The black bar for the rubric continues. Valanciunas was indeed sent to contain Drummond and spent almost 28 minutes on the floor. From time to time, Jonas cut off the Pistons center from the shield, but his partners took the rebounds for the Lithuanian. Jonas took only six rebounds, and required at least eight.

Lauri had an extremely unconvincing match, however, like the rest of Toronto. We expected at least 11 assists from the point guard of the Raptors, and Kyle gave 7, adding to them heels of losses. Dwayne Casey sent a fiery hello to the former club, having obtained a sensational victory in the end.

In Arizona, the Spurs lost by one wicket to the Suns. LaMarcus Aldridge hit only 3 field goals out of 12, and the entire starting five of the guests finished the fight with a terrible “plus or minus” record. "Phoenix" did nothing outstanding, but the victory was absolutely deserved. San Antonio basketball players made too many bad attempts. We were pleased only by Devin Booker, who distributed as many as 12 assists and overcame the total set by the bookmakers in this component with a margin.

Thus, the pot contains 34,280 chips.

Houston Rockets - Golden State Warriors

Choice #1: Quinn Cook's individual total under 14.5 points per 1.8

Bid: 1000 chips (possible profit 800 chips)

Choice #2: the total of the most ineffective quarter is less than 46.5 points for 1.9

Bid: 1000 chips (possible profit 900 chips)

A remake of the western conference finals, to which the opponents come in not the best condition. Curry will not play for the Warriors and, of course, Cousins ​​will miss the next match. The Rockets won't help Knight, Nene, Clark and Green are questionable, Carter-Williams and Anthony are in trouble.

The upcoming fight is of fundamental nature. Houston was close to dethroning the champion, so the thirst for revenge will add motivation. In such cuttings, great attention is riveted to the leaders. The proportion of such battles has a significant impact in determining the status of a basketball player. You can try to play the top of Durant or Harden, but there are fears that the meeting will turn out to be grassroots.

The battles of the past regular season should not be taken as a starting point. Golden State will perform without its main star. Both coaches are aware that the team with more effective defense will win. The attack of both those and others is not yet impressive relative to themselves last season, so it is necessary to work on defense.

Without Curry, the Warriors will have Cook again at the start. In battles with outsiders, the point guard gets a lot of throws, feels great on the floor, but the upcoming match is of tremendous importance. Quinn's custody will be taken over by Paul, who is still a quality defender. The principle of competition will force Chris to give all the best, and Kerr will rely on more experienced performers.

Durant, Green, Iguodala and Livingston could become the main controllers. Also, let's not forget about the ability of the head of the players' union to put opponents on fouls. Under these conditions, let's take Cook's individual total less than 14.5 points.

The Golden State's reliance on Durant's actions is enormous. The current champions are ready to lock themselves in defense, but on the opponent's half of the parquet without Kevin's phenomenal play, efficiency drops sharply. The Rockets will, of course, stay true to digital basketball and make a huge number of attempts from behind the arc.

If the failure of the host's sight coincides with the rest of KD, then the total of the most ineffective quarter should not step over the mark of 46.5 points. In addition, the option of a real kill with a slow pace in the end is not excluded.

Los Angeles Clippers - San Antonio Spurs

Choice #1: Clippers win with a -5.5 handicap for 1.96

Bid: 1000 chips (possible profit 960 chips)

Choice #2: LaMarcus Aldridge individual total under 11.5 rebounds at 1.93

Bid: 1000 chips (possible profit 930 chips)

Choice #3: Clippers to win all quarters in 12

Bid: 1000 chips (potential profit 11,000 chips)

The Spurs will play the back-to-back road trip that Popovich hates so much. “San Antonio” will not be able to count on Walker, Murray and Gasol, but after the rest Rudy Gay is expected to appear on the floor. The Clippers have Bradley and Luke Mba-a-Mute, other important players in the ranks, in question.

It is on the advantage of freshness that we will focus in the upcoming match. The Californians rested for two more days, and the last match was played at the Staples Center. Doc Rivers has a huge number of guys with crazy physical data.

In addition, an outstanding bench speaks in favor of the hosts. Williams gives points from any situation, Harrell crushes opponents with crazy thirst for a fight and terrible screams, Marjanovic prepares to put from above without a jump, Teodosic distributes one candy after another, but even that is far from all.

Rivers' selection is truly amazing, and it's advantageous for Doc to turn up the pace to wear down the two leaders of the enemy. The recent results of the Spurs are depressing. In five matches, only one victory was won due to 32 smeared trebles by the Rockets. In the other four fights, San Antonio lost to the Magic, Heat, Kings and Suns. It remains only to lose the Cavaliers for complete happiness. The Clippers have been winning victories at home in six consecutive battles, only a miracle can prevent them from taking the seventh. Let's take the base handicap "-5.5" on the Californians.

