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San Jose Sharks Advance to the Conference Finals!

Sharks fans knew Game Five was going to be an exciting, nail-biting performance – and boy did they get a show! Congratulations to the San Jose Sharks for advancing to the Western Conference Finals, and doing so at home in front of thousands of loyal fans! This is great news for the fans not only because the Sharks have beaten the typically-dominant Red Wings franchise, but because the Sharks have shown signs of knocking away their post-regular season misfortunes in order to position themselves well for their quest towards winning the Stanley Cup.

With a final score of 2-1, the Sharks defeat the Detroit Red Wings at four games to one, where they face off against either the Chicago Blackhawks or the Vancouver Canucks (as their series is currently three games to one, in the favor of the Blackhawks) in the next stage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Sharks’ victory was by no means easy, as the Red Wings displayed their complete range of skill with their extremely talented roster of all-star players, and pulled no punches. Both of the Red Wings’ offense and defense were strong, not allowing the Sharks much opportunity to either score or defend their net from getting scored on, but the Sharks worked very hard and kept all that from happening.

The first period proved to be a real battle for both teams as the game remained scoreless for both teams the entire period. Fans were instilled with confidence, however, for their Sharks had been able to keep the puck in the Red Wings zone for most of the period, having many opportunities to score. Additionally, Sharks coach Todd McLellan knew from the prior game that there needed to be some added focus on some of the Red Wings offense, namely Johan Franzen, who had six points last game, and the usual suspects Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk. Neither Zetterberg nor Datsyuk had a point the whole game, although Franzen had been able to eek out an assist for the Red Wings’ lonely goal.

Although the Sharks got off to a good start the second period, the tide turned in the favor of the Red Wings as they had been able to keep the puck firmly inside the Sharks’ zone for most of the period. The Red Wings were able to strike first as defenseman Brian Rafalski slapped it past Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov to make the game 1-0 Detroit. It did not take long for the Sharks to strike back, as a power play allowed fan favorite power forward Joe Thornton to bury it in front of a crowded net, making it 1-1 only two minutes later.

Since it was anyone’s game the third period, as it had been a tie game, both teams battled very hard. During an exciting moment when Joe Pavelski had poked the puck past the feet of the Red Wings defensemen to go against netminder Jimmy Howard, after which he was thwarted when he was hindered from behind, the referee granted him a penalty shot. With the San Jose crowd cheering wildly, Joe Paveski knew he was on the spot and had to score. Unfortunately, his shot only missed the mark by a little bit as it careened over Howard’s shoulder and into the crossbar. Sharks fans were quickly relieved, however, after forward Patrick Marleau released a wicked one-timer from the mid slot using a Joe Thornton feed to put the Sharks at a 2-1 lead. As this happened with ten minutes to go, this had been perhaps the most nail-biting portion of the game. While the Red Wings needed to score, the Sharks needed to only keep them from doing so, with smart plays in the defensive zone and well-timed puck dumps into the Red Wings’ zone from the red line.

Although the Red Wings had put up a very good fight, their efforts were unsuccessful. The Sharks kept the puck out of their net to grant them their victory in Gave Five.

Congratulations, Sharks! Now keep on going!

Staturday Stats: San Jose fastest-growing among California's big cities!

Posted by xThomasTroublex in the San Jose Development Forum:

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The largest numeric growth was in the expected cities: Los Angeles grew by 44,037 people, San Diego by 17,041 and San Jose by 16,237. But in percentage growth, the three that exceeded 5 percent were Colfax, Beaumont (Riverside County) and Sand City (

Monterey County). Sand City, near the former Fort Ord, grew from 312 to 329.

In the Bay Area, the fastest-growing cities by percentage were Oakley, Sebastopol, San Ramon and Millbrae. The only Bay Area city reporting a drop was Fairfield, in Solano County.

The state's population was put at 36,648,000, with Los Angeles at 4,094,764 by far the largest city. San Jose, at No. 3, had 1,023,083 residents, and was the fastest-growing city by percentage among the top 10.

No. 5 Fresno reached the milestone of 500,000, and Oxnard surpassed 200,000 for the first time.

