A 2-1 lead for the Penguins, who scored three in the first (the first two, by Alain Nasreddine and then Connor James, in 12 seconds) and held on. Jonathan pointed out this morning that the last Penguins playoff game in Philly was a debacle, and Nasreddine was the only one left from that game. Postgame, Nas thanked him for bringing it up.
One mini-upset and one near-upset at the Worlds. Germany knocked off Slovakia 4-2; Juraj Kolnik had a goal and an assist, but it wasn’t enough. Finland needed Tuomo Ruutu’s overtime goal to beat Norway. Germany can actually win Group C with a regulation win Wednesday over Norway, plus a Slovakia regulation win over Finland. Group A was a little closer to form: Switzerland beat Belarus 2-1, while Sweden needed nine in the last two periods to beat France 9-0. Three points for Weinhandl, and a goal for Nilsson.
James Mirtle blogs on the merits of endless overtime*. A commenter brings up something I’d missed: Cologne and Mannheim went six OTs March 22 before the Sharks won** after 108:16 of extra time. That’s approaching Mud Bruneteau territory. The Sharks played 14 games in the playoffs, and six of them went OT — including the game after the six-OT game. That one only lasted six minutes and change.
Fun with Babelfish: it translates some of the penalties as “leg places,” “handicap,” “leg places punishing shot,” “stick impact,” and best of all, “checks against the gang.” I’m not sure what any of them really are, but still. Sprechen Sie Deutsch, anybody?
Oh, and now belatedly noted: Brandon Smith and the Berlin Polar Bears beat the Sharks in the final, though Smith didn’t play the last three games of the best-of-5 series, which Berlin won 3-1. (Johan Halvardsson and HV-71 were Sweden’s champs.)
Back to these shores and other Sharks: San Jose has been in the Western Conference semifinals the past four times they’ve been played. These Sharks missed the playoffs in 2003 but were in the conference semis two of the three years before that. Had some high hopes in there, too. For all that, they have one conference-final appearance and no trips to the Final. Hard to believe. (I keep pickin’ ’em, too, which is probably why I notice.)
*-This Space loves ’em. Stayed up to 2:30 watching Sunday night. Have I mentioned my dream of sending a punk story, then sitting back and watching as the game goes way past deadline? (The Web would probably get a story nowadays, and there’s the blog, but still, less of a rush…) Have I also mentioned I miss the playoffs?
**-With an assist from the AHL’s all-time leading-scoring defenseman, John Slaney.