NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs podcast with Len Shapiro: Binnington lost for rest of second round lower body injury; Lightning lights up the lamp leads Panthers; plus more

Colorado Avalanche left winger JT Compher (37) reaches for the puck against the St Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington (50) during game 3 of the Western Conference second round playoffs at the Enterprise Center in St Louis. This would be Binnington’s last game for this round due to an injury on Sat May 21, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the NHL Stanley Cup Playoff podcast with Len Shapiro:

#1 St Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington will miss the rest of the Western Conference second round with a lower body injury rumored to be left leg against the Colorado Avalanche. Binnington got hurt during game 3 when teammate Calle Rosen and Aves Nazem Kadri knocked Binnington over. How is the loss of Binnington going to impact the Blues the rest of the second round?

#2 Also Colorado’s Samuel Girard is out for the rest of the playoffs with a broken sternum in game 3 in the first period at 1:42 on Saturday he was checked hard by the Blues Ivan Barbashev.

#3  In the battle of Florida The Tampa Bay Lightning are in the driver’s seat with the series lead 3-0 and their getting some great scoring not to mention great goaltending from Andrei Vasilevskiy in their game 3 win today 5-1.

#4 The Carolina Hurricanes lead the series 2-1 against the New York Rangers and played game 3 today at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers won a crucial game 3-1 how did home ice pay off for the Rangers today?

#5 The Calgary Flames and the Edmonton Oilers are battling it out in Edmonton the Flames had Oilers came back on the Flames in game 1 only to lose the lead 9-6. The Oilers bounced back in game 2 with a 5-2 win and goaltender Mike Smith stopped 37 shots.

Join Len Shapiro for the NHL Stanley Cup postseason podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

NHL Stanley Cup Playoff podcast with Len Shapiro : Hurricanes up 2-0 with series going back to MSG; Oilers-Flames take game 3 to Calgary; Aves take a 2-1 lead over St Louis

On the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs podcast with Len:

Carolina Hurricanes’ Brendan Smith, center, celebrates his goal with teammates Sebastian Aho (20) and Teuvo Teravainen (86) in second period action at PNC Arena in Raleigh in game 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Fri May 20, 2022 (AP News photo)

#1 The Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Antti Raanta stopped 21 shots on his way to a 2-0 shutout Friday night his first playoff shutout in game 2 of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The win puts the Hurricanes up 2-0 over the New York Rangers.

#2 After watching the first two games of this series how concerned does the proposition of going down in the first two games have to be for Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant and can the Rangers consider going back to MSG for the next two games a chance to get back into this thing?

#3 Last Wednesday the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames battled to a 9-6 Flames win. The Flames had to breath a sigh a relief in that one up 3-1 they gave up four goals in the second period to the Oilers but came back to win game 1.

#4 In game 2 on Friday night the Oilers had an opportune moment when the Oilers Zach Hyman took advantage of a break away in the middle of the third period with the score tied at 3-3. Hyman got a shot over the glove of the Flames goaltender Jakob Markstrom to put the Oilers ahead 4-3 at 10:14.

#5 A thriller in Denver the Colorado Avalanche get a big win taking it to the St Louis Blues with a game 3 win the Blues were up front but the Avalanche came back to overtake the Blues 5-3 and take a 2-1 series lead. The Avalanche got two goals from Artturi Lehkonen.

Len Shapiro filled in Matt Harrington for the NHL Stanley Cup Playoff podcasts heard each Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

NHL podcast with Len Shapiro: Stars go up 2-1 on Flames; Caps Ovechkin scores in 6-1 win over Florida; plus more

The Dallas Stars Joe Pavelski (16) and Vladislav Namestinkov (92) celebrate Pavelski’s goal as the Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom (25) is on his back looking up in Dallas on Sat May 7, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the NHL podcast with Len:

#1 The Dallas Stars Joe Pavelski scored twice to break ties in two consecutive playoff games against the Calgary Flames. Pavelski has been very instrumental in helping the Stars and in particular on Saturday in game 3 as the Stars go up 2-1.

