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Logan Couture

Golden Knights’ Schmidt shaken up by collision with Sharks’ Couture

By James O'BrienOct 2, 2019, 11:46 PM EDT

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt exited Wednesday’s game against the San Jose Sharks after appearing to be in serious pain suffering from a knee-to-knee collision with Logan Couture.

As nasty as this rivalry is becoming despite it existing for such a short period of time, it looked accidental. Schmidt’s distress likely explains why a Golden Knights trainer went on the ice even though the Sharks still possessed the puck. Video of the collision is available above this post’s headline.

Vegas ended the first period with a 2-1 lead.

Either way, as strong as the Golden Knights looked through the first 20 minutes, Schmidt missing time would really sting for a Golden Knights team that had to trade away Colin Miller for salary cap reasons. It also must be that much more frustrating for Schmidt, who had a tough start to the 2018-19 as well, thanks to a 20-game PED suspension.

Schmidt will not return to Wednesday’s game. There’s no word yet on the extent of injury beyond the season-opener.

UPDATE:

MORE:
• Your 2019-20 NHL on NBC TV schedule

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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.

Sharks open camp with new captain after Pavelski’s departure

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Associated PressSep 14, 2019, 10:00 AM EDT
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SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Sharks wasted little time in replacing Joe Pavelski as captain, giving the role to Logan Couture even before starting camp.

Figuring out who will wear the ”C” on the jersey will be easier than making up for all Pavelski provided the Sharks both on and off the ice over his years in San Jose.

”It’s not going to be the same,” Couture said Friday after the first practice at training camp since losing Pavelski to Dallas in free agency this summer. ”It’s the (bad) part of professional sports when friends move on. That’s the way it goes, unfortunate but we’ll move on with the group we have here.”

Pavelski had a major impact on the ice with his 38 goals, while also leading in the dressing room and on the ice. Teammates like Couture and new alternate captain Tomas Hertl called it ”weird” to not have him around anymore.

Pavelski debuted with the Sharks in 2006 and was captain the past four seasons in San Jose. He helped the team make the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in franchise history in 2016 and then helped take them to the conference final last year.

That playoff run featured Pavelski being knocked out with a concussion and getting stitches in his head after a bloody fall in Game 7 of the opening round series against Vegas. The injury sparked a comeback and Pavelski’s return to the arena during Game 5 in the next round against Colorado provided an emotional boost. He scored a goal in his return to the ice in the Game 7 win over Colorado that sent the Sharks to the conference final.

”Losing Pavs is obviously going to be a big hole to fill, the way he played and how established he was in this room,” defenseman Erik Karlsson said. ”Someone else will have to do his job and I think it will be a workload shared with different players throughout the course of the year. We’ll just have to find a way to evolve and try and adapt to the players that we have in this room now.”

Couture will have help with Hertl, Karlsson, Joe Thornton and Brent Burns serving as alternates. Thornton and Karlsson both have captain experience, with Thornton holding that role previously in Boston and for four seasons in San Jose and Karlsson doing it in Ottawa.

Couture, who is entering the first year of an eight-year, $64 million extension, got the nod as a result of his years of leadership since becoming a key part of San Jose’s team in 2010.

”I don’t think it will change anything,” he said. ”It’s really just a different letter on the jersey. I’ll be the same. I’m lucky here in San Jose there are a lot of leaders.”

Couture is coming off one of his most productive season, scoring a career high 70 points in the regular season and then leading the NHL with 14 goals in the playoffs.

Couture is outspoken and honest, holding teammates and himself accountable at all times. He has been at his best in the playoffs, where his 48 goals rank second to Alex Ovechkin since he made his first postseason appearance in 2010. His 101 points rank fourth in that span.

”Logan is the prototypical lead by example,” coach Peter DeBoer said. ”He’s going to go out, he’s going to block a shot, play injured. He’ll sacrifice his own personal stats for the benefit of the team by always doing the right thing. It’s just in his DNA. I also think he has the ability to stand up and be heard with a tough message when it needs to be delivered.”

NOTES: The only player not ready for the start of camp was D Radim Simek, who had season-ending knee surgery last March. … The Sharks play their first of six exhibition games next Tuesday against Anaheim. They will play Vegas twice in the preseason before starting the season with a home-and-home in a rematch of heated playoff series the past two seasons. ”Hopefully we won’t kill each other before the season,” Hertl said.

PHT Morning Skate: Captain Couture; Blues ready to defend Cup

AP Images
By Sean LeahySep 13, 2019, 7:45 AM EDT

Welcome to the PHT Morning Skate, a collection of links from around the hockey world. Have a link you want to submit? Email us at phtblog@nbcsports.com.

