Top Five Games For San Jose Sharks During 2014-15
Dec 31, 2014; Anaheim, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks goalie Antti Niemi (31) and center Joe Pavelski (8) celebrate at the end of the game against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center.The Sharks defeated the Ducks 3-0. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
While the San Jose Sharks were a disappointment throughout the 2014-15 season, there were still some great moments and games. Here is a recap of some of the bright spots for San Jose throughout the past season.
Los Angeles Kings (Oct. 8)
The NHL had stacked everything against the Sharks by having them open the NHL season by visiting the Kings, who had come back from a 3-0 deficit against San Jose in the first round of last season’s playoffs. The Sharks had to sit and wait as the Kings raised their second Stanley Cup banner in three years.
After all the pregame festivities, San Jose took it to Los Angeles. The Sharks got a first period goal from Tommy Wingels, before exploding for three goals in the second period. Patrick Marleau, Wingels and Matt Nieto would all score as the Sharks silenced the Staples Center crowd and chased Jonathan Quick in taking the opener 4-0.
Antti Niemi made 34 saves for the shutout and the victory gave Sharks fans a slight reprieve after the collapse the previous spring. Unfortunately for San Jose fans, this might’ve been the Sharks’ best game all season.
Anaheim Ducks (Oct. 26)
The Sharks limped into their first matchup with the Ducks after losing four-straight games. However, San Jose would begin their dominance over Anaheim during the regular season by winning a hotly contested affair.
San Jose got first period goals from Brent Burns and Joe Pavelski, while Marc-Edouard Vlasic added a second period goal to give the Sharks a 3-0 lead. The fireworks would really begin in the final frame as the hockey game turned into fight night on ice.
There were nine 10-minute misconducts in the third period and five total fights, and numerous other scrums, as the two teams combined for 163 penalty minutes. At the end of the day, the Sharks would leave Anaheim with a 4-1 victory.
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Boston Bruins (Dec. 4)
The Sharks hosted the Bruins in early December in what turned out to be a high-scoring affair. San Jose fell behind 2-0 after the first period, but responded back with a big second period.
Tyler Kennedy, Pavelski and Wingels (twice) all scored for San Jose in the second, while Boston received goals from Reilly Smith and Torey Krug to knot things up at four heading into the final period.
In the third, it was all Sharks as San Jose would get goals from Kennedy, Pavelski and Tomas Hertl as San Jose rolled to a 7-4 win, their third-straight at the time. It was an exciting game between two clubs that usually play entertaining contests and this one was no exception.
Anaheim Ducks (Jan. 29)
In the final meeting between these two rivals, the Sharks used a second period onslaught to cruise past the Ducks. After the two teams traded goals in the first, San Jose’s offensive attack kicked into high gear.
Barclay Goodrow kicked off the scoring, while Marleau, Matt Irwin, James Sheppard and Brenden Dillon all scored off Ilya Bryzgalov during the middle period as San Jose raced out to a 6-1 lead.
From there, the Sharks cruised to a 6-3 victory and took nine out of a possible 10 points from the Ducks (4-0-1) during their season series.
Chicago Blackhawks (Jan. 31)
Two nights later, San Jose played host to the Chicago Blackhawks as the Sharks looked for their third straight win against the Western Conference’s best teams.
San Jose received an early goal from Melker Karlsson and then it was the Niemi show. The former Blackhawks goaltender, who manned the nets for their Stanley Cup run in 2010, stoned his former team.
Niemi made 31 saves, while Joe Thornton added an empty-net goal to seal San Jose’s 2-0 victory. It would be Niemi’s fourth shutout of the season and the Sharks closed out January on a high note.
Unfortunately for the Sharks, it was all downhill from that point on as San Jose ultimately missed out on the playoffs.