Sharks Beat Nashville In Overtime

Marleau skates in, shoots, SCORES! Patrick Marleau wins it in overtime!

The San Jose Sharks win again at home, this time against the visiting Nashville Predators. Definitely a game to help forget the losing effort just three days ago when the chippy Stars team paid a visit from Dallas. When the Predators visited in December, they handed the Sharks a narrow 2-1 loss, so the Sharks had all the more reason to beat them this time on home ice.

Each of the first two periods ended with one goal per team, with the Sharks scoring first each time. Just over eight minutes into the first period, Ryane Clowe tipped the puck into the net, fed by Dany Heatley and Jason Demers, to bring the score to 1-0 Sharks. The Predators struck back late in the first with a power play goal by Joel Ward, and the score remained 1-1 through the end of the first.

During the second period, defenseman Justin Braun shot the puck from the point, scoring on a bewildered Predators netminder, Pekka Rinne, after the puck bounced off of a couple of Predators players before finding its way to the back of the net. The Sharks’ lead was short lived after a too many men penalty against them gave the Predators’ power line time to capitalize, allowing defenseman Shea Weber an opportunity to score, which he promptly did, to bring the tally to 2-2.

The Sharks turned up the heat in the third period. They maintained fabulous puck control, fired quality shots on net, made great passes, and quickly recovered the puck when the Predators had been able to gain brief control. While the Sharks dominated puck control and shots on net, the Predators’ netminder Pekka Rinne was responsible for keeping the Predators alive. Even with well-placed shots, the Sharks failed to get the puck to cross the goal line.

With four seconds left in the third period, the Predators iced the puck, placing the face-off in their zone. The Sharks almost managed to score before their forced overtime, with the draw cleanly won by Joe Pavelski, and Ian White blasting the available puck towards the net.

During overtime, the Sharks almost lost after a potentially dangerous turnover in their zone. Fortunately, the Sharks recovered, performing a few fast-paced two on ones, although it was the final two on one momentum with Ian White and Patrick Marleau that ended it all. Marleau skated in the zone with the puck, and using White as a decoy, proceeded to shoot the puck at the net. Although the Predators defenseman got a piece of the puck with his skate, Marleau’s shot was hard enough to beat Rinne for the win.

Congratulations to the Sharks on their hard-fought win!

Last note: In case some of you are interested, Logan Couture won the informal Sharks’ fan poll to answer the question, “Who is the best two-way forward on the Sharks right now?” I actually voted for Ryane Clowe (who came in second), but it could have been Jamie Baker’s obvious nod to Couture that may have influenced the vote – haha. Not saying that’s bad, as Couture is a total stud. But still, would have been interesting to see the results had Baker not circled Couture’s name on the polling list.

I will be away for the next two games (Thursday’s against the Vancouver Canucks and Saturday’s against the New York Rangers) to play in a hockey tournament (who would’ve thought?). so I will not return until Monday, when the Sharks take on the Blackhawks in Chicago.

GO SHARKS!

Whipp's Frozen Fruit Deal

Whipp's has become one of my favorite dessert stops Downtown. They have a very unique product which essentially consists of fresh fruit ground up into something similar to ice cream. I typically combine their whipped fruit with some type of yogurt such as vanilla tart. They also have free parking right behind their store, a rare convenience downtown! Currently, KGB Deals is running a 50% off promotion for them. Check out the deal over here!

Hit the sweet spot with a medium-sized frozen fruit dessert for $1.95 at Whipp’s Frozen Fruit ($3.95 value)

who & where

• Whipp's Frozen Fruit
• www.whippsdesserts.com
• 110 E. San Fernando St.
• San Jose, CA 95112
• 608.930.9490

by the way:

• Valid until June 12, 2011
• Cannot be combined with other offers

need to know:

• Tasty and refreshing whipped dessert with your choice of two fresh fruit flavors
• Choose from any delicious and low-calorie flavors like pear, banana, watermelon, peach, pineapple, and more
• All-natural, non-fat, and non-dairy dessert

what & why

Since the dawn of low-carb-low-fat-low-calorie diets, faithful followers have been hunting down sugar-sweetened gratification that hits the spot without expanding the waistline. Satisfy your craving for something indulgent yet diet-friendly with today’s kgbdeal and enjoy a medium-sized frozen fruit cup for just $1.95 at Whipp’s Frozen Fruit. This health-conscious dessert destination sells tart, naturally tasty desserts that are non-fat, non-dairy, and topped with whipped fresh fruit in your choice of two seriously delicious flavors. Have your dessert and still fit into those skinny jeans with a satisfying sweet treat that somehow tastes like ice cream without all those unnecessary calories. 

Veggielution Backyard Chickens Workshop

Sign up now for Veggielution’s Backyard Chickens workshop—it will fill up soon because raising chickens is more and more popular and this is a great deal for a workshop to get you started.

The workshop is Saturday, March 26, from 1:30 to 3:30 pm in the LeFevre Barn Classroom. The $20 fee for this class covers materials costs, and also allows Veggielution to put on free and bilingual workshops throughout the year. Click here to register.

