http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/5480 Recent articles about Joe Thornton en-us Since my colleagues are unable to write to you this week, I decided to move up my installment of the Sharks Report Card. You can expect the last two to post over the first two weekends in June. In this installment of the team grades, I analyze the skaters with the most responsibility, centers. Just like in baseball, in hockey you need to be strong up the middle, and (on paper at least) the Sharks have depth at this position—two of these players spent most of the season on the wing, as noted parenthetically. Fri, 30 May 2008 11:14:02 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/272458 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/272458 Enjoy this weeks musings on all things related to the NHL [Runs 20min]. Topics include: * Is the Glow Puck is BAAACK? Clearly there are better ways to pimp the NHL, but is this, and focusing on Sidney Crosby all part of the problem and not the solution? * More vacancies than Detroit Motels: Who will be coaching your team next season? * The Tombstone Reads: Bye-Bye Philly and Dallas. Listen to why they will be golfing in a New York minute, and look forward to a final we've seen before (think NY Islanders dynasty beating the up-and-coming Edmonton Oilers in the 82-83 Final). Wed, 14 May 2008 15:48:39 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/266962 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/266962 First off, let me apologize for the lack of coverage that you've been given over the past week. We are still getting off the ground here at TCS. It hasn't been an easy week for the Sharks or their fans. Losing in quad overtime after thoroughly dominating the Stars in the extra time. So what now? It's time to move forward and start thinking of how the Sharks can win the Stanley Cup next season.There are a few things the Sharks should do and hopefully not do. Fri, 09 May 2008 01:46:31 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265094 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265094 On Sunday evening, the Sharks and the Stars will do battle in Dallas. One this is for certain, the Stars are in trouble! Some might find this statement a little strange concidering the Sharks are the team facing elimination, but that has been the reality for some time now. On the other hand, the Stars have been in the drivers seat all series, and for the first time on Sunday we will get to see how they play with a little pressure and the realization that a loss means their season could well be over. For certain, the Stars need to finish this series in Big D, cause going back to San Jose for game 7 is not a good idea. Sun, 04 May 2008 14:59:16 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/263340 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/263340 Dallas, do you like apples? The Sharks defeated the Stars 3-2 in OT to force game 6 back in Dallas, and in the process made a little history too! Sometimes you have this eerie feeling that something special is going to happen, and this was true on Friday night in the Shark Tank. Just 1:05 into the extra period Joe Pavelski refused to give up ......... keep reading at MVN. Sat, 03 May 2008 01:27:30 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/263028 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/263028 The Sharks were able to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Stars on Wednesday evening with a 2-1 victory in Dallas. The series now shifts back to San Jose for game 5, and the Sharks are still swimming uphill for the foreseeable future. The one comfort that Sharks fans can take from this game (and yesterday!) is that the Captain, Patrick Marleau is not about to just give in and go home. Nabokov has also played great in the crease, and with out these two players the Sharks are coming home losers. At least now the Sharks can take a little respect with them in the off-season. Thu, 01 May 2008 01:58:03 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/262038 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/262038 With three series in the bag, whats left for the interest of NHL fans? (Runs 20.5mins) Topics: * Why are the Wings and Pens are so dominant? * How the class nerd is a lot like Dallas -- identity=victory! * Is Price the issue in Montreal, or is Philly just a good team? Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:32:31 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/261808 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/261808 Just when you thought the Sharks were ready to blow away their competition, the Stars come into their house and outhustle, outhit them, and barely beat them in overtime. In game one, the Sharks got off to a good start by taking a 1-0 lead, but quickly let the lead slip away and eventually game one did also. Sun, 27 Apr 2008 18:31:27 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/260213 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/260213 I am going to make this short and sweet! Both hockey teams come into this series on a high note. The Sharks were able to stave off elimination and kill off their playoff demons against a physical and tenacious hockey team in the Calgary Flames. The Stars just eliminated the Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks. While I do give them credit and respect for that accomplishment, Anaheim is not the same team with the same drive and hunger as it was last season, and are a perfect example of why it is so hard to repeat a run to the cup in the NHL. Nevertheless, the are the Champs, so Dallas deserves credit. Fri, 25 Apr 2008 20:56:21 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/257830 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/257830 On Friday night in San Jose, the Sharks will face their biggest rivals when they take the ice against the Dallas Stars in the Shark Tank. There is no bigger rivalry in the Western Conference, and that fact is not in dispute. Anyone that does try to refute this claim, needs a little lesson in hockey history. Lets start from the beginning, shall we? Thu, 24 Apr 2008 21:53:08 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/256773 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/256773 What an amazing 1st Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs! Equally as entertaining is this weeks All NHL Podcast which breaks down into three segments: 1. Blame The Refs (Caps-Flyers Game 7) 2. Blame Keenan (Flames-Sharks) 3. Which trade deadline acquisition made the biggest impact in the 1st round? Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:21:55 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/255709 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/255709 San Jose defeated the Calgary Flames 5-3 in Game Seven at the Shark Tank on Tuesday evening, and in the process the Sharks sent their playoff demons packing. Jeremy Roenick scored four points to propel the Sharks past the Mike Keenan coached Flames, and San Jose finally played sixty minutes of grinding, attacking, Shark hockey. Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:53:25 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/254731 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/254731 On Tuesday night in the Shark Tank, it will happen. The great series out West that no one is talking about, will come to an end. For those of you that have been paying attention, you have had the pleasure of viewing a fine and glorious series, played by two teams all too familiar with one another. The match-ups have been great! Kipper vs. Nabby, Jumbo Joe Thornton vs. Iginla, Nolan vs. Marleau, Soupy vs. Phaneuf, Doug Wilson vs. Sutter, and Ron Wilson vs. Keenan! These are the match-ups that have made this series great. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:41:24 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/254259 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/254259 Outworked, out hustled, out hit, and simply outplayed. All these terms can be used to describe the play of the San Jose Sharks on Sunday evening in the Saddledome. The Calgary Flames shutout the Sharks to win Game Six, and force the first ever Game Seven in the Shark Tank on Tuesday. From the start, Calgary was the better team on the ice. They showed the heart and determination of a desperate team fighting for their playoff lives. The Sharks, not so much! The only thing that kept the Sharks from embarrassment in the 1st period and beyond was the stellar play of Evgeni Nabokov. Sun, 20 Apr 2008 22:55:42 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/250011 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/250011 The San Jose Sharks and the Calgary Flames will play Game 6 tonight in the Saddledome. The Sharks lead the series 3-2, and for Calgary the word of the day is 'elimination'. Yes folks, this is when the playoffs get fun. This is the time when hockey fans get to see the measure of their teams with their back is against the wall. There can be no doubt that the Calgary faithful will come out in full force in support of their Flames, and some of the most raucous fans in the league will fill the Sea of Red. Truly, the Flames fans will do their job, but will the Flames themselves do theirs? Sun, 20 Apr 2008 05:22:48 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/246447 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/246447