San Jose, California — The San Jose Sharks fired coach David Quinn on Wednesday after two tough seasons as part of a massive rebuilding project.
General manager Mike Grier said it was a difficult decision to fire Quinn after two seasons under “difficult circumstances,” but he has been meeting with coaches, players and front office staff over the past few days. Owner Hasso Platner said they decided it was the best decision for the future of the team.
“After we went through our process and digested this through the process of evaluating everything, we felt like this is what we needed to do,” Greer said. “Different voices for the group, what is the current situation of the group, and what the group needs.”
Greer hired Quinn to replace Red Wings assistant coach Bob Boehner shortly after becoming GM in 2022. Quinn spent two seasons with San Jose, but his play was noticeably lackluster as the team traded away several high-priced stars, including Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns and Burns Rodger. Tomas Hertl and Timo Meier are part of a major overhaul that hopes to get the franchise back into competitive shape.
Instead, the Sharks went 41-98-25 in Quinn's two seasons, the worst record in the NHL during that span, including a league-worst 47 points this season. San Jose's 19 wins this season were the fewest in a full season since the 1992-93 season, the franchise's second year as an expansion team.
“That wasn't really considered, either,” Greer said. “Obviously, that's something I'm aware of. But at the same time, going into the season, we kind of knew what the roster was. We didn't expect us to be a playoff team. The season went better than expected. Was it a little bad? Yes. But it's not all about performance.
The last-place finish gives San Jose a 25.5% chance of acquiring the No. 1 draft pick, with the prize being Hobey Baker Award winner Macklin Celebrini, who lives in the Bay Area and played one season with the Sharks' junior team. is expected. .
This season, the Sharks were outscored by 147 goals, not including shootouts, which was their 12th-worst record and the lowest since Ottawa led them with 196 goals in the 1993-94 season, their second season as an expansion team. It was the worst of the year.
San Jose set a franchise record for fewest points per game (2.18 points) and was the fourth-worst team in points allowed per game (3.98 points). The Sharks allowed at least six goals in a game 18 times, the second most in a season since the start of the 1996-97 season.
Grier has not set a deadline on the search for a new coach and said he is open to candidates with or without NHL head coaching experience. He said the assistants would have the chance to remain under contract and remain if the new manager wanted, but were free to seek other opportunities if they came along.
After reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2019, the Sharks have missed the playoffs for a franchise-record five consecutive seasons, the worst record in the NHL during that span. San Jose was one of the league's most consistent teams before this period, making the playoffs in 14 of 15 seasons, appearing in five conference finals and one Stanley Cup Final in 2016, but Pittsburgh lost in 6 games. .
However, the core of the roster was aging, and San Jose struggled over the next three seasons until Grier took over and embarked on a rebuild that gave the team significant draft capital. Two first-round picks will be added over the next two seasons, and one second-round pick will be added this year.
Greer also announced that head athletic trainer Ray Tufts will not be returning after 27 years with the team.
Panthers still marvel at Bobrovsky's heroics
Fort Lauderdale, Florida — At that moment, The Save kept the game tied. It was a game saver by the end of the night as Florida won in overtime.
And the way Panthers coach Paul Maurice sees it, the impact of Tuesday night's Sergei Bobrovsky moment will continue to reverberate beyond the NHL playoffs and this series between Florida and the Tampa Bay Lightning. .
It won the match. The game may also grow.
“We're going to have a lot of kids in our driveway this weekend and they're all going to want to cross the finish line for the first time,” Maurice said. “For me, that's what happens. They see something magical and they have to go try it, right? When you have five kids, you've got to play street hockey somewhere. There will be a game and everyone will want to be Bobrovsky and try to flip the net or make a spin-a-rama kick save.”
Memo to those kids: Good luck.
The hyperbole continued Wednesday. Some called him Bobbery, a play on Bobrovsky's last name and obvious nickname, Bob. Saved the playoffs, others said. Save of the year, best save of all time, you get the idea. It was so amazing that even Lightning had to tip his collective hat in honor.
