Other NHL teams have until Monday to claim Evander Kane from San Jose SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 28: San Jose Sharks' Evander Kane (9). For the first time in as long as anyone can remember, the San Jose Sharks are in danger of not making the postseason. With nine games to go, they currently. There isn't a hotter team in the NHL right now than the San Jose Sharks and they don't sound like they're done winning, either.
San jose sharks playoffs -
Avs-Wild tied
Jonathan Quick made 36 saves for Los Angeles, which chased Sharks goalie Antti Niemi on Gaborik's beautiful goal early in the third period.
James Sheppard, Matt Nieto and Joe Pavelski scored for the Sharks, who couldn't finish off the second playoff sweep in franchise history.
The Kings were outscored 13-5 in the first two games at the Shark Tank before losing Game 3 in overtime, but the back-to-back Western Conference finalists finally produced a strong two-way performance when they faced an early playoff exit.
PHOTOS: Must-see playoff images
After three scoreless games, Brown had a key early assist and an empty-net goal for Los Angeles, which got points from 12 players in Game 4 after just 10 Kings scored in the first three games combined.
Williams got his first two goals of the postseason after dropping off the Kings' top line, matching his two-goal second period last year during Game 7 of Los Angeles' second-round victory over the Sharks.
Gaborik has three goals in his first four playoff games with the Kings, who are getting what they sought when they acquired the Slovak star from Columbus last month.
The Kings won another high-intensity edition of the rivals' third postseason series in four years. The final minute was marred by more goonery and shenanigans, including a wild fight between San Jose's Brent Burns and Los Angeles' Robyn Regehr after the final buzzer.
Los Angeles shuffled its top line for Game 4, putting Gaborik and Brown, who hadn't scored in the series, alongside center Anze Kopitar. The changes paid off just 4:08 in when Brown pushed the puck down the wing and flung it in front for Gaborik.
San Jose evened it with 7.3 seconds left in the period, finishing a dominant offensive shift with Sheppard's first goal in 21 career playoff games on a rebound in front.
Williams put the Kings back ahead on a power-play goal aided by Mike Richards, with both veteran forwards scoring their first points of the series. The Sharks pulled even again on Nieto's chip shot off defenseman Alec Martinez's shoulder.
Instead of deflating, the Kings kept pushing. After Williams reclaimed the lead by tucking in a long rebound off the end boards, Toffoli swept home a loose puck that deflected off Andrew Desjardins' glove in the final minute of the period, sending Los Angeles into the third with a standing ovation.
Alex Stalock made several big saves in his NHL playoff debut after relieving Niemi.
Williams thought he had completed a hat trick with 8:50 to play, but his goal was waved off due to a cross-checking penalty on Jarret Stoll in front of the Sharks' net an instant earlier. Pavelski scored on a rebound moments later during the power play.
SAN JOSE, Calif. >> San Jose general manager Doug Wilson said his team might need to take a step backward after last year’s historic playoff collapse if the Sharks wanted to eventually reach their goal of a Stanley Cup championship.
That step was bigger than even Wilson anticipated and has left the Sharks out of the playoffs for the first time since the 2002-03 season.
San Jose was officially eliminated from playoff contention Monday night and will be playing out the string in the final two games for the first time in more than a decade.
“We’ve been through a lot together and it hasn’t been a lot of fun the past few months,” coach Todd McLellan said Tuesday. “Let’s make sure we’re still playing for each other and we’re still playing hard.”
The Sharks play in Edmonton on Thursday and then finish the season in Los Angeles on Saturday when they could have a chance to knock the Kings out of the playoffs to provide perhaps a slight bright spot to a disappointing season.
After that, the team will face an uncertain future with the status of McLellan, Wilson and many players possibly in doubt.
“I don’t want to talk about anything until we’re done,” McLellan said when asked about his future.
The problems for the Sharks this season started in the aftermath of last year’s playoff loss to Los Angeles when San Jose became the fourth NHL team to lose a best-of-seven series after winning the first three games.
Wilson talked problems with leadership and culture and Joe Thornton was ultimately stripped of his captaincy in a move that smoldered all season. Thornton bristled in the preseason at Wilson’s suggestion that the Sharks were a “tomorrow” team and then lashed out at Wilson late in the season in a public feud, telling his GM to “keep his mouth shut” and “stop lying.”
“We had a good team,” McLellan said. “We didn’t succeed in the playoffs. We failed, we had a collapse, call it whatever you want. We should be better than we were this year.”
