol Brodeur. With his stellar play, and the Hurricanes’ opportunistic offense, led by 100-point scorer Eric Staal, Carolina will be tough to beat.

The Upstart Challenger

The Sabres’ Miller is the only U.S.-born goalie among the Fab Four. He hopes to duplicate the feat of another rookie American goalie, Ron Hextall, who led the Philadelphia Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1987. After a shaky start in Game 1 against Ottawa, Buffalo’s defense and Miller shut down the Senators the rest of the way, allowing two or fewer goals in each of the last four games. The Michigan native has a 2.25 GAA and a .921 save percentage in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Buffalo’s defense has been stellar in front of Miller. Defensemen Toni Lydman and Henrik Tallinder lead all playoff performers in plus/minus at plus-13. The Sabres’ offense has been scoring in bunches. Buffalo has a team-leading 43 goals scored in 11 games and is riding high after winger Jason Pominville’s shorthanded, overtime goal clinched the series against Ottawa.

Mr. Perfect – Almost

Anaheim’s Bryzgalov has been the most surprising and impressive of all the rookies. Bryzgalov didn’t even enter the playoffs as the Ducks’ No. 1 goalie. That honor went to Jean-Sebastian Giguere, who led Anaheim to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2003, his second year in the league, and was named the Conn Smythe winner as the MVP of the playoffs that season.

After splitting their first four games against Calgary in Round 1, the Ducks made the switch to Bryzgalov and they haven’t regretted it. The 24-year-old Russian has practically stood on his head as he is sporting a ridiculous 0.87 GAA and .967 save percentage. He recorded three straight shutouts, including Game 7 at Calgary to clinch that series. In doing so, Bryzgalov set a rookie playoff record, holding opponents scoreless for 249 minutes, 15 seconds. Only Montreal’s George Hainsworth, 270:08 in 1930, has had a longer playoff scoreless streak.

The Final Four

San Jose’s Toskala is hoping to join his fellow first-year netminders in the conference finals. After an excellent series against Nashville in Round 1, including a shutout in Game 2, and two 2-1 victories to open the Edmonton series, Toskala and the Sharks find themselves on the ropes as the Oilers have stormed back to take a 3-2 series lead. Edmonton will try to close it out at home on Wednesday night.

San Jose’s offense is led by Patrick Marleau, who leads all playoff goal scorers with nine. The Sharks will need to get an early lead and help Toskala protect it to force a Game 7 at home on Friday.

The Finals

The matchup between Ward and Miller should be as entertaining as it gets. Both are capable of stealing a game or two for their respective teams. Carolina is the favorite, but Buffalo has a lot of momentum and Miller has shown he can win the close games with four one-goal victories against Ottawa. Look for the Sabres to get to the Finals.

The Ducks have had a long time off after unexpectedly sweeping the Avalanche. Anaheim may be a little rusty to start the conference finals, but the Ducks have good veteran leadership in Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne and will ride the stellar play of Bryzgalov past either the Oilers or the Sharks to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.

