My 2021 Stanley Cup Playoff Second Round Predictions

 That was one hell of a first round. There was more games in this year's playoffs that required overtime than in any other year that I can remember thus far. The Battle of Florida between the Lightning and Panthers had a ton of potential to be great, but the return of Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov from injury were too much for the Panthers to handle, resulting in the right team prevailing in that series. I wasn't anticipating any sweeps, but we had two of them in the first round: an eventful sweep of the Oilers by the Jets and the Avalanche sweep of the Blues. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisatl weren't able to get things going in their first round match-up with the Jets, and the Oilers' lack of depth really showed in the first round. The Blues didn't really stand a chance against the Avalanche as St. Louis was swept in the first round. 

I give the Predators props for a hard-fought series in the first round against the Hurricanes, but the better team came out of that series. The Islanders took advantage of poor play from the Penguins' goaltending to advance to the second round. The Capitals should be extra grateful for their Cup win in 2018, as they unfortunately haven't been able to win a playoff series since. Although the Wild couldn't pull off the upset against the Golden Knights, this was still a great series that went the distance.  Regardless of the outcome of the Leafs-Canadiens match-up, this was another hell of a series in the first round.

We have some very interesting and exciting match-ups in the second round of the playoffs this year. We will see some great teams that have the potential to go on a deep run and possibly win the Cup get knocked out in the second round, which will be a shame but completely fine at the same time depending on the team. With that being said, here are my predictions for the second round match-ups of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs: 

Lightning vs. Hurricanes: Lightning in 7 

Bruins vs. Islanders: Bruins in 7 

Avalanche vs. Golden Knights: Avalanche in 7 

*Jets vs. Maple Leafs/Canadiens: If the Maple Leafs advance, Maple Leafs in 6; if the Canadiens advance, Jets in 6 

*At the time I wrote this post, the Maple Leafs-Canadiens series has yet to be completed. This series is tied 3-3 with a decisive Game 7 on Monday and a 50-50 chance of it going either way.

Check back in a few weeks as I continue to make predictions for every Stanley Cup Playoff series, with the next set coming when the Semifinal match-ups are determined. Hope you've been enjoying the Stanley Cup Playoffs as much as I have!

Sharks News & Notes (5/18/21)

 The Stanley Cup Playoffs are underway, but despite the fact that that the Sharks are early into their offseason, a few recent headlines were released regarding them. Let's get into it: 

•  Kurtis Gabriel has been nominated for the King Clancy Award, which is given to the NHL player who best demonstrates leadership qualities on and off the ice. Like the Masterton, one player from every team is nominated for the King Clancy, and those specific players usually give back to their local communities in some significant way. 

•  Yesterday afternoon, the Canucks defeated the Flames 4-2 in their next to last regular season game. This guarantees that the Sharks will finish 26th overall in the NHL this season and draft as high as seventh overall in this year's entry draft unless they win the draft lottery. This is something that the Sharks could really benefit from since their 2021 season was underwhelming to say the least. 

Watch this space for more as the Sharks' offseason continues. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL.com 

My 2021 Stanley Cup Playoff Predictions: First Round

 The Stanley Cup Playoffs are just around the corner, and while the Sharks may not be competing for the Stanley Cup this year, I still plan to keep close tabs on the playoffs because I care a lot about the rest of the NHL, and there is nothing in all of sports quite like the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

Now that the first round match-ups have been determined, this post will feature my predictions for the first round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Before I share those, a refresher: the first two rounds this season will be intra-divisional play until the Stanley Cup Semifinals, which will feature one team from every division this season. As for my playoff team preferences now that the Sharks' season is over, I want the Lightning, Capitals, Avalanche, and Maple Leafs to be the final four teams in the semifinals. I also listed in the previous statement the specific order of who I would be cheering for in this year's playoffs. There will be other teams I will attach myself to if none of my top four preferences advance that far. Ultimately, I would be okay with any of the teams in the playoff pool winning the Cup this year except for the Golden Knights. 

My first round predictions will be as objective and unbiased as possible. Just because I think certain teams will advance to the second round doesn't mean that I want them to. Due to the NHL's unpredictable nature, I don't expect to get every series prediction correct. Without further ado, here are my 2021 Stanley Cup First Round series predictions:

East

Islanders vs. Penguins: Islanders in 6

Bruins vs. Capitals: Capitals in 7

Central

Lightning vs. Panthers: Lightning in 6

Hurricanes vs. Predators: Hurricanes in 5

North

Maple Leafs vs. Canadiens: Maple Leafs in 6

Oilers vs. Jets: Oilers in 7

West

Avalanche vs. Blues: Avalanche in 5

Golden Knights vs. Wild: Wild in 7

I plan to watch as many playoff games as I can this year regardless of series or outcome. Can't wait for what the playoffs have in store for us this year!

