San Jose (SJ)

Latest News:

05.06.12

Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who suffered a right leg injury in Saturday's World Hockey Championships game, was pronounced "done for the tournament" Sunday, the Calgary Sun reports.

Impact:
"It's tough to lose a good young player like Marc-Edouard," Team Canada general manager Kevin Lowe said. "He's a very mobile defender who will be hard to replace." Vlasic had just 23 points (4G, 19A) this season, but he played in all 82 contests and recorded a plus-11 ratio.

04.26.12

Brent Burns finished the season with 11 goals and 26 assists for the Sharks.

Impact:
Burns' numbers were down from his career year in '10-'11 with Minnesota although it was another strong year for the defender as he finished the season seventh on the Sharks stat sheet for points, even while finishing the season nursing an abdominal strain.

04.26.12

Joe Pavelski finished the season nursing foot and knee injuries, David Pollack of the San Jose Mercury News reports.

Impact:
Pavelski needed an injection for an injured foot. while also having thumb and knee ligament problems. The University of Wisconsin product finished with 31 goals and 30 assists in his sixth season and should play a big role in the Sharks offense going forward.

04.24.12

Logan Couture will have surgery next week to repair a left shoulder separation, CSN's Brodie Brazil reports.

Impact:
This has been an older nagging injury for Couture. There's no reason he shouldn't be ready to go by the start of next season.

04.21.12

Antti Niemi made 24 shots in a 3-1 series-ending loss to the Blues on Saturday night. He allowed two goals.

Impact:
He won the first game in the series, but then came out on the losing side of the next four. His teammates just didn't provide him with a lot of support this series -- they were shut out in one of those losses and managed just a single goal in two others.

04.21.12

Joe Thornton scored the Sharks' only goal in a 3-1 loss to the Blues on Saturday night. The loss eliminated the Sharks from the playoffs.

Impact:
He had points in the Sharks' final three games but it wasn't enough to lift his team to victory. He finishes the postseason with two goals and three assists in five games.

04.19.12

Joe Thornton scored his first goal of the playoffs Thursday against the Blues. Unfortunately, it was the Sharks' only goal in a 2-1 loss.

Impact:
Thorny's goal-scoring fell off dramatically this year, as his total of 18 in the regular season was his lowest since his sophomore season of 1997-98.

04.18.12

Brad Winchester "took regular shifts" at practice Wednesday, TSN reports.

Impact:
Winchester and Michal Handzus appear to have moved ahead of T.J. Galiardi and Dominic Moore in the lineup.

04.18.12

Michal Handzus "took regular shifts" at practice on Wednesday, TSN reports.

Impact:
Handzus spent a significant portion of this season as a healthy scratch, but it appears he will get a chance to play in Game 4 on Thursday. Brad Winchester also took regular shifts, while T.J. Galiardi and Dominic Moore appear to be the guys who will cede ice time. However, you should keep in mind that the Sharks have not committed to the lineup yet and could make a change before Thursday night.

04.18.12

Patrick Marleau skated on the second line with Martin Havlat and Ryan Clowe during Wednesday's practice, ESPN's Pierre LeBrun reports.

Impact:
Apparently Logan Couture skated with Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski on the first line, taking Marleau's place. Couture has three points through the first three games of the series, while Marleau still has not gotten on the scoresheet. It seems likely that the Sharks will go with these lines during Game 4 on Thursday. If so, Marleau will miss playing with Thornton, who assisted on all three goals during Monday's 4-3 loss.

04.16.12

Joe Thornton picked up a helper on all three of San Jose's goals against St. Louis on Monday, his first three points of the playoffs.

Impact:
Thornton has not had a great reputation in the postseason, but during the regular season he was third in assists, and is a proven commodity in this league on a team that has a decent chance of moving onto Round 2.

04.16.12

Antti Niemi made 23 saves on 27 shots in a Game 3 loss to St. Louis on Monday.

Impact:
After a great start and a win in Game 1, Niemi has had two progressively worse starts. However, the Blues aren't great on offense, and he has at least two more chances to put up better numbers.

04.14.12

Dominic Moore suffered a broken nose after what the Sharks felt was a sucker punch from the Blues' Vladimir Sobotka at the end of Saturday's game.

Impact:
Sobotka, who might arguably be the Blues' strongest player pound-for-pound, had Moore by the neck of his jersey as the Shark lay on his back on the ice. Sobotka could have plastered him but held his arm cocked back instead ... until Moore started jawing at him. One 'pop' was all it took but Sharks' coach Todd McLellan took exception to the hit afterwards. Moore probably won't miss any time.

04.14.12

Antti Niemi made 29 saves in Saturday's Game 2, 3-0 loss to St. Louis.

Impact:
The loss wasn't Niemi's fault -- the Sharks just couldn't find twine at the other of the rink.

04.14.12

TJ Galiardi may face supplemental discipline after receiving a charging penalty in the third period of Saturday's Game 2 loss to the Blues.

Impact:
He absolutely hammered the Blues' Andy McDonald, who has previously missed games due to concussion, right in the head along the boards; the hit was so hard it smashed McDonald's helmet, exposing the black foam inside. McDonald continued to play but was incensed, and the league may take the victim's history into consideration.

04.14.12

Brent Burns may be in line for a suspension after deliberately elbowing the Blues' Scott Nichol in the back of the head in the second period of Saturday's Game 2 loss.

Impact:
He cold-cocked Nichol and received a roughing penalty, but it was clearly a pointless -- and brainless -- move by Burns. Nichol didn't even know he was there.

04.13.12

Konrad Abeltshauser agreed to an entry-level contract with the Sharks on Friday, according to the Sharks' official website.

Impact:
Abeltshauser spent last season in the QMJHL, where he totaled 44 points (8G, 36A) and a plus-17 rating in 57 games with Halifax. Expect him to report to AHL Worcester when next season begins.

04.12.12

Ryane Clowe assisted on both of Martin Havlat's goals Thursday in Game 1 against the Blues -- first a power-play tally to open the game's scoring, then a double-overtime goal to end it.

Impact:
Clowe, who had been held out of practice due to an undisclosed injury, certainly didn't look hurt in this one. He's a big part of San Jose's offense despite having a down season in which his point total declined to just 45 in 76 games.

04.12.12

Dan Boyle assisted on both San Jose goals in regulation Thursday in a double-overtime Game 1 win over St. Louis.

Impact:
Boyle's been a big part of the Sharks' postseason offense overtheir last two seasons, picking up 30 points in 33 games, and it appears he's right back where he left off. Some guys are just playoff performers.

04.12.12

Antti Niemi saved 40 of 42 shots Thursday in Game 1 of the Sharks' series with St. Louis and got a double-overtime goal from Martin Havlat to win it.

Impact:
Niemi's certainly had big playoff runs before, and he appears to be geared up for one, but he and the Sharks will have a tough task outdueling the Blues' two amazing goalies. They got the better of Jaroslav Halak, but Brian Elliott, who could be back for the next game, has been unbeatable much of the year.

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