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		<description>RUWT? News for San Jose Sharks</description>
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		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:58:21 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Thornton's goal gives 3-2 Sharks win over Ducks]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[ANAHEIM, Calif.(AP) -- After their second game together, Joe
Thornton, Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau again raised the
question why the San Jose Sharks' top three offensive threats
weren't on the same line for the first 23 contests.

Heatley scored his NHL-leading 18th goal and set up Thornton's
go-ahead tally in the third period, leading the Sharks to a 3-2
victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday night.

On Friday, Heatley recorded his second hat trick of the season
and Thornton tied his franchise record with four assists in a
6-3 win over Philadelphia.

"It's good that a lot of different guys played with each other
early on, and I think you're going to see as the year goes on
that there's going to be different combinations," Thornton said.
"Right now, it's a pretty dynamic line with Patty and myself and
Dany.

"Good players make each other better, and that's what's going on
right now. The scary part is that I think we can get better."

Ryane Clowe also scored for the Sharks, and Evgeni Nabokov made
28 saves to send Anaheim to its 11th loss in 15 games.

The Sharks and Ducks are at opposite ends of the Western
Conference standings, separated by 19 points. Last season, San
Jose had the most points in the NHL but lost to the
eighth-seeded Ducks in the first round of the playoffs.

"When you come into this building, it doesn't matter what the
standings are. The game is always played hard," Nabokov said.
"All the games are really intense because everybody prepares for
us and everybody wants to beat us."

Ducks defenseman James Wisniewski, who sat out the final 2 1/2
periods of Thursday's 4-3 overtime win against Tampa Bay because
of a bruised right foot, scored his first of the season during a
power play.

Corey Perry earned an assist on Wisniewski's goal to extend his
career-best point streak to 14 games, the NHL's longest active
run. Ryan Whitney added a power-play goal, and Jonas Hiller made
33 saves.

The Ducks had a chance to break the 2-2 tie while they were
short-handed. Todd Marchant took off on a breakaway after former
Ducks defenseman Kent Huskins fell down trying to keep the puck
in at the right point, and Nabokov came out to attempt a
poke-check. He missed, but Marchant's backhander went just wide
of the right post.

"I would like to think I forced him wide, but I misplayed it a
little," Nabokov said. "I think he kind of expected me to come
out and challenge him. For a second, I thought he put his head
down, and that's why I went out. Once I did that, there was no
sense to back off.

"Sometimes you've got to get lucky."

The Sharks took the lead 6 seconds after Teemu Selanne's penalty
expired. Thornton got a pass from Heatley and beat Hiller from
the middle of the left circle with 11:11 remaining for his
seventh goal.

"Joe said before the game that he was going to shoot the puck.
He scored his last time in this barn, so I had to give him the
puck," Heatley said.

Hiller was disconsolate after Anaheim's fifth one-goal loss of
the season.

"I saw Heatley and was ready for the shot, but he passed it to
the side, and Thornton one-timed it. It was a bang-bang play,"
he said. "I thought I played it quite well and was in pretty
good position. I just missed it by half an inch. That kind of
goal hurts right now."

Heatley put the Sharks ahead 2-1 at 10:54 of the second on a
power play, converting a rebound for his seventh goal in six
games.

"That line's been playing well. But in order for those guys to
play together, we have to trust everybody else," Nabokov said.
"If the other three lines are not playing well, I'm sure those
guys are going to be split up."

The Ducks tied it with 14 seconds left in the second period,
cashing in with 9 seconds remaining on a 5-on-3 advantage.
Whitney scored on a one-timer from the left circle.

"A lot of teams get up for us. We've got a real good team, and
teams seem to play their best against us," Thornton said. "Those
guys played a heck of a game tonight, and I expect them to get
things rolling."

Wisniewski gave Anaheim a 1-0 lead when his shot from just
inside the blue line slid under Nabokov's outstretched right leg
1:20 into the second.

Clowe tied it at 8:08 of the second.

NOTES: Anaheim LW Saku Koivu returned after missing five games
due to a groin strain. D Steve Eminger came back after sitting
out one game because of back spasms. ... Heatley and Marleau
have combined for 32 goals through 25 games, making them the
NHL's best one-two punch. ... Twenty of San Jose's 25 power play
goals have come on the road. ... The Sharks have won four
straight regular-season games in Anaheim. They have won at least
one game at Anaheim in all 16 seasons the Ducks have been in the
NHL.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/136275-Thorntons-goal-gives-3-2-Sharks-win-over-Ducks</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/136275-Thorntons-goal-gives-3-2-Sharks-win-over-Ducks</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 07:06:16 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Sharks-Ducks Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JEFF MEZYDLO
STATS Senior Writer

San Jose (15-5-4) at Anaheim (7-10-3), 10:00 p.m. EDT

A stop home helped the San Jose Sharks end a brief rough patch.
A visit to Anaheim might help them avoid a third straight loss
on the road.

The Sharks look for a fourth consecutive road win over the Ducks
when the teams at opposite ends of the Western Conference
standings meet Saturday night.

After losing the final two games of a 1-1-1 road swing, San Jose
(15-5-4) broke out for a 6-3 home win over Philadelphia on
Friday.

Dany Heatley had a hat trick and Joe Thornton matched his
franchise record with four assists for the Sharks, whose 34
points are the most in the NHL.

"Just moving the puck, skating and creating chances," said
Heatley, who has a league-leading 17 goals.

San Jose now returns to the road for one game. The Sharks
suffered a pair of 4-3 losses to Nashville and Chicago in their
last two road contests to fall to 8-5-2 away from home.

Though the Ducks (7-10-3) have won three in a row at home
overall, San Jose has won three straight regular-season games at
Anaheim, including 4-1 on Oct. 3. That was the teams' first
meeting since Anaheim beat San Jose in six games during the
first round of last spring's conference playoffs.

This season, though, the Sharks own the best record in the
league while the Ducks' 17 points are the fewest in the West.

"It's going to be a big test for us, a divisional rival and one
of the hottest team in the league," Anaheim defenseman James
Wisniewski told the Ducks' official Web site.

Not many players are hotter than Heatley, who's scored six goals
in his last five games. He had two assists against the Ducks
last month, and has six in his last three contests versus
Anaheim.

Thornton, meanwhile, recorded his 600th career assist Friday and
leads the NHL with 24 in 2009-10. He had a goal and an assist
against Anaheim in October.

San Jose's Evgeni Nabokov made 26 saves Friday to improve to
13-3-4 with a 2.20 goals-against average. Nabokov, who is
22-16-3 with a 2.25 GAA against the Ducks, could be back in net
since backup Thomas Greiss made his fourth start in the loss at
Nashville on Tuesday.

Coming off an 0-3-1 road trip, Anaheim avoided a fifth straight
loss with a 4-3 overtime win over Tampa Bay on Thursday.

Ryan Getzlaf and Teemu Selanne each had a goal with two assists,
and Corey Perry extended his career-high point streak to 13
games with two assists. The Ducks have won four of their last
five home games.

"The win is important," said captain Scott Niedermayer, who
scored the winner. "To get back into that column and start
building the wins is important for us."

Getzlaf has two goals and five assists in his last three games.
He's recorded six assists his last three times facing the
Sharks.

Anaheim's Jonas Hiller made 21 saves Thursday to improve to
7-7-1 with a 3.02 GAA. He's only 1-6-0 with a 2.47 GAA against
San Jose, leaving open the possibility that Jean-Sebastien
Giguere could get the start in net.

Giguere is 0-3-2 with a 3.38 GAA on the season, but 15-13-2 with
a 2.70 GAA lifetime against San Jose.

The Ducks could have forward Saku Koivu back after he missed the
last five games with a lower-body injury. The former Montreal
captain has two goals and six assists in his first season with
Anaheim.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135944-Sharks-Ducks-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135944-Sharks-Ducks-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:17:02 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Heatley's hat trick leads Sharks past Flyers]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[SAN JOSE, Calif.(AP) -- Dany Heatley thought he could have scored
a few more goals, but he wasn't about to complain. He was having
too much fun.

Heatley scored three times, Joe Thornton recorded his 600th NHL
assist, and the San Jose Sharks beat the Philadelphia Flyers 6-3
on Friday night.