San Jose Sharks vs. Edmonton Oilers

2006-05-17T11:31:00.000-07:00

The Edmonton Oilers have embraced the underdog role throughout the playoffs. They eliminated the Presidents' Trophy winner in the first round. They fell behind 0-2 in the second round. They even had their national anthem booed on the road in Game 5.Through it all, the Oilers continue to persevere. Now they look to wrap up their Western Conference semifinal series against the San Jose Sharks and advance to the conference finals for the first time since 1992.Despite entering the playoffs as the eighth seed in the West, the Oilers players may be the only ones who are not surprised about being on the cusp of the third round."Everybody believes in that locker room," Oilers defenseman Chris Pronger said. "That's the first step for us. Everybody is buying into the system. Even when we were down 0-2, we just felt we could win two home games and be right here."After a rough start, Edmonton has righted itself to take control of this series from San Jose. The Oilers have scored 12 goals in their last two games and exploited weak penalty killing by the Sharks Sunday to post a 6-3 road victory in the pivotal Game 5.The Sharks seemed to have every advantage that game: they were playing at home, they outshot the Oilers 24-18 and outhit them 34-16, yet Edmondton still pulled out a 6-3 win in large part to San Jose's inability to shut down the Oilers' power play.Fernando Pisani ended a wild four-minute sequence at the start of the third period by converting a 2-on-1 from Ryan Smyth and beating Sharks goaltender Vesa Toskala to snap a 3-3 tie. Jarret Stoll and Smyth added power-play goals later in the period for Edmonton, which went 3 for 7 with the man advantage and left Sharks coach Ron Wilson looking for answers to try and extend this series to a decisive seventh game."We've made it obviously pretty hard on ourselves," Wilson said. "You can't blame Tosk. We gave up 2-on-1's, a giveaway, a deflection ... very easily correctable mistakes, and we have to hold each other accountable to do things right. We've got to work a heck of a lot harder."Toskala will start this game trying to find the form from his first seven games, when he allowed 12 total goals. But he has not been the same since allowing a game-winning goal to Shawn Horcoff that ended Game 3 in triple overtime."I don't think we have to make a goaltending change," Wilson said. "Vesa has been a rock back there. Last night, he didn't have a chance in any one of the goals. We didn't do a good job of supporting him and our focus now is to make sure we get back to doing what we do best which is playing sound defensive hockey."While Edmonton's power play has thrived, San Jose's has been brutal. The Sharks are just 2-for-27 (6.9 percent) in this series, a far cry from their 18.2 percent (91-for-500) success rate in the regular season."They are pressuring us up the ice and we're coasting back for pucks," Wilson said. "We've got some guys who might be viewing themselves as they have a right to be on the power play instead of the view that it's a privilege."Including the regular season, the Sharks have lost seven of their last 10 games in Edmonton, but the Oilers feel the urgency to close the series out and avoid a return trip to San Jose, where they lost the first two games of the series."The fourth win is always the hardest. We have to come prepared," Pronger said. "They are going to bring their best game. They battled back hard. There's no quit in that team. We've got to make sure we're focused and prepared. It's going to be a battle in Game 6."If the Sharks win, they will host Game 7 Friday. If the Oilers win, they will meet the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in the conference finals.

San Jose Sharks vs. Edmonton Oilers

2006-05-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

The San Jose Sharks is one of the teams that ended the season playing really good. They had one of the best records towards the end. That reflected the result of the first round in the playoffs against Nashville, a series that many thought the Predators would win.

Currently they are 2-0 against the Oilers and they expect to continue with the winning record in the next game that hopefully gives them the advantage to try and sweep this series and go to the conference finals.

San Jose didn’t have a regular season that many expected and they barely made it to the playoffs. But here they are proving to everybody they can beat any team in the NHL and they are going for the Stanley Cup no matter what and the best part is that they have the talent and the discipline to achieve that.

Recent Transactions
4/18 Recalled G Nolan Schaefer from Cleveland of the AHL. 4/11Recalled F Ryane Clowe and F Tomas Plihal from Cleveland of the AHL. 4/10Recalled RW Ryane Clowe and LW Tomas Plihal from Cleveland of the AHL. 4/8Signed RW Devin Setoguchi.

Much was expected from Edmonton at the beginning of the season; they had a hard time getting to the playoffs but they did. Not with the best record but they were in managing to get pass the first round against the Red Wings a team that was the favorite to win this series. As a matter of fact most sports books lines had them as favorites but they just couldn’t make it against the Oilers.

Edmonton is now facing the San Jose Sharks a very physical team that won’t give any room for error and a team that’s playing really good. The series is currently 2-0 in favor to the Sharks and the Oilers needs to avoid going 0-3 because it will be their end if that happens.

"I really feel like home-ice advantage is going to be a big advantage in a series like this, one that has been as physical as this one's been," he said. "The hometown fans get behind (the players) and provide a lot of energy and a lot of adrenalin for the players to finish their checks. There's no doubt in my mind we'll bounce back tomorrow." –Edmonton coach Craig MacTavish.

