Game Day Report: Avalanche @ Sharks
By Ryan Bayer
January 26, 2013; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks center Logan Couture (39) and Colorado Avalanche center John MItchell (7) in a face off in the third period at HP Pavilion. San Jose won 4-0. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton.
Today the San Jose Sharks finally return home from their road trip from hell. While they were away from HP Pavilion, the Sharks posted a 1-4-1 record and have lost 9 of their last 10 games. San Jose welcomes into town for the second time this season the Colorado Avalanche. The last time these two clubs last faced one another was back on January 26th in which the San Jose blanked the Avs to a 4-0 shutout. In that contest, Matt Irwin tallied his first ever NHL career goal. It was also a special night for another Sharks player as goaltender Thomas Griess recorded his first ever shutout in the National Hockey League. Patrick Marleau struck twice and Joe Thornton added a goal of his own. As for the Avs, they had to make a goaltending switch when Semyon Varlamov allowed 4 goals on 26 shots he faced. To replace Varlamov, Avalanche Head Coach Joe Socco inserted NHL veteran net minder Jean-Sebastien Giguere who turned away all 17 shots in his relief efforts.
San Jose has won 1 game in the span of ten games with a 1-6-3 record. In that span, their last win was against the St. Louis Blues that featured a final score of 2-1. Joe Thornton and Tim Kennedy were San Jose’s goal scorers. Kennedy’s goal turned out to be the game winner. In addition, the Sharks broke their seven loosing skid by defeating the Blues. However, their win was short lived as they are back on another loosing skid with back to back losses. They were defeated by Chicago for the third time this season and fell to the Dallas Stars on the final game of their six game road trip.
Colorado in their last ten games they have posted a 4-4-2 record. They have had some struggles of their own having just two wins in their last five games. On Sunday the Avs were ousted by the Anaheim Ducks in overtime by the score of 4-3.
Tale of The Tape Report:
Sharks
Goals per game: 2.29 (24th)
Goals-against per game: 2.18 (5th)
Power play: 17.6 percent (15th)
Penalty kill: 85.7 percent (5th)
Avalanche
Goals per game: 2.41 (22nd)
Goals-against per game: 3.00 (21st)
Power play: 14.6 percent (26th)
Penalty kill: 76.7 percent (25th)
Jan 29, 2013; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks center Patrick Marleau (12) before the drop of the puck against the Anaheim Ducks during the third period at HP Pavilion. The San Jose Sharks defeated the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 in a shootout. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Who’s Hot: PA Parenteau has four points in the past four games and is Colorado’s leading goal-scorer this season with eight tallies. Patrick Marleau boasts a team-best 12 goals so far this season and has three points in his last three games.
Injury Report: Erik Johnson (head) and Ryan Wilson (leg) remain out indefinitely for Colorado. For San Jose, defenseman Brent Burns is day-to-day.
***Who’s Hot/Injury Report courtesy of the San Jose Sharks.***
Official Link: http://sharks.nhl.com/club/preview.htm?id=2012020283&navid=DL|SJS|home
Suspension Front:
The San Jose Sharks will be without the services of veteran forward Ryane Clowe who suspended by the league for coming off of the bench and started an altercation with Chicago Blackhawks Andrew Shaw. He was given a two game suspension by Brandon Shanahan. The league did count the Dallas game as Clowe’s first and serve his final game suspension tonight. He will back in action again on Thursday as the Sharks face off against the Detroit Red Wings for the first time this season.
San Jose Sharks defenseman #52 Matt Irwin. Mandatory Credit: San Jose Sharks media department.
Recall Front:
Due to the injury situation with Brent Burns, the San Jose Sharks and Doug Wilson made an announcement today that they have recalled defenseman Matt Irwin to the show. Matt Irwin has played in nine games with the Sharks this season. In those nine games, Irwin has put up two points (1 goal, 1 assist).
The six-foot-two, 210-pound native of Victoria, British Columbia was signed by San Jose as a free agent on March 23, 2010.
Tonight’s contest has a 7:30p PST puck drop and can be seen on CSNCA HD and can be heard on 98.5/102.1 KFOX.
LET’S GO SHARKS!!!!!!!!
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