"When you have a chance to play with guys on a line like that
it's just fun," Heatley said. "Those guys open up a lot of
room."

Manny Malhotra, Ryane Clowe and Patrick Marleau also scored for
the Sharks, who are 7-0-2 at home.

"You drop your mouth every time you see Joe do something like
that," Malhotra said. "He's a special player, a special passer.
On that first one, I think there were 17,000 people who wanted
him to shoot. There aren't many players who have the patience to
make that play."

Claude Giroux scored twice and Danny Briere added a goal for the
Flyers, who lost for the second time in nine games.

Thornton, who had points on each of Heatley's goals, earned four
assists. He matched his franchise record and has 30 points this
season.

"Throw in Marleau, and that was the first time all three guys
played together the whole game," Thornton said. "Those guys must
have 30 goals between them. When you're passing to those guys,
it's a passer's dream."

Heatley notched his second hat trick of the season, and the
ninth of his career.

"Just moving the puck, skating and creating chances," he said.
"It was a fun game to play."

Giroux had his first career multigoal game.

The matchup of two of the NHL's top offensive clubs didn't
disappoint as the action remained furious throughout.

"They beat you every which way you can imagine," Flyers coach
John Stevens said. "That top line kind of took the game away."

Heatley leads the NHL with 17 goals, and Thornton has a
league-best 24 assists. The Flyers and Sharks combined for 14
goals in two meetings this season.

Evgeni Nabokov stopped 27 shots and improved to 6-0-2 against
the Flyers.

Heatley helped create his first goal after picking up a loose
puck along the boards as Chris Pronger fell going after it, and
dishing it to Thornton before skating to the net. Thornton split
two defenders and put the puck on Heatley's stick in front of an
open net 50 seconds into the middle period.

Pronger had his skates fixed between the first and second
periods.

"The ice conditions were bad but I thought I got the problem
fixed," the defenseman said. "That's a goal they shouldn't have.
The puck was on our stick and down I go."

Heatley's short-handed goal 8:41 into the third period was a
near duplicate. He completed his hat trick and gave the Sharks a
5-3 lead with a power-play goal with 7:16 left in the game.

"He's the goal scorer," Thornton said. "I thought about
shooting, but then I saw Dany. He gave me the puck the first two
times and I found him in the exact same spot."

Ray Emery (11-5-1) made 23 saves for Philadelphia.

NOTES: D Jason Demers leads NHL rookies with 12 assists. ...
Flyers D Matt Carle has recorded assists in two consecutive
games following a six-game scoreless streak. ... All four of
Malhotra's goals have been scored against Philadelphia or
Pittsburgh. ... Briere scored his third goal in five games since
returning from an injury. ... Emery made his first career start
against the Sharks. ... The Sharks have scored an NHL-leading 40
goals in the second period. ... The Flyers are winless in San
Jose since Nov. 15, 1999. ... Heatley has 28 points - 18 goals -
in 28 games against the Flyers.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135903-Heatleys-hat-trick-leads-Sharks-past-Flyers</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135903-Heatleys-hat-trick-leads-Sharks-past-Flyers</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:36:02 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Flyers-Sharks Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MIKE LIPKA
STATS Writer

Philadelphia (12-5-1) at San Jose (14-5-4), 10:00 p.m. EDT

A return home figures to help the San Jose Sharks as they try to
avoid their first three-game losing streak, but they'll find one
of the NHL's hottest teams waiting for them.

The Philadelphia Flyers look to continue their road trip Friday
with an eighth victory in nine games, but that would require
their first win over San Jose in nearly nine years.

The Sharks (14-5-4) closed their recent trip by losing
back-to-back games for just the second time, and their streak of
earning at least a point in 12 straight ended with a 4-3 loss to
Nashville on Tuesday.

San Jose, though, has been outstanding at HP Pavilion,
outscoring opponents 25-12 while going 6-0-2 - the best home
winning percentage in the league.

The Sharks have also dominated the Flyers this decade.
Philadelphia is 0-6-2 with two ties in 10 meetings since a 4-3
win Dec. 21, 2000, and it has not won in San Jose since Nov. 5,
1999.

The Sharks won 4-1 in Philadelphia on Oct. 25.

Flyers backup and former Shark Brian Boucher was in net in that
game, and he got his second start of the season Wednesday,
stopping 37 shots - 20 in the third period - to help
Philadelphia (12-5-1) to a 3-2 win over Los Angeles to start its
five-game trip.

"I didn't think we had our A game by any means," coach John
Stevens said, "but I think good teams find a way to grind out
and get a win."

Ray Emery will likely return to the crease to face the Sharks
for the first time, looking to continue his brilliant start with
his new team. Emery, who signed with the Flyers after playing in
Russia last season, is 6-1-0 with a 1.70 goals-against average
in his last seven starts.

Philadelphia has also been boosted by the NHL's top power play,
which is converting 27.6 percent of the time. James van
Riemsdyk's third-period power- play goal stood up as the winner
Wednesday.

Van Riemsdyk, the No. 2 overall pick in 2007, is the only rookie
averaging more than one point per game, with 17 in 15 contests.

"I think we were (surprised about van Riemsdyk) in the beginning
but I think we've come to expect it from him now," Stevens said.
"He's only going to get better as he experiences these
situations on the road."

The Flyers' offense certainly faces a challenge against the
Sharks, whose 2.35 GAA ranks third in the NHL. Evgeni Nabokov is
7-0-3 with a 1.55 GAA in his last 10 starts, and he'll likely be
in net after getting Tuesday night off.

The loss to Nashville capped a stretch of three road games in
four nights for San Jose, which will try to use two off days to
recharge.

"Mentally you know when you're on the back end of a road trip,
and your legs don't give you everything you want," coach Todd
McLellan said Tuesday. "Mentally you better be sharp, and we
weren't that one bit."

The game will mark Flyers defenseman Matt Carle's first visit to
San Jose since the Sharks traded him to Tampa Bay before the
2008-09 season. Carle, the Hobey Baker Award winner as the
nation's top player at Denver, fell out of favor in San Jose
after signing an extension.

He leads the NHL with a plus-18.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135404-Flyers-Sharks-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135404-Flyers-Sharks-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:11:03 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Predators' 2 PP goals help beat Sharks 4-3]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By TERESA M. WALKER
AP Sports Writer

NASHVILLE, Tenn.(AP) -- The Nashville Predators thought they gave
away two points to the Sharks a week ago in San Jose. They
refused to make the same mistake on their own ice.

Joel Ward and David Legwand each had a goal and two assists, and
the Predators beat the Sharks 4-3 Tuesday night for their third
straight win and seventh in nine games.

"We kind of came up short there," Ward said of that 4-3 loss in
San Jose in which the Sharks scored the winning goal with a
minute to go. "We were really disappointed there. ... A little
bit of revenge I guess you could say. We were kind of hungry to
play tonight and try to get two points off them."

Jerred Smithson had a goal and Ryan Suter had two assists for
Nashville, which was coming off a 2-0 win over Montreal in which
the Predators fired off a franchise-record 55 shots. Putting the
puck in the net was no problem against Sharks backup goalie
Thomas Greiss, playing his fourth game this season.

The Predators scored two power-play goals against the NHL's top
penalty-killing team. Steve Sullivan scored on the 5-on-3 in the
first period, and Ward's goal came in the second with the man
advantage.

Joe Thornton had a goal and an assist, Scott Nichol had a
short-handed goal and Patrick Marleau had a goal for San Jose,
which lost in regulation for the first time since Oct. 22. The
Western Conference-leading Sharks were 9-0-3 since.

"Mentally you know when you're on the back end of a road trip,
and your legs don't give you everything you want," Sharks coach
Todd McLellan said of his team's final stop on a three-game road
trip. "Mentally you better be sharp, and we weren't that one
bit."

Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne, who improved to 7-4-0, called the
win a good confidence boost with the New Jersey Devils visiting
Thursday night.

"We know we can play against anybody in this league," he said.

The Predators kept this game from being that close by starting
the night shooting just as they did against Montreal, and they
outshot San Jose 14-9 in the first period. Sullivan scored his
fifth 28 seconds into a 5-on-3 advantage in the first period.