Sharks News & Notes (5/14/21)

 Some significant headlines have arose from the San Jose Sharks following the last game of their 2021 season. Let's get into them: 

•  Sharks GM Doug Wilson recently stated that the team is not looking to rebuild heading into next season and still wants to put the Sharks in a position to compete next season. I am aware that some of the fanbase won't agree with the direction that Doug Wilson plans to take the Sharks heading into next season, but I am not ready for a long, painful rebuild and always want to see the Sharks compete for the Stanley Cup Playoffs whenever possible. 

• Patrick Marleau stated that he wasn't satisfied with his on-ice performance during the 2021 season and wants to return to the NHL next season, which would be his 24th season. However, it's very possible that Patty may not be with the Sharks next season. We won't know for sure until we get further into the offseason. Marleau recorded four goals and five assists for nine points this season,which is the fewest in his career, while breaking the all-time games played record.
  

•  The Sharks Awards have been handed out for this season, most of which were determined by the media. They have been awarded as follows: Player of the Year goes to Evander Kane; Rookie of the Year goes to Nikolai Knyzhov; Media Good Guy goes to Logan Couture; last but not least, Prospect of the Year goes to Thomas Bordeleau. I find all of the recipients of these team awards difficult to dispute. 

• The 2021 Men's Hockey World Championship rosters have been announced, and a handful of Sharks players will be participating in the yearly tournament that usually takes place alongside the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They are as follows: Kevin Labanc, Ryan Donato, and Sasha Chmelevski for Team USA; Timo Meier for Team Switzerland; Marcus Sorensen for Team Sweden; Alexander Barabanov for Team Russia. It was also announced that Nikolai Knyzhov and Tomas Hertl are withdrawing from the Men's Worlds since they will be recovering from offseason surgeries. 

 Stay tuned to CPF Hockey for all your Sharks coverage this offseason.

Sources: NHL App, San Jose Hockey Now, ESPN 

Sharks Game 56 Recap: Golden Knights 6, Sharks 0 (5/12/21)

 The Sharks get shout out and blown out 6-0 by the Golden Knights to conclude their 2021 season with a 21-28-7 record in the West Division. In all, the Sharks were not able to win a single game against Vegas this season.

To be honest, I kinda saw this coming from a mile away. It didn't take long for the Knights to find the back of the net early in the first period from Alex Pietrangelo to start the Sharks' final game of the season. Following the first goal by Pietrangelo was a goal by Keegan Kolesar to put the Golden Knights up by two. Vegas proceeded to score two goals in each of the next two periods: one each from William Carrier and Jonathan Marchessault in the second, and two from Dylan Sikura in the third. 

Alexei Melnichuk got his second NHL start in the Sharks' last game of the season, and he was left out to dry with no support from his offense or defense. Melnichuk made saves on 38 of 44 shots against, and being thrown in against a powerhouse Golden Knights team may have stunted his development heading into next season for all we know. 

One of the best chances the Sharks had to get on the board all night was on a breakaway attempt by Patrick Marleau, which Marc-Andre Fleury was able to get a piece of and deflect away from the net. 

Speaking of Patrick Marleau, we may have witnessed what could be his final game with the Sharks and possibly his entire playing career. If that's the case, it will be sad and mark the end of an era in San Jose and maybe the NHL. However, it still seems like Patty still has some gas left in the tank for another season or two to potentially go after the ultimate prize, the Stanley Cup. He also received a marvelous framed drawing of him with Gordie Howe in his shadow, along with Gordie Howe's last stick he ever used in his last NHL game as gifts for a historic season. This such an amazing gift to receive for breaking an all-time record that may never be broken by anyone else in the NHL ever again. Replacing Godie Howe's last stick ever used in the Hockey Hall of Fame is a stick Patrick Marleau used in his record-breaking 1,768th game in Vegas last month. 

