San Jose Sharks Take To Twitter Explaining Reality of NHL Lockout

If you have not noticed, the players are not happy with the current situation of the NHL lockout.

With commissioner Gary Bettman and the NHL offering the NHLPA a 50/50 revenue split on Wednesday, the concern turned to the players and why they had not accepted an offer they have stood by for the entirety of the whole ordeal.

Ryane Clowe and Logan Couture were quick to explain the reality of the situation via Twitter Thursday.

Players will take the leagues 50/50 split all we want is to honor contacts already negotiated and signed. Players took two days to review

— Ryane Clowe (@ryaneclowe29) October 18, 2012

NHL proposal andBettman/owners take 10 minutes to review 3 of our legit proposals today

— Ryane Clowe (@ryaneclowe29) October 18, 2012

Bettman/Owners have a date when they want hockey to played again and until then fans and players have to wait and listen to there web of BS

— Ryane Clowe (@ryaneclowe29) October 18, 2012

When I reference owners in my tweets it's referring to 6-8 owners

— Ryane Clowe (@ryaneclowe29) October 18, 2012

For people hating on the players saying take 50/50 it's fair..we offered that, as long as current contracts are honored. Fair. Gary says no

— Logan Couture (@Logancouture) October 18, 2012

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Ryane Clowe Video: Watch San Jose Sharks Forward Play Puck From the Bench

Funny if your a Sharks fan -- Dirty play if your not.

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San Jose Sharks: Injuries, Power Play Plaguing Team in January

If it is not one thing, it is another for the San Jose Sharks this month.

After an up-and-down December 2011, the team finally got back on the winning track, claiming victories in seven of their first nine games of 2012. That was soon followed by losing four of their next five games, which is where they are now at 26-14-6 and in a tie for first place in the Pacific division with the Los Angeles Kings.

But the hole keeps getting deeper for the Sharks. Antero Niittymaki trade talks and the need for more offensive power may be the culprits of a weary San Jose team. Even an ailing power play and injuries to Brent Burns and Ryane Clowe can be held responsible.

The injuries come and go, although the ones to Clowe and Burns have no doubt taken a bite out of this team. However, a desperate power play should take the full hit for the lackluster play the past week.

San Jose goes into the game against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday with the 17th ranked power play in the NHL, a far cry from the past years of seeing the Sharks in the top-5 and having one of the more dangerous games while a man up on the ice.

At one point within the last month, the Sharks went 5 for 44 on the power play.

Attribute that to the injuries of Clowe and Havlat, who have been sidelined for the majority of that time, but San Jose may never have the "real" Havlat, and Clowe is still waiting to be allowed back into the line-up.

Can you hear GM Doug Wilson on the phone?

The answer may not even be on the trade market. The pieces are on this team, but they are simply not performing.

Joe Thornton has just one goal and seven assists this month when the team needed him the most. Patrick Marleau has just one goal and zero assists in the last seven games.

After the trade deadline, things need to change with the Sharks because the current state of the team is simply not getting it done, while the rest of the NHL is. It starts with the premiere players on this team and ends with a desperate trade deadline pick-up by Wilson.

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San Jose Sharks: 5 Players Projected For Big Seasons So Far

The San Jose Sharks are not off to the most ideal start at 4-3-0 through the first two weeks of the season. However, we can still get a good look of how this team will fair come mid-season and further.

The roster is stacked head-to-toe with talented players seeking a shot at the Cup and this season is as good as ever for this franchise to win one.

First things first, there have been no surprises.

Chemistry is an issue, which we assumed would happen after an offseason in which GM Doug Wilson basically switched up the top lines. Also, the defense is as good as advertised, and Brent Burns heads that attack.

During these first two weeks, we have seen some players stand out from the rest, and we can pretty much guarantee gigantic seasons from them this season based on what we have seen from them during these first few games.



5. Ryane Clowe

Clowe has had quite a start to the 2011-12 season so far. He has tallied six points, including two goals and four assists on a second line that is starting to figure each other out with Martin Havlat in there.

We know Clowe is good for a mass number of PIMs, but it may be his offensive game that could climb this season thanks to a maturing Couture and crafty Havlat.

Last season's total of 62 points is very attainable of he continues to get the looks he has been given. We can be sure to see him climb over the 70-point mark if things continue this way.


4. Patrick Marleau

Marleau almost should not be on this list just because we have begun to expect big seasons from him in San Jose.

However, this first line is so in sync on the ice that it is almost a guarantee that he will not only match his usual 70-point total, but may be just his second season of over 40 goals.

With Thornton and Pavelski playing as well as they are on that first line, this is probably the most likely of scenarios for statistics on this team.



3. Joe Thornton

Another player who we expect big things from in San Jose year after year.

To reiterate what this first line has the capability of doing this season, Thornton, Marleau and Pavelski play with such comfortability around each other that all three are set to have major seasons.

The first line has been getting looks, and it is just a matter of time before the goals start piling up.