#2 The Edmonton Oilers lead the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 and their two wins came after two defining victories 6-0 in game two on Wednesday and game three 8-2 on Friday. Both teams meet up again for game three on Monday night.

#3 One of the big games Saturday the Washington Capitals in game 3 gained on the Florida Panthers going up 2-1 in the series with a 6-1 win on Saturday. The Caps goal scoring help from Alex Ovechkin who scored his first goal of the playoffs.

#4 The Colorado Avalanche went up on the Nashville Predators 3-0 with a convincing 7-3 win in game 3. The Aves have a shot at sweeping this series on Monday night. The Aves Gabriel Landeskog scored twice with two assists.

#5 The Pittsburgh Penguins took a 2-1 lead on the New York Rangers as the Pens Damon Heimen got the go ahead goal at 11:02 in the third period. The Pens got the three goal win 7-4 win at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.

Join Len for the NHL podcasts each Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sharks Fall 4-2 to Avalanche; SJ loses six of last nine games

San Jose Sharks center Logan Couture, left and Colorado Avalanche left wing Andre Burakovsky (right) scramble for the puck at the Ball Center in Denver on Thu Mar 31, 2022 (AP News photo )

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks fell 4-2 to the Colorado Avalanche Thursday, the second loss in as many nights for the Sharks. Alex Newhook Darren Helm, Mikko Rantanen and Andre Burakovsky scored for the Avalanche. Pavel Francouz made 25 saves for the win. Timo Meier and Brent Burns scored for San Jose and Kaapo Kahkonen made 42 saves in the loss.

This was Kaapo Kahkonen’s second start as a Shark. After the game, Sharks Head Coach Bob Boughner said, of Kahkonen: “I thought he was excellent, I thought that, you know, a couple of those goals he had no help on. I thought he made some big saves for us at the right time. I thought he played extremely well.” Of the team’s performance, he said: “I thought that we played hard for being in a back-to-back situation. I thought there’s a lot of good things to our game.”

Alex Newhook gave the Avalanche a 1-0 lead at 1:54 of the second period. Kurtis MacDermid sent the puck to the slot for Newhook, who spun and shot it past three skaters in front of the goaltender. Assists went to MacDermid and Erik Johnson.

Timo Meier tied it up at 12:09. Tomas Hertl fought his way into the zone and to the net before being pushed down in the slot. The puck still got to Meier to the side of the net so he could score his 31^st of the season. Assists went to Hertl and Alexander Barabanov.

Darren Helm made it 2-1 for the Avalanche at 2:05 of the third period. Helm was going to the net when he caught the pass from Valeri Nichushkin. He skated across in front of the goaltender before taking a shot that went off of the post and in.

Brent Burns tied it at 6:29 when Tomas Hertl got the puck to him off of a face-off. Burns carried it to the middle of the ice and took a quick wrist shot.

Mikko Rantanen restored Colorado’s lead with a power play goal at 12:17. Nazem Kadri set him up with a nice cross-ice pass down low for Rantanen’s 34^th of the season. Assists went to Kadri and Cale Makar.

Andre Burakovsky scored the insurance goal at 15:16, collecting a rebound in close and lifting it into the net. Assists went to Erik Johnson and Nazem Kadri.

The Avalanche outshot the Sharks 46-27. The Sharks power play had three shots in three opportunities and their penalty kill allowed nine shots I three penalty kills, including one five-on-three.

The Sharks next play on Saturday back in San Jose against the Dallas Stars at 7:30 PM PT.

Sharks Trade Middleton, Cogliano, Merkley, Acquire Kahkonen, Bitteto, Picks

The San Jose Sharks in a trade acquired goaltender Kappo Kahkonnen from the Minnesota Wild seen in photo file on Mon Mar 21, 2022 (file photo from Hockey Wilderness)

By Mary Walsh

SAN JOSE– On Monday, the trade deadline, the San Jose Sharks moved three players to playoff contenders. They traded defenseman Jake Middleton to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen and a 2022 fifth-round draft pick. Forward Nick Merkley went to the New York Rangers in exchange for defenseman Anthony Bitteto. The Sharks sent forward Andrew Cogliano to the Colorado Avalanche for a 2024 fifth round draft pick. San Jose also traded goaltender Alexei Melnichuk to the Tampa Bay Lightning for center Antoine Morand.