"You give them time, and they're going to pick you apart,"
Nichol said of his former teammates.

Nichol scored his first of the season against his former team to
tie at 1 apiece at 14:23.

But Smithson's wrister with 3:54 left in the first put Nashville
up to stay.

The Predators padded the lead with two more in the second. Ward
tipped in Suter's shot at the blue line at 8:16 with the man
advantage, and Ward passed from the boards to Legwand who fired
off a one-timer from the left circle to make it 4-1 at 10:57.

Thornton came off the bench and scored his sixth this season
from the left circle off a pass from Frazer McLaren with 41
seconds left in the second.

Marleau tipped in a pass from Thornton with 51 seconds left in
regulation.

Nashville coach Barry Trotz wasn't happy with the clock operator
essentially giving the Sharks two free time-outs within the
final minute. The clock reset to 0.0 after Marleau's goal and
again after an icing with 3 seconds left.

"That's five guys that can do damage on any given night. We have
to get it corrected with our off-ice officials, but it's
absolutely unacceptable for a home team," Trotz said.

NOTES: The Predators now have scored a power-play goal for the
eighth time in 11 games. ... Nashville improved to 8-0-0 when
scoring on the power-play and 7-1-0 when scoring first. ...
Nashville defenseman Kevin Klein played in his 100th career NHL
game. ... The Sharks recalled Benn Ferriero, McLaren and Logan
Couture from their AHL affiliate, and all three played against
Nashville.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134913-Predators-2-PP-goals-help-beat-Sharks-4-3</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134913-Predators-2-PP-goals-help-beat-Sharks-4-3</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:07:49 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Sharks-Predators Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN
STATS Senior Writer

San Jose (14-4-4) at Nashville (9-8-1), 8:00 p.m. EDT

The NHL-leading San Jose Sharks are on a 12-game point streak,
but they're not happy about blowing a pair of two-goal leads
recently.

The Sharks complete a three-game road swing Tuesday night when
they take on the Nashville Predators.

San Jose (14-4-4) has not lost in regulation since a 5-2 defeat
to Tampa Bay on Oct. 22, going 9-0-3 since.

The Sharks, though, squandered two-goal leads in two of their
last three games. They fell 3-2 in a shootout to Dallas on
Thursday and 4-3 in overtime at Chicago on Sunday.

"You've got to bear down, hold on to those games," center Joe
Pavelski said. "It is the second time in three games and maybe
it's an issue, but I don't think so. We're pretty resilient."

Rookie defenseman Jason Demers recorded his first career goal
and Patrick Marleau scored 45 seconds later to give San Jose a
3-1 lead two minutes into the second period Sunday. The Sharks,
however, allowed the Blackhawks to pull even heading into the
third.

"Sometimes the hockey gods don't work in your favor," coach Todd
McLellan said. "If we could have gotten the fourth one, it could
have worked in our favor. But they fought back, and that's what
good teams do."

Marleau ended a six-game goal drought and Dany Heatley scored in
his third straight game for San Jose. Six of Heatley's seven
power-play goals this season have come on the road.

The Sharks will likely face a hot goaltender in Nashville's
Pekka Rinne, who won five of his last six starts with a 1.99
goals-against average. He made 20 saves as Nashville (9-8-1)
beat Montreal 2-0 on Saturday.

"The guys on defense did a great job, I didn't have to face too
many shots," Rinne said. "Obviously you have your good saves and
your moments, but it was one of the easier games that we have
had this year so far."

Steve Sullivan scored both goals and had 11 shots on goal as
Nashville outshot Montreal 55-20. The 55 shots and 24 in the
first period were franchise records.

"It's just the mindset, you break down teams' defense when you
put it on net," coach Barry Trotz said. "They are scrambling for
pucks, they are reaching, and we are being firm in their
offensive zone."

The Predators have won six of eight and two in a row since a 4-3
loss at San Jose last Tuesday. Nashville blew a 3-2 lead in the
third period as Devin Setoguchi scored the equalizer and
defenseman Dan Boyle had the winner with one minute left.

Neither of the goaltenders that started that game are expected
to start Tuesday. Dan Ellis had 25 saves for Nashville and
Thomas Greiss 23 for San Jose.

The Sharks' Evgeni Nabokov went 6-1-1 with a 2.01 GAA in his
last eight starts versus the Predators.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134459-Sharks-Predators-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134459-Sharks-Predators-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:27:15 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Seabrook's OT goal lifts Blackhawks over Sharks]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[CHICAGO(AP) -- A perfect homestand against the Western Conference
elite reminded the Chicago Blackhawks just how good they are.

"We feel we can win any night, against any team," said Brent
Seabrook, whose goal 41 seconds into overtime Sunday night
lifted the Blackhawks to a 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks.
"We have a great group ... and we want to prove that."

By rallying from a two-goal deficit to defeat the team with the
NHL's best record, Chicago completed a 4-0 homestand that also
included games against Colorado and Los Angeles. The Blackhawks,
who reached the conference finals six months ago, have won seven
consecutive at home.

"Down two against a top team like that, you're not very often
going to come back and get (the victory)," Blackhawks coach Joel
Quenneville said. "You've got to take advantage of home ice.
We've been pretty effective to date."

At 10-2-1, the Blackhawks have the league's best home record.
They hadn't won seven straight at the United Center since midway
through the 2001-02 season. Chicago begins a six-game road trip
Thursday and doesn't return home until Dec. 1.

Seabrook has two goals this season - both OT winners.

Evgeni Nabokov made a nice save on Troy Brouwer but Jonathan
Toews chased down the puck, skated in front of the net and fed
Seabrook, who scored on a wrister from the slot.

The Sharks extended their streak of games with at least a point
to 12 (9-0-3). They haven't had a regulation defeat since Oct.
22 at Tampa Bay, but Sunday's result came only three nights
after a shootout loss to Dallas in which they also blew a
two-goal lead.

"You've got to bear down, hold on to those games," Sharks center
Joe Pavelski said. "It is the second time in three games and
maybe it's an issue, but I don't think so. We're pretty
resilient."

Chicago's Brent Sopel and San Jose's Dany Heatley scored in the
first period. It was Heatley's 14th goal, tying him for the NHL
lead.

Rookie defenseman Jason Demers scored his first career goal and
Patrick Marleau followed 45 seconds later with his league-high
ninth road goal to put the Sharks up 3-1 early in the second
period.

Midway through the second, Patrick Kane beat Nabokov from the
left circle after taking a nice centering feed from Toews. Kane
has a seven-game point streak.

San Jose had two chances later in the period to regain its
two-goal lead. At 13:43, a video review confirmed the puck
didn't cross the goal line after a scramble in front of Chicago
goalie Cristobal Huet. About 2 minutes later, Marleau's shot hit
the crossbar.

"Sometimes the hockey gods don't work in your favor," Sharks
coach Todd McLellan said. "If we could have gotten the fourth
one, it could have worked in our favor. But they fought back,
and that's what good teams do."

The Blackhawks capitalized on their good fortune, tying it on
John Madden's rebound goal with 1:19 left in the period.

Each goalie made several nice saves in the scoreless third
period. Huet ensured the game would go into overtime when he
kicked aside Scott Nichol's 30-foot slap shot with 12 seconds
left in regulation.

NOTES: Blackhawks LW Kris Versteeg sat out with what Quenneville
called a "short-term" upper-body injury. ... The Sharks, who
have scored on almost a third of their road power-play
opportunities, became the first team in seven games to score
with a man-advantage against the Blackhawks. ... The crowd of
21,130 was a Chicago season high. ... The Blackhawks honored
former All-Star Jeremy Roenick, who finished his 20-year career
last season as a member of the Sharks. Roenick scored 267 of his
513 career goals during his eight years with the Blackhawks, who
drafted him in 1988.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134373-Seabrooks-OT-goal-lifts-Blackhawks-over-Sharks</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134373-Seabrooks-OT-goal-lifts-Blackhawks-over-Sharks</guid>
				<pubDate>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 04:09:39 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Sharks-Blackhawks Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ANDY LEFKOWITZ
STATS Editor

San Jose (13-4-3) at Chicago (11-5-2), 7:00 p.m. EDT

Before the Chicago Blackhawks head out on their annual Circus
Trip, they'll try to post their longest winning streak at the
United Center in nearly eight years.