But instead of bolstering a roster that finished with 111 points last season and took the eventual Stanley Cup champions to the brink, the Sharks dealt away defensemen Dan Boyle and Brad Stuart. The biggest addition they made was fourth-line enforcer John Scott.
While players like Chris Tierney and Melker Karlsson took advantage of opportunities they were given as the team tried to get younger, that was not enough to lift the team back to the playoffs.
“As hockey players, you want to give yourself an opportunity to play for the Stanley Cup. We’re not going to have that chance this year,” center Logan Couture said. “Especially with the way last year ended, it’s very, very disappointing.”
With power forward Brent Burns moving back to defense to replace the void left by Boyle’s departure, San Jose was predictably done in by a lack of scoring depth up front. Despite three players with at least 60 points and five with 50 or more, the Sharks rank 14th in scoring.
The Sharks struggled defensively, allowing their most goals per game since the 2005-06 season. San Jose allowed opponents to score on 29.1 percent of power-play chances the past 29 games.
With those kinds of problems and a grueling schedule that included 16 of the first 21 games and 10 of the final 13 on the road, the Sharks were never able to find a groove.
The problems were especially stark at home, where San Jose had traditionally been one of the NHL’s toughest teams.
The Sharks lost 22 home games this season, their most since the 1996-97 season.
“We take so much pride in winning at home here and having such great fans,” forward Tommy Wingels said. “When you play like we did at home this year, first and foremost it’s tough to look at yourself in the mirror as individuals and as a team.”
Stanley Cup playoffs 2014: Kings avoid elimination, beat Sharks in Game 4
LOS ANGELES — Justin Williams and Marian Gaborik scored two goals apiece, and the Los Angeles Kings emphatically avoided first-round playoff elimination with a 6-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks in Game 4 on Thursday night.
Captain Dustin Brown had a goal and an assist, and Tyler Toffoli scored on his 22nd birthday during a three-goal second period as the Kings dodged a series sweep with a one-sided win that could plant a seed of doubt in their dominant California rivals' minds.
Game 5 is Saturday in San Jose.
MORE: Bruins lead 3-1
SAN JOSE, Calif. >> San Jose general manager Doug Wilson said his team might need to take a step backward after last year’s historic playoff collapse if the Sharks wanted to eventually reach their goal of a Stanley Cup championship.
That step was bigger than even Wilson anticipated and has left the Sharks out of the playoffs for the first time since the 2002-03 season.
San Jose was officially eliminated from playoff contention Monday night and will be playing out the string in the final two games for the first time in more than a decade.
“We’ve been through a lot together and it hasn’t been a lot of fun the past few months,” coach Todd McLellan said Tuesday. “Let’s make sure we’re still playing for does closing bank account hurt credit other and we’re still playing hard.”
The Sharks play in Edmonton on Thursday and then finish the season in Los Angeles on Saturday when they could have a chance to knock the Kings out of the playoffs to provide perhaps a slight bright spot to a disappointing season.
After that, the team will face an uncertain future with the status of McLellan, Wilson and many players possibly in doubt.
“I don’t want to talk about anything until we’re done,” McLellan said when asked about his future.
The problems for the Sharks this season started in the aftermath of last year’s playoff loss to Los Angeles when San Jose became the fourth NHL team to lose a best-of-seven series after winning the first three games.
Wilson talked problems with leadership and culture and Joe Thornton was ultimately stripped of his captaincy in a move that smoldered all season. Thornton bristled in the preseason at Wilson’s suggestion that the Sharks were a “tomorrow” team and then lashed out at Wilson late in the season in a public feud, telling his GM to “keep his mouth shut” and “stop lying.”
“We had a good team,” McLellan said. “We didn’t succeed in the playoffs. We failed, we had a collapse, call it whatever you want. We should be better than we were this year.”
But instead of bolstering a roster that finished with 111 points last season and took the eventual Stanley Cup champions to the brink, the Sharks dealt away defensemen Dan Boyle and Brad Stuart. The biggest addition they made was fourth-line enforcer John Scott.
While players like Chris Tierney and Melker Karlsson took advantage of opportunities they were given as the team tried to get younger, that was not enough to lift the team back to the playoffs.
“As hockey players, you want to give yourself an opportunity to play for the Stanley Cup. We’re not going to have that chance this year,” center Logan Couture said. “Especially with the way last year ended, it’s very, very disappointing.”