Jake Middleton has been with the Sharks organization since 2017, when he was signed as a free agent. He played in 59 games with the Sharks, scored nine points and had 82 penalty minutes.

Last season, Kaapo Kahkonen set a Wild rookie record, posting nine consecutive wins. He played 25 games with the Wild this season, posting a record of 12-8-3, a 2.87 GAA and a .910 save percentage. In his 54-game NHL career, his record is 31-17-4, a 2.89 GAA and a .907 save percentage. He will become a restricted free agent next season.

After the trade, Kahkonen talked about the trade and what he knows about the Sharks:

A good team. You know, the games I played against San Jose, I remember there’s a lot of good players there. I think it’s going to be, for sure we’re going to be a team that’s going to be able to compete in the near future and it’s going to be a great opportunity.

Kahkonen was asked whether he expected to be traded by the Wild. He said:

“I had no idea. I was actually on the ice, they pulled me out of there from the morning skate and just told me I had to leave the ice. At first I was kind of thinking that something happened to someone in my family or something but… so I was scared but then I heard I was getting traded.”

In a press release Monday, the Sharks said: “Kaapo is a quick, athletic goaltender who has shown the ability to win consistently at every level he has played,” San Jose assistant general manager Joe Will said. “He provides our club additional depth at the goaltending position this season and in the coming years.”

The Sharks acquired Nick Merkley last summer from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for defenseman Christian Jaros. Merkley played nine games with the Sharks and earned one goal and two assists.

Of Anthony Bitteto, a Sharks press release said:

“‘Anthony is a physical, veteran defenseman who gives us additional depth on our blueline,’ said Sharks Assistant General Manager Joe Will.

“This season, Bitetto has appeared in 39 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League, posting 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) and 26 penalty minutes in 39 games. He ranks second among team defensemen in goals and third in both assists and points.

“Bitetto has appeared in 197 NHL games with Nashville, Minnesota, Winnipeg, and the Rangers, posting 31 points (three goals, 28 assists) and 142 penalty minutes.”

Bitteto will be a free agent this summer.

Andrew Cogliano played 56 games with the Sharks this season, scored four goals and earned eleven assists. He will be a free agent this summer. In a press release, the Sharks said:

“Andrew was an important leader and a respected veteran in our dressing room this season,” said Sharks Assistant General Manager Joe Will. “Our players will be better pros for having had Andrew as a teammate.”

Antoine Morand has yet to play in the NHL. In their press release, the Sharks said:

In 138 AHL games with San Diego and Syracuse, Morand has posted 44 points (15 goals, 29 assists).

The five-foot-eleven, 190-pound native of Chateauguay, Quebec was originally selected by Anaheim in the second round (60^th overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft.

Melnichuk appeared in three games with the Sharks last season. In their press release, the Sharks said:

Melnichuk appeared in 31 games with the Barracuda this season, posting a 10-14-2 record with a 3.92 goals-against average and an .867 save percentage.

Tomas Hertl is staying put with an eight-year contract extension, as the Sharks announced last week. The Sharks also did not move goaltender James Reimer, or forward Alexander Barabanov. Both players made the trade rumor mill before the deadline. Barabanov will be a free agent this summer and Reimer has one more season under contract with the Sharks.

Sharks Fall 5-3 to Avalanche in Hard Fought Game

Colorado Avalanche right wing Valeri Nichushkin (13) lights the lamp for the game winner in the third period against San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns (88) at SAP Arena in San Jose on Fri Mar 18, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Mary Walsh

SAN JOSE– The San Jose Sharks lost to the Colorado Avalanche 5-3 on Friday. Cale Makar, Nazem Kadri, Valeri Nichushkin, and Darren Helm scored for the Avalanche. Pavel Francouz made 25 saves for the win. Jeffrey Viel, Rudolfs Balcers and Erik Karlsson scored for the Sharks. Zach Sawchenko made 24 saves in the loss.

