There is blood in the water.
The San Jose Sharks jumped out to a 2-0 lead in Game 7 thanks to Joel Ward's second of the postseason.
The 35-year-old picked the pocket of Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi and beat goaltender Pekka Rinne with a nifty deke move.
The goal was also Ward's third in a Game 7. Move aside Justin Williams, we have a new Mr. Game 7.
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@DJ_Bean @PeteBlackburn Gronk going with San Jose tonight in game 7. Why? Because "sharks are scary"...So Perfect. pic.twitter.com/q00g2E6FcC
— Clydizzle6865 (@Stones6865) May 12, 2016
New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski had a ridiculous yet accurate reason for picking the San Jose Sharks to advance to the Western Conference finals.
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The Arizona Coyotes' days in Glendale are numbered.
The team's president and CEO Anthony Leblanc sent a detailed letter to Kevin Phelps - the City Manager of Glendale - where he addressed a letter sent by Phelps to Phoenix City Manager Ed Zuercher.
In the two-page letter Leblanc detailed the struggle he has had with Glendale's city council and why because of their actions he plans to move the team as soon as possible.
"Simply put, the Arizona Coyotes have every intention of leaving Glendale as soon as practicable," said Leblanc. "By unilaterally breaking a 15-year-signed management agreement with the team - a contract the Coyotes would have honored for the length of its term - the Council effectively evicted us from our home. While you claim that the Council has had a change of heart, we have not. As a business responsible for hundreds of employees, and a team, that relies on the support of hundreds of thousands of fans statewide, we simply cannot afford to do business with the partners who do not keep their word, or honor their contracts."
The city voted to terminate the original 15-year contract to keep the team in Glendale last June, but agreed to a compromised two-year agreement that will expire at the conclusion of next season.
The Coyotes have made it clear that they are in the market for a new home, while last month the Mayor of Phoenix, Greg Stanton stated he would like a shared arena for both the Coyotes and the Phoenix Suns of the NBA.
- With h/t to KTAR News
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Los Angeles Kings defenseman Alec Martinez underwent surgery to correct shoulder discomfort, the team told LA Kings Insider Jon Rosen.
Martinez didn't play in Games 2-5 of his team's first-round series loss to the San Jose Sharks after suffering a groin injury in Game 1. Rosen reports the 28-year-old had been dealing with shoulder discomfort for most of the season.
His expected recovery time is around three months.
Meanwhile, captain Dustin Brown underwent a "minor procedure" on his right wrist. The 31-year-old still has six years remaining on his current contract.
Both players are expected to participate fully in training camp.
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Few expected the San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators to meet in the second round of the NHL playoffs, but the two teams will now square off in a deciding Game 7 after each team took care of business by winning all three of their home games.
With the series heading back to California, here's three players who may control the fate of their clubs as they hope to reach the Western Conference Final.
While the Predators captain has played solid at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville since the regular season began, Weber's play away from home has been significantly worse, and he'll need to snap out of that slump on Thursday.
| Postseason | G | A | +/- | SOG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 2 | 2 | 3 | 14 |
| Away | 1 | 2 | -7 | 12 |
So far in the playoffs, Weber's minus-7 rating in away games is tied for the worst in the NHL. This issue extends back to the regular season, where the 30-year-old posted a dismal minus-16 rating on the road, compared to a plus-9 at home.
One of three nominees announced last week for the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award, Weber's leadership will desperately be needed in Game 7, as the veteran blue-liner hopes to add a Stanley Cup ring to a trophy case already featuring four gold medals from international play.
While Weber has struggled on the road, one opposing forward has excelled more than anyone else at SAP Center this series, and that is Couture.
Though he's been terrific throughout the playoffs in leading Sharks forwards with 14 points in 11 games, his play has truly reached another level at home against the Predators, recording four goals and an assist across three victories.
His presence in the lineup has been game-changing for San Jose this season, as his team boasted a 33-14-5 record when the 27-year-old played, but went 13-14-1 without him after he suffered a fractured fibula early in the season.
While fellow stars Brent Burns, Joe Pavelski, and Joe Thornton will all be expected to contribute as well, Couture may just be the X-factor that pushes San Jose to new heights this spring.
He's tended the Predators' net in all three postseason-series victories in franchise history, and the three-time Vezina finalist needs to steal just one more game to reach the Conference Finals for the first time in his career.
Rinne was certainly up to the task in Round 1, posting a masterful 36-save effort on the road against the Anaheim Ducks and leading the Predators to a 2-1 win in the first Game 7 of his career.
After an unfortunate slip-up in the crease allowed Couture to give the Sharks a 3-2 third-period lead in Game 6 on Monday, the 33-year-old goalie was the most relieved to see the Predators tie things up less than three minutes later and eventually seal the game in overtime.
"I wanted to thank the guys when they scored that third goal," Rinne said, per The Tennessean. "The way the guys responded, it's unbelievable. I'm just happy to be here going into Game 7."
The final game of the second round now provides Rinne another chance to reward his teammates with another series-stealing performance.
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After saying he had no desire to go anywhere other than Los Angeles earlier Thursday, head coach Darryl Sutter reportedly agreed to terms on a new contract with the Kings, according to Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times.
An official announcement is expected Friday, and Dillman also revealed Sutter could be in for a significant raise, reporting his annual salary would be higher than the $3 million per year earned by Edmonton Oilers coach Todd McLellan.
Last year, the 57-year-old made a reported $2.25 million.
Sutter joined the Kings midway through the 2011-12 season, where the team went on to win the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Since then, his team has made playoff appearances in three of the last four seasons, including a second Cup victory in 2014.
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After backstopping the New York Islanders to their first second-round playoff appearance since 1993, goaltender Thomas Greiss will head to St. Petersburg to represent Germany at the World Championship.
The 30-year-old will arrive in time to play in Friday's game against Belarus, head coach Marco Sturm told TSN's Ryan Rishaug. He reportedly could have played in Wednesday's game - a 5-2 loss to Canada - but was delayed by visa issues.
Greiss last represented his country at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, where he allowed 12 goals across three losses.
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