On a more positive note, the Sharks were able to re-sign Alexander Barabanov to a one-year, one-way, $1 million contract extension. Barabanov has played well ever since he was acquired from the Maple Leafs by the Sharks at the deadline and well enough to be placed on the top line with Tomas Hertl and Evander Kane. I'm glad Barabanov is sticking around in San Jose for at least next season because he has earned his spot in the Sharks' lineup. In addition, the Sharks also signed prospects Adam Raska and Santeri Hatakka to three-year, entry-level deals. 

And just like that, the Sharks' 2021 season is complete. This season had some great moments for the Sharks, but it was ultimately a transition year that was mostly forgettable. I can't wait to see what changes the Sharks make to their roster this offseason to put themselves in a better position to compete next season. 

In the meantime, in the next few days, I plan to rank the 2021 Sharks roster based on their performances and how much I like each player, in addition to giving my first round playoff predictions once all the match-ups have officially been determined. 

Thank you for following along with my Sharks game recaps this season, and I look forward to seeing you again when the Sharks hit the ice next season for a full 82 games and the return of the regular division format. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

Sharks News & Notes (5/10/21)

 Here are a few news and notes surrounding the Sharks that have occurred since their most recent game on Saturday: 

• I forgot to add in my most recent Sharks game recap that during the second period, Erik Karlsson performed some unbelievable dangles on Phil Kessel near the blue line. It was such a sight to see and behold, and if you haven't seen it already, you gotta take a minute out of your day to see it. 

• The San Jose chapter of the PHWA (Professional Hockey Writers Association) has nominated Patrick Marleau for the Bill Masterton Trophy this year, which is awarded to the NHL player with the best display of perseverance, dedication, and sportsmanship throughout the season. Patty is well-deserving of the Masterton in 2021, especially since he broke the all-time games-played record and is one of three active NHL players with a current ironman streak of at least 900 games, among many other historic feats. 

Watch this space for more as the Sharks conclude their 2021 season in a few days. I also plan to rank this season's Sharks roster and make Stanley Cup Playoff predictions once the season is over and I have completed my final exams, so be on the lookout for those pretty soon. 

Source: Sharks + SAP Center App

Sharks Game 55 Recap: Coyotes 5, Sharks 4 (OT) (5/8/21)

 The Sharks and Coyotes engaged in a mostly back-and-forth scoring affair, but it was the Coyotes who gained the upper hand as Arizona defeated San Jose 5-4 in overtime in their season series finale. 

It all began almost three-and-a-half minutes into the first when Christian Dvorak scored his first goal of the game to give the Coyotes the early lead. The Sharks proceed to tie it up from Rudolfs Balcers, with Sasha Chmelevski getting his second NHL assist and Dylan Gambrell getting the secondary assist on the early game-tying goal. The Coyotes then go ahead on their power play on Christian Dvorak's second goal of the game. In the later half of the first, Kevin Labanc ties the game at two. 

About five-and-a-half minutes into the second, Timo Meier grabs the Sharks' first lead of the night on a nifty, skillful play in front of the net, with Kevin Labanc assisting on the go-ahead goal. Soon after, the Coyotes tie the game again, this time by Jan Jenik. 

Late in the third period, Arizona goes back on top 4-3 via Connor Garland. With about a minute left in regulation, Alexander Barabanov scores a crucial and huge game-tying goal for the Sharks to force overtime, with great passing from his linemates Tomas Hertl and Evander Kane to complete the play. 

It only took a few minutes into overtime for none other than Phil Kessel to score his 20th goal of the season to win it for the Coyotes in his 900th consecutive game. This is also Kessel's 10th goal against the Sharks this season, more than any other opponent the Yotes faced this season. 

Alexei Melnichuk made his first NHL start in net for the Sharks last night, stopping 27 of 32 shots against. He was decent in his first NHL start but still has room to develop and improve. 

The Sharks finished their season series with the Coyotes with a 3-4-1 record. Since the Coyotes will be moving to the Central Division with the Seattle Kraken entering the league, the Sharks will not be facing the Coyotes as frequently moving forward, which I am totally fine with. 

San Jose has one game remaining in their 2021 campaign, which is Wednesday versus the Golden Knights at 6 pm PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

Sharks Game 54 Recap: Coyotes 5, Sharks 2 (5/7/21)

 The Sharks scored the first two goals of the game early on, but the Coyotes scored five unanswered to take down the Sharks 5-2 Friday night. 

A few minutes into the start of this game was when Erik Karlsson launched one off a great pass from Tomas Hertl past Darcy Kuemper to get on the board first. Also in the first period, John Leonard crashed hard into the boards and headed straight for the dressing room, unable to return. 