Looking for its seventh straight home victory, Chicago will face
a severe test Sunday when it squares off against the
league-leading San Jose Sharks, who play the middle game of a
daunting trip.

The Blackhawks (11-5-2) extended their streak by holding off
Toronto 3-2 on Friday. Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Troy
Brouwer staked Chicago to a 3-0 lead and Cristobal Huet made it
stand up despite allowing two goals to Phil Kessel.

Chicago is in position for its longest winning streak at home
since Dec. 27, 2001-Jan. 20, 2002, but coach Joel Quenneville
didn't appear to be entirely pleased Saturday.

"It looked like we were on our way to our first comfortable lead
- it's been some time since we've had that kind of situation -
and we let it unravel," he told the Blackhawks' official Web
site. "I don't think you want to get comfortable with anybody."

Huet finished with a season-high 29 saves against one of the
East's worst teams to improve to 8-4-1 with a 2.19 goals-against
average.

"Huet made the saves when we needed him. And for the most part
we did a good job of keeping pressure on and not giving up too
much," Keith said.

Now the clear-cut starter with Nikolai Khabibulin in Edmonton,
Huet has been in net for each game during the home win streak,
allowing a total of eight goals for a 1.32 GAA. That's after he
surrendered 13 tallies in his first four home contests. However,
he's yet to defeat San Jose, going 0-3-1 with a tie and a 4.37
GAA in six games.

In his only appearance last season against the Sharks in
Chicago, Huet gave up all the goals in a 6-5 loss on Nov. 16.
That was the Blackhawks' sixth straight home loss to San Jose, a
slide that ended with a 6-5 shootout win on March 25.

The circus comes to the United Center following this contest,
forcing the Blackhawks and NBA's Bulls on extended road trips.
The Blackhawks head to western Canada and California for six
games before returning home to face Central Division-rival
Columbus on Dec. 1.

San Jose (14-4-3) kicked off a stretch of three road games in
four nights by beating St. Louis 3-1 on Saturday. Dany Heatley
and Jed Ortmeyer erased a deficit with goals 16 seconds apart in
the second period and Evgeni Nabokov turned aside 38 shots en
route to his 12th win in 19 starts.

Joe Thornton added an empty-netter and Dan Boyle had two assists
for the Sharks, who won for the fifth time in six games away
from home and have picked up at least one point in 11 straight
games (9-0-2).

"To get the two quick goals kind of took a little bit of steam
out of their sails," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said.

San Jose, which was eliminated in the opening round of last
season's playoffs after winning the Presidents' Trophy with a
franchise-record 117 points, has a three-point edge over New
Jersey and Washington so far in 2009-10.

Special teams could be the difference this game as San Jose and
Chicago are tied for the league lead in penalty killing at 87.5
percent. The Sharks have given up 10 goals in 80 chances while
the Blackhawks have surrendered eight in 64 this season.

The Sharks, who haven't lost in regulation since Oct. 22, wrap
up their road trip on Tuesday against Nashville.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134134-Sharks-Blackhawks-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134134-Sharks-Blackhawks-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 15 Nov 2009 06:01:23 GMT</pubDate>
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			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Sharks handle Blues 3-1]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[ST. LOUIS(AP) -- Even though the San Jose Sharks were decidedly
outplayed, they needed only 16 seconds of good play to extend
their unbeaten streak to 11 games.

Dany Heatley and Jed Ortmeyer scored 16 seconds apart in the
second period and the Sharks improved to 9-0-2 in their last 11
games with a 3-1 win over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night.

The Sharks, who lead the Western Conference with 31 points, knew
they would be in for a fight against the Blues. St. Louis has
struggled this season, especially at home, and team owner Dave
Checketts challenged the club on Friday to win now.

"We had a tiger by the tail," Sharks coach Todd McClellan said
of the Blues. "You know when ownership challenges the hockey
club from everybody on down, we knew they were going to come out
and play extremely hard. To get the two quick goals kind of took
a little bit of steam out of their sails. They continued to play
hard but it was important for us."

Joe Thornton added an empty-net goal, and Evgeni Nabokov stopped
38 shots for the Sharks, who have not lost in regulation since a
5-2 defeat on Oct. 22 at Tampa Bay.

Heatley scored his 13th on the power play at 8:23 of the second,
and Ortmeyer netted his fourth to make it 2-1 after a bad
giveaway by Blues defenseman Erik Johnson.

"Obviously, it was the difference in the game," Ortmeyer said.
"I think it took a lot of momentum away from them and gave us
lots of energy."

Johnson tried to make a stretch pass from behind his own goal
through the middle of the ice but it was picked off by Manny
Malhotra. Mason stopped Malhotra's drive from the slot, but
Ortmeyer was on the doorstep and popped in the rebound.

"Bad play by me. Park it and move on, learn from it," Johnson
said. "They were pressing down pretty hard on (Carlo Colaiacovo)
in a set breakout and they had a guy kind of right on me on the
other side of the net. I just shot it up the middle to
(Malhotra) streaking; just not a very good play.

"I should have gone off the glass or something a lot safer."

St. Louis, which has one victory in its last eight games
(1-4-3), fell to 3-7-1 in home games.

The Blues got a first-period goal from Jay McClement, and Chris
Mason stopped 14 shots in defeat. They have scored two goals or
fewer in 12 of 18 games overall and eight of 10 at home.

"We've certainly have had trouble scoring. That's been our
Achilles' from the beginning of the season," Blues coach Andy
Murray said. "We're playing hard. We're battling. Tonight was a
complete reversal from our game against Nashville.

"I don't know if we gave up eight scoring chances tonight. We
certainly had double that. Our goal scorers are squeezing their
sticks. Pucks are laying there or they're just going by the net
or we're not putting it in. Keep working, and the pucks that are
not going in now will find a way to go in for us."

McClement put the Blues ahead 1-0 after his backhander from the
side of the net caromed off the back of Nabokov's legs. Brad
Winchester intercepted Derek Joslin's clearing pass and kept the
puck in the San Jose zone to keep the play alive.

The Blues outshot the Sharks 16-7 in the opening period and
24-12 through two but were down by a goal because of Nabokov.

"They were shooting from everywhere and going for the rebounds,"
Nabokov said. "It obviously was their plan."

The Sharks didn't register their first shot in the third period
until there was 1:51 left in the game. Thornton sealed San
Jose's win with 41.2 seconds to play.

The Blues outshot the Sharks 39-17 overall but found themselves
on the short end again.

"We had chances, but that's not good enough," Blues center Andy
McDonald said. "We need to score goals. Pucks were there and
maybe some unlucky bounces, but you need your power play (0 for
6) to step up on a night like tonight."

NOTES: The Blues had a streak of 18 consecutive penalty kills
snapped on Heatley's goal. ... The Sharks have killed 19
straight penalties and 33 of 34 after killing off all six St.
Louis power plays. ... Blues LW Paul Kariya hasn't registered a
point in 10 games. ... Blues RW David Backes left the game early
in the second period with an upper body injury and didn't
return.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134084-Sharks-handle-Blues-3-1</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134084-Sharks-handle-Blues-3-1</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 15 Nov 2009 05:04:34 GMT</pubDate>
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			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Sharks-Blues Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA
STATS Senior Writer

San Jose (13-4-3) at St. Louis (6-7-4), 8:00 p.m. EDT

The San Jose Sharks continue to earn points even though their
defense has been slipping slightly. A matchup with Paul Kariya
and the St. Louis Blues gives them a chance to get back on
track.

Following their second loss in 10 games, the Sharks look to stop
Kariya and the struggling Blues on Saturday night.

San Jose (13-4-3) has gone 8-0-2 since a 5-2 road loss to Tampa
Bay on Oct. 22.

"Things are rolling for us," defenseman Jason Demers said. "We
just have to keep going."

The Sharks, though, gave up a total of five goals in regulation
and overtime in the last two games after surrendering two or
fewer in seven straight contests. San Jose lost 4-3 in a
shootout to Dallas on Thursday night, two days after a 4-3 win
over Nashville.

Evgeni Nabokov, whose outstanding play has helped San Jose earn
an NHL-best 29 points, allowed two goals in a 1:45 span of the
third period versus the Stars and surrendered the decisive score
in the third round of the shootout.