Recent Transactions
5/1 Signed C Tyler Spurgeon to a three-year contract. 3/29 Recalled Brad Winchester from Hamilton of the AHL. 3/13 Recalled Marc-Antoine Pouliot from Hamilton of the AHL. 3/9 Acquired F Sergei Samsonov from Boston for Marty Reasoner, Yan Stastny and a 2006 second-round draft pick. 3/8 Placed G Mike Morrison on waivers.

Oilers-Sharks

2006-05-08T10:27:00.000-07:00

The San Jose Sharks have made a habit out of winning close games in the playoffs and not losing much on their home ice.San Jose looks to take a 2-0 lead over the Edmonton Oilers when the teams continue their Western Conference semifinal series with a matchup at HP Pavilion.The Sharks beat the Oilers 2-1 in Game 1 on Sunday, their third straight one-goal victory in the playoffs. San Jose has won five in a row in the postseason and 13 of 15 overall, including six of seven at home.Edmonton, meanwhile, was 3-1 in one-goal games against top-seeded Detroit in the first round.Patrick Marleau scored his eighth goal of the postseason and added an assist on Christian Ehrhoff's go-ahead goal to lead San Jose on Sunday.Rookie Milan Michalek had two assists and Vesa Toskala stopped 15 shots for the fifth-seeded Sharks, who are 3-0 at HP Pavilion in the playoffs and have home-ice advantage for this round and the conference finals if they should advance.After Ehrhoff's goal at 3:14 of the second period, San Jose's forechecking helped hold the Oilers to two shots in the period.``I'm happy with our effort. ... We just wanted to establish a forecheck,'' Sharks coach Ron Wilson said. ''(Hitting) got contagious, the way our crowd was responding to every hit, and we just built off that.''Dwayne Roloson made 28 saves for the Oilers, who went scoreless in the final 57:27 after Jaroslav Spacek's early power-play goal. Edmonton was held to fewer than two goals for the first time in the postseason.``You could tell in the second period, we're on our heels,'' center Michael Peca said. ``We didn't really accomplish much. We weren't aggressive in our game. They forecheck so much.''The Oilers failed to get a shot in the first 6 minutes of the third period, then couldn't score on a power play when Joe Thornton was sent off for tripping Roloson. Edmonton pulled Roloson for the final 90 seconds, but got just one good chance.``We were standing still at the blue line a lot,'' Oilers coach Craig MacTavish said. ``I don't know whether it was tough for our team to change the mentality (from the first round). I was really happy with our start, but they took it to us physically in the second period.''Game 3 is in Edmonton on Wednesday night.

San Jose Sharks vs. Nashville Predators

2006-05-01T11:36:00.000-07:00

The San Jose Sharks hope to follow Patrick Marleau right into the Western Conference semifinals.
San Jose tries to close out its quarterfinal series with a fourth straight win over the Nashville Predators when the teams play Game 5 at the Gaylord Entertainment Center.
Nashville won Game 1 of the series, but the Sharks have rebounded to win three in a row behind Marleau.
The 26-year-old center had a hat trick, including the go-ahead goal, to lead San Jose to a 5-4 spread victory on Thursday. The Sharks' captain has six goals and one assist in the last three games, accounting for 50 percent of the team's scoring.