Of 480 cities in the report, 445 reported gains. The four counties that reported a loss are all in the Sierra: Plumas, Sierra, Alpine and Mariposa.

The population estimates do not incorporate the 2010 Census counts.

Tough Loss for Sharks Forces Game 5 in San Jose

While a four-game sweep against the Detroit Red Wings dynasty would have been an awesome victory for the San Jose Sharks, the Red Wings' efforts alongside their energetic home crowd in Game Four have given them the opportunity to stay alive. Although the Red Wings completely dominated the scoreboard, winning the game with a mind-blowing 7-1, one win is only one win, and the Sharks still lead the series three games to one. Fortunately, the next game will be played in front of the San Jose crowd at the HP Pavilion this Saturday at 7:00 pm, all anxious to see their beloved hockey team advance to the Conference finals for only the second time in franchise history.

Tonight's game proved to be simply a down moment in the series. The Red Wings had a terrific game; in particular Johan Franzen (affectionately known as “The Mule” in Detroit after famed captain Steve Yzerman gave him that nickname), who managed a hat trick in just over three minutes of play, finishing the game with four goals and two assists. Additionally, Red Wings netminder Jimmy Howard played a phenomenal game, turning away 28 out of 29 shots, most of them difficult to block. The Sharks, however, did not have an “on” game, for example, as goaltender Evgeni Nabokov, who performed brilliantly on Tuesday's Game Three, allowed half the shots on him to go into the net. What the Sharks need is effective rest for the next day and a half before focusing and attacking Game Five with a vengeance to put the Red Wings away in front of the home San Jose crowd.

The only obstacle between now and then is to continue to persevere and finish off the Red Wings with another win. Even though the Sharks managed a 3-0 series lead, each game had been a tough battle. Last year, the Red Wings (then the defending Stanley Cup champions) unsurprisingly advanced to the finals, pushing the Pittsburgh Penguins all the way to Game Seven before the Penguins, arguably, barely pushed through to win the game with a 2-1 victory. This year, the Red Wings are even better, and to be able to advance past them this year in the playoffs will turn the San Jose Sharks into the new favorite to win the coveted Stanley Cup. The Sharks fans have a lot to believe in this year. Believe in your Sharks. Support your Sharks. It's the playoffs, so although there undoubtedly will be some down moments in the series, what matters is if, in the end, the Sharks persevere and emerge victorious.

GO SHARKS!

Game Four will be in San Jose's HP Pavilion arena at 7:00 pm this Saturday.
Tickets available tomorrow.

Little Italy San Jose - Walking Tour

Our New Sports Blogger - Jarrod Wells!!!

It's with great pleasure that I would like to introduce a new contributor to The San Jose Blog! Jarrod Wells is an accomplished hockey player--even playing internationally--and I'm thrilled that he'll be blogging about the Sharks' quest towards the Stanley Cup this season! I really think this will finally be our year. Please check out his first couple posts below!

Ultimate Comeback Grants Sharks a 3-0 Series Lead

Today, the Sharks knew they were going to enter a serious and painful battle. Long has the Detroit Red Wings’ Joe Louis Arena been host to the San Jose Sharks’ misery. Of the forty-four total away games the Sharks have played in Detroit, only eight have been victorious. In addition, the Red Wings have been a great team this year to boot. As the game progressed, the Sharks looked as if they were playing an average game. Unfortunately, when your opponent is the Red Wings, average does not cut it.

Within the first period, the Red Wings’ Henrik Zetterberg had been able to sneak a puck past Sharks netminder Evgeni Nabokov, although the “shot” was later ruled a “kick in,” disallowing the goal to a torrent of boos from the emotional Joe Louis crowd. Shortly thereafter, Red Wings’ goalie screening expert Tomas Holmstrom snuck one by Nabokov with a tip in for a 1-0 Detroit lead, calming the crowd from the disallowed goal.

As Sharks fans were likely disappointed by the Red Wings’ first period domination, some hopes were rekindled when Nabokov brilliantly gloved the shot of Zetterberg, who had been awarded an unhindered penalty shot when a Sharks player covered the puck in the crease with his hand. The Red Wings shortly extended the lead to 2-0 with a snap shot from forward Daniel Cleary. As the first period winded down to its end, Sharks forward Devin Setoguchi slid the puck past Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard to make the score 2-1, with less than three seconds remaining in the period.

