Game Six!

Let the rally continue!

On the fence in a desperate Game Five in Pittsburgh, the Sharks successfully staved off elimination, bringing the series back to San Jose to play their last game in front of the faithful fans this season.  A win today will force a Game Seven in Pittsburgh, this time with the momentum on the Sharks' side.

Goaltender Martin Jones' brilliant performance (who arguably has played a significant role in keeping the Sharks in the running), coupled with an extremely solid defensive core, kept the Sharks in the lead.  Jones made 44 saves in Game Five, some of which were deadly scoring chances that many thought would be goals.  While the Penguins lit up Jones with shots, the Sharks' strategy of ensuring quality shots has given them a lower shot count.  The Penguins have also been nothing short of amazing with their positioning as to block most of the Sharks' opportunities and to not allow any clear shots towards the net.

While the Penguins currently have the upper hand on the series lead, the Sharks have shown stronger play as a team with each progressive game this series as they learn from the Penguins' method of playing, matching speed with finesse, and blind shots with quality scoring chances.  The Sharks had plenty of scoring opportunities in Game Five (i.e. one-on-none on the goalie), but Penguins goaltender Murray found a way each time to keep his team in the running.  Converting more of these can tun these close games into more of a runaway.  (Remember Game Seven vs. the Predators in Round Two?)  Ardent observers of the game understand that while you need to be good to begin with, hockey really comes down to matching up playing styles, and the Sharks' lack of experience with playing a team like the Penguins hurt in the opening of the Stanley Cup Finals.

This undoubtedly has changed in the Sharks' favor as this series has unfolded.

There are several points of consideration I would like to mention that will keep the Sharks fans happy and force a Game Seven.  See below:

FIRST TO SCORE
The Sharks absolutely must be the first team to score.  While they demonstrated that - twice - in Game Five, it is equally important to not let up and allow the opposition to get two quick ones right back.  As the Sharks have shown this series that they have learned the Penguins' style of play to adapt to it (notice how the Penguins do not look as 'fast' as they did in Games One and Two?), they certainly will learn to "shut the gates" if they can throw one or two quick ones during the first period.

ELIMINATE THE PENS' OFFENSE
One notable point about this series is the lack of scoring by each team's best players.  Notice the lack of scoring by Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin (well, he did get one 'weak' one in Game Five), and Phil Kessel (invisible since Game One)?  Thank Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Justin Braun.  While Martin Jones' kudos is rightly earned, the Sharks' defensemen have been extremely hard at work, nullifying the team's most capable offensive producers.  (That explains why players like Vladimir Tarasenko from the Blues struggles to put points on the board.)

In addition to this, we must continue to position ourselves well to eliminate any potential scoring chance.  We have shown that we can do this, so let us continue on!

GET IN THEIR HEAD
This one is both for the fans and for the players.  We can watch the trash talk and videos of Joe Thornton messing with Sidney Crosby, but there is good reason why playing at home gives the home team a distinct advantage.  Even more so, players voted the SAP Center as the toughest place to play in the entire league (as evidenced by this video, where the two facilities determined as 'tougher' to play no longer exist).  In other words: NO EXCUSES!  Time to be loud!  Remember that hockey is a fast-paced game, and either team can certainly recover from any goal deficit, so keep the cheers coming!

STAY COOL AND COLLECTED
Sharks hockey, when they are playing well, is like watching some kind of art form.  Joe Thornton is arguably one of the best passers - ever - in the NHL, and watching him set up teammates is quite fun to watch.  Now that we know Joe Thornton can shoot as well, we are seeing far more scoring from any line he is on.  It seems now Thornton is not the only one who can pass well, with the likes of Tomas Hertl, and setting up scorers like Joonas Donskoi and Joel Ward.  While it is natural to have the Stanley Cup Final jitters, the Sharks need to relax and play like they can, because when they are indeed "cool and collected," it is quite beautiful to watch; not only what the team can do with the puck, but how the puck beautifully enters the opposing net.

BIG GUNS A-BLAZIN'
We saw Brent Burns score in Game Five (the first time this series) and add on a couple of extra exciting scoring chances.  Joe Pavelski, despite getting his only goal on an empty netter, looked quite good as well.  The Sharks' prominent offense is waking up, and it does not seem like it will slow down through the rest of the series.  If they can keep this all up, a forced Game Seven seems all too within reach.

Along with many other diehard fans, I will be in attendance tonight.  It is going to be a fun one!

GO SHARKS!

Go Sharks!

It's great to see Centerra showing some team spirit!