• Logan Couture is the new captain of the San Jose Sharks. [NBC Bay Area]

• Time for the St. Louis Blues to “charge back up the hill” and defend the Stanley Cup. [Post-Dispatch]

• Blake Wheeler on how the Winnipeg Jets’ pursuit of the Stanley Cup affected him: “I was disappointed for the first time in myself after last year not because we didn’t win the Stanley Cup. I lost touch with myself as a dad, as a husband, first and foremost, because I invested so much into trying to win. Everyone was talking about this is our year to win and I felt like we had a real opportunity to win and when I was home, that’s where I was – I was trying to win the Stanley Cup.” [TSN]

• Why the Mitch Marner contract drama isn’t as complicated as it seems. [Pension Plan Puppets]

• Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland is in no rush to trade Jesse Puljujarvi until he gets the right offer. [Edmonton Journal]

• Loui Eriksson says his comments that he and Vancouver Canucks head coach Travis Green don’t get along were “overblown.” [Vancouver Sun]

• Bruce Boudreau and his players are confident the Minnesota Wild can pull off a turnaround this season. [Star Tribune]

• How Kevin Shattenkirk and Patrick Maroon can play positive roles on the Tampa Bay Lightning power play. [Raw Charge]

• Great read on Detroit Red Wings prospect Jalen Smereck and his complicated relationship with hockey and home. [The Score]

• Brady Keeper became the first member of the Pimicikamak Cree Nation to sign an NHL contract last season with the Florida Panthers. He’s confident heading into his first training camp. [NHL.com]

• No matter what happens this season is a win-win for the New York Rangers. [Gotham Sports Network]

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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.

Three fuzzy questions for the Sharks

By James O'BrienAug 24, 2019, 5:07 PM EDT

Each day in the month of August we’ll be examining a different NHL team — from looking back at last season to discussing a player under pressure to identifying X-factors to asking questions about the future. Today we look at the San Jose Sharks.

Let’s bat around three questions for the Sharks in 2019-20.

1. What’s going on with Joe Thornton?

Every indication is that Thornton is coming back for next season, and that he’ll do so for the Sharks.

But … you know, it’s getting close to September, and he hasn’t signed yet. And Thornton is 40. So it’s fair to wonder until he actually signs on the dotted line for whatever total. Maybe that’s part of the holdup; Cap Friendly estimates the Sharks’ space at about $4.6M with 21 roster spots covered, while Thornton made $5M last season.

With the other Joe (Pavelski) now in Dallas, the Sharks have to hope that Thornton is indeed coming back.

[MORE: 2018-19 Review | Under Pressure | X-factor]

Thornton was impressive last season, managing 51 points in 73 games despite being limited (wisely) to an average ice time of 15:33 per game. His possession stats were outstanding for any age. It’s not only interesting to see if Thornton comes back (and for how much), but also how the Sharks use him. Do they need more from him, or do they keep him at a modified role to preserve the well-traveled veteran?

Actually, that transitions to our second question …

2. Will the veterans avoid the aging curve?

Thornton is the most extreme example of a veteran being asked to play at an advanced age, but with 30 being a point of no return for other players (see: Lucic, Milan), it’s worth wondering if other Sharks can maintain their high levels of play.

Erik Karlsson isn’t quite at that age, but close at 29, and carrying a lot of mileage and pressure. Brent Burns is 34, which is kind of staggering. Logan Couture is also older than some might expect at 30. Martin Jones is 29, Marc-Edouard Vlasic isn’t quite an Olympian any longer at 32, and even Evander Kane is 28.

The Sharks were wise enough to let Joe Pavelski go this summer, which was for the best with their cap constraints, and also he’s in the “somehow” group at 35. Even so, there are quite a few prominent Sharks who could start to decline (or, in some cases, see their abilities plummet … again, see: Milan Lucic). If enough do, this team may be scratching and clawing just to make the playoffs, or worse.

Unless …

3. Can the young guns step up?

Whether Thornton returns or not, Sharks will need more from younger players in a few positions. Pavelski’s gone, as are defensemen Justin Braun and Joakim Ryan.

In some cases, it’s actually easy to see the Sharks making seamless transitions. Timo Meier is a rising star, and he’s done most of his damage without power play time, so expect bigger things with more chances. Tomas Hertl took another step forward as a presence in his own right, while Kevin Labanc seems like a gem, and will have every bit of motivation to cash in after accepting a baffling one-year, $1M contract.