San Jose was short-handed on the blueline, with Rob Blake
missing the game due to an upper-body injury. He is out
indefinitely.

Nabokov, 11-3-3 with a 2.12 goals-against average, will likely
be in net again as San Jose tries to take advantage of a
low-scoring St. Louis team.

The Blues (6-7-4) were held to one or no goals in five of their
last seven games, the most recent a 3-1 loss to Nashville on
Thursday night. St. Louis is in desperate need of production
from Kariya, who has been held off the scoresheet in nine
straight games - the longest stretch of his career.

Kariya did not score a goal in his last seven games against the
Sharks, recording two assists during that span.

The Blues seemed poised to end their scoring troubles following
a 6-1 win over Vancouver on Tuesday night, but went 0 for 3 on
the power play and were limited to 22 shots versus the
Predators. They missed a chance to win consecutive games for the
first time since opening the season with two victories over
Detroit in Sweden.

"To play well one night and not the next night, it's something
that's got to stop," right wing Brad Boyes said. "Our work ethic
has got to be a lot better."

Boyes scored St. Louis' only goal against Nashville, giving him
four on the season. He had a goal and three assists against the
Canucks after being held without a point in his previous seven
games.

Chris Mason continues to give the Blues a chance to win,
allowing two goals or fewer in each of his last four games. He
is 4-5-3 despite a 2.29 GAA.

Mason, though, has gone 1-6-1 with a 3.14 GAA in nine games -
eight starts - versus the Sharks.

San Jose went 2-1-1 against St. Louis last season. The Sharks
had gone 7-0-1 in their last eight road games against the Blues
before losing 3-1 on March 12.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133470-Sharks-Blues-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133470-Sharks-Blues-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:16:31 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Stars rally to beat Sharks]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[SAN JOSE, Calif.(AP) -- Stephane Robidas was surprised when Dallas
coach Marc Crawford called his name for the shootout. The
defenseman had never attempted a penalty shot during the regular
season.

"When you look at all the forwards we have, and all the skills,
it was pretty surprising," Robidas said. "I scored in a
preseason game last year and once in junior hockey but I wasn't
comfortable making a move so I just shot it."

Robidas scored the only shootout goal - in the third round - to
give the Stars a 3-2 comeback victory over the San Jose Sharks
on Thursday night.

James Neal and Mike Modano tied it with goals in a 1:45 span of
the third period after Dany Heatley and Ryane Clowe scored in a
2:11 span in the second period to give the Sharks a 2-0 edge.
Neal scored his 10th goal of the season, and Modano, who missed
13 games because of a rib injury, tied it with his first of the
season.

"We've been pretty good going into the third period," Clowe
said. "They got the flukey goal on the first one and they played
well."

Modano scored for the first time in 22 games, scoring against
the Sharks in San Jose last season. He has 72 points against the
Sharks.

"It was a real entertaining hockey game for everybody," Crawford
said. "I thought the overtime was very exciting. Both teams had
a couple of chances."

Marty Turco made 30 stops for the Stars, who gained a point for
the first time in three road games. Evgeni Nabokov had 34 saves
for the Sharks, who recorded a point in their 10th straight
game. San Jose is 6-0-2 at home.

"To grind out a win is absolutely huge," said Turco, who has 22
wins against the Sharks - his most against any team. "We threw
everything we had at them and there are a lot of things to be
content about."

Neal, who missed the last two games because of a groin injury,
recorded points in his eighth straight game. His goal hit off
Sharks defender Jason Demers' skates and floated over Nabokov's
left shoulder and into the net.

"I was staying off to the side and you couldn't get an unluckier
bounce," Demers said. "Things were rolling for us and we have to
finish."

Modano's goal came as a result of Neal fanning on a shot. The
puck floated back to Modano, who fired it past Nabokov. It was
his 24th goal against San Jose and the 544th of his career, good
for a 27th-place tie with Maurice Richard on the career list.

"This had a playoff type atmosphere," Demers said. "There was a
lot of hitting and a lot of skating. It was a good effort form
both teams."

The Sharks beat Dallas in five of their six meetings last
season.

The Stars killed off three power plays against the NHL's best
power-play team at home. Dallas has killed off 11 straight power
plays.

NOTES: Modano has played more games against the Sharks (78) than
anyone else. ... Stars left wing Fabian Brunnstrom missed the
game after injuring his shoulder during Tuesday's practice. ...
Sharks defenseman Rob Blake missed the game because of an
upper-body injury. ... Stars right wing Krystofer Barch returned
to the ice after missing three games because of a back injury.
... Dallas' Jamie Benn was unsuccessful on his first career
penalty shot.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133370-Stars-rally-to-beat-Sharks</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133370-Stars-rally-to-beat-Sharks</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:59:46 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Stars-Sharks Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By PAUL DIGIACOMO
STATS Senior Editor

Dallas (7-4-6) at San Jose (13-4-2), 10:30 p.m. EDT

Already with the most points in the NHL, the San Jose Sharks are
starting to get healthy. The Dallas Stars are hoping a return by
their top goal scorer can help them snap out of their funk.

San Jose looks to remain the only Western Conference team
without a regulation home loss Thursday night when it meets the
Dallas Stars for the first time this season.

The Sharks have jumped out to a 13-4-2 record, one season after
winning the Presidents' Trophy with 117 points and getting upset
by Anaheim in the first round of the playoffs. They're 6-0-1 at
HP Pavilion.

San Jose is unbeaten in its last nine overall (8-0-1), rallying
to defeat Nashville 4-3 at home Tuesday night. Dan Boyle scored
with a minute left in the third period, and Joe Pavelski, Jamie
McGinn and Devin Setoguchi also scored for the Sharks, who
trailed 3-2 with just over 10 minutes remaining.

"They frustrated us early and got the puck behind the defense,"
center Scott Nichol said. "We got some timely goals from good
players. We kind of grunted this one out. We're going to have
games like this and it's a good lesson."

Pavelski, a fourth-year center who set career highs with 25
goals and 34 assists last season, was out five weeks after
breaking his foot while blocking a shot against the Ducks on
Oct. 3. He returned Saturday and scored his first goal of the
season in a 5-0 win over Pittsburgh.

Setoguchi, who also put up career bests in 2008-09 with 31 goals
and 34 assists, was back on the ice Tuesday for the first time
in seven games and scored the tying goal with 6:34 left.

He was out with a lower-body injury, as was right wing Ryan
Vesce until he returned to the lineup Tuesday after missing
seven games. Vesce scored three goals and had an assist in his
first four contests before getting hurt.

Dallas (7-4-6) also has received some good news on the injury
front, as James Neal - tops on the team with nine goals - is
expected to return Thursday after missing the last two games
because of a groin pull.

The 22-year-old left wing practiced Tuesday.

"I've had four days off, so it felt good to get back on the
ice," Neal told the Stars' official Web site. "I was only going
to go out for half of the practice but it felt better than I
thought so I stayed out there for the whole thing."

Without Neal, the Stars beat Vancouver 2-1 at home Friday -
their only win in the last five games - before losing 3-2 to
Minnesota the following night in the first of four straight on
the road. Dallas is 4-2-3 away from home.

"It's just a matter of playing without pressure," defenseman
Stephane Robidas said. "We just work hard and are more defensive
when we're on the road. Maybe at home we're trying to put on a
show a little more, and I think that's why we've had success on
the road."

Dallas hasn't had much success in San Jose lately, losing three
of four.

"It's a tough building to play in," Robidas said. "I don't think
they've lost a game so far at home. ... We're going in there
with positive thoughts, and we're ready to get a big win."

The Sharks went 5-1-0 against the Stars in 2008-09 to take the
season series for the first time in nine years.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132960-Stars-Sharks-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132960-Stars-Sharks-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:57:20 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Boyle's late goal lifts Sharks over Predators]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[SAN JOSE, Calif.(AP) -- Scott Nichol took care of the small
details that led to a big victory for the San Jose Sharks.

Dan Boyle scored with a minute left in the third period to lift
the Sharks to a 4-3 victory over the Nashville Predators on
Tuesday night.

