It's a shame Sharks' fans had such a quick fling with Teemu Selanne, they never were able to fall in love with the Finnish Flash, whose courtship with San Jose ended after a little more than two productive seasons. But he has since returned to Orange County, and one of the good guys in hockey if not sports altogether has been a pest in a bitter Bay Area/Disneyland rivalry. So here it came down Tuesday night in San Jose, where the Sharks were lucky to be even be in a shootout against Selanne's Ducks and perhaps even more unlikely 1-0 leaders in the shootout as Selanne tried to keep his team in the game as the final shooter. ....
...Selanne, whose 50 goals vs. the Sharks ranks only below the 51 he's scored against the SoCal rival Los Angeles Kings in his two decades in the NHL, skated in on his countryman Antti Niemi. The older Finn flipped the puck high and perhaps just grazing Niemi's glove towards the top of the net. And on a night when Niemi was nothing short of incredible, including a fantastic save against Corey Perry in OT, Selanne appeared to net the shootout-extending goal. Except the puck bounced off the crossbar, one of a handful of Anaheim shots that hit iron. It's been a home team-friendly goal early at HP Pavilion. The Sharks' good fortune went right down to the end with Selanne's shot off the post and escaped with a 3-2 win and a franchise-best 6-0 start. Sharks Coach Todd McLellan said it best when he proclaimed...
...in his postgame presser: "We have to tell it like it was; they were the better team." You could also make that argument last week when San Jose had to make a furious rally in the third period to beat Phoenix in the home opener. But this was something altogether different. The Ducks pretty much sucked last season in missing the playoffs and finishing last in the Pacific Division. But Anaheim was at its best against the Sharks winning five of six meetings. And despite trailing 1-0 after one period thanks once again to what is looking like hockey's version of Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance with Marleau-to-Thornton-to-Pavelski. But the usually shoot-happy Sharks managed...
...all of 18 total shots at Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller. Anaheim was so dominant in the first two periods -and finally getting what it deserved with two quick goals and the lead around the midway point of the second- McLellan showed his displeasure by shuffling lines 2-4. And it paid off if you just consider that Scott Gomez dropped a nifty pass back to Logan Couture, and the veteran center made an effective screen for Couture, whose wrister somehow trickled through the five hole, off Hiller's pads and sliding into the goal. It somehow allowed San Jose to tie the game with 2:45 left and ultimately salvage overtime and a point. And Niemi, who faced another onslaught from the Ducks in overtime and made the game's best theft of Perry. That allowed the outshot, outchanced and mostly outplayed Sharks to go to their secret weapon...
....Michael Handzus in the shootout. It's a funny game. The Sharks have the hottest line in hockey with goals and points-a-plenty from Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski and Patrick Marleau. But McLellan penciled in Handzus as his first shooter. Handzus hasn't looked great centering the third line and doesn't actually look like a goal waiting to happen during the game. But he's the Slovak Shootout Savant, having traditionally been one of the game's most effective options once games aren't decided in regulation or in overtime. And in a shootout that featured Ducks' snipers Bobby Ryan, Perry and Selanne, Handzus outdid all three and top six teammates Pavelski and Ryane Clowe with the only successful shot. His top shelf goal as the first of six shooters held up, and the Sharks are improbably 6-0. But they can't afford to keep playing like they did Tuesday, and another short-term concern I see...
...is with the defense. Dan Boyle missed the game with the flu and was clearly missed. Brent Burns and Jason Demers are both skating but remain out for now. Douglas Murray can still hit a forward and provides some toughness, but he's struggling at times. Nick Petrecki made his NHL debut in the game, but he's simply not in Boyle's class. Fortunately, the other rookie Matt Irwin is looking like a keeper. But Murray and Justin Braun have some improvement to make, as do the Sharks as a whole after stealing this win. Still, six up, six down, and a rematch with Edmonton looming Thursday night.
...Selanne, whose 50 goals vs. the Sharks ranks only below the 51 he's scored against the SoCal rival Los Angeles Kings in his two decades in the NHL, skated in on his countryman Antti Niemi. The older Finn flipped the puck high and perhaps just grazing Niemi's glove towards the top of the net. And on a night when Niemi was nothing short of incredible, including a fantastic save against Corey Perry in OT, Selanne appeared to net the shootout-extending goal. Except the puck bounced off the crossbar, one of a handful of Anaheim shots that hit iron. It's been a home team-friendly goal early at HP Pavilion. The Sharks' good fortune went right down to the end with Selanne's shot off the post and escaped with a 3-2 win and a franchise-best 6-0 start. Sharks Coach Todd McLellan said it best when he proclaimed...
...in his postgame presser: "We have to tell it like it was; they were the better team." You could also make that argument last week when San Jose had to make a furious rally in the third period to beat Phoenix in the home opener. But this was something altogether different. The Ducks pretty much sucked last season in missing the playoffs and finishing last in the Pacific Division. But Anaheim was at its best against the Sharks winning five of six meetings. And despite trailing 1-0 after one period thanks once again to what is looking like hockey's version of Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance with Marleau-to-Thornton-to-Pavelski. But the usually shoot-happy Sharks managed...
...all of 18 total shots at Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller. Anaheim was so dominant in the first two periods -and finally getting what it deserved with two quick goals and the lead around the midway point of the second- McLellan showed his displeasure by shuffling lines 2-4. And it paid off if you just consider that Scott Gomez dropped a nifty pass back to Logan Couture, and the veteran center made an effective screen for Couture, whose wrister somehow trickled through the five hole, off Hiller's pads and sliding into the goal. It somehow allowed San Jose to tie the game with 2:45 left and ultimately salvage overtime and a point. And Niemi, who faced another onslaught from the Ducks in overtime and made the game's best theft of Perry. That allowed the outshot, outchanced and mostly outplayed Sharks to go to their secret weapon...
....Michael Handzus in the shootout. It's a funny game. The Sharks have the hottest line in hockey with goals and points-a-plenty from Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski and Patrick Marleau. But McLellan penciled in Handzus as his first shooter. Handzus hasn't looked great centering the third line and doesn't actually look like a goal waiting to happen during the game. But he's the Slovak Shootout Savant, having traditionally been one of the game's most effective options once games aren't decided in regulation or in overtime. And in a shootout that featured Ducks' snipers Bobby Ryan, Perry and Selanne, Handzus outdid all three and top six teammates Pavelski and Ryane Clowe with the only successful shot. His top shelf goal as the first of six shooters held up, and the Sharks are improbably 6-0. But they can't afford to keep playing like they did Tuesday, and another short-term concern I see...
...is with the defense. Dan Boyle missed the game with the flu and was clearly missed. Brent Burns and Jason Demers are both skating but remain out for now. Douglas Murray can still hit a forward and provides some toughness, but he's struggling at times. Nick Petrecki made his NHL debut in the game, but he's simply not in Boyle's class. Fortunately, the other rookie Matt Irwin is looking like a keeper. But Murray and Justin Braun have some improvement to make, as do the Sharks as a whole after stealing this win. Still, six up, six down, and a rematch with Edmonton looming Thursday night.
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