Fear The Fin Dec 6, 2018
Hurricanes 1, Sharks 5: Jumbo's 3 helpers push Sharks past Canes
Quick stop at home pays off for Sharks. It was the second, and final installment of the Corsi Bowl and this time it was the San Jose Sharks coming out with a 5-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. The Sharks were playing with an extra jump in their game as the team looked to put the five-game road trip performance behind them. Early in the opening period, the Sharks went on the power play, and although they didn’t score, it set the offensive mentality that was to come. A few minutes later, Barclay Goodrow put the Sharks on the board. Fast forward to the ten-minute mark, and the Sharks...
Fear The Fin Dec 3, 2018
Winning Play: Karlsson, Goodrow’s desperation
“The Sharks are flying,” exclaimed San Jose Sharks play-by-play announcer Randy Hahn, during the first period of San Jose’s 3-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. How often have we heard that during the Sharks’ 0-3-1 road trip? Critically, San Jose wasn’t just flying offensively last night — they were literally flying defensively, too. Most importantly, every Shark — from top-pairing defenseman Erik Karlsson to fourth-liner Barclay Goodrow — flew. Let’s start with the superstar. Karlsson (65) expertly jumped the Jonathan Drouin (92) breakout. San Jose,...
Fear The Fin Nov 30, 2018
Off the Charts: Suomela is an ideal depth center
The numbers say: Suomela has more than adequately filled in for the dearly departed Chris Tierney. Though Antti Suomela led the Finish Liiga in scoring and helped his team control 5-on-5 shot share last season as a 23-year-old, there were always likely to be some growing pains as he transitioned to the North American ice surface. Recently, he has apparently struggled through that adjustment. Benched at various points in favor of a combination of Rourke Chartier, Barclay Goodrow and now Lukas Radil, Suomela has watched a handful of games from the rafters. Coach Pete DeBoer talked in early...
Fear The Fin Nov 29, 2018
Winning Play: How Toronto’s power play created seams
On their last shift, the San Jose Sharks penalty kill finally got it right. No, seriously. This minute, admittedly against the Toronto Maple Leafs’ second power play unit, featured all the hallmarks of a solid Sharks’ kill: Casual pressure up the ice, suffocating pressure in zone. In particular, Barclay Goodrow (23) and Melker Karlsson (68) hounded the puck relentlessly. This aggressive approach is designed to force mistakes. And San Jose’s penalty kill, up to giving up three power play goals in a 5-3 loss to Toronto, was the league’s best. But NHL-best or not, the fact of the...