With power forward Brent Burns moving back to defense to replace the void left by Boyle’s departure, San Jose was predictably done in by a lack of scoring depth up front. Despite three players with at least 60 points and five with 50 or more, the Sharks rank 14th in scoring.
The Sharks struggled defensively, allowing their most goals per game since the 2005-06 season. San Jose allowed opponents to score on 29.1 percent of power-play chances the past 29 games.
With those kinds of problems and a grueling schedule that included 16 of the first 21 games and 10 of the final 13 on the road, the Sharks were never able to find a groove.
The problems were especially stark at home, where San Jose had traditionally been one of the NHL’s toughest teams.
The Sharks lost 22 home games this season, their most since the 1996-97 season.
“We take so much pride in winning at home here and having such great fans,” forward Tommy Wingels said. “When you play like we did at home this year, first and foremost it’s tough to look at yourself in the mirror as individuals and as a team.”
Stanley Cup playoffs 2014: Kings avoid elimination, beat Sharks in Game 4
LOS ANGELES — Justin Williams and Marian Gaborik scored two goals apiece, and the Los Angeles Kings emphatically avoided first-round playoff elimination with a 6-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks in Game 4 on Thursday night.
Captain Dustin Brown had a goal and an assist, and Tyler Toffoli scored on his 22nd birthday during a three-goal second period as the Kings dodged a series sweep with a one-sided win that could plant a seed of doubt in their dominant California rivals' minds.
Game 5 is Saturday in San Jose.
MORE: Bruins lead 3-1
Tavares, Nylander lead Maple Leafs past Sharks 4-1
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — John Tavares and William Nylander each had a goal and assist and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the San Jose Sharks 4-1 on Friday night.
Auston Matthews and Wayne Simmonds added goals, and backup goalie Joseph Woll stopped 34 shots as Toronto won for the eighth time in nine games. The Maple Leafs are 11-2 in November and have outscored their past three opponents 13-3. Toronto moved into a tie with Florida for first place in the Atlantic Division.
“I think we want to stay even-keeled but at the same time we’re enjoying each other right now,” Simmonds said. “We’re doing a good job of focusing in on our games and taking it one game at a time, one period at a time. But we are having a good time.”
The Sharks got a first-period goal from Nick Bonino, but their defense couldn’t hold up against constant pressure from the Leafs. James Reimer (13 saves on 17 shots), who has provided a spark in the net recently for San Jose, was pulled in the second period in favor of Adin Hill (16 saves).
The Sharks were slowed by sloppy puck handling much of the game.
“Turnovers all over the ice, and that’s when we get ourselves into trouble. We turn the puck over way too www bank of america com checks online Sharks center Logan Couture said. “We said going into tonight we want to play our style, not theirs. And their style is feeding off transitions and turnovers. We fed into their style and recipe for a 4-1 loss.”
Toronto jumped ahead just 31 seconds into the game.
Tavares alertly let a pass from Morgan Rielly slip past him, and it landed on the stick of Nylander, who beat Reimer for a 1-0 Toronto lead.
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Bonino tied it 4:44 into the first with his second goal in as many games for San Jose. But the Maple Leafs answered just 32 seconds later as Simmonds deflected David Kampf’s shot past Reimer for a 2-1 lead.
Matthews scored on a deflection of Timothy Liljegren’s shot in the second period, increasing Toronto’s lead. Tavares added his 10th goal of the season on a power play shortly after.
“When you’re having success and results and we’re doing good things, we talk about having an extremely high standard and pushing that level,” Tavares said. “That’s really what we want to be about.”
KASE SCRATCHED
Toronto right wing Ondrej Kase was scratched Friday after a heavy workload in Wednesday’s win over the Los Angeles Kings. The six-year veteran, who played in just three games last season because of injuries, has five goals and three assists in 21 games this season.
FLASHY MOVES
Sharks forward Alexander Barabanov, traded from Toronto to San Jose in April, nearly scored a highlight-reel goal against his former team. Racing down the right side into Toronto’s zone, Barabanov guided the puck behind his back and through his legs to shake Simmonds, who was defending. Barabanov couldn’t complete the goal, appearing to lose control as he approached Woll at the net.
“I don’t play defense,” said Simmonds, a right wing. “He made a great move on me, but I’m not a defenseman.”
VLASIC’S MILESTONE
San Jose defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic played in his 1,100th NHL game. He is five games away from passing Joe Thornton for second place on the Sharks’ all-time list of games played.
