The NHL's return to HP Pavilion began in respectful silence to honor George Gund III, the man responsible for bringing hockey to the South Bay. About 2 1/2 hours later, the same crowd cheered just as loud as it was hushed as captain Joe Thornton made the classiest of moves. In between there were some missed opportunities, untimely penalties, a soft goal allowed; but ultimately there was a spirited San Jose comeback and a 5-3 victory over what had to be the shell shocked Coyotes. You know as Phoenix players skated off the ice, they had to be thinking...
How in world did we let this one get away? The Sharks looked like dead, smelly fish closing in on the 10-minute mark of the third period. Bad penalties ultimately turned the game in a special teams slop-fest early in the third, the Coyotes capitalizing on one power play to break a 1-1 tie. Then San Jose goalie Antti Niemi made his first real blunder of the season, trying to pin the puck against the side of the net but letting it slip behind him and across the goal line. In a little over two minutes, the Coyotes were comfortably ahead 3-1, because....
...The Sharks were not generating much offensive zone attacking since a first-period flurry of a goal on . From the start of the second period until the first four-plus minutes of the third, San Jose recorded all of four shots on goal, which defeats the purpose of playing a backup goalie -Jason LaBarbera, replacing injured Mike Smith- and not putting pressure on said backup. But then...
...Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau clicked again. Right now, those two are making sweeter music together than Stewie and Brian Griffin (Charlie Sheen approved!).
Three games into the season, and Thornton to Marleau is among the Bay Area's hottest sports duos (Steph Curry and David Lee? Colin Kaepernick and Michael Crabtree? Jim Harbaugh and whoever is being gruff and condescending toward?). Thornton flicked a pass through traffic to a somehow unchecked Marleau in the slot. He ripped the puck past LaBarbera, and with half a period remaining the Sharks were down just a goal (more on Jumbo and Patty later). At this point, with San Jose nemesis Smith not in goal, you had to think San Jose had a shot. (I believe the Sharks' mostly intact roster from 2011-12 is going to result in a quick start. No guarantees how this team will look in March, but it could be one of the Western Conference frontrunners through January and part of February. Just a guess.) And the Sharks were relentless...
...Once Marleau's fifth goal in eight-and-a-half periods reinvigorated the crowd. The suddenly scrappy Marty Havlat went all pool hustler on LaBarbera as he saw his only angle on a rebound shot was to bank it off LaBarbera. That the tied the game and there was turning back now. Enter...
...Thornton and Marleau again. The latter almost won the game once if not for a great save by LaBarbera from point blank range in front of the crease. But Thornton gathered a loose puck just across center ice, spun and hit Joe Pavelski, who slid the puck a little forward to Marleau. Twelve is feeling it early in the season, and his running wrister from the slot beat a now frustrated LaBarbera. That's six goals for Marleau, eight assists for Thornton, who's gotten a helper in all but one of his longtime linemate's (for both the Sharks and Team Canada's Gold Medal winner in 2010) goals. Ironically, for all the goals Marleau (NHL leader in goals) and Thornton (NHL leader in points) have combined for in teal, rookie Matt Irwin notched his first NHL point on Marleau's first goal Thursday. The crowd was in a frenzy by the time Marleau broke the tie for good, and Thornton followed up his empty netter in the final seconds with a short but significant gesture...
...That defines why he's wearing the C on his sweater. Thornton asked CSN California reporter Brodie Brazil for his microphone before he was to interview the game's first star, Marleau. Thornton didn't say much, but indeed said a lot. "As an organization, we just want to thank you guys," the captain said, waited for the crowd noise to die down, then continued. "You really are the best fans in the NHL and this is a really hard place to play. And we really do appreciate you guys, thank you very much. We love you guys."
The Sharks have broken Bay Area hearts a lot over the years. But they were easy to love in their long-awaited return to the South Bay Thursday.
How in world did we let this one get away? The Sharks looked like dead, smelly fish closing in on the 10-minute mark of the third period. Bad penalties ultimately turned the game in a special teams slop-fest early in the third, the Coyotes capitalizing on one power play to break a 1-1 tie. Then San Jose goalie Antti Niemi made his first real blunder of the season, trying to pin the puck against the side of the net but letting it slip behind him and across the goal line. In a little over two minutes, the Coyotes were comfortably ahead 3-1, because....
...The Sharks were not generating much offensive zone attacking since a first-period flurry of a goal on . From the start of the second period until the first four-plus minutes of the third, San Jose recorded all of four shots on goal, which defeats the purpose of playing a backup goalie -Jason LaBarbera, replacing injured Mike Smith- and not putting pressure on said backup. But then...
...Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau clicked again. Right now, those two are making sweeter music together than Stewie and Brian Griffin (Charlie Sheen approved!).
Three games into the season, and Thornton to Marleau is among the Bay Area's hottest sports duos (Steph Curry and David Lee? Colin Kaepernick and Michael Crabtree? Jim Harbaugh and whoever is being gruff and condescending toward?). Thornton flicked a pass through traffic to a somehow unchecked Marleau in the slot. He ripped the puck past LaBarbera, and with half a period remaining the Sharks were down just a goal (more on Jumbo and Patty later). At this point, with San Jose nemesis Smith not in goal, you had to think San Jose had a shot. (I believe the Sharks' mostly intact roster from 2011-12 is going to result in a quick start. No guarantees how this team will look in March, but it could be one of the Western Conference frontrunners through January and part of February. Just a guess.) And the Sharks were relentless...
...Once Marleau's fifth goal in eight-and-a-half periods reinvigorated the crowd. The suddenly scrappy Marty Havlat went all pool hustler on LaBarbera as he saw his only angle on a rebound shot was to bank it off LaBarbera. That the tied the game and there was turning back now. Enter...
...Thornton and Marleau again. The latter almost won the game once if not for a great save by LaBarbera from point blank range in front of the crease. But Thornton gathered a loose puck just across center ice, spun and hit Joe Pavelski, who slid the puck a little forward to Marleau. Twelve is feeling it early in the season, and his running wrister from the slot beat a now frustrated LaBarbera. That's six goals for Marleau, eight assists for Thornton, who's gotten a helper in all but one of his longtime linemate's (for both the Sharks and Team Canada's Gold Medal winner in 2010) goals. Ironically, for all the goals Marleau (NHL leader in goals) and Thornton (NHL leader in points) have combined for in teal, rookie Matt Irwin notched his first NHL point on Marleau's first goal Thursday. The crowd was in a frenzy by the time Marleau broke the tie for good, and Thornton followed up his empty netter in the final seconds with a short but significant gesture...
...That defines why he's wearing the C on his sweater. Thornton asked CSN California reporter Brodie Brazil for his microphone before he was to interview the game's first star, Marleau. Thornton didn't say much, but indeed said a lot. "As an organization, we just want to thank you guys," the captain said, waited for the crowd noise to die down, then continued. "You really are the best fans in the NHL and this is a really hard place to play. And we really do appreciate you guys, thank you very much. We love you guys."
The Sharks have broken Bay Area hearts a lot over the years. But they were easy to love in their long-awaited return to the South Bay Thursday.
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