"We deserved a point and all we need is a save from the goalie
and we didn't get it," Predators goaltender Dan Ellis said.
"We're playing the best team in the league and we played pretty
well for the most part."

Nichol, the third line center and former Predators player,
sparked a third-period rally by hustling down the ice to save an
icing call. He intercepted Ellis' outlet pass, stayed on the ice
despite having the wind knocked out of him, and drew the only
Nashville penalty of the night.

"That's why Scott Nichol is here," Sharks coach Todd McLellan
said. "He does a lot of the little things that don't show up on
the stats page. He gives you everything he has every time out."

Joe Pavelski, Jamie McGinn and Devin Setoguchi also scored for
the Sharks, 6-0-1 at home. Thomas Greiss made 23 saves for his
second win in three games.

Michael Santorelli, Marcel Goc and Patric Hornqvist scored for
the Predators, who lost for just the second time in six games.
Ellis stopped 25 shots.

Pavelski has scored in two straight games after returning from
an injury that caused him to miss 15 games.

Patrick Marleau created the scoring opportunity when he took the
puck behind the net and found Pavelski open for a 1-on-1 with
Ellis midway through the first period.

The Predators tied it with 1:40 left in the first. Santorelli
knocked the puck out of the air in the crease, outfought Sharks
forward Manny Malhotra, and slipped a shot into the net. Greiss
was on the ice after blocking Martin Erat's shot attempt.

The Sharks regained the lead early in the second period on
McGinn's goal. Marc-Edouard Vlasic took a long shot that
deflected off Brad Staubitz's stick. McGinn settled in and
released a shot from the left side.

"They frustrated us early and got the puck behind the defense,"
Nichol said. "We got some timely goals from good players. We
kind of grunted this one out. We're going to have games like
this and it's a good lesson."

Goc, formerly of the Sharks, scored his first goal of the season
and recorded his first point in nine games. He tied the game
with 5:11 left in the second period after taking a crossing pass
from Jordin Tootoo.

"It was good to get that first one out of the way," Goc said. "I
think we played pretty well for the most part, but after we
scored in the third period we sat back a little bit and gave
them too many chances."

Nashville took a 3-2 lead when Hornqvist redirected Dan Hamhuis'
shot midway through the third period.

"We didn't play the way we wanted to play," Setoguchi said. "We
stressed putting the puck on goal and we didn't do that until
the last 10 minutes. They scored to go up 3-2 and it kind of lit
a fire under us. We told ourselves that we could lose this if we
don't wake up."

Setoguchi, in the lineup for the first time in seven games, tied
it 3-3 with 6:34 left when he steered Boyle's shot over Ellis'
right shoulder.

NOTES: The Sharks assigned F Torrey Mitchell to AHL Worcester
for a conditioning assignment. ... Predators D Shea Weber
returned to the lineup after missing two games because of a foot
injury. ... Marleau has 34 points in 39 games against Nashville.
... Goc recorded his first points in nine games. ... The
Predators went 53 minutes, 50 seconds without drawing a penalty.
... Sharks C Joe Thornton had a four-game point streak snapped.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132892-Boyles-late-goal-lifts-Sharks-over-Predators</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132892-Boyles-late-goal-lifts-Sharks-over-Predators</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:48:31 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Predators-Sharks Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By PAUL DIGIACOMO
STATS Senior Editor

Nashville (7-7-1) at San Jose (12-4-2), 10:30 p.m. EDT

After a dismal start, the Nashville Predators are coming on
strong. The San Jose Sharks haven't had many problems since the
puck dropped on the 2009-10 season.

San Jose looks to increase its NHL-leading point total Tuesday
night when it hosts surging Nashville.

The Sharks have jumped out to a 12-4-2 record, one season after
winning the Presidents' Trophy with 117 points and getting upset
by Anaheim in the first round of the playoffs.

San Jose moved into a tie with Colorado for the most points in
the league at 26 with a 5-0 home win over Pittsburgh on Saturday
night. Joe Pavelski had a goal and an assist in his first game
back from the injured list, and Evgeni Nabokov made 27 saves in
his 49th shutout as the Sharks remained unbeaten in regulation
at HP Pavilion (5-0-1).

Pavelski, a fourth-year center who set career highs with 25
goals and 34 assists last season, was out five weeks after
breaking his foot while blocking a shot against the Ducks on
Oct. 3.

"There's a smile on everyone's face when he is back in the
lineup," coach Todd McLellan said. "He means so much to our
team, a very intelligent player. He brings a calmness to the
ice."

Dany Heatley, Dan Boyle, Jamie McGinn and Manny Malhotra also
scored against the Penguins. Heatley, tied with Patrick Marleau
for the team lead with 11 goals in his first season with the
Sharks, also was glad to see Pavelski return.

"He really didn't miss a step. It looked like he missed no time
at all," Heatley said. "He should have had two goals, I stole
the other one from him. He played real well tonight and we're
happy to have him back."

Pavelski was held to one goal in four games against Nashville in
2008-09, but the Sharks went 2-1-1 as right wing Devin Setoguchi
registered four goals and four assists.

The Predators began this season with three wins in 10 games
before turning things around. They've since won four of five,
beating Los Angeles 3-1 on Saturday afternoon in the second
contest of a four-game road trip.

Nashville (7-7-1), which is 29th in the NHL with 2.0 goals per
game, got some much-needed offense from a pair of defensemen.
Francis Bouillon and Cody Franson both scored after combining
for one goal in the team's first 14 games.

"That's a big thing for our team. We need our defensemen to
score," said Dan Ellis, who made 27 saves. "We don't have an
abundance of talent and we don't have a surefire sniper. Jason
Arnott is the closest thing we've got, so we need to score by
committee and we need to score with grit. That's what we're
starting to do."

The Predators have scored four or more goals three times in
seven games after not doing so in the first eight.

Nashville won in San Jose last season for just the second time
since the start of 2003-04. The Predators are 2-5-3 there in
that span.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132532-Predators-Sharks-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132532-Predators-Sharks-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:25:42 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Pavelski leads Sharks over Penguins 5-0]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JOSH DUBOW
AP Sports Writer

SAN JOSE, Calif.(AP) -- Joe Pavelski's return from a broken foot
provided a jolt to the San Jose Sharks and helped deliver a
convincing victory over the Stanley Cup champions.

Pavelski had a goal and an assist in his first game back from
the injured list, Evgeni Nabokov made 27 saves in his 49th
career shutout and the Sharks beat the Pittsburgh Penguins for
the seventh straight time at home, 5-0 Saturday night.

"He really didn't miss a step. It looked like he missed no time
at all," teammate Dany Heatley said. "He should have had two
goals, I stole the other one from him. He played real well
tonight and we're happy to have him back."

Pavelski missed the previous five weeks after breaking his foot
while blocking a shot against Anaheim on Oct. 3. He scored San
Jose's second goal and assisted on the fourth.

"There's a smile on everyone's face when he is back in the
lineup," coach Todd McLellen said. "He means so much to our
team, a very intelligent player. He brings a calmness to the
ice."

The Sharks played back-to-back games against the Stanley Cup
finalists, losing a shootout in Detroit on Thursday before
dominating champion Pittsburgh. San Jose led 4-0 less than 4
minutes into the second period, outshooting a Pittsburgh team
missing star center Evgeni Malkin and defenseman Sergei Gonchar
17-3 at one point.

Pittsburgh star Sidney Crosby was held pointless for a fourth
straight game for the fourth time in his career. He hit the post
with a shot early in the second but was unable to convert
against Nabokov and the Sharks.

"We just weren't ready to play the type of game that they came
ready to play," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said.

Heatley, Dan Boyle, Jamie McGinn and Manny Malhotra also scored
for San Jose, which has eight wins and a tie at home against
Pittsburgh since last losing to the Penguins at the Shark Tank
5-2 on Oct. 22, 1997, when Crosby was only 10 years old.

The Penguins had tied a team record with seven straight road
wins before losing 5-2 to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday
night. They followed that up with the loss in San Jose, marking
the first time in 42 regular-season games under Bylsma that
Pittsburgh has gone consecutive games without a point.

"We were lackluster at points," forward Matt Cooke said.
"Everybody goes out on the ice with the intention of winning a
hockey game. Sure, we have injuries and it's there as an excuse
if you want to take it. But if we want to win hockey games we
have to face adversity and find a way to win 1-0 if we have to.
You have to adjust, work harder and work smarter."