Somewhat surprising is the line of bookmakers, exposed to the individual indicators of the players. The bar for Aldridge's rebounding is set at 11.5 and seems to be one point too high. The average result of Lamarcus for the season is 10.6 rebounds, and the top of the indicated total was broken in 6 cases out of 13.

With the Suns, the Spurs power forward spent just under half an hour, but fatigue and age still run the risk of affecting. Aldridge once in the current season took part in the “back-to-back” duel and then took only six rebounds. Popovich prefers to save the leaders, so there is a high probability of reducing the giant's playing time.

The final bet should not be taken seriously, it is just an attempt to catch a high odds. The bench at the Spurs is not impressive, and the owners of the reservists are pleasing to the eye. If the Clippers lead by ten or more points by the big break, then San Antonio is unlikely to balk too much.

No one has canceled the competition among the Californians, everyone wants to play, and each performer is responsible for the time provided. Doc Rivers' guys have won eight wins this season, two of which have won in all quarters. Why not do this trick again?

Total: made 5 bets in the amount of 5 thousand chips. There are 29,280 chips left in the pot.

P.S. The competition is now open. We ask all participants to comply with the conditions. The prize will be a cap of your favorite NBA team or something much more valuable. Anyone can join the competition until January 1st. For details please email [email protected] .

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Story

Considering the work experience of the San Jose Sharks club, which is not so impressive by the standards of the NHL, it would not turn out to be classified as an unexposed youth. During its existence on the map of the leading hockey League in North America, the team made a splash no less than Cinderella at her first ball in her life. A series of ups and downs did not prevent the Sharks from staying on the crest of the wave and gaining popularity not only in their native “water area”, but also, going beyond it, becoming one of the most beloved teams in the entire hockey world. The chronological sequence of the developing success of the Sharks is brought to your attention in the historical summary of events.

It all started on May 9, 1990, when the NHL allowed George and Gordon Gand to sell the Minnesota North Stars in exchange for the right to form a new club in the so-called Bay Area. According to the plan, his invasion of the League was scheduled for the 91/92 season. On June 26, a symbolic laying of the foundation took place on the site where the San Jose Arena was supposed to appear some time later.

The creators of the image of the future NHL debutants had to solve a difficult task. Mindful of how important it is not to make a mistake or rather even guess with the introduction of a new “brand”, a trademark, they very carefully and scrupulously approached the problem of choosing a name. In July, more than 2,300 (!) possible options were put to the vote, in which more than 5,700 people participated. The winner was waiting for a "consolation" prize - a trip for two to Chicago for the traditional "star" match. By the way, one proposal came even from Italy. The fateful decision was made by representatives of 47 states and all Canadian provinces. The top 15 in alphabetical order was as follows: Icebreakers, Blades, Breakers, Breeze, Fog, Gold, Golden Gaithers, Golden Skaters, Grizzlies, Condors, Knights, Redwoods, Sea Lions, Sharks and Waves. As a result, the choice fell on the Sharks, and a certain Allen Speer from San Jose became the author of the idea. On September 6, the fact that the Sharks name was assigned to the club was officially announced.

Why "Sharks"? Today this question sounds a little trite. And yet the rational grain was traced quite clearly. Firstly, seven different types of sharks live in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, which washes the California Peninsula. And the bay, to which, in fact, the city of San Jose adjoins, was generally dubbed the “red triangle” because of the incredible number of sea killers. Secondly, numerous research institutes are concentrated in this territory, the main activity of which is the search for sharks, the study of species and their conservation. And finally, according to EVP of Marketing Matt Levin, “Sharks are ruthless, determined, fast, agile, intelligent and fearless. We want our organization to meet all of these qualities.

While the construction of a new palace designed for 18 thousand people was in full swing, it was necessary to solve the problem of the temporary stay of the newly minted Sharks, that is, to provide ice for home games. After consulting, George Gund and San Jose Mayor Tom Makenery decided that within two years the place would be Cow Palace in Daly City. On December 12, an agreement in principle was reached between the city council and the management of the San Jose Arena. Those in power donated $125 million from the city treasury to fund the construction of the palace. In addition to hockey, it was supposed to compete in basketball, and then the capacity automatically increased to 19,000 spectators. Plus, holding events of a different kind allowed the San Jose Arena to take up to 20 thousand people under its arches. In turn, the Sharks management promised to contribute the amount of 17-20 million "conditional units" with the wording "for convenience." The first visitors were supposed to step over the threshold of a fresh masterpiece of American architecture of the late twentieth century in September 1993.

