Heatley For Havlat As Sharks And Wild Deal Again

((HT: CSNBayArea))

When San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson found an opening to trade post-season-offensively-challenged forward Dany Heatley, Wilson found a dance partner in an old flame- Minnesota Wild GM Chuck Fletcher- the guy whom he just had enough fun with in his Burns-for-Setoguchi deal.

So, now Wilson gets speed in exchange for a confusing amount of talent and head-scratching ineffectiveness...

“Marty is a player that we have had an interest in for a long time,” Wilson said via press release. “He can play either wing and brings creativity and breakaway speed to our group of top-six forwards. We are excited about the versatility he adds to our lineup.”

This comes two years after Heatley demanded a trade out of Ottawa, and before that, the chance for Heatley to start anew leaving Atlanta after all the Dan Snyder ghosts chased him

Here's, what turned out to be, Heatley's exit-exit interview at the end of the season...

Canucks to play for Cup after 2-OT win...

We were watching this last night, but fell asleep before it ended, unfortunately because it sounds like it was pretty darn exciting.

The Vancouver Canucks used a lucky break to tie the game with :14 seconds left in the game and then won it on Kevin Bieska's rebound shot with just under 10-minutes left in the 2nd overtime period.

The win sent the Canucks to the Stanley Cup Finals for only the 3rd time in their existence.

There were lots of heroes. Roberto Luongo made 54 saves and kept his team close. Forward Ryan Kesler tying the game after getting hurt and skating off the ice midway through the second period. And Bieska, who seemed to always be in the middle of things for Vancouver, found himself at the right place at the right time Tuesday night.

Vancouver will await the winner of the Boston/Tampa Bay series and it now confirms that we'll be getting a cross-continent Stanley Cup Finals series, no matter who else is in it.

Your highlights from NHL.com:

Too Many Power Play Goals For Sharks To Comeback

((HT: NHL on NBC/nhl.com))

Usually, when you score three goals in a little less than two minutes, odds are you've got the game locked up...

Game 4 was locked up by Vancouver- especially when Sami Salo scored two goals within 16 seconds of each other. The Sedins had 7 assists between them...

Before today, Salo had only scored once in the playoffs. But the defenseman had the hot hand, and he was fed...

Really... who had Salo in the pool...???

Here's Strades, Panger, and Engie...


Here's Sharks head coach Todd McLellan's post game presser. (Thanks CSN California)



The Canucks can wrap this one up on home ice Tuesday night...
And don't think the arena will be rocking...

Sharks jump Canucks, hold on for win and the Orange Men invade

We guess you can say "They did what they had to do". The San Jose Sharks jumped out to an early 3-0 lead at home versus the Vancouver Canucks.

Two early goals by Patrick Marleau set the tone for San Jose who played a much more aggressive and consistent game in front of the hometown crowd.

Joe Thornton tallied 3 assists and Anti Niemi had 27 saves as the Sharks made a series of it. Vancouver won the first two games at home, the series now sits at 2-1.

Game 4 is Sunday afternoon in San Jose.

Your highlights from SI.com:



Sharks fans also answered Vancouver with their own "Men", the "Orange Men" to be exact. Take a look as the taunt Maxim LaPierre in the penalty box from NHL.com. (This seems somewhat like a Monty Python skit...doesn't it):

Canucks Fan Eager For A Visual

Ben Eager had a busy night...

20 minutes in penalties, a cheap shot on a Sedin, scoring a goal down 7-2 where he ran his mouth on Roberto Luongo, and victim of a flashing...

Our friends at The Score TV network have the short version...
Which is, of course, NSFW... that's how they roll...


Eager is one of those guys who can be a plus on your team in the right situation, and a minus at the absolute worst time...

Like last night...
He's probably a healthy scratch the rest of the way...

Vancouver drops a 7 spot on San Jose

And it wasn't that close. Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, in the chase for Lord Stanley's Cup, was decidedly one-sided.

The Vancouver Canucks took the lead in the 2nd period, and kept on firing at the San Jose Sharks, winning 7-3 and taking a 2-1 lead in their best of 7 series.

Canuck defenseman Kevin Bieska pounded on Sharks forward Patrick Marleau, scored a goal, had an assist or as it was called, the Enforcer hat trick, helping lead the Canucks to the win. Both teams credit Bieska with rattling the Sharks.

Game 3 moves to San Jose on Friday, where the Sharks need to quickly regain their bite or risk being swept out to sea.

Your highlights, from NHL.com:

Vancouver drowns the Sharks take 1-0 lead

The only real question in this series is who is going to choke the worst in this series. The NHL Western Conference Finals is featuring two teams known more for blowing opportunities than success in recent years.

The Vancouver Canucks got off to the good start, coming from behind and beating the San Jose Sharks 3-2 Sunday night.

Both teams barely made it to this series with the Sharks floundering a 3-0 lead before winning game 7 the other night against Detroit and Vancouver letting a far inferior Nashville team stretch them to 6 games.

The game belonged to Henrik Sedin who assisted on the game tying goal early in the 3rd period and scored the game winner with a little over 11:30 left in the game.

