Sharks face off on faceoffs
Couture complains, and San Jose begins winning the draws
SAN JOSE — Sharks center Logan Couture was roundly criticized for suggesting early in the Stanley Cup Final that Penguins star Sidney Crosby cheats on faceoffs, and Couture himself backed off his allegation a mere 36 hours later.
But since the comments, the faceoff advantage has turned in the Sharks’ favor. Coincidence? “I haven’t noticed anything,” Couture said, “except they’ve thrown us out (of the faceoff circle) more than they’ve thrown him out. That’s what I’ve noticed.’’
But the numbers suggest changing dynamics.
In Games 1 and 2, the Sharks won 45.9 percent of the faceoffs and were wholly outclassed in the circle by Crosby.
Then came Couture’s blunt allegation: “He cheats.”
In Games 3, 4 and 5, the Sharks have won 52.8 percent of the faceoffs.
Granted, home ice in two of the past three games allowed the Sharks to put their sticks down after the Penguins. But even in Game 5 at the Consol Center, the Sharks had an advantage (36-34).
Crosby’s faceoff numbers follow the trend: 65 percent in the first two games, 45.6 percent in the last three.
Are the Sharks executing better in the circle? Have they figured something out? Did Couture’s comments resonate with Crosby? With the officials?
“You’ve got to execute, you’ve got to compete,’’ Sharks center Joe Pavelski said. “As the series has gone forward, you find more tendencies.’’
Center Chris Tierney echoed Pavelski’s comment about learning the Penguins’ tendencies and added a factor.
“You want to bear down more,’’ he said. “The faceoffs are more important the later in games and the later in the series.’’
Brent Burns’ goal to n open Game 5 marked the first time in the Stanley Cup Final that the Sharks had struck first.
But in one regard, Burns’ goal was not new.
It came from nearly the same spot on the ice — down to the foot — as Joonas Donskoi’s overtime winner in Game 3.
“It’s a coincidence,’’ Donskoi said Saturday. “We’re just trying to get pucks to the net more.”
But the goals were similar enough that you wonder if it was, in fact, a coincidence.
Donskoi carried the puck out from behind the net and scored from the front edge of the left faceoff circle with a shot to the short post that beat goalie Matt Murray over his right shoulder.
Burns also brought the puck from behind out to the left and squeezed a wrist shot between the short-side post and Murray’s right elbow.
Both could be considered wide-berth wraparounds.
Have the Sharks figured out Murray? If so, they aren’t saying.
“You do your research and watch tape, but when you’re playing, you don’t think too much,’’ Tierney said. “We’ve got to shoot when the lanes are open. Sometimes, you think about what you’ve talked about, but mostly you’re just reacting.”
Joe Thornton might n not remember all the things he has accomplished in his 18-year career. But he remembers in detail the Gordie Howe hat trick he had four years ago against the Los Angeles Kings.
Thornton fought Kings defenseman Drew Doughty in the first period, scored a goal late in the second period, and assisted on a goal in the third.
It all added up to a Gordie Howe hat trick — a goal, an assist and a fight — in what became a 6-5 win over the Kings on April 5, 2012. Former Sharks forward Ryane Clowe also had a Gordie in that game.
Howe, considered one of the greatest players in the history of the game, passed away Friday morning at the age of 88. In his NHL career, he had 801 goals, 1,850 points and 1,685 penalty minutes.
Thornton also had a Gordie Howe hat trick on Jan 19, 2004, when he was with the Boston Bruins and they were playing the New York Rangers.
“You get one of those, you’re pretty proud of it,” Thornton said. “I’ve had the pleasure of getting a couple . ... Not too many times in your career do you get a goal, an assist and a fight.”
Thornton said he first met Howe when was 15 or 16 years old in Detroit. From that point forward, every time Thornton got a chance to talk to Howe, he “was so humble, so gracious and just a kind, kind man.”
Sharks coach Peter n DeBoer paid tribute to Howe on Friday.
“Losing Muhammad Ali and Gordie Howe in the same week, a 10-day span, is incredible,” DeBoer said. “You talk about two guys who were torchbearers for their sport over the last century, those would be the names for hockey and boxing.”