On February 12, 1991, the original logo - the creation of highly skilled designers Terry Smith and Mike Blatt saw the light of day. The long-awaited premiere of both versions (home and away) of branded sweaters took place. The demonstration was led by Sharks co-owner George Gand and world hockey legend Gordie Howe.

On March 30, a two-year contract is signed between the San Jose Sharks and the Kansas City Blades of the International Hockey League. Its conditions stipulate that the latter will be the Sharks farm club for a specified period.

George Kingston became the first head coach in San Jose history. His inauguration was announced on 12 April.

At the end of May, the NHL bosses effectively gave the Sharks the green light by receiving $50 million from them, the mandatory fee required to join the League. A few days later, in the expansion draft, the first 34 players come to the Sharks. On June 22, the traditional rookie draft takes place, and San Jose managers play some kind of roulette for the first time. They pick second, with the Sharks jersey being tried on by right winger Pat Falloon, who has previously played in the West Coast League. So, everything you need to start in the regular season is almost ready. On October 4, the Sharks play their first game in the NHL. They were expected to visit in Vancouver.

Frankly, the Canucks were somewhat shocked. After two periods, "San Jose" was inferior to the hosts 0:3. Perhaps no one expected a different result. However, in the final third, everything turned upside down. The Sharks, without delaying the matter, immediately decided to consolidate their reputation as a sensational team. The shown character allowed the guests to restore the balance - 3:3. Vancouver panicked. It was close to overtime, but 19 seconds before the “x” moment, the Canucks are saved by Trevor Linden. Is it fair to say that the Sharks lost in this case? We submit this issue for your consideration. Oh, by the way, we almost forgot to mention Craig Cox, the legendary man, or rather the legendary shark who made the first deadly bite. Mark Pavelic and Neil Wilkinson cleared the fairway for Cox and he, after 4 minutes 9 seconds from the beginning of the third period, turned on the red light outside the Vancouver goal.

October 8 "Sharks" confirmed the superiority of the water element over fire. The Calgary Flames, carried by a tailwind in San Jose, came to the Cow Palace ice, where, however, they were disappointed. "Sharks" won the first victory at home - 4:3. A draw, apparently, did not suit the capricious Sharks, and 3 and a quarter minutes before the end of regular time, Kelly Kisio tipped the scales in the right direction.

As for the away model, it did not find self-realization at San Jose until November 30th. In Calgary, the sad tradition has ceased to exist. And again, the game is on the edge with a minimal advantage of one of the “appositions”. Steve Bozek and David Bruce made the recent Stanley Cup winners feel uncomfortable in front of a Canadian audience. Sharks goaltender Jeff Hackett has a ray of hope for a shut-out. But a minute and a half before the final siren, the notorious beam dissolved into space “thanks” to Gary Suter. As a result, only (!?) 2:1.

The euphoria from the “entrance exams” has passed and the daily routine work has begun for the right on the move (and why not?) to grab a tasty morsel, which is usually considered a place in the playoffs. Passing half the distance of the regular championship, the NHL freezes in anticipation of the All Stars game. In January 1992, the stars were supposed to appear in the sky of Philadelphia. On a trip to the opposite coast of America, the Sharks were released with God by Doug Wilson. On the Campbell Conference team, Wilson felt like a fish out of water, as evidenced by at least six previous appearances in the all-star teams.

By tradition, the NHL debutants in the spring remain somewhat in the shadows, and the Sharks were no exception. At the end of June, there will be a reshuffle in the "higher echelons of power", as a result of which general manager Jack Ferreira surrenders his powers, Dean Lombardi takes over the affairs of vice president and director of hockey operations, Chuck Grillo also takes over the position of vice president and is now responsible for recruiting (read players). We add that the duties of the vice president were also shouldered by head coach George Kingston. What's in store for the Sharks for their second season in the NHL?

On November 17 in Los Angeles, goaltender Artur Irbe brings San Jose a truly historic and triumphant 6-0 victory over the Kings. This is the first shootout in Sharks history. For the sake of such success, the “Baltic wall” probably had to resort to practical magic and bewitch the entire “Forum”: not one of the 39 throws of the Kings hockey players did not achieve the desired goal. Exactly three days later, Sharks captain Doug Wilson reached 1,000 career games. Ironically, the opposite side of the barricade was occupied by the Black Hawks from Chicago - the team whose ranks Wilson defended for 14 seasons. The day of December 3 was marked by another remarkable event: NHL rookie Rob Goudreau, who played only his second game, “shipped” three goals against the Hartford Whalers. However, despite the hat-trick and the overwhelming support of the native stands, the Sharks were powerless against the Whalers and lost with a score of 5:7. By the way, on January 5, 1993, Rob Goudreau was recognized as the best newcomer of the month. To tell the truth, there were no options for making a different decision: in 14 games, Rob accurately “shot” 14 times (including 2 (!) hat-tricks) and in 5 cases acted as a “carrier of shells”.

