The Blues have more regular-season wins in the last five seasons under Ken Hitchcock (224) than any other National Hockey League team.
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Wednesday night, Baker finally got his wish.
General manager Doug Wilson, who had been rancorously drilled for mangling the Joe Thornton captaincy issue and losing a coherent relationship with now ex-coach Todd McLellan, was retained to the dismay of a fair percentage of the customer base. Now that we’re here, again, this was a great step for us. And like that, Ward’s reputation as a big-time playoff performer was confirmed on the biggest night in the Sharks’ 25-year history.
The Blues’ postseason woes continue as the franchise still seeks its first Cup title and first trip to the final since 1970. After a tough, triple-overtime loss to the Preds in Game 4, the Sharks came back in Game 5 to blow out Nashville by a 5-1 score. After trading away Anti Niemi, the Sharks needed to find a legitimate starting goaltender just to be able to compete in the gauntlet that is the Pacific Division (Anaheim, LA, Vancouver, etc).
It seemed nearly a guarantee then, that the Sharks would be advancing against the eighth seed that had just barely managed to squeeze into the post season.
The coach that pushed this team just about as far as it could go, Ken Hitchcock, did so on a one-year deal.
“I’m not going to talk to them for a day or two”, said Hitchcock.
The rating eclipsed the former record of a 5.6 rating that was set May 16, 2010 when the Sharks played the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 1 of that year’s conference final. They haven’t made drastic changes or jumbled lines or deviated much from their plan.
San Jose had gone close to reaching the Stanley Cup finals in 2014, but let slip a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference final as they lost the final four games to the Los Angeles Kings. But his wait can’t compare to the ones that Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton have endured.
“I think what’s special about this group is it’s everybody”, Jones said. So, even though the Leafs’ odds at getting a star player aren’t really any better at 29 than they are at 30, it’s always preferable to have the 29th, if only for the purposes of trading up or down.
“Joel Ward’s second goal, the winning goal tonight”, Baker said as he snapped photos in one corner of the joyous home dressing room.
Thornton (who never did put on that tie) and Marleau both rolled their eyes when a reporter addressed a question to the “two veterans”.
“We had individuals that were struggling”, he said.
As this lost season drags on, and even the ice grows exhausted of the Edmonton Oilers skating on it, I’m noticing more goals against where the entire Oilers team just doesn’t look sharp. They are one of the NHL’s two best teams this season, and they have a real chance of becoming this year’s Cup champions.
“Everybody plays a big part”. The Leafs’ previous management regime often made mistakes with trades, signings, or draft picks, and so often we were told that “it hardly makes any difference!” It’s pretty impressive. I’m sure there’s people in the city of St. Louis that are as disappointed as they are right now. For me, that’s the biggest thing. I just think for whatever reason it hasn’t come together. “Obviously it’s our first time”. Each player once served as a Sharks captain - Marleau from 2004-09 and Thornton from 2010-14. And as everyone parted ways, Thornton took one last glance over his shoulder.
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Imagine you and three of your best defensive-minded teammates are on the ice to try and kill a penalty. Game1 will be on Monday night if the Lighting win San Jose will be at home, if Pittsburgh wins San Jose has to go across the country to play game 1 in Pittsburgh.
