San Jose Mercury News

David Pollak: San Jose Sharks ousted from Stanley Cup Playoffs

“In a span of less than three minutes, two Los Angeles Kings goals ended the dream that this might be the Sharks’ year after all.”

-Game story

David Pollak: Logan Couture played with sprained ankle since Game 3

“The Sharks’ leading goal scorer this season, Couture left Game 3 four minutes into the second period after getting tangled up with Kings forward Jeff Carter. Couture came back for one shift in the second period, skated an even nine minutes in the third, then scored the overtime winner for a 2-1 San Jose victory.”

-Notebook

David Pollak: Looking at what went wrong, debunking one theory and an injury debate

“Every game — or series — between evenly matched teams comes down to a handful of plays. As Todd McLellan noted last night, the Kings got their first goal on a broken-stick shot that throws everything off and their second when a line stayed out on the ice too long and the Sharks couldn’t recover. Those aren’t excuses, they’re explanations.”

-Blog post

Mark Purdy: Game 7 silences Sharks

“Instead, it ended the way Thornton’s previous seven seasons have ended in a San Jose uniform, with him standing in a quiet dressing room after being eliminated. Tuesday night, the room seemed especially hushed, because this was a Game 7 and the Sharks had come so close to defeating the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Los Angeles Kings.”

-Analysis, photo gallery

Tim Kawakami: San Jose Sharks and what might have been

“This Sharks team was grittier, tougher and just plain better suited for the Stanley Cup playoffs than most of the previous eight editions of the Joe Thornton Era.”

-Analysis, quotes

George Alfano: Antti Niemi holds back Los Angeles Kings – except for second-period segment

“Kings goalkeeper Jonathan Quick was better than Niemi during the series. That’s far from any negative indictment against Niemi’s play. Quick, who was outstanding in leading the Kings to win the 2012 Stanley Cup, had two shutouts and made some key saves in the waning moments of the third period.”

-Analysis

CSNBayArea.com

Kevin Kurz: Sharks can’t bury chances in Game 7 loss

““I thought I had to jam it in right away when I had to regroup it. I thought I was getting more pressure than what I was,” he said. “I thought I had a quick second to get it back, but you go back and you see it on the jumbotron four times, and right away it’s one that’s an easy flick of the wrist up. It’s one you’ve got to have right at the very end.” – Joe Pavelski

-Game story, post-game locker room video

Kevin Kurz: Instant Replay: Sharks’ season ends with Game 7 loss in L.A.

-Statistics, notes, analysis

Kevin Kurz: Sharks Notes: End of Game 2 key; Couture sore

“It wasn’t the several missed scoring chances in Game 7 that necessarily cost the Sharks a chance to compete in the NHL’s final four, according to Todd McLellan.”

-Analysis, blog post

Ray Ratto: Are the Sharks ever going to earn their turn?

“And so it ends, again. The San Jose Sharks have exhausted themselves only to end up doing the sad-face handshakes, and face another summer of wondering if it will ever end a different way.”

-Commentary, analysis