After the game, Sharks Head Coach Bob Boughner said:

“It was a fairly even game for the first two periods. We just got to capitalize on our chances. Same thing as last night. We didn’t have any goal support. But defensively, we did some right things until we started opening it up a little bit at the end. Obviously we gave a few breaks but all in all, you know, it was a hard-fought game. I thought the guys battled hard, especially after a back-to-back, against the best team in the League.”

Sharks forward Rudolfs Balcers talked about how the veteran leaders helped the team rally in the third period, despite being down 4-1: “They’re our leaders. They’ve been around for a while, you know. That’s the guys you rely on every night, and, you know, when you see them go out there and battle until the end, you know, I think it just motivates the whole bench.”

One of those leaders, Logan Couture, seemed to score the first goal of the game at 6:07 of the first. Unfortunately, the Avalanche challenged the goal for offside. Upon review, the officials saw that Couture did cross the line a hair before the puck.

The first goal, then, went to the Avalanche on a power play at 10:08. Nazem Kadri tipped Mikko Rantanen’s pass from about eight feet above the blue paint. a second assist went to Cale Makar.

Darren Helm made it 2-0 at 14:14, when he picked up a puck that Erik Karlsson lost control of in the Sharks’ zone. Helm slipped by Karlsson and lifted the puck over Sawchenko. An assist went to Andre Burakovsky, who poked the puck off of Karlsson’s stick.

Jacob Middleton fought Kurtis MacDermid after the first goal. J.T. Compher and Marc-Edouard Vlasic had matching roughing minors in the final seconds of the period.

Those matching minors put the teams four-on-four to start the second period. Cale Makar scored 34 seconds in. He took a shot from above the circle, then gathered up his own rebound just above the goal line to score. Assists went to Nathan MacKinnon and Devon Toews.

Valeri Nichushkin made it 4-0 at 15:29. Initially, he redirected pass from Cale Makar, but Sawchenko stopped that. The goalie left a rebound and Nchushkin was still there to lift the puck in. Assists went to Makar and MacKinnon.

Jeffrey Viel got the Sharks on the board at 19:19, tipping a shot from Marc-Edouard Vlasic. A secondary assist went to Nicolas Meloche.

Rudolfs Balcers scored 13:02 into the third period. He knocked the puck loose with a hit along the boards and then took it to the net for a look-away shot, aided by Vlasic who was there to make it a two-on-one and sell the look. Assists went to Alexander Barabanov and Tomas Hertl.

With 3:21 remaining, the Sharks pulled Sawchenko for an extra skater. Erik Karlsson made it 4-3 with a goal at 18:35. Logan Couture knocked down a high clearing attempt and then passed it to Karlsson. Karlsson seemed to fumble the pass a bit, then gathered it for a wrist shot into the far corner.

Valeri Nichushkin scored into the empty net when he and Nathan MacKinnon went two-on-one against Brent Burns.

The Avalanche out-shot the Sharks 29-28, with the shot count close in each period. On the power play, the Sharks had five opportunities and six shots. They also gave up five short-handed shots. The Sharks had one penalty to kill, and gave up one shot, one goal and had one short-handed shot. In the face-off circle, the Sharks won 54% of the draws.

James Reimer was backing up Sawchenko Friday, and Adin Hill is injured.

The Sharks next play on Sunday against the Arizona Coyotes, in San Jose at 4:00 PM PT.

NHL podcast with Matt Harrington: Covid outbreaks effects numerous NHL teams; Jets Lowry takes over as interim coach; plus more

Nashville Predators left wing Tanner Jeannot (84) watches as teammate left wing Filip Forsberg scores on Colorado Avalanche goaltender Pavel Francouz (39) Thu Dec 16, 2021 in Nashville (AP News photo)

NHL podcast with Matt Harrington:

#1 Not since the beginning of the Covid 19 pandemic in March 2020 has the NHL seen so many games postponed. The NHL has postponed two more teams all games for the Colorado Avalanche (17-8-2) and Florida Panthers (18-7-4).