In early February, North America was in for the annual "star change" in Montreal. Once again lucky tickets booked for the share of "Sharks" - Kelly Kisio and Mike Sullivan. And to admit, in San Jose I didn’t have to blush for “their own”. Sullivan did very well in the SuperSkills (second in the Skating competition with a time of 13.658 seconds over two laps), and Kisio, whose first appearance in the All Stars match was the next day, gave a surprise: a goal plus an assist .

Now we will make a significant time leap, leaving almost half a year behind us, in order to mark in the history of San Jose, perhaps, a turning point, called in many reference books an incredible comeback. On June 16, at a specially convened press conference, the new Sharks coach Kevin Constantine was introduced. By the way, the Sharks' coaching bridge has been empty for two months now, since George Kingston was forced to leave the team's location for the "outstanding" result of his wards in the regular season. It must be admitted that Konstantin is certainly a desperate person, an intriguer, of which there are few. Otherwise, how else to evaluate an excerpt from his then statement: “San Jose will take part in the playoffs in the very near future.” It is quite understandable that the media reacted to what they heard with a share of irony and skepticism. And how else should they have reacted to nothing, actually not supported by the words of Konstantin, if the Sharks last season set the NHL anti-record of all time - 71 defeats. The journalists, reasonably referring to Kevin's youth, and, most likely, not attaching much importance to his promises, having done their job, went home. On that day, no one knew that the Sharks were destined to stir up and turn the hockey world upside down.

A new figure appears in the headquarters of the Californians - Greg Jamison - executive vice president and chief of operations. In the meantime, the commissioning of the newest San Jose Arena was on the way.

On September 7, the opening ceremony took place. The event turned into a two-day celebration. The city, including all strata of society, walked. And the next day, the first official show took place within the walls of the palace - a circus performance. The organizers, having sold 16356 tickets, obviously made the right decision.

But the main thing, for the sake of which, in fact, the construction of the arena was started is hockey. And taking into account the recent speech of Kevin Constantine, waiting for the start of a new championship was becoming unbearable. September 30 - the first game at the San Jose Arena as part of the exhibition series. The Sharks took on the New York Islanders and won 4-2.

And so, the season has taken a countdown. An ominous 9-game stretch, in which the Sharks concede 8 times and draw once, lets the naysayers rub their hands. The mitigating circumstance for them was only the fact that out of 20 declared hockey players, Konstantin had 12 newcomers at his disposal. However, the San Jose plans did not include another rollback to the outsiders of the Western Conference. And besides everything else, Kevin Constantine needed to keep his word, so the Sharks change course exactly the opposite, and in the next 8 meetings, the result seems more tangible: 4 wins, 2 fiascos and 2 draws. In November, the club goes on tour. Experts "freeze" in anticipation. But here, again, everything goes without disruption: three times the rivals of San Jose capitulated, the same number of draws with a single misfire. It is noteworthy that by the end of December, the Sharks had more away wins in their luggage than in the previous two seasons.

On January 22, 1994, New York hosted the NHL Stars. Among others, the "city of contrasts" welcomed Arturs Irbe and Sandis Ozoliņš with open arms. For both participation in the matches of the format "All Stars" was the debut. Irbe brilliantly defended the second twenty minutes and was recognized as the top goalkeeper of the Western Conference. Ozoliņš, with 2 goals and one assist, became the top scorer in his team.

March-April was the final stage of the regular season. The Sharks embarked on a finishing spur to a playoff destination that included San Jose's record-breaking 9-game unbeaten streak (7 wins and 2 ties). On April 5, after the "Kings" from Los Angeles were "overthrown" away, it became completely clear: the Sharks would lead the fight for the Stanley Cup. So, Kevin Constantine kept his promise. And his team made the biggest coup in NHL history. After a disastrous 92-93 season, when the Sharks shot a measly 24 points in 84 games, they now had a points equivalent of 82 with a balance of 33 wins, 35 losses and 16 draws.

Of course, from the very beginning of the elimination matches, no one considered the Sharks as worthy competitors. Moreover, after the news that in the first round their counterparts would be the Detroit hockey players, who occupied the highest level in the West grid, no one bet even a broken penny on Konstantin and Co. However, on April 30, North America refused to believe in what had happened: in the 7th decisive match of the 1/8 finals of the Stanley Cup, San Jose put an end to the Red Wings' cup dreams. With 6 and a half minutes left in the final third, on a slippery 2-2 balance, Sharks center Jamie Baker tips the scales in favor of his teammates. The 3-2 score did not change until the final siren, and the Wings and Sharks parted ways.