Source: jawz from the San Jose Development Forum

Saturday Stats: San Jose is the top place to start a business in America

San Jose has returned to the top spot as the best city in the country to start a business according to an annual ranking by Biz2Credit. Shockingly, we came in at 18th place last year due to high costs of doing business. However, this year the other criteria were more than able to make up for those costs. The study looked at the health of small businesses in each metro, the entrepreneurial ecosystem, taxes, and the local talent pool.

New York City took the second highest spot on the list followed by San Francisco in third. For more details, read the full article over here.

Source: CNBC

Content Magazine pick-up party for issue 8.2 "Sync"

The latest edition of content magazine celebrates the art of fashion and this will be one of their biggest "pick-up" parties yet. Unlike traditional magazines, if you are a Content subscriber you have the option of picking up the latest issue at an event with the writers, photographers, editors, and the people featured in the latest issue.

The pick-up party for issue 8.2 Sync will take place on Saturday, June 18th from 7-10pm at The Armory (240 N. 2nd Street). The event will include curated art galleries by Anne & Mark's Art Party, a fashion show by Pivot: The Art of Fashion, small bites, a no-host bar, live music, and a DJ. Of course if you are a subscriber you also get your latest issue of Content. There will also be an after-party at Ludwig's, a new German restaurant in Downtown San Jose.

Unlike most pick-up parties for Content, this is a paid event. However, the first 75 subscribers to RSVP will receive two free passes. To RSVP, click here. You will also get 1 free drink coupon. If you are not yet a subscriber, head over here.

Game Five: Let the Rallying Begin!

It is game five of the Stanley Cup Finals, and the Sharks are on the brink of elimination.

The whole nation, outside of Pittsburgh, is on board with the Sharks, and I do mean the city in Pennsylvania, as a similarly named East Bay town temporarily changed its name to stand behind our men in teal.

There have been a lot of horrible, bunk statistics being thrown around the last couple of days about the chances of recovery from a 1-3 series deficit.  Granted it is a different sport, but one other Bay Area team found a way.  A series comeback is not impossible, but the fans must believe and rally in their support.  It seems the norm these days to reinvent how statistics can be presented, from a rookie's performance to success based on whether or not the Western/Eastern trophies are touched.  These bunk stats are meant to fill blogs with silly story ideas.  In reality, the Sharks can absolutely come back in this with a Game Five win tonight to send the series back to the San Jose faithful.

The Sharks have demonstrated this series that they can hang with the Penguins, but they must play the full 60 minutes.  With the exception of last game, all games have been decided by one goal, and as the games have progressed, the Sharks have played better each game (despite the Game Four loss) with evidenced speed, puck handling, and scoring opportunities.

Oh, yes, those wonderful scoring opportunities.  We need to score on those.  Imagine if we have, after all.  This would be quite a different series.

With a win tonight, the Sharks can regain momentum and return to their dominance, as displayed from earlier this postseason, such as against the Blues.  With a roster full of players without Stanley Cup victories (with the exception of the once backup to Jonathan Quick), it is natural to want to support what can be described as an underdog run to the Cup, based on the slim chances the Sharks were perceived as having of winning the Stanley Cup before the postseason commenced.

Given the Sharks are in the position they are currently in, expect players like Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns to reactivate.  We all know Joe Thornton is ready to go.  I have to say, based on the interviews with the players today, they all appear determined and serious about upping their toughness and taking this series back to our favor.  This is great to see, because having this mindset is when the Sharks play well.

As fans, we must get behind our team, the valiant Sharks, and force a Game Six at home!  I therefore expect to see you all there at the SAP Center this Sunday!  Believe!  Go Sharks!

Dine Downtown Restaurant Week kicks off tomorrow

Starting tomorrow you will be able to get three-course meals at a variety of Downtown San Jose restaurants for a fixed price. 18 different restaurants are participating in the latest Dine Downtown Restaurant Week, including several of my favorites. I highly recommend Arcadia, Cafe Stritch, Nomikai, Scott's Seafood, and SP2. $1 will be donated to Martha's Kitchen for every meal that is purchased during the event.

Below in the SJDA press release you will also find a list of events to pair with your dining experiences. To see the full list of participating restaurants, head over here.

SAN JOSE – Downtown diners can experience a new hot spot every night over 10 days this June, when restaurants offer specially priced, three-course meals for Dine Downtown.

From June 10 to June 19, downtown restaurants create special menus for Dine Downtown. Options include new up-and-coming restaurants and recognized, award-winning downtown icons.  There’s a meal to meet every want – from Hawaiian to Asian-inspired comfort food to steakhouses, Italian food and beyond.  See all of the restaurants and menus at http://dinedowntownsj.com.