Raising chickens at home comes with many rewards, and is a great way to be more connected with where our food comes from. A few hens can keep your family supplied with fresh eggs that can come in a beautiful range of colors, with thick sturdy shells, and vibrant yolks that stand up tall. We’ll go over selecting breeds and where to buy chicks, designing a coop and run, raising your chicks, and keeping your chickens safe, healthy and happy.

This will be a hands-on workshop that includes a visit to Veggielution’s chicken coop to hold hens, gather eggs, see an example of coop design, and participate in some chicken care. If you’re interested, we can also arrange to order and raise some chicks for you too. This workshop will be led by Jessie Nichols, Veggielution Youth Program Coordinator and mother hen to our flock of 36 chickens since they were chicks.

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Cody Kraatz
Veggielution Outreach and Communications Coordinator
mobile 408.218.5738
www.veggielution.org

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Magic is Coming to the San Jose Improv Tomorrow!

World-renowned magicians Wayne Houchin and Aaron Fisher will present an evening of Mystery, Magic & Curiosities at the San Jose Improv on March 8th at 8 PM. This all-ages* show features cutting edge sleight-of-hand magic along with special musical guest Josh Funk.

Wayne Houchin worked with Criss Angel on the hit TV show Mindfreak, made headlines for predicting the exact outcome of the Super Bowl and recently made history in the Dominican Republic by stopping time for the entire nation – on live national television.

Aaron Fisher is a regular performer at the world-famous Magic Castle in Hollywood and is widely regarded as one of the greatest sleight-of-hand artists in the world. His best selling magic book The Paper Engine has been hailed as a modern day classic.

*The poster says ages 13+, but management has decided to open the show up to younger children (10+) as well.

Stars End Sharks’ Streak At Home

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Such was the case for the San Jose Sharks, narrowly losing to the Dallas Stars at home, with the score of 3-2.

With the loss, the Sharks still remain in third place in the Western Conference standings and atop the Pacific Division. Some writers or analysts may state the Sharks have “suddenly discovered how the Pacific Division may be more difficult than expected” due to their loss to the Stars. In reality, for the Sharks, it was a bad game, and for the Stars, it was a fortunate win. To win eight games in a row is in itself a great accomplishment, and most Sharks fans are cognizant of that.

Although it is good to be in a solid third place position this close to the regular season’s end, those who were able to watch the game either at the Tank or on television may be more than a bit disappointed with how the loss played out. With the combination of the Sharks’ messy play, the horrible officiating, the bad bounces, and the dirty cheap shots by the Stars players, the loss did not sit well at all with the fans. The game did not play out like a typical gentlemen’s loss, but instead a bitter end to a chippy game.

Unlike the visible explosiveness of the Sharks team from the Detroit Red Wings game two days prior, I saw a Sharks team reminiscent of last year’s first two games against the Colorado Avalanche in the Conference Quarterfinals. For the Sharks, passes missed the mark, turnovers were given away, players could not properly handle the puck, and others had to maneuver to keep from hitting one another. To make matters worse, Stars forward Jamie Benn managed to sneak past the Sharks defenses on a power play to score a short-handed, breakaway goal just over a minute into the game.

It was then the Sharks picked up their pace.

Sharks forward Kyle Wellwood perfectly tipped in a shot to even out the score to 1-1 by the end of the first period, and by the second period, the rejuvenated Sharks were playing to their typical high level. Just over a minute into the second period, Sharks forwards Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau executed a textbook two on one for Marleau’s 26th goal of the year, giving the Sharks their first lead of the game.

Throughout the period, the Sharks demonstrated better puck control, more shots, and some well-placed hits. It is always nice to see big Ben Eager get fired up and throw his body around. Defenseman Douglas Murray also did what he does best: block shots, clear the puck, and deliver great, clean hits. The Stars players, mad about being sent to the ice, all attempted to retaliate, but Murray confidently brushed them away.

The third period unfortunately saw the Stars score two more goals that managed to beat goaltender Antti Niemi. Both Stars goals occurred in front of the net: one bounced to a waiting Loui Eriksson, and the other redirected off of Dany Heatley’s stick by accident. Goaltender Antti Niemi, although allowing three goals in the contest, did not play a bad game. He still managed to fight off screens to stop wayward pucks and even executed a brilliant save on the Stars' Mike Ribeiro on an open net opportunity.

While the progression of the period saw the Sharks attempt to score again, nothing seemed to be working. Puck battles bounced in the Stars’ favor, opportunities for Shark goals would be thwarted by un-penalized cheap shots (case in point, the tackling of Joe Pavelski close to the end of the third period on a scoring opportunity), and a legitimate goal late in the third was waved off by the officials. There was even one instance where the Stars’ goalie tripped up Ryane Clowe, with Clowe being sent to the penalty box for goaltender interference.

Although the Sharks earned no points for their efforts, as fans we must keep this game in the history books the way it played out: a fluke.