“It was a great save,” Lightning captain Steven Stamkos said.
There are approximately 4 million saves in NHL history, and Bobrovsky has recorded 20,681 of them. Of course, there is no definitive ranking of them all, but at this moment in time Bobrovsky's “How did he do that?” play stands alone.
“I think this is the best save I've ever seen in my life. It's amazing. I don't know what else to say,” Florida's Vladimir Tarasenko said Wednesday.
Retired football star JJ Watt also took notice. “What a relief,” he wrote on social media.
Bobrovsky made the following save: He turned to his left to see Stamkos, who had the puck relatively close to the net. Stamkos saw a large amount of clear ice on the other side of the slot and sent the puck into the empty space, where Lightning defenseman Matt Dumba from about 10 feet away headed toward a wide-open net. I hit a backhand.
Keyword: There was. Bobrovsky, who he later said was “out of desperation,” dove backwards into the goal mouth, blindly extending his left wrist and somehow getting his glove side in the way of Dumba's shot, tying the game to 2-2. The score remained tied. It ended up being a game saver. The Panthers won 3-2 with a goal by Carter Verhaig 2:59 into overtime.
“It's a lifetime of training (your butt), the ability to know where your body is so you don't mentally stop playing the game and think you still have a chance to stop the puck,” Maurice said. Told.
Panthers forward Anton Randle was more succinct: “I'm pretty sick.”
It was “disgusting” in a good way. The Lightning probably just felt bad in the traditional sense — especially since their goalie, Andrei Vasilevskiy, was also basically a brick wall for most of the night. Vasilevskiy didn't have Bobrovskiy's flying, flopping saves, but he attacked Florida's offense throughout the second and third periods, giving the Lightning opportunities.
Florida leads the series 2-0. Game 3 will be played Thursday in Tampa.
“It was unbelievable goaltending. I think that was the highlight of the whole series, no matter how many times we go,” Lightning forward Brandon Hagel said Wednesday. “We obviously have Vasi, the best goaltender in the league, as we say, and a really good goaltender over there. It's going to be hard for him to get the puck and our goaltender It's going to be difficult for them to get the puck as well. Hopefully, we can try to outrun them one more time.”
Teams rarely praise their opponents during a series. It is often reserved for when the event ends and the traditional handshake takes place. But the Lightning praised Bobrovsky for his performance on Tuesday, and the Panthers praised Wasilewski as well.
“Both goalies were very good in that game,” Maurice said. “And what seemed like no big deal might have been the best save, given that we had to tactically get there on time when we got there. An outstanding save too. there were.”
Eastern Conference Playoffs bracket
Rangers vs. Capitals
(Rangers lead 2-0)
▶ Game 1: Rangers 4-1
▶ Game 2: Rangers 4-3
▶ Game 3: Friday @ Washington, 7 p.m.
▶ Game 4: Sunday @ Washington, 8 p.m.
Bruins vs. Maple Leafs
(Series tied 1-1)
▶ Game 1: Bruins 5-1
▶ Game 2: Leaf 3-2
▶ Game 3: Wednesday @ Toronto, 7 p.m.
▶ Game 4: Saturday @ Toronto, 8 p.m.
Panthers vs. Lightning
(Panthers lead 2-0)
▶ Game 1: Panthers 3-2
▶ Game 2: Panthers 3-2 (OT)
▶ Game 3: Thursday @ Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.
▶ Game 4: Saturday @ Tampa Bay, 5 p.m.
Hurricanes vs Islanders
(Hurricanes lead 2-0)
▶ Game 1: Hurricanes 3-1
▶ Game 2: Hurricanes 5-3
▶ Game 3: Thursday @ New York Islanders, 7:30 p.m.
▶ Game 4: Saturday @ NY Islanders, 2 p.m.
Western Conference Playoffs bracket
dallas vs vegas
(Golden Knights 1-0 lead)
▶ Game 1: Vegas 4-3
▶ game 2: Wednesday @ Dallas, 9:30 p.m.