San Jose knocked Marc-Andre Fleury out 1:41 into the second
period when Boyle wove through the Penguins defense on a long
rush up ice before beating Fleury with a wrist shot that made it
3-0. Fleury made 11 saves.

Brent Johnson didn't fare much better, allowing a quick goal to
Heatley. Joe Thornton made a perfect feed to Pavelski, who was
coming out of the penalty box. Johnson stopped Pavelski's shot
but Heatley tipped the rebound in for the 4-0 lead and the rout
was on.

Sharks enforcer Jody Shelley got into a pair of fights in the
third period, getting the best of Jay McKee and Eric Godard. The
first led to a power-play goal by Malhotra.

The Sharks dominated play in the opening period, outshooting the
Penguins 13-3 while scoring two goals. McGinn got it started
when Jed Ortmeyer forced a turnover at the blue line and sprung
McGinn up ice with a blind pass. McGinn's second-effort shot
from a bad angle got past Fleury and gave San Jose a 1-0 lead.

The Sharks then came though on the power play for just the
second time in six home games this season. Boyle fired a pass
from the point that Pavelski redirected past a helpless Fleury
for his first goal of the season.

"It had been a while, since last regular season," Pavelski said.
"I was just looking to get back into it and get a few chances."

NOTES: Pittsburgh C Tyler Kennedy was sidelined for the fifth
time in six games with an undisclosed injury. ... Pittsburgh is
2-14-2 in California since the start of the 1999-2000 season.
... Pittsburgh D Kris Letang left in the first period, holding
his right arm awkwardly. He did not return. ... Pittsburgh is 0
for 21 on the power play in its last four games. ... Nabokov is
8-1 in nine career starts against the Penguins.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132270-Pavelski-leads-Sharks-over-Penguins-5-0</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132270-Pavelski-leads-Sharks-over-Penguins-5-0</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:59:12 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Penguins-Sharks Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By BRETT HUSTON
STATS Writer

Pittsburgh (12-4-0) at San Jose (11-4-2), 10:30 p.m. EDT

The Pittsburgh Penguins' impressive winning streak away from
home is over, as is the San Jose Sharks' similarly lengthy
string of victories that was built largely during a road-heavy
stretch.

San Jose's streak of home dominance over Pittsburgh, however, is
very much intact.

The Penguins haven't won in their last eight visits to HP
Pavilion, a drought they'll hope to snap Saturday night in a
matchup of two of the NHL's early season heavyweights.

Pittsburgh (12-4-0) reeled off seven consecutive road victories
to begin the season, tying the second-best start in league
history, before blowing a 2-1 third-period lead Thursday in a
5-2 loss to Los Angeles.

"We didn't play great, and sometimes you get away with that,"
captain Sidney Crosby said after being held without a point for
a third straight game. "It's a good lesson for us. We have
gotten away with bad periods in the past, but tonight we didn't.
We didn't capitalize on our chances and we didn't play well in
the third, and in a tight game like that, you can't afford for
that to happen."

San Jose (11-4-2) was looking for its seventh straight win
Thursday in Detroit, but also gave up a lead in the final 20
minutes. Henrik Zetterberg's goal tied it at 1-all, then he and
Pavel Datsyuk beat Evgeni Nabokov in a shootout to hand the
Sharks a 2-1 loss.

Saturday's game against the Penguins will be the first of three
in a row at home for San Jose after playing nine of 11 on the
road.

"We fought hard for the one point, and we got five out of six on
the road," defenseman Dan Boyle said. "We would have taken that
before the road trip started."

Pittsburgh is playing without reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner
Evgeni Malkin and All-Star defenseman Sergei Gonchar, but those
absences aren't the reason San Jose should feel good about its
chances of extending its home record to 5-0-1.

The Sharks have beaten the Penguins six straight times at HP
Pavilion and are 7-0-0 with a tie against them there since
Pittsburgh last won Oct. 22, 1997.

Crosby, who doesn't have a goal in three career games versus San
Jose, has never gone four in a row without a point.

He'd have a better chance of breaking those droughts if the
Penguins can improve their power play. Pittsburgh is 0 for 17
with the man advantage in the four games it's played without
Malkin, and its 15.5 percent rate of success is among the bottom
third of the league.

San Jose has allowed one goal in its last 17 times short-handed.

Penguins forward Tyler Kennedy sat out against the Kings - his
fourth absence in five games - with an undisclosed injury, but
the Sharks also have a few injury issues.

Defenseman and captain Rob Blake was placed on injured reserve
Thursday with an upper-body injury, meaning he'll miss at least
a week. Right wing Devin Setoguchi - who has seven goals in 11
games - hasn't played since Oct. 24 with a leg injury, but
Patrick Marleau and Dany Heatley have picked up the slack with a
combined 21 goals.

Marleau doesn't have a point in his last four games against the
Penguins, but Heatley scored 10 goals in his last nine versus
Pittsburgh while with Atlanta.

Nabokov is 7-1-0 with a 1.84 goals-against average in eight
starts against the Penguins.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131803-Penguins-Sharks-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131803-Penguins-Sharks-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:24:15 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Red Wings win in SO, snap Sharks 6-game win streak]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[DETROIT(AP) -- The Detroit Red Wings followed their new game plan
perfectly.

Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg scored in the shootout to
lift Detroit to a 2-1 win over San Jose, snapping the Sharks'
six-game winning streak.

Zetterberg also had a goal in regulation, and Chris Osgood made
33 saves for Detroit, which isn't the high-scoring team it has
been the past few years.

After the free-agent losses of Marian Hossa and Mikael
Samuelsson and Jiri Hudler's decision to play in Russia, the Red
Wings knew they would have to play better defensively and grind
out games more. But early season long-term injuries to talented
forwards Johan Franzen (knee) and Valtteri Filppula (broken
wrist) have made Detroit more of a defense-oriented team.

"We're not going to win the same way we did before," Red Wings
coach Mike Babcock said. "We don't have the team to do that."

Datsyuk and Zetterberg, both centers, were also big parts of the
defensive effort. Zetterberg went head-to-head with Joe
Thornton, and Datsyuk faced Patrick Marleau all night.

"He's (Marleau) been their best player," Babcock said. "That's
why I wanted Pav to play against him."

Osgood also had his third good game in a row - a big reason for
the Red Wings' three-game winning streak - after a slow start.

"He gave us confidence to play well in front of him," Zetterberg
said.

Logan Couture scored his first NHL goal for San Jose. Evgeni
Nabokov stopped 35 shots.

"We fought hard for the one point, and we got five out of six on
the road," Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle said. "We would have
taken that before the road trip started."

Even though Detroit trailed 1-0 late in the second period and
early in the third, captain Nicklas Lidstrom said the Red Wings
remained calm.

"Even when you're behind, you can't panic and take chances," he
said. "We stuck to the game plan,"

They were rewarded when Zetterberg tied it 1-1 at 5:38 of the
third period. He poked a puck in from under Nabokov's pad for
his fourth goal.

"The puck was laying there, I just hoped the referees didn't
blow the whistle," Zetterberg said. "I came late from a change
and no one saw me coming in there."

Couture opened the scoring with 5:19 left in the second period
when he beat Osgood with a wrist shot from the right circle.

NOTES: Detroit public address announcer Budd Lynch was honored
before the game. It was the 60th anniversary of his first
television play-by-play broadcast of a Red Wings game. Lynch, 92
and a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, also worked in the
team's public relations office. He has been the public address
announcer at Joe Louis Arena for 24 years. Fans received a Budd
Lynch bobblehead. ... San Jose D and captain Rob Blake didn't
play because of an upper-body injury. His left arm was in a
sling. ... Detroit defensemen Brian Rafalski and Jonathan
Ericsson returned after missing a game with the flu. ... San
Jose head equipment manager Mike Aldrich worked his 1,000th NHL
game.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131677-Red-Wings-win-in-SO-snap-Sharks-6-game-win-streak</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131677-Red-Wings-win-in-SO-snap-Sharks-6-game-win-streak</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:19:00 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Sharks-Red Wings Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
STATS Writer

San Jose (11-4-1) at Detroit (6-4-3), 7:30 p.m. EDT

Last season, the Detroit Red Wings and the San Jose Sharks were
considered heavy favorites to compete for the Western Conference
title. The Red Wings appear to think they'll need a "miracle"
just to win their ninth consecutive Central Division crown this
season, while the Sharks are again competing for conference
supremacy.