Marleau, who had a career-best 86 points during the regular season, is San Jose's franchise leader in postseason goals and notched his third career playoff hat trick Thursday.
"He's our captain, and it just goes to show that he's been doing it and we've been following him all season long," said Mark Smith, who scored his third goal of the series Thursday. "The bigger the game, the bigger he is as a player."
San Jose needed to hold off a late Nashville charge after Mike Sillinger and Scott Hartnell scored to pull the Predators within a goal in the third period.
Sharks goaltender Vesa Toskala made 26 saves, however, and held on as Nashville outshot San Jose 14-3 in the final 20 minutes. Rookie Pat Rissmiller also scored for San Jose while Joe Thornton, Steve Bernier and Matt Carle each added two assists.
San Jose has won all four playoff series in which it's held a 3-1 lead, but coach Ron Wilson said recording that last victory won't be easy.
"You get to this point and you want to get the series over as quickly as possible in order to save energy," said Wilson, who gave his team Friday off. "We all understand that the hardest win is the fourth win. We're going to have our work cut out for us."
The Predators certainly have their work ahead of them as they try to win their first playoff series, but Thursday's third-period performance has them motivated.
"I thought that we played regular season hockey to that point," said Predators goalie Chris Mason, who made 19 saves in the defeat. "They've been playing playoff hockey, and we said, `You know what? We've got nothing to lose."'
Paul Kariya added a goal and an assist and Shea Weber also scored for Nashville, which scored just one goal in Games 2 and 3.
The Predators scored their first three even-strength goals of the series Thursday, but continued to give San Jose odd-man chances. The Sharks have had six 5-on-3s in the first four games, and took advantage by scoring two power-play goals in Game 4.
Defenseman Marek Zidlicky returned to the Nashville lineup Thursday after missing 15 games with a separated shoulder.
Game 6, if necessary, will be in San Jose on Tuesday.

Next week on TV (5-1/5-7)

2006-04-27T14:01:00.000-07:00

By Daniel Kline
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Both the NBA and the NHL close out the first round of their playoffs. In baseball, you’ve got the Orioles and the Blue Jays, matching up in what has to be one of the biggest questions of the baseball season. One of these teams might hang on to challenge the Yankees and Red Sox, but probably not both, making this early season tilt a little more interesting.

*All times Eastern.

Monday, May 1
NFL Europe, Berlin at Rhein (3 p.m., NFL Network)
Stop arguing about who your team drafted and check in on the sport’s minor league with this mid-afternoon match-up. Though NFL Europe might not get the attention of its big brother, the league offers a good chance to figure out which back-up players might break through come the fall.

Tuesday, May 2
Yankees at Red Sox (7:05 p.m., DirecTV, regional)
Every Yankees versus Red Sox match-up gets covered like a playoff game in Boston and New York, so expect tempers to flare in this tilt. The Sox have had the early season advantage, but that’s nothing new, as the Sox always have a division lead in the Summer – the question is whether they can hold it in the Fall.

Wednesday, May 3
Boxing (9 p.m. ESPN2)
Sharmba Mitchell takes on Jose Luis Cruz in a 10-round welterweight tilt. Cruz plays the role of the fighter on the way up, taking on former two-time champion Mitchell, who wants one more shot at the gold. Mitchell was knocked out in the sixth round in his last fight, but that was against Floyd Mayweather – one of the best in the division – so he’s aiming to prove that was a fluke and knock Cruz off the ladder of contention.

Thursday, May 4
Wachovia Open (4 p.m., USA)
A Tiger-less field should leave this one pretty wide open. Vijay Singh attempts to repeat as champion, a title he took last year in a three-way playoff with Sergio Garcia and Jim Furyk.

Friday, May 5
College Volleyball (Midnight, ESPN2)
Catch the men’s semifinal of the NCAA men’s volleyball tournament. This might be your last chance to see some of your favorite players before they turn pro and head out on the lucrative men’s volleyball tour.

Saturday, May 6
Kentucky Derby (6 p.m., NBC)
Horse racing only matters three times a year to the average fan, but the Kentucky captures the best of the sport. Because it’s the first Triple Crown race, every Derby winner stands the chance of being the first horse to bring home racing’s most elusive prize since Affirmed in 1978.

Sunday, May 7
Premier League Soccer (5 p.m., FOXESP)
Two of the big powers in the Premiership face off as Newcastle battles Chelsea in an attempt to cut into Chelsea’s overall lead in the standings. Chelsea did just fall in the FA Cup semifinal, but their big lead in the regular season standings makes clinching the title almost inevitable.

Daniel Kline’s book “50 Things Every Guy Should Know How To Do” is available in bookstores nationwide. He can be reached at dan@notastep.com.