▶ Game 3: Saturday @ Las Vegas, 10:30 p.m.
▶ Game 4: Monday @ Las Vegas, TBA
Winnipeg vs. Colorado
(Series tied 1-1)
▶ Game 1: Jets 7-6
▶ Game 2: Avalanche 5-2
▶ Game 3: Friday @ Colorado, 10 p.m.
▶ Game 4: Sunday @ Colorado, 2:30 p.m.
vancouver vs nashville
(Series tied 1-1)
▶ Game 1: Canucks 4-2
▶ Game 2: Predators 4-1
▶ Game 3: Friday @ Nashville, 7:30 p.m.
▶ Game 4: Sunday @ Nashville, 5 p.m.
Edmonton vs. Los Angeles
(Oilers lead 1-0)
▶ Game 1: Oilers 7-4
▶ Game 2: Wednesday @ Edmonton, 10 p.m.
▶ Game 3: Friday @ Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m.
▶ Game 4: Sunday @ Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m.
michigan area hockey
Tuesday
▶ Saginaw 3, Sault Ste Marie 1
Wednesday
▶ Toledo at Kalamazoo, 7
Thursday
▶ NTDP U18s vs. Slovakia, 7 a.m. (Hockey Network)
Friday
▶ Toledo at Kalamazoo, 7
Saturday
▶ Rockford @ Grand Rapids, 7 (AHL)
▶ NTDP U18s vs. Norway, 10:30 a.m. (Hockey Network)
▶ Toledo at Kalamazoo, 7:15
Sunday
▶ NTDP U18s vs. Latvia, 11 a.m. (Hockey Network)
▶ Grand Rapids vs. Rockford
american hockey league playoffs
Middle district semifinals
(Best of 5 series)
▶ Game 1: Saturday @ Grand Rapids, 7
▶ Game 2: Wednesday @ Rockford, 7
▶ Game 3: Friday @ Rockford, 7
▶ Game 4: Sunday, May 5 @ Grand Rapids, 4
▶ Game 5: Friday, May 10 @ Rockford, 7
Middle district semifinals
(Best of 5 series)
▶ Winner of Milwaukee vs. Texas Manitoba
ECHL
Middle district semifinals
(Best of Seven Series)
▶ Game 1: Toledo 3-2 (OT)
▶ Game 2: Toledo 5-2
▶ Game 3: Wednesday @ Kalamazoo, 7
▶ Game 4: Friday @ Kalamazoo, 7
▶ Game 5: Saturday @ Toledo, 7:15 *
▶ Game 6: Tuesday @ Kalamazoo, 7*
▶ Game 7: Wednesday, May 1 @ Toledo, 7:15 *
* If necessary
Road to the Memorial Cup in Saginaw
(Saginaw will be held from May 24th to June 2nd)
▶ Friday, May 24th: WHL vs. Saginaw, 7:30
▶ Saturday, May 25th: OHL vs. QMJHL, 4
▶ Sunday, May 26th: Saginaw vs. QMJHL, 7:30
▶ Monday, May 27th: OHL vs. WHL, 7:30
▶ Tuesday, May 28th: QMJHL vs. WHL, 7:30
▶ Wednesday, May 29th: Saginaw vs. OHL, 7:30
▶ Thursday, May 30th: Tiebreaker (if required)
▶ Friday, May 31st: Semi-finals, 7:30
▶ Sunday June 2nd: Last, 7:30
CHL Playoffs in WHL, OHL, QMJHL
western hockey league
▶Saskatoon Blades vs. Moose Jaw Warriors
▶ Prince George Cougars vs. Portland Winterhawks
ontario hockey league
▶ Oshawa Generals vs. North Bay Battalion
▶ London Knights vs. Saginaw
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
▶ Bay-Comeau Drucker vs. Cape Breton Eagles
▶ Drummondville Voltigers vs. Victoriaville Tigres