#2 The Calgary Flames (15-7-6) have shutdown their operations extending it from Dec 24-26. The Flames announced that they have had no further positive tests today. The Flames next scheduled game is against the Edmonton Oilers (17-11-0) on Dec 27th.

#3 Winnipeg Jets (13-11-5) head coach Paul Maurice resigned on Friday saying the team needs a new voice. That new voice was found when Jet’s general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff called new interim head coach Dave Lowry to take over on Thursday. Lowry is the father of Jets forward Adam Lowry.

#4 The Vegas Golden Knights (19-11-0) Jonathan Marchessault got the game winner in round three of a shootout against the New York Rangers (19-7-4) at Madison Square Garden for a 3-2 win. The win was the Knights third straight win.

#5 The St Louis Blues (17-8-5) picked up a home and home sweep against the Dallas Stars (13-12-2) 4-1 on Friday night in St Louis. The Blues Vladimir Tarasenko scored two goals and goaltender Charlie Lindgren stopped 26 shots.

Join Matt for the NHL podcasts each Saturday night at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Audio clears up at 0:22

NHL podcast with Matt Harrington: NHL players get blessing from Bettman to compete in Beijing Olympics; Avalanche of goals Aves score 7 in three straight games; plus more

NHL players are welcome to participate in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics the league and the Olympic Committee are working out details of an agreement and Covid 19 protocols (file photo from Desert News)

On the NHL podcast with Matt:

#1 NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says that NHL players are welcome to participate in the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Bettman says the league is waiting for an agreement from the Beijing Olympic Committee and also waiting to receive Covid 19 protocols.

#2 The Colorado Avalanche (15-7-2) can’t be stopped as they have scored three consecutive seven goal games. Most recently Friday night against the Detroit Red Wings (13-12-3). The Aves Andre Burakovsky scored twice and has eight goals for the season among some of the hottest scorers on the team.

#3 The Pittsburgh Penguins Syd Crosby picked up two assists on Friday night against the Washington Capitals. Crosby has scored points in seven consecutive games and is looking like his old self again.

#4 The Vancouver Canucks (11-15-2) won their third straight game on Friday night defeating the Winnipeg Jets (13-9-5) in a 4-3 shootout in Vancouver. The Canucks Nils Hoglander scored two goals and two points to contribute towards the Canucks win. The Canucks have won four of their last five games.

#5 Alexander Georgiev the New York Rangers (8-15-3) goaltender stopped 36 shots and stood on his head stopping 17 shots in the third period as the Rangers just edged the Buffalo Sabers (8-15-3) 2-1 in Buffalo. The Rangers have won eight of their last nine games.

Join Matt for the NHL podcast each Saturday night at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Jose Sharks podcast with Len Shapiro: Sharks look to bounce back against Washington tonight at SAP Center

The San Jose Sharks Tomas Hertl (48) and company had a tough outing against the St Louis Blues as Blues goaltender Ville Husso (35) skates out of the crease to put a stop on Hertl during the third period on Thu Nov 18, 2021 at the Enterprise Arena in St Louis (AP News photo)

On the Sharks podcast with Len Shapiro:

#1 The San Jose Sharks (8-7-1) who had suffered a tough defeat on Sat Nov 13, 6-2 against the Colorado Avalanche (6-5-1) got dropped again to the St Louis Blues (9-5-2) on Thursday night in St Louis 4-1.

#2 The loss to the Blues was the Sharks third loss in four games. On Thursday the Sharks goaltender James Reimer saved 44 shots and allowed four goals for the loss.

#3 The Blues in their own right had a four game losing streak going and got big help from Brandon Saad who scored twice and goaltender Ville Husso stopped 26 shots to end the lost streak .

#4 Talk about the Logan Couture goal that was taken away in the first period at 7:17 after it was ruled that Jonathan Dahlen was offsides. Did that seem to change to course of the game?

#5 Up next for the Sharks are the Washington Capitals (10-2-5) who have won four of their last six games and won their last game in Los Angeles defeating the Kings (8-6-2) in a shutout 2-0. The Caps Garnet Hathaway scored both Caps goals for the win. How do you see the Caps and Sharks who face off tonight at SAP Center in San Jose.