Since food is also about community, the dining experience isn’t just for the joy of a great meal.  Dine Downtown sponsor Sysco will donate $1 to Martha’s Kitchen for every meal purchased.  Martha’s Kitchen has provided hot meals to the hungry for 35 years.

Dine Downtown is a great week to explore all the area has to offer – from great food to arts. Be sure to check out these great events downtown at the same time:

• You and I:  Play-goers "take the leap into an unexpected friendship" with a poignant and insightful story about two teenagers.  City Lights Theater.  www.cltc.org
• The Art of Fashion: A special preview of a collection that will be shown at Anne & Mark’s Art Party.  http://pivot-artfashion.com
• Third Thursday:  After-hours with live music, food, drinks and, of course, art at the San Jose Museum of Art. http://sjmusart.org/calendar
• Wild Party:  A musical and whodunit set in the Roaring 20s.  The Stage Theater Company. http://www.thestage.org 

For a full list of downtown events, visit www.sjdowntown.com/events.

Arts, giving and great food: That’s what great community and Dine Downtown are about.

Reservations taken through Open Table:  http://www.opentable.com/promo.aspx?pid=365&m=4

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About Martha’s Kitchen: Martha’s Kitchen has served more than 3 million meals to San Jose’s hungry over 35 years.  Based between Willow Glen and downtown, it provides meals to service agencies and through its own dining room.

About Sysco:  Sysco helps the foodservice industry satisfy diners’ appetites with 194 locations throughout the U.S., Bahamas, Canada, Ireland & Northern Ireland. http://www.sysco.com

About the SJDA:  The non-profit San Jose Downtown Association was founded in 1986 to represent businesses and property owners.  It works to enhance downtown’s vitality. http://sjdowntown.com

SJ Economy: Indie coffee houses perk up Downtown

There is a blog post about the proliferation of indie coffee in Downtown San Jose over at the SJ Economy blog. I just started getting into coffee recently, and it is pretty amazing to see us go from mostly Starbucks and other chains a few years ago to a very diverse collection of outstanding coffee houses today. This list is growing longer and longer: Voltaire, Ola's, Vero's, Social Policy, Kartma, B2, Cafe Frascatti, Devine Grinde, iJava, Bel Bacio, Chromatic (coming soon), et cetera. Anyway, check out Tina Kapoor's post over here.

Omescape has brought three awesome escape games to San Jose with more to come

Escape games have become all the rage in the Bay Area, and for good reason--they are a lot of fun! The concept is simple, you are locked in a room and have an hour to solve a series of puzzles in order to get the key and escape. The puzzles are often very creative and require out-of-the-box thinking to solve.

Usually these games are very challenging (only 15-33% of teams escape). I have now done four of them and and have only escaped once, and I can tell you that every single time has been a blast including the three losses. You'll be thinking and talking about the game for days after it ends. I have to warn you that these can be very addicting.

Omescape was kind enough to invite me to try a game in their San Jose location. In 2014, the company opened its first Bay Area location in Richmond. They then opened the San Jose location late last year at 625 Wool Creek Dr, Ste E, San Jose 95112. Over 3,500 groups had already played in Richmond and 6,000+ individuals have played in San Jose. Omescape chose to open a location in San Jose since their target customers are smart, young professionals that are passionate about trying new things.

Currently Omescape San Jose has three rooms: Kingdom of Cats (easiest, 2-6 players), Dark Altar (medium difficulty, 4-6 players), and Joker's Asylum (very hard, 6-10 players). Since I have done a few escape rooms already, I asked to try Joker's Asylum which only has a 13% escape rate. It was by far the toughest room I have done, but we had an awesome team and managed to escape! There is not much I can tell you about the room without spoilers, but I will say the puzzles were very creative and the room(s) were well designed. They also heavily used technology to enhance the whole experience.

Two additional rooms are under construction right now. One will open next month (ToxiNation) and the last one will take another three months. After those are completed, Omescape San Jose will be the largest complex for escape games in the Bay Area.

As a special treat for everyone reading this right now, they have provided me with a coupon code good for 10% off any game. Head over here to check out their games and redeem the code!


Coupon Code: THESANJOSEBLOG
10% off

To redeem: Go to https://omescape.us/sanjose/book/ --> Pick the desired room by clicking "Book Now" -->  Choose a time and date --> Select the number of participants then click "Continue" --> Enter the code on the right column --> 10% discount will apply to the entire room rate.

Please note: The group must meet the minimum number of players required for the game room to make a booking, and once the booking is made, the room is exclusive to the group. If the group wants to add additional player(s) after the booking has been made, and the group is under the maximum number allowed for the room, they can just pay at Omescape once they arrive for the extra player(s).