During the second period, Red Wings again extended their lead to two goals after Zetterberg finally put the puck past Nabokov, making the score 3-1. Due to the Sharks’ disappointing history in Detroit and the Red Wings’ brilliant play, it was clear to some that the Sharks were not going to be able to win. The Red Wings’ defensive lineup, primarily the Brian Rafalski-Nicklas Lidstrom pair, had been blocking numerous shots and clearing out potential Sharks scoring opportunities. It was then the Sharks knew they had to carry out nothing short of a miracle to come back against the dominant Red Wings team.

The third period started out with a bang in the Sharks’ favor, as they rose to the occasion and stepped up their performance pace. Railing Red Wings goaltender Howard with many shots on net, the Sharks knew they would eventually wear him down and start putting the pucks past him. Fortunately, the Sharks were right. Almost seven minutes into the third period, power forward Joe Thornton executes an unassisted goal, and seven minutes after that, rookie Logan Couture of the Sharks’ third line rallies to score as well, placing the Sharks and Red Wings at a dead-even tie. The fans of the Joe Louis Arena could not believe it. It was their home, their arena, their domain, and the Sharks were supposed to lose.

Although the Sharks gained an upper hand with a late game power play, they failed to take advantage, and the game was sent into overtime. Both teams played very well in the overtime period, although it was not until a fluke shot by a Red Wings defenseman when the Sharks finally took advantage. The shot missed the net and wrapped around the boards to a patiently waiting Joe Thornton, who quickly broke out of the Sharks’ defensive zone and into the Red Wings’ zone on a two on two. With incredible speed, Sharks’ star forward Patrick Marleau broke past two Red Wings players, where we had been able to receive a pass from Thornton, underneath an outstretched Brian Rafalski, and into the net left open by an over-aggressive Howard, sealing the Sharks’ victory and 3-0 series lead.

May the Sharks continue to play well on Thursday to sweep the Red Wings!

San Jose Sharks to Continue Momentum versus Detroit in Game Three

After two impressive games on home ice, the Sharks are up two games to zero on the Detroit Red Wings as they head to Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena for the next two contests of the Western Conference Semifinals.

The Sharks’ recent victories over the Red Wings are nothing short of spectacular. As many hockey fans understand, the Detroit Red Wings is widely known as a strong hockey franchise, with this year being no exception. Although they had only been the fifth seed entering the 2010 Playoffs, a lot of it had to do with their injury-marred season, leaving some of their stars, namely Tomas Holmstrom and Henrik Zetterberg, on the injured-reserve list for parts of the season. In the current stage of the playoffs, however, the Red Wings are pulling no punches, pairing up dynamic forwards Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, and strong, experienced defensemen Brian Rafalski and captain Nicklas Lidstrom.

Given the Sharks have demonstrated their ability to play a terrific game and win, the next two games must be played with a discerning focus, especially against a strong team like the Red Wings. Detroit does not plan to make the next games easy for the Sharks, now they have home ice advantage, and with coach Mike Babcock making it known to a few sources of his plans to shut down the Sharks’ offense and keep them from scoring.

Fortunately for the Sharks, they too have enough dynamic players to continue their momentum against the Red Wings this series. With the surprising star, 25-year old Joe Pavelski, currently atop the NHL Playoff leader board for goals (and second in points), power player Devon Setoguchi, rising star Manny Malhotra, and the first forward line of Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, and Dany Heatley, the Sharks have arguably the strongest offense in the current playoffs. In addition, the Sharks have seen flashes of brilliance from defenseman Dan Boyle, despite the fluke “own goal” in Denver from Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. Since the widely-reported error, Boyle has come through tremendously with great playmaking, and in addition, notching three assists in Game 1 versus Detroit and scoring against the Avalanche. To win, the Sharks must keep up their offensive front, while at the same time stepping up their defense with better breakouts and coverage of Red Wings players in the defensive zone. If the Sharks can pull off a series victory versus Detroit, their chances of winning the Cup will be much more likely.

Catch the game tonight at 4:30pm Pacific Time.

GO SHARKS!