It's hard to imagine the psychological state the Toronto Maple Leaves were in. After all, the "Sharks" in the quarterfinals went to the Canadian favorites. And if "San Jose", so, in fact, having jumped above his head, had practically lost nothing, then the "Leaves" were in a slightly different status.

And here it is, the culmination of the season. Contrary to predictions, which are still based on common sense, and not on miracles, the Sharks lead in the series 3:2. The next meeting could be decisive. It turns out to be decisive, but unfortunately against San Jose. In overtime, Toronto brings opponents to their knees. And in the final 7th match, despite the fact that the Sharks noticeably succeeded in shots on goal (32 vs. 21), the numbers on the scoreboard summed up the score 4:2 behind the advantage of the Maple Leafs.

It was all over, and it was time to draw some conclusions. First of all, I would like to recall those who, directly on the ice arenas, made Kevin Konstantin's dream come true: these are hockey players from the post-Soviet space Sergey Makarov, Igor Larionov, Artur Irbe, Sandis Ozoliņš, veterans Jeff Norton and Ulf Dahlen, Pat Falloon, Ray Whitney and many others. Konstantin himself, by the way, took second place in the voting among applicants for the Jack Adams prize as the best coach of the year. The incredible success of the Sharks was credited to the equally incredible support of the fans. At the San Jose Arena, 28 out of 41 Sharks home games were sold out. Commentators broadcasting TV from the "shark den" could hardly hear themselves at times, as the "noise design" reached 117 decibels.

In the off-season, a lot of work is being done to promote the team (in particular, agreements have been signed with two radio stations) and to establish public relations. But on October 19, news agencies shocked millions of people by announcing the lockout. The general hockey isolation continued until January 13, 1995, when the parties themselves finally realized that they could not live without a stick and a puck, and, having signed a new six-year collective agreement, they blessed the clubs for a shortened, but still another championship. NHL.

As it turned out a little later, not only a lockout can cause the cancellation of a hockey spectacle. On March 10, for example, the Sharks-Red Wings game was rescheduled due to flooding.

But there were events with a plus sign. March 17 "San Jose" became the first club in the NHL, acquired its own page on the Internet.

Regardless of the version of the regular championship, the goal of the club is to occupy a niche in the top eight. And the "Sharks", for the second time in a row, clinging to the bandwagon of the outgoing train, cope with the task. Once again, the drama plays out: the No. 1 seeded Calgary Flames can't stand the pressure. In Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Opening Series, one minute and 54 seconds into the second overtime period, Ray Whitney permanently extinguishes the Flame. It was not possible for the Sharks to “surf” the quarter-final barrier, as it was a year ago.

In October, there will be a reshuffle in the San Jose coaching staff. Kevin Konstantin's assistants Vasiliy Tikhonov and Drew Remenda move to Kansas City and take on head coach and assistant positions at the Blades affiliate, respectively. Their predecessors Jim Wiley and Mark Kaufman rush to San Jose. In turn, Konstantin signs a new contract for a period of three years.

Less than two months have passed since the entry into force of the treaty, and Konstantin puts a letter of resignation on the table. The reason for this was an ill-considered transfer line (the Sharks, for example, parted ways with such masters as Sergei Makarov and Sandis Ozolins), which led to unsatisfactory "out-of-semester" performance. Next, the "Sharks" will surf the NHL under the control of Jim Wiley. The instability of "San Jose" in February-March led to a reshuffle in the management office. Definitely the situation with the head coach was resolved by June 6, 96. The case is taken over by Al Sims, who has 15 years of acting experience and three years of coaching with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. The supporting cast included Wayne Cashman and Roy Sommer. New goals and objectives in San Jose were associated with these people.

The most significant event of the 96/97 season was celebrated on December 17 of the outgoing year. This evening, the stands of the San Jose Arena were filled to overflowing for the hundredth time in a row (!)

The All-Star match (January 18, 1997) was inscribed in golden letters in the history of San Jose, which gave literally the whole city an unforgettable holiday and a grandiose show. Let's make a reservation right away that the original All-Star match in San Jose was scheduled for the 95th year. The reason for its cancellation was the notorious lockout, which already shocked the entire sports community on both sides of the Atlantic. Therefore, the traditional congress of talents did not fit into the already compressed to the limit schedule of the shortened champion. It seemed that the Pacific Coast would not soon see the “starfall”, and yet the League bosses again granted this privilege to San Jose two years later. It is noteworthy that the city got a chance to host the All Stars weekend faster than other geographical objects that appeared on the NHL map in the 90s. Ottawa, Anaheim, Phoenix, Florida, for a variety of reasons, to this day languish in anticipation of their turn. Only the Tampa Bay organization dared to book 1999 as a star forum.