The Sharks' second goal of this game came early in the second when Timo Meier went top corner to go up 2-0. In addition, Ivan Chekhovich recorded his first NHL point with an assist on the Timo Meier goal. Not long after, the Coyotes began their string of five unanswered, starting with Victor Soderstrom's first NHL goal and Connor Garland's 11th of the year in the middle frame. 

Early in the third period, Phil Kessel scored his 900th career point for the Coyotes to go on top 3-2. Erik Karlsson then scores his second goal of the game to tie it at three, but it was overturned because the Sharks were offside on that play. Arizona proceeded to add two more from Michael Bunting and Jan Jenik for the icing on the cake to complete their comeback, with Jenik's goal being an empty-netter and his first in the NHL. 

Josef Korenar was solid in net Friday night, making saves on 29 of 33 shots against. However, the main issue in this one was that the Sharks' defense fell apart and couldn't hold it together down the stretch. 

One noteworthy absence from last night's game was Logan Couture, who was sidelined Friday morning due to a lower body injury. 

San Jose will face the same opponent at the same place at the same time again tonight. Despite the way this season has gone for them, it would be great if the Sharks can finish their last two games of the season strong and on a high note. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

Sharks Game 53 Recap: Sharks 3, Avalanche 2 (5/5/21)

 The Sharks score three unanswered to come from behind and defeat the Avalanche 3-2 to close out their season series with Colorado and avoid a four-game sweep by the Avs. This is also San Jose's second win against the Avalanche this season. 

The first period was fairly quiet, but the Avalanche scored twice in the later half of the second period, both of which were from Tyson Jost and Andre Burakovsky respectively. 

Tomas Hertl and Evander Kane each recorded three-point performances tonight. Hertl scored the Sharks' first two goals to get within one near the end of the second and tie the game early in the third. In addition, Hertl assisted on the game-winner by Erik Karlsson on the power play towards the midway point in the third, all in his 500th NHL game. As for Evander Kane, all three of his points came in the form of assists on each goal the Sharks scored tonight. Alexander Barabanov and Nikolai Knyzhov each tallied an assist in tonight's game. Barabanov has had a point-per-game pace ever since he was acquired by the Sharks from the Maple Leafs at the trade deadline and needs to be re-signed as soon as possible. 

The conclusion of this game saw many Avalanche players line up to shake Patrick Marleau's hand and congratulate him on breaking the all-time games played record in the NHL. It's always appreciated when opposing players show respect and gratitude towards Patty on such a huge accomplishment this season.

Josef Korenar earned his third NHL win tonight in the season series finale against the Avalanche, making 30 saves on 32 shots against. It's awesome that Korenar has stepped up in net when Martin Jones couldn't after Devan Dubnyk was dealt to the Avalanche at the trade deadline. 

Even though the Sharks have been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs this season, I always enjoy seeing the Sharks win no matter the circumstances surrounding them. San Jose now has three games remaining in their 2021 season, with their next two on Friday and Saturday hosting the Coyotes at 7:30 pm PT for both games. Enjoy these last few Sharks games because it will be a while before they are back in action once these games are completed. 

Sources: NBCSN, NHL App

Sharks Game 52 Recap: Avalanche 5, Sharks 4 (OT) (5/3/21)

The Sharks looked great through the first two periods, but blew their lead as the Avalanche came back to win 5-4 in overtime. 

For the first two periods, San Jose looked like they were in control and on track to win this one. About three minutes into the start of this game, Evander Kane scores his first goal of the contest to get the Sharks on the scoreboard first. The Avalanche answered back shortly after on Mikko Rantanen's 29th goal of the season to tie it at one. 

Team Teal added two more goals in the second period, starting with one from Tomas Hertl on the backhand for his 17th of the season. The next one came about six minutes later on Evander Kane's second goal of the contest and team-leading 22nd goal of the season, which was scored on a breakaway opportunity. Assisting on Evander's second goal of the game were Tomas Hertl and Alex Barabanov. 

The third period was when the momentum suddenly shifted in the other direction, away from the Sharks. Early in the period, Valeri Nichushkin scored to get the Avalanche within one. On that specific play, there was also an interference by Tyson Jost on Logan Couture that the officials somehow didn't see. The Sharks answered back on Timo Meier breaking his scoring drought for his tenth goal of the season, getting assists from Brent Burns and Mario Ferraro. Timo has regressed this season in terms of his on-ice performance, but he certainly looked more like himself against the Avalanche Monday night. However, the Avalanche added two more goals from Gabriel Landeskog and Nazem Kadri to tie it at four to force overtime. 

