On The Fly, theScore's NHL roundtable series, continues. With the conference finals in full swing, we look at one key storyline from each of the four remaining teams.
How will Stamkos' health impact his summer?
Ben Whyte: Steven Stamkos' NHL future has been in question all season long as he approaches free agency, but as his team pushes on while he recovers from a blood clot, that future becomes even more uncertain.
The Lightning will likely do whatever they can to re-sign him, but general manager Steve Yzerman may be forced to weigh Stamkos' health against the team's cap situation with other young stars hitting free agency this summer (Nikita Kucherov, Alex Killorn) and next (Victor Hedman, Ben Bishop, Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat).
Teammate Andrei Vasilevskiy was able to return to action after a similar vascular surgery, but other NHLers - Tomas Vokoun and Pascal Dupuis - saw blood clots end their careers.
A return during the East final would certainly quell any hesitancy by the Lightning - and other suitors - toward a long-term deal, but the risk/reward of signing Stamkos is sure to be the biggest question of the offseason.
Haute Couture
Craig Hagerman: While Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns have been heralded for their incredible postseason contributions, the man atop the playoff scoring leaderboard deserves his due.
Logan Couture broke the San Jose Sharks' single-playoff points record Tuesday, then added to it with an assist in Thursday's Game 3 victory. His breakout has been one of the most dominant postseason offensive outbursts of the last two decades.
At this pace, if the Sharks reach the Stanley Cup Final and win out their remaining games, he'd finish with 28 points - the highest total by any player in six years.
If we give Couture the benefit of the doubt with an extra game in each series, he'd hit 31 points, the highest total since Evgeni Malkin's 36 in 2009 and the third highest since 1996. He's having an outstanding postseason - far better than he's been given credit for.
Mike Sullivan and the Penguins' awakening
Sean O'Leary: Sullivan has transformed the Penguins into what everyone expected from them: a dominant offense that's lethal in transition. He reinvigorated Sidney Crosby, who shook off a slow start and notched 66 of his 85 points under Sullivan as Pittsburgh steamrolled its competition down the stretch.
Phil Kessel found his stride under Sullivan, too, scoring 20 points in 21 games to close out the regular season. United with fellow blazers Carl Hagelin and Nick Bonino on the third line, Kessel finally looks the player the Penguins hoped they acquired in July.
Pittsburgh is rolling, and it's hard to imagine this is the same team - apart from depth additions at the trade deadline - that was outside the playoff picture looking in under Mike Johnston.
This Penguins resurgence is eerily familiar to 2009, when Dan Bylsma took over coaching duties mid-season and led them to a championship.
What's wrong with the Blues?
Josh Gold-Smith: The St. Louis Blues have been smothered by the San Jose Sharks in the first three games of their conference final series.
The Blues have been shut out in back-to-back contests, being held without a goal since midway through Game 1 - a span of over 150 minutes - and they've been outscored 8-2 in the series.
It hasn't been for lack of opportunities. St. Louis outshot San Jose in both their losses, and actually had fewer shots on the goal than the Sharks in their Game 1 win.
The most concerning issue for the Blues is the power play. They went 0-for-7 on the man advantage in Games 2 and 3 combined, including six squandered chances in Game 2.
Credit Martin Jones and the Sharks for neutralizing the Blues' scoring chances and making the most of the ones they've created for themselves.
On The Fly, theScore's NHL roundtable series, continues. With the conference finals in full swing, we look at one key storyline from each of the four remaining teams.
How will Stamkos' health impact his summer?
Ben Whyte: Steven Stamkos' NHL future has been in question all season long as he approaches free agency, but as his team pushes on while he recovers from a blood clot, that future becomes even more uncertain.
The Lightning will likely do whatever they can to re-sign him, but general manager Steve Yzerman may be forced to weigh Stamkos' health against the team's cap situation with other young stars hitting free agency this summer (Nikita Kucherov, Alex Killorn) and next (Victor Hedman, Ben Bishop, Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat).