Bet the Board @ WagerWeb.com Sportsbook - Click here to view live odds

NHL Playoffs Return To San Jose

2006-04-25T14:12:00.000-07:00

The San Jose Sharks return to the tank tonight to host their first Stanley Cup playoff game in nearly two years.
They split the first two games against the Predators in Nashville over the weekend.
Merchants at San Jose's San Pedro Square near HP Pavilion have decorated the street with lights and jerseys of the Sharks' players. The team's 3-0 shutout spread victory on Sunday gives them the momentum in the series now that they're back home with their faithful fans behind them.
Mark Smith, Sharks center: "That's the key for us, to split first. And now we have the ice advantage here at home at the tank -- great place to play, great fans, and just kind of ride on their energy."

The game time Tuesday night is 7:30 p.m
The Santa Clara Valley Tranportation Authority is offering free rides on its Sharks shuttle for fans. It begins one-hour-and-fifteen-minutes before game time.
Buses run every five minutes and make their last trips 30-minutes after the game ends.

Nashville Predators vs.San Jose Sharks

2006-04-24T11:55:00.000-07:00

Nashville Predators

The Predators finish the season with 49 wins and earned the home ice advantage. They had a great season ending that allow them to be where they are right now. The only advantage that they might have right now is the home ice advantage because they have to face one of the hottest teams in the season ending in the NHL, the San Jose Sharks.

These two teams are practically mirror images of one another; their playing style is pretty much the same. That’s why the four regular season games where such low scoring games and the overall series ended up 2-2; with no one taking the advantage in the regular season we can expect this playoff series to be very close.

The Predators could win the series if Chris Mason can handle the pressure of being the main man. Mason takes over for Tomas Vokoun, out for the season with a blood condition. He has just 43 games of NHL experience, including 22 games this season. Mason has been brilliant down the stretch, closing with a 6-0-0 run that featured 1.13 goals-against average and a .954 save percentage.

"We're going into the playoffs with some momentum. We're not limping in. We're confident as individuals, confident as a team and confident in our goaltending, and those are the right things to have in your mind this time of year."-- Predators' defenseman Dan Hamhuis.

San Jose Sharks

The Sharks had a pretty amazing finale this season, winning the last eight games when many thought they won’t make it to the playoffs. But not only did they make it to the playoffs they also got the sportbooks No. 5 seed in the east and they will be a headache for the Predators.

The Sharks need to seize the momentum they have going on right now and take it to the playoffs; this series will be one of the closest ones and they need to get all the advantage they can, even if it means motivation entering the post season.

"It's been pretty amazing the run we've been on the past couple of months and to finish as high as fifth when so many people projected us to not even make the playoffs just 2-1/2 weeks ago. It's something special. But we have bigger things to look forward to now."-- Sharks' defenseman Kyle McLaren.

The playoffs are ready to start and this particular series will be an exciting and heart pounding one as both teams finishes the season in a hot streak to enter the playoffs very well positioned. If you like sports betting don’t miss the chance to bet on this series, you can get the latest NHL props and odds at WagerWeb.com.

Red Wings-Sharks

2006-04-17T10:47:00.001-07:00

Joe Thornton knew the San Jose Sharks caught Detroit on the right night. He'd like to see Red Wings at full strength - in the playoffs.
Thornton had a goal and three assists and Jonathan Cheechoo also scored one of San Jose's franchise-record five power play goals as the Sharks beat the short-handed Red Wings 5-1 on Tuesday night.
Brett Lebda scored for the Red Wings, who had their six-game winning streak snapped.
``They were obviously missing five key players and we're trying to gain that final playoff spot,'' Thornton said. ``We need every win, every game. I hope we make the playoffs and face them again.''
With Swedish gold-medalists Nicklas Lidstrom, Mikael Samuelsson, Henrik Zetterberg and Tomas Holmstrom getting an extra day off, the Red Wings relied on a makeshift lineup without much success. Detroit had killed off 45 of its last 47 penalties entering the contest, and 73 of 78 before being blitzed by San Jose's power play on Tuesday.
Nils Ekman, Christian Ehrhoff and Patrick Marleau also scored for the Sharks, who won their fourth straight game.
``For any team it's tough if you take five key guys out of the lineup,'' Red Wings goalie Manny Legace said. ``That's no excuse, no excuse at all. We were in the game until the 10-minute mark. I've just got to make saves on penalty kills. I didn't tonight and it cost us.'
The Sharks drew within four points of the Oilers for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.
``It's important to get back on a good roll,'' Ehrhoff said. ``We know we're good and we're still developing. We just need to go into those games and keep winning.''
Ekman opened the scoring for the Sharks, taking a pass from Thornton at the red line beating Legace through the five-hole.
Cheechoo recorded his 35th goal of the season in the second period during a 5-on-3 advantage. He had an easy shot after Thornton drew the defense away from the net.
``Tonight was kind of an anomaly,'' Sharks coach Ron Wilson said. ``You're not going to threaten teams with five power play goals. Since we picked up Joe, though, we've had one of the most dangerous power plays in the league.''
Lebda scored his first goal since Nov. 1, a span of 37 games, with 1:31 left in the second period. He took a drop pass from Brendan Shanahan and shot it past Sharks goalie Vesa Toskala, who had 28 saves.
Ehrhoff, Marleau and Thornton all added power-play goals in the third period.
``It's disappointing,'' Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. ``They found a way to shoot it into the net and we weren't as good.''