The Wings will try to continue to put a surprisingly slow start
behind them by winning a season-high third in a row Thursday
night when they host the Sharks.

The Red Wings (6-4-3) have been a top-four seed in the past 17
postseasons, winning four Stanley Cups and finishing as
runner-up twice, including last season.

Their dynasty may be showing some chinks in 2009-10. Detroit
dropped three of its first five games before getting at least a
point in seven of the last eight (4-1-3) - including Tuesday's
2-0 win over Boston and a 3-1 victory at Calgary last Saturday.

Despite those wins, senior vice president Jim Devellanno feels
this season will be anything but easy.

"We're going to have to fight just to make the playoffs and it's
going to be a grind," Devellanno said. "To get home-ice
advantage would be a miracle. A miracle."

General manager Ken Holland, meanwhile, sees a two-point
division deficit to Chicago as no reason for panic.

"Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk are two of the best players
in the world and they're in the prime of their careers," Holland
said. "Our top four defensemen rank among the best in the league
and Chris Osgood has shown what he can do in goal.

"Who's going to run away with our division? Chicago? We got off
to a bad start and the Blackhawks are only two points ahead of
us, and there's still a lot of hockey left to play."

Detroit has reached 100 points in an NHL-record nine straight
seasons, but the Sharks (11-4-1) have reached that plateau for
three consecutive years and in four of the last five.

The Sharks amassed a franchise-record 117 points to win their
first Presidents' Trophy last season, but were stunned in six
games by Anaheim in the first round of the playoffs, as a
highly-anticipated series with Detroit never materialized.

This season, San Jose is atop the Pacific and one point back of
West-leading Colorado.

The Sharks extended their winning streak to six with Wednesday's
3-2 shootout win at Columbus. They last won seven in a row
during a nine-game run Nov. 13-Dec. 4 last year.

"The whole night was a challenge," coach Todd McLellan said of
Wednesday's win. "It wasn't an overly pretty game to watch. They
did a great job of playing a straight forward, hard-game and we
tried to match it."

Patrick Marleau has been a major force in San Jose's outstanding
start, ranking among the league leaders with 11 goals and 22
points - possibly with extra motivation after McLellan stripped
the captaincy from him during the offseason.

The left wing has struggled in 21 career games at Detroit,
totaling one goal and six assists. The Red Wings have dominated
the series at Joe Louis Arena, going 28-4-0 with a tie all-time.

Chris Osgood will try to frustrate Marleau and the Sharks again.
The goaltender has stopped 49 of 50 shots to win the Wings' last
two games. The hot stretch comes after he gave up two goals on
four shots and was pulled 7:05 into the first period of a 5-4
win at Vancouver on Oct. 27.

The Red Wings and Sharks split four meetings last season with
the home team winning each time.

"No doubt, a top team like San Jose is a good measuring stick
for us," said Detroit defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom, who has one
goal and two assists this season.

The Sharks will be without defenseman Rob Blake, who was placed
on injured reserve Thursday with an undisclosed upper body
injury. Blake, the team's captain, has one goal and five
assists.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131429-Sharks-Red-Wings-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131429-Sharks-Red-Wings-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:19:28 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Sharks place Blake on injured list]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[SAN JOSE, Calif.(AP) -- The San Jose Sharks have placed defenseman
Rob Blake on injured reserve with an undisclosed upper body
injury and recalled defenseman Derek Joslin from Worcester of
the American Hockey League.

Blake was injured during the second period of Wednesday's game
in Columbus and placed on the injured list Thursday. Blake is
the team's captain and has one goal and five assists this
season.

Joslin appeared in two games with the Sharks earlier this
season.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131560-Sharks-place-Blake-on-injured-list</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131560-Sharks-place-Blake-on-injured-list</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:15:32 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Boyle scores SO goal, Sharks beat Blue Jackets]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[COLUMBUS, Ohio(AP) -- With the flick of his wrists, San Jose
defenseman Dan Boyle kept San Jose's streak alive in a physical
game against Ken Hitchcock's Blue Jackets.

Boyle roofed a wrist shot for the lone goal in a shootout, and
Evgeni Nabokov stopped all three shooters to give the Sharks
their sixth straight victory, 3-2 over Columbus on Wednesday
night.

"The whole night was a challenge," San Jose coach Todd McLellan
said. "It wasn't an overly pretty game to watch. They did a
great job of playing a straight forward, hard-game and we tried
to match it."

Nabokov made 26 saves in regulation and overtime, then stopped
attempts by Nikita Filatov, Anton Stralman and Rick Nash in the
tiebreaker.

"I never have any plan because the guys are so skilled," said
Nabokov, who improved to 10-3-1. "The guys have two or three
moves. I never even scout to be honest with you. I just try to
play, make sure my gaps are fine."

Joe Thornton scored and Dany Heatley added a power-play goal for
San Jose. The Sharks have won eight of their last nine games.

Nash had a power-play goal and Jason Chimera also scored for the
Blue Jackets. Stralman added two assists in his 100th NHL game,
and Steve Mason made 36 saves.

Columbus, which twice rallied from one-goal deficits, has lost
four of five and six of eight since starting the season 5-1, but
Hitchcock sees some positives.

"The confidence is that we can play with all the good teams," he
said, referring to his team's recent shootout loss to
Pittsburgh, overtime win at Washington and the effort against
the Sharks. "Now it's whether we can motivate ourselves every
night. That's what the good teams do."

In overtime, Mason gloved Patrick Marleau's shot alone in the
slot, and Thornton rung the puck off the crossbar with a minute
left.

Tied at 2 entering the third period, San Jose outshot Columbus
13-6 in the final frame. But the most dangerous shot was from
the Blue Jackets' Samuel Pahlsson, who hit the right post midway
through. Then with 2 minutes left, Columbus' Antoine Vermette
nearly bull-rushed the puck over the line in a big scrum.

"It's disappointing we didn't get two points," Nash said.

San Jose opened the scoring on Thornton's shot from a sharp
angle near the goal line at 6:32 of the first period. Seconds
before the play, the 6-foot-4, 235-pound Thornton was pushed and
fell on top of Mason, bending the goalie's head downward. The
play seemed to daze Mason and he was slow to reposition himself.
The goal was Thornton's fourth.

Chimera tied it 3 minutes later, redirecting Fedor Tyutin's shot
from the left point after a nice combination of down-low and
across-the-point passes by Columbus.

Heatley made it 2-1 at 4:17 of the second with his 10th of the
season, scoring 8 seconds into Tyutin's tripping penalty.
Heatley, acquired in a trade with Ottawa at the beginning of the
season, had three goals and an assist in the first meeting
between the clubs this season, the Sharks' 6-3 win Oct. 8 in San
Jose.

Boyle's point shot hit Marleau in traffic screening Mason and
trickled into the crease where Heatley jammed it home. Marleau
stretched his points streak to nine games.

"They're a team that collapses and waits for mistakes," Heatley
said. "We made a few mistakes here and there, but got a big
power play and a great move by Boiler in the shootout and Nabby
shut the door."

Nash scored his 10th from a tight angle shot from the right goal
line to make it 2-2 at 16:45.

NOTES: Sharks D Rob Blake was injured during the second period
and did not return. Blue Jackets RW Mike Blunden was injured
early in the game and didn't come back. ... The Blue Jackets
played without regulars C Derick Brassard (hand), D Mike
Commodore (charley horse) and LW Kristian Huselius (upper body).
The Sharks were minus key forwards Joe Pavelski, Torrey
Mitchell, Ryan Vesce and Devin Setoguchi, all out with
lower-body injuries. ... Columbus D Jan Hejda returned after
missing three weeks because of a sprained knee.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131399-Boyle-scores-SO-goal-Sharks-beat-Blue-Jackets</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131399-Boyle-scores-SO-goal-Sharks-beat-Blue-Jackets</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:49:28 GMT</pubDate>
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