Teammate Andrei Vasilevskiy was able to return to action after a similar vascular surgery, but other NHLers - Tomas Vokoun and Pascal Dupuis - saw blood clots end their careers.
A return during the East final would certainly quell any hesitancy by the Lightning - and other suitors - toward a long-term deal, but the risk/reward of signing Stamkos is sure to be the biggest question of the offseason.
Haute Couture
Craig Hagerman: While Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns have been heralded for their incredible postseason contributions, the man atop the playoff scoring leaderboard deserves his due.
Logan Couture broke the San Jose Sharks' single-playoff points record Tuesday, then added to it with an assist in Thursday's Game 3 victory. His breakout has been one of the most dominant postseason offensive outbursts of the last two decades.
At this pace, if the Sharks reach the Stanley Cup Final and win out their remaining games, he'd finish with 28 points - the highest total by any player in six years.
If we give Couture the benefit of the doubt with an extra game in each series, he'd hit 31 points, the highest total since Evgeni Malkin's 36 in 2009 and the third highest since 1996. He's having an outstanding postseason - far better than he's been given credit for.
Mike Sullivan and the Penguins' awakening
Sean O'Leary: Sullivan has transformed the Penguins into what everyone expected from them: a dominant offense that's lethal in transition. He reinvigorated Sidney Crosby, who shook off a slow start and notched 66 of his 85 points under Sullivan as Pittsburgh steamrolled its competition down the stretch.
Phil Kessel found his stride under Sullivan, too, scoring 20 points in 21 games to close out the regular season. United with fellow blazers Carl Hagelin and Nick Bonino on the third line, Kessel finally looks the player the Penguins hoped they acquired in July.
Pittsburgh is rolling, and it's hard to imagine this is the same team - apart from depth additions at the trade deadline - that was outside the playoff picture looking in under Mike Johnston.
This Penguins resurgence is eerily familiar to 2009, when Dan Bylsma took over coaching duties mid-season and led them to a championship.
What's wrong with the Blues?
Josh Gold-Smith: The St. Louis Blues have been smothered by the San Jose Sharks in the first three games of their conference final series.
The Blues have been shut out in back-to-back contests, being held without a goal since midway through Game 1 - a span of over 150 minutes - and they've been outscored 8-2 in the series.
It hasn't been for lack of opportunities. St. Louis outshot San Jose in both their losses, and actually had fewer shots on the goal than the Sharks in their Game 1 win.
The most concerning issue for the Blues is the power play. They went 0-for-7 on the man advantage in Games 2 and 3 combined, including six squandered chances in Game 2.
Credit Martin Jones and the Sharks for neutralizing the Blues' scoring chances and making the most of the ones they've created for themselves.
It's run on 150 minutes, or seven-plus periods in the West Final, since the St. Louis Blues scored. So naturally, their big-ticket scorer, Vladimir Tarasenko, has been fitted in position under the playoff microscope.
And for good reason. Because while he maintains a share of the team lead in points and is tied for third in postseason goals, Tarasenko's lone goal-scoring contribution over the last six games - the weightiest stretch of his pro career - has been a puck deposited into an empty net in Game 7 versus the Dallas Stars.
The 40-goal scorer was reduced to two shots in his 20 minutes in Thursday's Game 3 loss, extending a drought coach Ken Hitchcock attributed, in part, to a lack of experience.
"He's learning hard lessons, like any other player. Robby (Fabbri) is learning it, (Colton) Parayko is learning it. Vladi is learning some really hard lessons," Hitchcock said.
"The playoffs are for veteran players. The veteran players on both teams have this thing dialed up."
The rub: These Sharks, the one's who share the same function as Tarasenko, have dealt with - and previously succumbed to - the plight facing St. Louis' sniper. And finally appear prepared to overcome it.
"Some guys never learn it. Some guys can't do it. Some guys learn that lesson and they really become accomplished players, especially scoring players. But (Tarasenko's) going to have to fight through everything if he expects to score a goal and contribute offensively," Hitchcock added.
"Unfortunately for all of us, you got to go through it."