Sharks Reassign Schaefer To Cleveland

2006-04-17T10:47:00.000-07:00

San Jose Sharks lines Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Wilson announced today that the club has reassigned goaltender Nolan Schaefer to the Cleveland Barons, the Sharks top development affiliate in the American Hockey League.
In seven NHL games this season, Schaefer posted a 5-1-0 record with a 1.88 goals against average and a .920 save percentage. He was victorious in his first five appearances, becoming the first Shark to begin his career with five consecutive wins. Schaefer also posted his first career shutout in a 1-0 overtime win against Anaheim on Nov. 4.
With the Barons this season, Schaefer owns a 12-17-1 record with a 3.37 goals against average and a .887 save percentage. By defeating San Antonio on December 27 and December 29, he became the first goaltender in the franchise’s history to record back-to-back shutouts.
The six-foot-two, 200-pound goaltender from Yellow Grass, Saskatchewan was originally selected by San Jose in the fifth round (166th overall) in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.

Sharks head to Dallas

2006-04-17T10:46:00.000-07:00

The first-place Dallas Stars will try to halt a two-game losing streak tonight, as they host the San Jose Sharks at AmericanAirlines Center.
The Stars have already clinched a playoff berth and, with 102 points, hold a 12-point lead over the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim for the Pacific Division lead. The Sharks and Los Angeles Kings are tied for third with 83 points apiece.
Dallas was in Anaheim on Friday night and dropped a 5-4 decision in a shootout. Brenden Morrow and Stephane Robidas tallied a goal and an assist apiece and Marty Turco stopped 32 shots for Dallas, which had a four-game winning streak snapped. It was also the Stars' first loss in a shootout this season in 12 tries.
The Stars suffered another close loss in LA on Saturday. Mathieu Garon stopped 27 shots for his third shutout of the season and led the Kings to the 1-0 win. Johan Hedberg made 24 saves for the Stars.
Dallas is home for just one game before beginning a three-game road trip in Anaheim on Thursday. The Stars are 26-11-1 as the host team this season.
The Sharks, meanwhile, have dropped three straight contests. San Jose is fighting to get back into the playoff seedings, but dropped a game in Columbus before losing two straight home tilts to the last-place Phoenix Coyotes.
The Sharks currently have 83 points and are tied with LA for the ninth spot in the Western Conference. Edmonton holds the eighth and final playoff spot with 86 points.
San Jose did gain a point in Saturday's loss to the Coyotes and showed some fight in the process. The Sharks trailed 3-0 heading into the third period and rallied to tie the game. However, Steven Reinprecht completed his hat trick, scoring 3:55 into overtime, to lift Phoenix to the 4-3 win.
The Sharks, who are 14-18-4 as the visiting team this season, will begin a three-game road trip tonight. They will also visit Colorado on Wednesday before ending the swing in LA on Thursday.
Dallas has won four of six meetings with the Sharks this season and is 7-3-1 (3 losses, 1 tie) in the last 11 matchups.