The Sharks have two days to pull he team together to re-energize before their Tuesday night game against the Nashville Predators at the Shark Tank. Go Sharks!

The Kebab Shack Replaces Chill Factor

The bad news is Chill Factor Frozen Yogurt Lounge at 312 S. 3rd is no more. This brings us down to ONLY FIVE yogurt shops in Downtown San Jose.

The good news is it was replaced by a solid Mediterranean place called The Kebab Shack. I tried their chicken kebabs and recently, and they were extremely tender and flavorful. It does take about 15min to get your order because everything is made fresh to order, but it's worth the wait. The best part? Open until 3am on the weekends.

Black and Teal

Here's yet another hip hop video featuring San Jose by local artists, this time honoring the Sharks! Hat tip to Quan for the link.

Sharks Win Again, Dominate At Home

The San Jose Sharks faced the star-studded Detroit Red Wings team at home, emerging on top, with the final score of 3-1 Sharks. Whether it could have been an energetic locker room speech or a desirable incentive, whatever it was, the solution worked. From the very onset of the game, the Sharks played with dynamic intensity, and the fans in the Shark Tank felt the team’s energetic presence. Despite the large number of jeering and heckling Red Wings fans attempting to infest the Tank with their mediocre “shout over the Sharks’ cheers” support, the true hearts of teal quashed any hope those wearing Red Wings jerseys had with booming cheers and standing ovations during the course of the Sharks’ domination.

With their win, the Sharks extend their win streak to eight games in a row.

San Jose Sharks forward Dany Heatley, a name notably missing from our recent post-game entries, made a triumphant return, not only notching two goals (after scoring only one in the last twelve games), but executing an array of fantastic plays: throwing his body around (one time knocking Detroit forward Pavel Datsyuk’s helmet off), winning the corner battles, and turning hard backchecks into successful takeaways. Heatley walked away as the game’s first star, and well deservedly so. This was the Heatley fans had been waiting for.

During the course of the game, each period’s hard fought battles was rightly won by the Sharks. Although the Sharks only capitalized on one of three power plays (as did the Red Wings), the Sharks’ true domination with puck control and passing came during even strength hockey. In fact, the Sharks almost made their puck control look too easy, making even strength hockey look as if they were on a power play. (Perhaps Sharks coach Todd McLellan should trick his players into thinking they’re playing even strength hockey when a power play opportunity comes? Just kidding.)

Nevertheless, each action-packed period carried a goal by the Sharks, and in between each goal, the Sharks demonstrated their Cup-contending skills with competent offensive zone play. Sharks fans at the Tank loudly showed their support every time the Sharks set up goals, put terrific shots on net, and continually recovered the puck when the Red Wings would attempt to break out of their zone.

The Red Wings’ fate was sealed late in the third period when a forechecking Patrick Marleau caught the Red Wings’ netminder by surprise and sent an awkwardly deflected tip into the back of the net. With the Red Wings’ net empty soon thereafter, Dany Heatley managed to get close to scoring a hat trick, although with a tough front put up by the Red Wings’ defense and given he was skating down the right side of the ice as a left-handed shot, Heatley’s shot careened over the net.

Watching the Sharks play so well, even without the extremely visible presence of veteran defenseman Dan Boyle, is evidence of how well the team has really come together. Just look at what we (as Sharks fans) have been witness to in recent times: our puck control and defense has significantly improved, and each of our recent acquisitions have been big wins. To elaborate on our recent acquisitions, look at who we have acquired:

- Ben Eager, a gritty, hard-working forward, who ironically proved to be a real pain for the Sharks during last year’s playoffs as a member of the Stanley Cup-winning Chicago Blackhawks team. After his match penalty in Atlanta, the team could not wait to get rid of him (at least the local sports writers were vocal about it, as seen here – link), and subsequently dealt him to the Sharks. Upon his arrival in San Jose, Eager has scored, backed up teammates, contributed with of his signature big hits, and revealed his amazing hidden skill: a fast and powerful wrist shot. (Just ask the Anaheim Ducks.)

- Kyle Wellwood, a forward with playing ability highly reminiscent of Sharks fan favorite Scott Nichol (who is currently on injured reserve). Wellwood has not only scored multiple times, his intensity and talented stickhandling ability make him a terrifically effective forward.

- Defenseman Ian White, recently acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes. YouTube has made him particularly famous from clips of him laying bone-crunching hits, then proceeding to beat his target in a fight if the target of his hit decided to retaliate. Much like the great majority of the Sharks’ defensive lineup, he plays a very offensive game. Although many critics tend to criticize non-stay-at-home defenders, White plays his game with surprising efficacy. Watch him pinch in at the right time to keep the puck in the zone and carry the puck out of the zone by him self and pass it to a teammate already going at full speed to stymie the opposing team’s defense.

The Sharks play the Dallas Stars this Saturday at the Shark Tank at 7:30pm. Hope to see many of you supportive fans there!