UP NEXT
Maple Leafs: Travel to Anaheim on Sunday to complete a four-game trip.
Sharks: Play at Chicago on Sunday to begin a five-game trip.
___
More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
NHL team interested in Evander Kane trade after COVID suspension is up
There is credible chatter reaching Slap Shots that an Eastern Conference team has shown considerable interest in dealing for Evander Kane, the Sharks winger who on Nov. 30 is due to come off his 21-game suspension for violating NHL/NHLPA COVID-19 protocols, and no, it’s not the Rangers.
Kane, who has faced myriad personal issues throughout his career, was suspended for “an established violation of, and lack of compliance with, the NHL/NHLPA COVID-19 protocol” after being investigated by the league for falsifying his vaccination status. That is not some benign error or oversight. Kane’s current vaccination status is unknown. Of course, Kane apologized for his “mistake.”
The 30-year-old Kane, whose contract, at a $7 million average annual value, runs through 2024-25, led the Sharks with both 22 goals and 49 points last season while alienating multiple teammates. That has been standard operating procedure throughout his career for the winger. He is enmeshed in a poisonous relationship with his estranged wife, Anna Kane, who in September accused him of sexual assault and domestic violence. Both how to cancel your amazon prime account have been granted domestic violence restraining orders against one another.
The Sharks are believed willing to pick up half of the cap hit and money on the contract in order to move the winger, who would, from a talent standpoint, fit into just about any team’s top six. But good luck to the guys in his new room.
And good luck on a PR basis to the club that might take the risk and acquire him. Who wouldn’t want to buy their kids the authentic jersey of a guy who was inauthentic about his vaccination status?
Forget about an outbreak over here, what happens if multiple NHL players test positive for COVID-19 at the Beijing Games and are forced to quarantine both in China and then upon their return to North America while the NHL season resumes?
But is this really the year for it?
Cammi Granato, Hockey Hall of Fame player, equal-rights and union activist, and scout for the Kraken, was last week named to the 18-person Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee, and it strikes me that she is compiling one of the great hockey careers and résumés of all time.
So Alex Ovechkin, up to 18 goals in 21 games following Friday’s hat trick and at 748 overall and counting — tick, tick, tick on Wayne Gretzky’s 894 — is kind of the real eighth wonder of the world, isn’t he?
From Page Six: Which retired player, honored by his former team in a pregame ceremony, angrily accosted a member of the club’s upper management because a friend of his had been a healthy scratch for the match and was thus unavailable to pose with him in uniform during the pregame festivities?
You think the idea of putting a TV reporter between the benches was a recent revolutionary development?
Well, in Game 4 of the 1974 semifinals when a drive by the Rangers’ Dale Rolfe struck Barry Ashbee in the right eye and thus ended the Philadelphia defenseman’s career, TV reporter Brian McFarlane not only went onto the ice (!) while Ashbee was being attended to and put on a stretcher, he actually got a comment from lineman Matt Pavelich about what had happened.
Imagine the league allowing that now.
And, thanks again, YouTube, I didn’t realize until last week, when I caught the Islanders’ clinching Game 5 of the 1980 quarterfinals against Boston, that Mike Bossy had used his left hand while going through the handshake line after missing the first three games of that series and the final two of the preliminary round against Los Angeles with what I will go out on a limb and say was a right-hand injury.
No wonder No. 22 could only score nine goals in 14 games after rejoining the lineup.
Let’s check into the wild and wacky remnants of the fondly remembered Canadian division.
Surely not wishing ill will on anyone during the holiday season, but Elias Pettersson is without a five-on-five goal through the first 21 games of the season, the Canucks have six victories, are in 28th place overall and both general manager Jim Benning and head coach Travis Green still have their jobs?
You’re a better person than I if you can figure out just what the Canadiens are doing riding it out with lame-duck general manager Marc Bergevin in place.
The Habs, who through no fault of their own have played without Carey Price and Shea Weber for the duration and through much fault of their own are 30th overall, at 5-15-2, heading into Saturday, and the man without a contract beyond this season has the responsibility to look after the future?
Pretty bush-league look Wednesday night in New Jersey when the Devils’ match against Minnesota was delayed for about a half-hour because the Wild’s bus got caught in a massive Thanksgiving Eve traffic jam because of an accident at the Holland Tunnel while trying to make it from Manhattan to Newark.