Owen Nolan and Tony Granato were called up from the “water area” of the Sharks under the banner of the Western Conference. The latter received a special invitation with the wording "for devotion to hockey." A little earlier, Tony courageously underwent a complex brain operation and found the strength to return to the ice.

Who would have thought that it was Owen Nolan who would subsequently become the headliner of the entire "star" match. By the way, the day before, in the traditional SuperSkills competition, Owen was one step away from winning the competition for the accuracy of the throw. The palm of our hero was already taken away by the legendary Ray Burke. Nolan's hour struck exactly one day later.

It was definitely a moment of glory. You know, even Star Weekends, despite all its outrageousness and pomposity, often go into oblivion due to the absence of some intrigue, or the only bright episode that, as time passes, will unmistakably reproduce the events of bygone days in memory.

So, there was a third period of the meeting. General joy, fun. Smiles do not leave the faces of the players. Beautiful, light, uninhibited hockey, plenty of pucks. "East" gave more than a solid head start to "West" (11-5). The place at the gates of the team of nominal guests, which were representatives of the Eastern Conference, was taken by the unforgettable goalkeeper of Buffalo Dominik Hasek. This is where it all started. What the Dominator began to create absolutely did not succumb to logic. It seemed that the Czech simply did not have time to warn: “Dominik, this is the Star Game, the show. You shouldn't take everything so personally." But "Dominator" was not up to the show. Having caught the courage, Hasek seemed like an insurmountable iceberg, on which the attacks of the “Westerners” crashed over and over again. It is simply impossible to convey the disappointment of Owen Nolan, Pavel Bure (both of them had a double before the final twenty minutes), Theo Fleury, who permanently tormented the opponents' defense, but every time "stepping on the same rake", it is simply impossible. There was no trace of the festive euphoria of the hosts, even some resentment towards Dominic slipped in their eyes. They say that he allows himself here, in the end, this is not the regular season and not the playoffs for him! "To break through" the stubborn Hasek became a matter of principle. Therein lies the intrigue. The account itself was of no interest to anyone. "Dominator" concentrated everyone's attention on himself.

The tension has reached its climax. And here comes the long-awaited denouement. There are 6 minutes of game time left until the final siren. Owen Nolan receives a pass in the port midfield and is determined to launch another raid towards the last frontier of the Eastern Conference. The spectators, who also did not lose hope for the “miracle”, not sparing the vocal cords and anticipating the triumph, gradually begin to charge the sound wave. No one can imagine what will happen in a moment. And the following will happen. Nolan, bypassing the blue line, will enter the zone and move a little to the center, finding himself, in fact, one on one with the irreconcilable Dominator. One can understand the emotional state of Owen, who wanted to "shoot" in front of his fans at all costs. And he gave vent to feelings. His foppish gesture, as well as the whole episode, will be savored more than once by video engineers: the distance between him and Hasek is inexorably shrinking, Nolan dribbles the puck with one hand, and with the other he points the super-Czech to the corner where the shot will be applied. There follows the Moscow Art Theater pause, after which the rubber disc ... "brushes" is sent to the "nine". It is impossible to describe what happened in the stands in words. It was a fabulous finale. Many, however, then came up with the idea to call everything described above a scenario, a well-executed production, in a word, a pre-planned action. As for Owen Nolan, then and now he categorically denies involvement, as they say, in the juggling of facts. As it was in reality, you be the judge.

I was frankly surprised, or rather even disappointed, by the decision of the NHL supreme jury, which determined the most valuable player of the match. By all the laws of the genre, they simply had to recognize Nolan's "shark". His hat-trick, which included a geyser of adrenaline arranged under the curtain, was perhaps the main event of the evening. However, people who had, frankly, a mediocre attitude to hockey, had a different opinion: they chose the most-most ... Mark Recchi, who also submitted to the top of three abandoned washers. A decision of this kind, of course, was taken by the audience "with hostility." Rekki himself was surprised no less than others, and admitted that from now on, apparently, a “warm” reception will be provided to him at the San Jose Arena. It remains to be added that the "cream" of the NHL, divided according to the principle of West - East, crossed their sticks in San Jose for the last time.

The 1997/1998 season turned out to be traditionally good for the young team. Before the start of the games, the club was led by Darryl Sutter, who has never missed the Stanley Cup in his 21 seasons as a player and coach. Nevertheless, San Jose did not get the start of the championship, but during the season such players as Mike Vernon, Kenneth Sutton, John McLean, Brian Marchment, Dave Lowry, Mike Ricci, Joe Murphy came to the club, who made the team one of the most experienced in the league. They helped the club get to 8th place in the Western Conference, but in the first round of the playoffs, the Sharks lost to the holders of the President's Cup, Dallas. The California squad lost the first two meetings of the starting round, after fights on their ice, they restored the balance in the score, but later only Dallas won, pulling out the last success in overtime. “Each of our players has shown real sportsmanship,” John McLean said after the loss. “But a lot can be expected from this team in the future.”