Thornton is the facilitator on this line, and although is goals scored will hover around the 30-goal mark, we will see his assist total soar this season. With scorers like Pavelski and Marleau, it is almost inevitable.

We can expect around 60 assists from him and close to 80 points if things keep up.


2. Brent Burns

Burns is as good as advertised, if you hadn't noticed.

He has proven to be a decent defender, as well as a dominant force on the power play with that heavy shot from the point.

It does not seem he is fully used to the order of business in San Jose just yet, but that will come around with time, although we can already see him and Vlasic creating a little chemistry from game to game.

From the looks of it, we can expect around the same season that he had in Minnesota last year, which was 17 goals, 29 assists and a total of 46 points. However, that +/- will rise considerably from his -10 with the Wild.

Good things happen when he is on the ice in San Jose.

If everything goes according to plan, his ho-hum season will earn him a spot in the NHL All-Star Game.


1. Joe Pavelski

You do not have to pay much attention to the game to know that Pavelski is loving his duties on the first line these days.

With Marleau and Thornton on this list, why not round out the entire first line with Pavelski. These three players have such chemistry together that their stats will undoubtedly rise this season.

Pavelski is getting shots at the net he never thought would come, and it is thanks to Marleau and Thornton for setting those shots up.

So far, he has six goals and two assists in seven games, but he leads the team in shots on net, as well as leading the team in shooting percentage at over 16 percent.

He is poised for a giant year if paired up Thornton and Marleau for the rest of it.

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NHL Rumors: Should the San Jose Sharks Continue Shopping?

It seems as though someone whispered into San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson's ear after last season and told him that back-to-back Western Conference Final losses are just not enough.

So Wilson re-tooled.

Making the biggest splash of the 2011 free agency period, Wilson and the Sharks sent young scorer Devin Setoguchi and talented sniper Dany Heatley to the Minnesota Wild for All-Star defenceman Brent Burns and All-Star winger Martin Havlat in two separate deals just 10 days apart.

It was an accord that payed off for both team, as the Wild got their go-to scorers and the Sharks got their premiere defenceman and discount winger.

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San Jose Sharks' Game 7 Win Slays Many Demons

In what will go down as one of the greatest wins in San Jose Sharks’ history, the Sharks avoided just that and advanced to the Western Conference Finals on Thursday night.

Vindication.

There were sweat and tears in this series, and that was just from the fans sitting at home in front of their televisions. Thursday’s Game 7 epitomized what this series was all about, what the Sharks/Red Wings rivalry is all about and what hockey is all about.

The Sharks avoided what could have been an epic collapse that would have gone down in history, after being up 3-0 in the series, only to see the Red Wings battle back and win three straight games to force a final Game 7.

But just as we saw in each and every game this series, one goal separated these two teams, and it was Patrick Marleau’s goal at 12:13 in the 3^rd period that was the difference in Game 7.

It did not come without turbulence, though.

Ryane Clowe was a game-time decision heading into Game 7, to start off, but it was what happened in the game that had this team seeing the building crumbling down upon them once again.

When the Sharks scored, the Red Wings scored. Twice that happened. Even after the Sharks were up 2-0 in that 1st period, the game never felt like it was in the hands of the Sharks

Down to the very last penalty kill, this game was not over. But two penalty kills in the final 10 minutes of regulation brought this team together and the gritty team that we saw for the majority of the regular season showed up once again just in time

The Sharks are heading to Vancouver.

Sure, it took longer than everyone expected, especially with the Sharks being up 3-0 to start the series, but this was one of the most evenly matched series you will ever come across.

Chokers, they are no longer.

This was a franchise-defining game for the Sharks. If they lose, it sets the team back several years. There were even talks of blowing the team up by trading away core players and starting next season with a new product, which seemed like the only viable option for a historic meltdown in such a crucial series.

But win, and the Sharks continue their climb in the playoffs, and as a franchise with heart and determination after so many years of lacking just that.

The win accomplishes that.

This win was for years of failure and being dubbed a team that cannot play well when the game gets tight.

But when the game got tight in Game 7, Marleau scored, the defense stood strong, the back checking picked up and Antti Niemi was electric in net.

Yes, the Sharks will go down in history, but not for the reason that everyone around the country may have hoped for going into Game 7.

The Sharks are heading back to the Western Conference Finals in search of their first trip to the Stanley Cup Finals.

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San Jose Sharks: Top 5 Biggest Goals In the 2010-11 NHL Season (With Video)

The San Jose Sharks are one of the hottest teams in the NHL right now. They currently sit in third place in the ultra-competitive Western Conference and just three points out of the second spot.

But it has taken a lot to get this team going. After a slow start to the season, it has been the big plays and game-winners that has driven this team to the elite of the Western Conference.

It has been the Devin Setoguchi goal February 19th when he split the Avalanche defense, faked the fore-hand and went backhand top-shelf.

It was the Torrey Micthell goal just a few nights ago against Vancouver.

And it was the multiple highlight reel goals by rookie Logan Couture.

But it was the game-winners and game-changers that has this team where they are now.

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