Game 2 is Wednesday night in Vancouver.

Your game highlights from NHL.com:

Friday NHL Recap: Sharks Avoid Collapse, Hold Off Wings

((HT: NHL/Versus))

Patrick Marleau kinda answered his critics with a goal- even if the effort was all Dan Boyle and Devin Setoguchi, and the San Jose Sharks avoided a Game 7 collapse beating Detroit 3-2 in the last Western Conference Semi-Final game.

San Jose now gets top seed Vancouver in the WCF that starts this weekend.

Here's your highlights- unless, of course, you're a Red Wings fan...

JR Calls Marleau Effort "Gutless" On National TV

((HT: Versus/NHL/youtube))

Just when you thought the titanium jaw would hold back, Jeremy Roenick let the San Jose Sharks' Patrick Marleau have it with both barrels...

Here's the best parts...


Nothing like calling out a former teammate...

Others weren't so kind in responding to Roenick...

"Jeremy Roenick is interested only in furthering his broadcast career," said Sharks TV announcer Randy Hahn on Twitter. "His take on Marleau was WAY over the line. Many bridges were burned."

Red Wings comeback takes teeth out of Sharks

Wings vs. Sharks/Courtesy: zimbio.com

Three goals in 10 minutes will do that.

Down 3-1 early in the 3rd and final period, the Detroit Red Wings proceeded to score three straight 3rd period goals to come back and beat the San Jose Sharks 4-3. The game winner coming from Pavel Datsyuk. This despite being outshot 42-22 in the game.

Detroit was already down 3-0 in their best of 7 series to the Sharks, they won the previous game before this. Combine that with Sunday nights antics, and you've now got a 3-2 series and life for Detroit.

Your game story from Freep.com RIGHT HERE

San Jose is a team noted for epic collapses. The locals don't seem to be incredibly concerned, so long as the Sharks can regain their bite in Detroit.

Your San Jose story from the Mercurynews.com RIGHT HERE

Either way, this has become almost as interesting as the Vancouver/Nashville series also in the Western Conference. In the east, Tampa Bay and Boston square off to see who will be the East's representative in this years battle for Lord Stanley's Cup.

Your highlights from NHL.com:

Sunday NHL Recap: Surprising 2-0 Leads...

((HT: NHL/Versus/NBC))

In the western conference, the Sharks got output from Ian White and Niclas Wallin- of all people- to get a 2-0 series lead with a 2-1 win...


But it was the big guns that gave Tampa their 2-0 series lead in a 3-2 overtime win over the Washington Capitals. Vinny Lecavalier scored twice, including the game-winner, and Martin St. Louis netted the other...

Miracle On Figueroa Street...

((HT: CSNCalifornia/NHL))

It has become apparent in the post-season that no lead is safe...

Not even a 4-0 lead in the San Jose-LA series...
Leads of 4-0 and 5-1 couldn't keep Devin Setoguchi and the Sharks from taking their second overtime win in the series- 6-5 at Staples...

Here's your highlights, there are a lot of them...

AHL Coach Hit By Puck, Stays In Game

((HT: PuckDaddy))

Worcester Sharks head coach Roy Sommer is a bad man...

Sommer took a deflected puck to the face in a game against the Manchester Monarchs. He would eventually leave his post, but would return with some cosmetic "adjustments" shall we say...

Here's the play and the aftermath...
((HT: Youtube/CharterTV3))


Sommer told the Worcester News-Telegram's Bill Ballou:

“Never saw it coming,” he said. “Even if I had, I’m not sure I could’ve gotten out of the way, not with the cat-like reflexes I’ve got.”

Like we said: Bad... Man...

Blackhawks Sweep Sharks For Stanley Cup Berth

Dustin Byfuglien's second game-winning goal in a row has the Chicago Blackhawks in their first Stanley Cup Final since 1992.

Byfuglien's power-play goal with 5:55 remaining capped a two-goal rally and gave the Blackhawks a 4-2 victory against the San Jose Sharks in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals on Sunday afternoon.

The victory capped a four-game sweep and gives Chicago a chance to play for its first championship since 1961.

Here's the Brent Seabrook goal that started the momentum swing for Chicago...
((HT: CBC/NHL/Fel0096))


And here's the Dustin Byfuglien goal that put Chicago ahead for good...
((HT: NBC/NHL))


The Blackhawks host the Eastern Conference champ, either Philly or Montreal, when their series concludes...

Hawks Take Commanding 3-0 Lead With OT Win

The Chicago Blackhawks are one win away from reaching the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since 1992...

Dustin Byfuglien scored his seventh goal of the playoffs 12:24 into OT beating the San Jose Sharks 3-2 to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

The Blackhawks can finish the sweep and make the finals with a victory Sunday at the United Center...

Here's the game-winner, thanks to our friends at TSN...
((HT: TSN/NHL/frankfungg))

Johan Franzen's Busy Night

Here's one way to get a win in a playoff series...

A natural hat trick... and briefly was credited with four goals in the first period as the Detroit Red Wings beat San Jose 7-1 to trial 3 games to one in their western conference semi-fional series...