A similar story happened the following year, where the Sharks set several club records during the regular season. Again - an unconvincing start (0 wins in 8 games), several competent acquisitions and as a result - access to the playoffs, where Theo Fleury "Colorado" became the rival. However, the main hero of the confrontation between the Sharks and the Avalanche was the young Denver forward Milan Heiduk, who twice scored decisive goals in overtime. The scenario of the series was exactly the same as the year before with Dallas: 0-2, 2-2, 2-4, with the last defeat in overtime.

Note the arrival of current leaders Vincent Damfuss and Niklas Sundström to the team, as well as the appointment of Owen Nolan on October 28, 1998 as the fifth captain in the history of the Sharks. For the second year in a row, the young Jeff Friesen, who removed the same Nolan from this “post”, became the club’s most productive player.

Nevertheless, it was Nolan who became the main ringleader of San Jose in the 1999/2000 season. He became the only hockey player in the NHL to have scored at least 40 goals (44), as well as scored at least 100 penalty minutes (110) and had at least 200 power moves (209). His percentage of the team's total goals was second in the League behind Pavel Bure (19.7 vs. 23.8). At the same time, 11 Sharks players scored at least 10 goals in the season at once, only Pittsburgh, Colorado and St. Louis could boast of such a result. The club's top scoring defenseman - 36 points - Brad Stewart was nominated for the title of rookie of the year, and another debutant - Evgeny Nabokov - became the first rookie goalkeeper in NHL history to complete his first game with a score of 0-0. But Nabokov's opponent in that fight was not anyone, but Patrick Roy himself, who is considered by many to be the greatest goalkeeper in the annals of the NHL.

In the playoffs, the team's success continued. Quite unexpectedly, the Californians knocked out the regular season winner St. Louis from the dispute for the main trophy of the season, but in the next round in five games they laid down their arms in front of Dallas.

The 2000/2001 championship was one of the most successful in the history of the club. Having improved their points performance for the 5th year in a row, the Sharks, despite the injuries of Owen Nolan and Vincent Damfuss, climbed to fifth place in the Western Conference and got St. Louis offended by them a year earlier in the first stage. This time, the Blues took a more responsible approach in the fight against San Jose, and Darryl Sutter's wards were forced to go on vacation after 6 matches. He did not shine much in the playoffs received in March in exchange for Friesen and Steve Shields Teemu Selanne, but Sharks fans, not without reason, hope that the Finnish Flash will still prove itself in their favorite club. This season was triumphant for Yevgeny Nabokov, who received the Calder Trophy as a reward - the prize for the best newcomer of the year.

The Sharks have already made their fans accustomed to the fact that they regularly reach the playoffs. San Jose are one of six clubs in the West that have consistently competed in the Silver Bowl for the past four years. But the Sharks have not yet gained real success. Let's believe that they are still ahead.

San Jose Sharks squad for the 2008/09 season:
Goalkeepers: Evgeny Nabokov , Brian Bush.
Defenders: Dan Boyle, Rob Blake, Christian Erhoff, Mark-Eduard Vlasic, Doug Murray, Brad Lukovic.
Left forwards: Patrick Marlowe, Milan Michalek, Marcel Goch, Thomas Plichal.
Center forwards: Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, Torrey Mitchell, Jeremy Renick.
Right hitters: Jonathan Chichu, Ryan Clow, Mike Greer, Devin Setoguchi.

Transitions in the 2008 off-season:
Key Acquisitions: h. Dan Boyle (Tampa Bay), d. Brad Lakovich (Tampa Bay), d. Rob Blake (Los Angeles)
Key losses: h. Craig Reeve ("Buffalo"), h. Brian Campbell ("Chicago"), h. Matthew Karl (Tampa Bay)

Salary in season 2008/09:
Listed are players whose salaries exceed $1 million
n. Joe Thornton - $7,200,000
h. Dan Boyle - $6,666,667
n. Patrick Marlo - $6,300,000
in. Evgeny Nabokov - $5,375,000
h. Rob Blake - $5,000,000
n. Milan Michalek - $4,333,333
h. Christian Ehrhoff - $3,100,000
n. Jonathan Chichu - $3,000,000
h. Kyle McLaren - $2,500,000
n. Mike Greer - $1,775,000
n. Joe Pavelski - $1,637,500
n. Ryan Clow - $1,600,000
h. Brad Lukovic - $1,566,667
n. Devin Setoguchi - $1,246,667
n. Jeremy Renick - $1,000,000
h. Mark-Eduard Vlasich - $1,000,000

The best hockey players "San Jose Sharks" in history (version of The Hockey News, November 2007):
1. n. Joe Thornton, 2. n. owen nolan, 3. c. Evgeny Nabokov , 4. n. Patrick Marlo, 5. n. Igor Larionov , 6. n. Mike Ricci, 7. c. Artur Irbe, 8. h. Mike Rathier, 9. n. Vincent Damfuss, 10. n. Jonathan Chichu.