It only took 41 seconds into overtime for the Avs to complete their comeback on the stick of Andre Burakovsky to win 5-4 in a game that the Sharks had in their hands and should've held on to win. It was also one of a few soft goals in this game by the Avalanche that Martin Jones let past him.

With their disappointing loss to the Avalanche Monday night and the Blues' victory over the Ducks, the Sharks are now officially eliminated from playoff contention. We all saw this coming with this Sharks team sooner or later. Team Teal has four games left in its 2021 campaign, which are for pride at this point. In addition, Martin Jones should be done for the season and the younger players should get more opportunities in these last four games to determine whether to keep them around on the roster for next season or not. 

The Sharks' last of four straight against the Avalanche is Wednesday at 6:30 pm PT and will be nationally televised on NBCSN. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

Sharks Game 51 Recap: Avalanche 4, Sharks 3 (5/1/21)

 The Sharks fall to the Avalanche 4-3 in their final road game of the season. 

The first goal of the game didn't come until the second period when Alexander Barabanov scored his second NHL goal, with assists from Timo Meier and Erik Karlsson. Later in the period, the Avalanche appeared to have tied it up, but luckily the Sharks catch a break after it was waved off due to Josef Korenar's mask falling off his head in the process of making a save. Colorado rebounded from that play by scoring twice within a three-minute span from Nathan MacKinnon and Andre Burakovsky to go up 2-1 through two periods of play. 

Things got more interesting in the final frame as there was a back-and-forth scoring affair between the Sharks and Avalanche. Patrik Nemeth starts the scoring affair in the third at around the nine-minute mark to give the Avs a two-goal lead, but the Sharks lessen their deficit to one after Logan Couture scores a shorty. In addition, Evander Kane records his 500th career point with an assist on the shorthanded Logan Couture goal. Couture's shorthanded goal was challenged by Avalanche coach Jared Bednar for goaltender interference, but it worked in the Sharks' favor as it was upheld and the Avalanche took a bench minor for delay of game. 

Mikko Rantanen scores with about four and a half minutes remaining to give the Avalanche back their two-goal lead. The Sharks got back within a goal after Tomas Hertl deflected a shot from Brent Burns off his arm into the net to make it a 4-3 game. Alexander Barabanov got the secondary assist on the last goal and is already making an impact on this Sharks team. 

Despite the loss, Josef Korenar had a solid performance in net and shouldn't be the one to blame for the losing effort, stopping 40 of 44 shots against. Korenar made some incredible saves Saturday night, and I wouldn't be shocked at all if he becomes the Sharks' primary starting goalie next season and moving forward, although there should be some veteran presence in the Sharks' goaltending tandem that isn't Martin Jones. 

San Jose performed better in the second of four straight against Colorado, but it still wasn't enough for them to win. The Sharks' next and last two games against the Avalanche this season are Monday and Wednesday at SAP Center at 7:30 pm and 6:30 pm PT respectively.

 Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

Sharks Game 50 Recap: Avalanche 3, Sharks 0 (4/30/21)

The Sharks couldn't get their offense going Friday night as they were shut out by the Avalanche 3-0 to begin their last road miniseries of the season. 

Most of the scoring came in the first period on the Avalanche power play from Gabriel Landeskog and Cale Makar, carrying a 2-0 lead for most of this game. 

Although the Sharks didn't show up on the scoresheet Friday night, there were a few unusual but significant moments for them in this one. An unlikely fight occurred in the third period between two unlikely players: Kevin Labanc and Nathan MacKinnon. Tomas Hertl initially scored on the power play to finally get the Sharks on the scoresheet, but it was ruled offsides and overturned as a result. With about a minute remaining in regulation, Mikko Rantanen buries it in the empty net to seal the deal for the Avalanche. 

Martin Jones had a decent performance in his start Friday night, making 33 saves on 35 shots against. The main issue in this one was that Jones didn't get any support from his offense. In addition, Ivan Chekhovich made his NHL debut, and Ryan Donato made his return to the lineup after dealing with an injury. 

In all, the Sharks' next-to-last road game of the 2021 season wasn't very exciting or awe-inspiring. They will look to bounce back tonight in their last away game of the season in Denver at 5 pm PT, with Josef Korenar starting in the pipes. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App