Hockey Tough - San Jose Sharks Baby!

San Jose Sharks 4-3 win against Anaheim Ducks

Saturday night's NHL matchup between the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks was a reminder of just how tough the game  and its players are. In Hockey, push comes to shove at the drop of the puck and the action is as brutally competitive as any contact sport. 

I would guess that Hockey and Football employ the only professional competitors tough enough to last a round against the ultimate tough athletic competitor; the Boxer.  Name me another sport where an injured participant would have his eyelid sliced open in order to continue competing?  I know, Rocky Balboa is fiction, but its damn good fiction. 

The San Jose Sharks finished off the Ducks with a save in the shootout period, winning their 6th game in a row.  Their last five wins close-out a great home stand.  Saturday's 4-3 win was just some all around great play by all the Sharks players. Goalee Antti Niemi's gloved catch for the save was a perfect example of shot anticipation, concentration and athletic reaction that are skills needed to play the position. Niemi has mastered the position.

The scary puck to the face injury that Sharks Joe Thornton sustained was final evidence that reveals the toughness of Hockey players one and all.  Joe went down from a puck that ricocheted and hit him in the eye socket.  He was able to return to the game with impaired vision and an ugly black and blueness surrounding the eye.  But Joe's a gamer, and when asked after the game about the injury he responded with a classic line that hints to Raiders pride; "It's Hockey Baby!"   Attaboy Joe!


Bay Area, get ready for a hot sports winter.  The Sharks and Golden State Warriors have plans to carry us into May/June springtime playoffs.

Forwards

#	Name	Height	Weight	Date Of Birth	Age	Birth Place
18	Mike Brown	5' 11"	202	Jun 24, 1985	28	Chicago, IL, USA
37	Adam Burish   **	6' 1"	195	Jan 6, 1983	30	Madison, WI, USA
88	Brent Burns	6' 5"	230	Mar 9, 1985	28	Barrie, ON, CAN
39	Logan Couture	6' 1"	200	Mar 28, 1989	24	Guelph, ON, CAN
10	Andrew Desjardins	6' 1"	195	Jul 27, 1986	27	Lively, ON, CAN
9	Marty Havlat	6' 2"	210	Apr 19, 1981	32	Mlada Boleslav, CZE
48	Tomas Hertl	6' 2"	210	Nov 12, 1993	20	Praha, CZE
81	Tyler Kennedy	5' 11"	185	Jul 15, 1986	27	Sault Ste. Marie, ON, CAN
12	Patrick Marleau "A"	6' 2"	220	Sep 15, 1979	34	Aneroid, SK, CAN
43	John McCarthy	6' 1"	195	Aug 9, 1986	27	Boston, MA, USA
8	Joe Pavelski	5' 11"	190	Jul 11, 1984	29	Plover, WI, USA
42	Matt Pelech	6' 4"	230	Sep 4, 1987	26	Toronto, ON, CAN
15	James Sheppard	6' 1"	215	Apr 25, 1988	25	Halifax, NS, CAN
19	Joe Thornton "C"	6' 4"	220	Jul 2, 1979	34	London, ON, CAN
13	Raffi Torres   **	6' 0"	215	Oct 8, 1981	32	Toronto, ON, CAN
57	Tommy Wingels	6' 0"	200	Apr 12, 1988	25	Evanston, IL, USA

Defensemen

#	Name	Height	Weight	Date Of Birth	Age	Birth Place
22	Dan Boyle "A"	5' 11"	190	Jul 12, 1976	37	Ottawa, ON, CAN
61	Justin Braun	6' 2"	205	Feb 10, 1987	26	Minneapolis, MN, USA
5	Jason Demers	6' 1"	195	Jun 9, 1988	25	Dorval, QC, CAN
27	Scott Hannan	6' 1"	215	Jan 23, 1979	34	Richmond, BC, CAN
52	Matt Irwin	6' 2"	210	Nov 29, 1987	26	Brentwood Bay, BC, CAN
7	Brad Stuart	6' 2"	215	Nov 6, 1979	34	Rocky Mountain House, AB, CAN
44	Marc-Edouard Vlasic	6' 1"	205	Mar 30, 1987	26	Montreal, QC, CAN

Goalies

#	Name	Height	Weight	Date Of Birth	Age	Birth Place
31	Antti Niemi	6' 2"	210	Aug 29, 1983	30	Vantaa, FIN
32	Alex Stalock	6' 0"	190	Jul 28, 1987	26	St. Paul, MN, USA
** = Injured Reserve