Join Len Shapiro for the Sharks podcasts each Saturday night at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Avalanche Bury Sharks 6-2; SJ has lost 4 of last 5 games

San Jose Sharks right wing Nick Merkley, right, attempts to take the puck down ice against Colorado Avalanche right wing Valeri Nichushkin at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat Nov 13, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks fell 6-2 to the Colorado Avalanche in Denver Saturday. Devon Toews, Nazem Kadri, Alex Newhook, Logan O’Connor, Andre Burakovsky and Samuel Girard scored for Colorado. Darcy Kuemper made 28 saves for the win. Logan Couture and Alexander Barabanov scored for San Jose, and Adin Hill made 25 saves in the loss.

With this loss, the Sharks fell out of a playoff spot for the first time in this young season. Although they had their veterans back from COVID-19 protocol, having to kill four penalties in the first period hurt the team.

After the game, Sharks Head Coach Bob Boughner said: “You start putting your big boys out there, killing penalties and you lose the flow of your game and we could never get it back.” Boughner mentioned mishandled pucks and bad changes, then summarized: “We started doing things that were uncharacteristic. And there were some guys who looked like they hadn’t played in a long time.”

Sharks forward Tomas Hertl mentioned defensive zone turnovers and how they lead to penalties when tired skaters are trapped in their own zone. In terms of offense, he said: “We need everybody to step it up because we are a team, you know, with 20 guys and we are no team with one line. So today wasn’t good enough.”

Logan Couture gave the Sharks the lead early in the first. While Timo Meier created a screen, Couture’s one-timer from the wing beat Kuemper on the near side. Assists went to Mario Ferraro and Meier.

Devon Toews tied the game at 10:10 wth a power play goal. His shot went by a couple of skaters in the slot and under Adin Hill. Assists went to Samuel Girard and Nazem Kadri.

Nazem Kadri gave the Avalanche the lead just a few minutes later. Valeri Nichushkin’s pass found Kadri breaking away. Kadri drew Hill to the front of the blue paint before slipping the puck around behind the goaltender. Assists went to Nichushkin and Erik Johnson.

The Sharks had to kill four penalties in the first period. In all, their penalty kill gave up six shots and one goal. Despite the penalties, the Sharks still got 12 shots on goal to the Avalanche’s ten. In the face-off circle, the Sharks won 46% of the draws.

Alex Newhook made it 3-1 with his first NHL goal, at 13:55 of the second period. Sam Girard made a pass form the red line to Newhook on the far side of the net, and Newhook shot it past a spawling Hill. Assists went to Girard and Jayson Megna.

Logan O’Connor added a short-handed goal for the Avalanche a couple of minutes later. O’Connor broke away, evading Brent Burns and Timoe Meier before scoring with a backhand. Assists went to Darren Helm and Erik Johnson.

The Avalanche outshot the Sharks 11-8, and won 53% of the face-offs. The Sharks penalty kill allowed two shots. The Sharks power play got one shot on goal.

Alexander Barabanov scored a power play goal for the Sharks at 9:02 of the third period. Tomas Hertl made a shot pass form the boards to Barabanov, who was ready to take a shot into the far side. Jasper Weatherby was right in front of Kuemper so the goalie didn’t see the shot. Assists went to Tomas Hert and Erik Karlsson.

Andre Burakovsky killed any momentum from the power play goal with a goal a little more than a minute later. Samuel Girard took a slap shot from just above the face-off circle, and hit Gabriel Landeskog. As Landeskog fell, the rebound went right to Buraskovky for the scoring shot. Assists went to Landeskog and Girard.

Samuel Girard scored Colorado’s sixth of the night at 16:37, into an empty net. Nazem Kadri got the assist.

For the game, the Sharks had a face-off win percentage of 52, and 30 shots to the Avalanche’s 31.

The Sharks’ next game will be Tuesday in St. Paul against the Minnesota Wild at 6:00 PM PT.