Statistics in the season 2007/08:
Result: 49-23-10 (2nd place in the conference)
Abandoned pucks: 222 (10th place in the conference)
Missed pucks: 193 (3rd place in the conference)
Playoffs: lost in 1/4 finals
Glasses: Joe Thornton - 96
Goals: Joe Thornton - 29
Transfers: Joe Thornton - 67
Penalty minutes: Craig Reeve - 104
According to the +/- system: Doug Murray - 20
Powerplay goals: Joe Thornton - 11
Shorthanded goals: Mike Greer - 3
Winning goals: Jeremy Renick - 10

(National Hockey League). The club is based in San Jose, California, USA. The team's colors, black and dark orange, are based on a popular color combination in American sports.

Story

Hockey in the Bay Area

In the first round, the Sharks' opponents were the Detroit hockey players, who occupied the highest level in the West grid and were the undisputed favorites of the series. However, on April 30, in the 7th decisive match of the 1/8 finals of the Stanley Cup, San Jose beats the Red Wings 3-2 and sensationally beats a more eminent opponent. The Sharks' next opponent was the Maple Leaves from Toronto. The Sharks were leading in the series 3:2, but in the overtime of the sixth match, Toronto wins, and in the final 7th match, despite the fact that the Sharks were leading on shots on target (32 vs. 21), the score was 4 :2 in favor of the Maple Leaves.

In the summer of 2010, the only Russian legionnaire left the team, its main goalkeeper for several years was Yevgeny Nabokov, instead of whom the current Stanley Cup holder Chicago Blackhawks goalkeeper Antti Niemi was taken.

Statistics

Abbreviations: R = regular season games played, W = wins, L = losses, OT = overtime losses, T = points, WP = goals scored, PM = goals conceded, Reg. champ. = place taken in the specified division according to the results of the regular season, Playoffs = result in the playoffs

Current line-up

Individual records

• Most points in a season: Joe Thornton - 114 (22 goals, 92 goals) (2006-07)
• Most goals scored in a season: Jonathan Chichu - 56 (2005-06)
• Most assists in a season: Joe Thornton - 92 (2006-07)
• Most penalty minutes in a season: Link Gaetz - 326 (1991-92)
• Most points scored by a defenseman in one season: Sandis Ozoliņš - 64 (26+38 in 1993-94)
• Most playoff points in a season: Igor Larionov - 18 (5+13) (1993-94)
• Most games played by a goalkeeper in a season: Evgeny Nabokov (2007-08) - 77
• Most minutes on the field in a season by a goalkeeper: Evgeny Nabokov (2007-08) - 4560 min 56 sec
• Most wins by a goalkeeper in a season: Evgeny Nabokov (2007-08) - 46
• Most shutouts in a season: Evgeny Nabokov - 9 (2003-04)
• Most regular season shutouts: Evgeny Nabokov (1999-2010) - 50
• Most games played by a regular season goaltender: Evgeny Nabokov (1999-2010) - 563
• Most regular season minutes played by a goalkeeper: Evgeny Nabokov (1999-2010) - 32,490 min 43 sec
• Most wins by a regular season goaltender: Evgeny Nabokov (1999-2010) - 293
• Most games played by a goaltender in the Stanley Cup: Evgeny Nabokov (1999-2010) - 80
• Most wins by a goaltender in the Stanley Cup: Evgeny Nabokov (1999-2010) - 40
• Most wins by a playoff goaltender in a season: Evgeny Nabokov (2003-04) – 10
• Most playoff shutouts in a season: Evgeny Nabokov, 3 (2003-04)
• Most shutouts in the Stanley Cup: Evgeny Nabokov (1999-2010) - 7
• Most playoff minutes in a season by a goaltender: Evgeny Nabokov (2003-04) - 1,052 min 15 sec
• Most minutes on the field in the Stanley Cup, among goaltenders: Evgeny Nabokov (1999-2010) - 4818 min 53 sec

see also

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Notes

Literature

• Steve Cameron: Feeding Frenzy! The Wild New World of the San Jose Sharks. Taylor Publishing Company, December 1994, ISBN 0-87833-102-6
• Sharks of San Jose 2007-08 Club guide., 2007
• Sharks of San Jose 2008-09 Club guide., 2008

Links

• (English)