Franzen did, eventually, score his fourth goal of the night on the power play in the third period. In all, he had six points -- a record for the Original Six franchise (Norm Ullman and Steve Yzerman each had five).

"You don't want to get swept, you want to show your home fans that you want to win this thing." Franzen said. "We wanted to have a good game for them. We won this one and now we've got to win the next one."

Here's the highlights...
((HT: NHL/TSN))


Chris Cuthbert was right: "Are you kidding...?"

Dan Boyle's Fail Gives Avs 2-1 Series Lead

Okay...

Your goalie stops 50 shots and your team has no offense against the top-seeded San Jose Sharks. The question is: How do you get the puck past Evgeny Nabokov...?

Let your defenseman do it 51 seconds into overtime...

Here's the highlights and the game winner on a weird night in Denver...
((HT: NHL/CSNBA))

Lapierre Gets Four For A "Gutless" Play...

Montreal Canadiens forward Maxim Lapierre has been suspended for four games for a late hit on San Jose forward Scott Nichol during Thursday night's Sharks win.

Early in the third, Lapierre knocked Nichol into the end boards with a late joke of a hit. Nichol laid on the ice for some time before getting up. He left the game favoring his shoulder and did not come back.

After the game, Sharks head coach Todd McLellan told the San Jose Mercury News he thought the hit was "a missed call and a real dangerous play."

"There was, as far as I'm concerned, a really dirty hit on our guy." said Sharks defenceman Dan Boyle. "Pushing a guy from behind into the boards, I have not seen the reply yet, but you can paralize a guy and there is no place for that in hockey."

It is still unknown how serious an injury Nichol suffered on the play.

Lapierre will be eligible to return March 13 against the Boston Bruins.

But the best part of this is below... Ray Ferraro is the color guy teamed with Chris Cuthbert... and Razor goes absolutely off...

Awesome television...
((HT: TSN/NHL))


The HQ agrees with Ferraro. Lapierre has been a disinterested player at times, dating back to his stint in Hamilton with the Bulldogs. The HQ just wishes Razor could have dealt Max some frontier justice on his own...

Heatley Finally Traded To San Jose

((HT: TSN))

Sources tell TSN that Dany Heatley ((pictured, thanks Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty)) has been traded to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Milan Michalek, Jonathan Cheechoo and a second round pick.

Trade discussions heated up on Friday and Saturday morning before a deal was finally agreed to. A deal that sends Heatley to the team he secretly wanted all along. A team he believed was an option when he refused to waive his no-move clause to accept a trade to the Edmonton Oilers.

Saturday's trade ends a saga that began with a verbal trade request in mid-May. A request, sources say, led to several discussions between Heatley, Senators coach Cory Clouston, Senators GM Bryan Murray, as well as Heatley's agents, JP Barry and Stacey McAlpine.

Ottawa responded to Heatley's trade demand by asking the request be put in writing.

Two days after the Senators received written confirmation from Heatley, the story broke publicly and the veteran forward quickly became a target for disdain in the nation's capital.

Heatley became unhappy with his role in Ottawa last season, especially after the Senators made a coaching change. He discussed his concerns about what he felt was the limiting of his ice time and his shift from the first power-play unit to the second unit with coach Clouston in the Senators' end-of-season meetings.

He also addressed the public ahead of the National Team Orientation Camp in late August.

"When I signed in Ottawa two years ago, I felt it was to be an integral part of the team," Heatley said. "Over the last two years and more recently over the past year, I feel my role was diminished. This past season, it diminished a lot more.

"This is a straight hockey decision. I have nothing against the fans of Ottawa, or the city of Ottawa. I would like the opportunity to go somewhere where I can play to the best of my capabilities and be the player that I can be."

Here was the initial fall-out when Heatley asked for the trade...
Thanks to our friends at TSN...

Next For JR: Dancing Without Skates...???

((HT: NBCBayArea))

San Jose Sharks forward Jeremy Roenick made it official Thursday, announcing his retirement as an NHL player after a career that spanned 20 seasons.

Roenick is one of the best American-born players in NHL history. However, his colorful career ended on a sour note last Spring when the top-seeded Sharks were eliminated in the first-round of the playoffs by the upstart Ducks.

He spent his final two seasons with the Sharks, but also was a star player for the Blackhawks, Flyers, Kings and Coyotes

What's next for Roenick? He told NBC Bay Area that 'Dancing with the Stars' has been in contact with him, as well as other TV opportunities.

Roenick is the third-leading American-born scorer in hockey history with 1,216 points.

Roenick choked up during his farewell news conference.

He leaves the game as one of four American who scored 500 or more goals. He scored 513 overall.

Roenick also had 703 assists in 1,363 regular-season games with the Chicago Blackhawks, Phoenix Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks.

Roenick scored 53 goals and 69 assists in 154 games with the Blackhawks, Coyotes, Flyers and Sharks in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He played with the 1991 Chicago team that captured the Presidents' Trophy and went to the Stanley Cup Final.

He contributed to the 2004 Philadelphia team that went to the Eastern Conference Final.

Here's JR with Michael Landsberg for their version of TSN's "Next Question" on "OTR"