Sharks shut out Blues again, updates on Steven Stamkos & Ben Bishop and more in this morning’s collection of notable NHL headlines. THE MERCURY NEWS/STLTODAY.COM: Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski each had two assists and Martin Jones made 22 saves for his second straight shutout as the San Jose Sharks blanked the St. Louis Blues […]
Latest on the Canucks, Stars, Oilers and Kings in your NHL rumor mill. Possible Canucks trade chips. THE PROVINCE: Jason Botchford recently listed Jared McCann, Jannik Hansen and Ryan Miller as players the Vancouver Canucks could be willing to trade. Among the players they’re willing to move, Botchford considers McCann their best trade chip. Hansen […]
SAN JOSE, Calif. - For a San Jose team whose playoff struggles have often come down to running into a streaky goaltender at the wrong time, it must be nice to have the goalie making all the stops.
Martin Jones made 22 saves in his second stra...
Following a Game 3 win over the St. Louis Blues in which he recorded two assists and has brought the Sharks to within two wins of their first Stanley Cup Final appearance, the 36-year-old was asked if he's surprised he's playing so well at this stage in his career.
His response?
"No. I know I'm a great player."
Even Brent Burns had to get in on the conversation.
@CraigCustance hardest working guy and tough to find a guy that loves the rink more then him! Lucky to get to play with a guy like that!
Dating back to the beginning of the regular season, Thornton has recorded 93 points in 97 games, ranking him fifth among all NHL players. While his numbers are reflective of the talent assembled around him in San Jose, they also speak to his ability to carry the game on his stick.
Already a lock for the Hall of Fame, the Stanley Cup is the one big piece missing from his resume. If he keeps playing like he is, that could soon change.
Jones also matched Evgeni Nabokov's output from the 2004 playoffs, recording his third shutout of the postseason and his 10th win - both franchise bests.
The 22-year-old has now gone 150:45 without conceding a goal, and his club holds a 2-1 series lead.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Martin Jones made 22 saves in his second straight shutout and Tomas Hertl scored twice to give the San Jose Sharks a series lead for the first time in four trips to the Western Conference final with a 3-0 victory over the St. Louis Blues in Game 3 on Thursday night.
Joonas Donskoi also scored to give the Sharks a 2-1 series advantage and move them as close as they have ever been to reaching their first Stanley Cup final. San Jose had won just three games in its first three trips to the conference final, part of a long history of playoff disappointment that is showing signs of coming to an end.
St. Louis has gone 150:45 without scoring since Jori Lehtera's second-period goal in Game 1 led to a 2-1 victory.
Game 4 is Saturday in San Jose, where the Sharks have won six straight playoff games.
The Blues now find themselves trailing a series for just the second time this postseason. Overcoming this deficit may be tougher than coming back last round after losing the opener to Dallas.
While the Stars were leaky on defense and rotated between two mostly ineffective goalies, the Sharks have done a stellar job defending in front of Jones, who has been sharp in his first postseason as a starter.
After allowing the soft goal to Lehtera that led to the Game 1 loss, Jones has been perfect the past two games. He has stopped 58 straight shots and has posted the first back-to-back playoff shutouts in Sharks history.
That kind of goaltending and another dominant performance from Joe Thornton's line was more than enough for San Jose. That line scored twice, with the first coming off a St. Louis turnover late in the first.
The Blues looked faster early and had the better of the play at the start, holding the Sharks without a shot on goal for more than eight minutes. But St. Louis seemed to lose some steam after Hertl's first goal.
Matters only got worse in the second period. Donskoi broke up a pass from Robby Fabbri midway through the second to start an odd-man rush. Logan Couture skated into the offensive zone on a 3-on-2 chance and fed the trailing Donskoi for the wrist shot from the slot that made it 2-0.
NOTES: Jones has three shutouts in the past four games, also doing it in Game 7 in the second round against Nashville. That ties Evgeni Nabokov (2004) for the most shutouts in a single postseason for the Sharks. ... Paajarvi made his playoff debut after 276 regular-season games. ... Sharks D Paul Martin played his 100th career playoff game.