Apparently the Wild management did not realize that there are actual hotels and everything in New Jersey, even though their GM, Billy Guerin, spent many a night confined to a hotel room in Teaneck during the playoffs through his five-plus years as a Devil. Or maybe he blocked that out of his mind.
That Henrik Lundqvist guy, he has sure disappeared since retiring, hasn’t he?
Finally, don’t look now, but what in the world are Bill Mikkelson and Neil Nicholson doing lining up as a defense pair for the Islanders?
Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–3 (Blues) Lost in Conference Semifinals, 1–4 (Stars)
2000–01
2000–01
Western
Pacific
2nd
82
40
27
12
3
95
217
192
6
2
4
11
16
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2–4 (Blues)
2001–02
2001–02
Western
Pacific
1st
82
44
27
8
3
99
248
199
12
7
5
34
32
Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–1 (Coyotes) Lost in Conference Semifinals, 3–4 (Avalanche)
2002–03
2002–03
Western
Pacific
5th
82
28
37
9
8
73
214
239
—
—
—
—
—
Did not qualify
2003–04
2003–04
Western
Pacific
1st
82
43
21
12
6
104
219
183
17
10
7
38
32
Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–1 (Blues) Won in Conference Semifinals, 4–2 (Avalanche) Lost in Conference Finals, 2–4 (Flames)
2004–05
2004–05
Season cancelled due to 2004–05 NHL lockout
2005–06
2005–06
Western
Pacific
2nd
82
44
27
—
11
99
265
235
11
6
5
29
29
Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–1 (Predators) Lost in Conference Semifinals, 2–4 (Oilers)
2006–07
2006–07
Western
Pacific
2nd
82
51
26
—
5
107
256
197
11
6
5
25
27
Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–1 (Predators) Lost in Conference Semifinals, 2–4 (Red Wings)
2007–08
2007–08
Western
Pacific
1st
82
49
23
—
10
108
216
187
13
6
7
30
32
Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–3 (Flames) Lost in Conference Semifinals, 2–4 (Stars)
2008–09
2008–09
Western
Pacific
1st
82
53
18
—
11
117
251
199
6
2
4
10
18
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2–4 (Ducks)
2009–10
2009–10
Western
Pacific
1st
82
51
20
—
11
113
264
215
15
8
7
41
41
Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–2 (Avalanche) Won in Conference Semifinals, 4–1 (Red Wings) Lost in Conference Finals, 0–4 (Blackhawks)
2010–11
2010–11
Western
Pacific
1st
82
48
25
—
9
105
248
213
18
9
9
51
58
Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–2 (Kings) Won in Conference Semifinals, 4–3 (Red Wings) Lost in Conference Finals, 1–4 (Canucks)
2011–12
2011–12
Western
Pacific
2nd
82
43
29
—
10
96
228
210
5
1
4
8
14
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 1–4 (Blues)
2012–133
2012–13
Western
Pacific
3rd
48
25
16
—
7
57
124
116
11
7
4
25
22
Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–0 (Canucks) Lost in Conference Semifinals, 3–4 (Kings)
2013–14
2013–14
Western
Pacific
2nd
82
51
22
—
9
111
249
200
7
3
4
22
26
Lost in First Round, 3–4 (Kings)
2014–15
2014–15
Western
Pacific
5th
82
40
33
—
9
89
228
232
—
—
—
—
—
Did not qualify
2015–16
2015–16
Western
Pacific
3rd
82
46
30
—
6
98
241
210
24
14
10
75
56
Won in San jose sharks playoffs Round, 4–1 (Kings) Won in Second Round, 4–3 (Predators) Won in Conference Finals, 4–2 (Blues) Lost in Stanley Cup Finals, 2–4 (Penguins)
2016–17
2016–17
Western
Pacific
3rd
82
46
29
—
7
99
221
201
6
2
4
14
12
Lost in First Round, 2–4 (Oilers)
2017–18
2017–18
Western
Pacific
3rd
82
45
27
—
10
100
252
229
10
6
4
30
26
Won in First Round, 4–0 (Ducks) Lost in Second Round, 2–4 (Golden Knights)
2018–19
2018–19
Western
Pacific
2nd
82
46
27
—
9
101
289
261
20
10
10
58
66
Won in First Round, 4–3 (Golden Knights) Won in Second Round, 4–3 (Avalanche) Lost in Conference Finals, 2–4 (Blues)
@WeMakeScholars also ma'am , it asks for income or assets proof . Can we include the asset that we are not going to give in the bank or we should include only the one we will pledging