The Sharks will probably need more than just budding stars to confirm their star statuses. They may also need one or more of Dylan Gambrell, Alex True, and Antti Suomela to replace what’s been lost.

They’ll also need head coach Peter DeBoer to tie it all together. Can he integrate younger players, get veterans the right mix between reps and rest, and make it all work enough for the Sharks to remain at a high level, if not climb a bit more? On paper, this looks like a contending team once again, but things can change quickly in the NHL.

MORE:
• ProHockeyTalk’s 2019 NHL free agency tracker
• Your 2019-20 NHL on NBC TV schedule

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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.

The Playoff Buzzer: Great Sharks-Blues Game 3 ends with missed OT call

By Ryan DadounMay 15, 2019, 11:59 PM EDT
12 Comments

• Blues defenseman Vince Dunn was injured midway through the first period when he was struck in the mouth by the puck and he couldn’t return.

• San Jose had a 2-0 lead through 20 minutes and later led by 3-1, but the Blues rallied to a 4-3 lead that they took into the third period.

• The Sharks battled back to tie it with just 1:01 remaining in regulation time then Erik Karlsson scored the game-winner due to a missed call.

San Jose Sharks 5, St. Louis Blues 4 (OT) (Sharks lead 2-1)

While the game was ultimately defined by a controversial goal, this was otherwise an excellent, back-and-forth contest. The Sharks took an early 2-0 lead thanks to Erik Karlsson’s first goal of the 2019 playoffs and Joe Thornton taking advantage of a rebound. That early deficit, coupled with Vince Dunn leaving the game after being struck by the puck made it entirely possible that this could have been a blowout win for the Sharks. Instead, the Blues battled back. They scored four goals in the second period, including back-to-back markers by David Perron in the span of just 2:39 minutes to give St. Louis a 4-3 lead. The Blues came so close to carrying that lead to the finish line and almost won the contest on an empty netter that instead hit the post. With just 1:01 remaining, Logan Couture capitalized on a rebound in front of the net to tie the game. Erik Karlsson went on to score the overtime winner at 5:23, but not before Timo Meier made a hand pass that was missed by the referees.

Three Stars

1. Erik Karlsson, San Jose Sharks. So Karlsson’s second goal was obviously marred in controversy, but that doesn’t change the fact that he had an amazing game. He still scored twice while logging an incredible 27:51 minutes. The Sharks acquired Karlsson before the start of the season in the hopes that he might be the missing piece needed to push them to a championship. He’s had to battle injury and probably is playing hurt now, but he’s still managed to be a major factor.

2. David Perron, St. Louis Blues. The second period started with a flurry of goals that left the Blues down 3-2. The game settled for a while after that until Perron got a wrister up and past Martin Jones at 16:03 of the second frame. With the contest tied, Perron blasted a shot just 2:39 minutes later to put the Blues up 4-3.

3. Colton Parayko, St. Louis Blues. With Vince Dunn out from the middle of the first period onward, the rest of the Blues’ defensemen had to step up. Not only did Parayko log 29:49 minutes, but he also contributed three assists. That came after he was held off the scoresheet in the first two games of the Western Conference Final.

Highlights of the Night
Joe Thornton had a great game and both of his goals were in part thanks to him being in the right place at the right time. That’s not to suggest that they weren’t high-skill goals though. Thornton did an amazing job both creating opportunities and capitalizing on them, as you can see with his second goal of the game.

The missed call
Of course, this is the moment most will remember from the game. Erik Karlsson scored after Timo Meier made a hand pass. It was a missed call, but it couldn’t be reviewed, so that was the game. Needless to say that the Blues and their fans were understandably very upset.

That said, Blues coach Craig Berube declined to comment on the issue after the game.

Factoids

  • Logan Couture already has 14 goals in 17 games. His latest marker tied the Sharks’ franchise record for most goals in a single postseason. [NHL PR]
  • With Erik Karlsson’s two-goal effort, the Sharks now have three different defensemen who have had multi-goal games in the 2019 playoffs. The only other team to match that feat were the 1982-83 Boston Bruins. [StatsCentre]
  • Due to Dunn’s injury, St. Louis had three different defensemen record at least 27 minutes of ice time. They were: Jay Bouwmeester (27:51), Colton Parayko (29:49), and Alex Pietrangelo (31:57).
  • The Blues scored their most goals in a single playoff period (four) since the 2000 Conference Quarterfinals. [NHL PR]

Thursday’s Schedule

Game 3: Boston Bruins at Carolina Hurricanes, 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN

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Ryan Dadoun is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @RyanDadoun.