Martin Havlat's (undisclosed) return to the Sharks' lineup only lasted six shifts.
Havlat withdrew from the game to be evaluated and never returned. At this time it is not clear if he suffered a setback or is dealing with a new ailment.

Antti Niemi saved 26 of 27 shots in a 2-1 overtime win on Saturday.
Niemi surrendered a goal in the first period, but was otherwise perfect in this contest. The Kings had two power-play opportunities, but the Sharks managed to kill off both penalties. Niemi and the Sharks bounced back from allowing four goals in Game 2, but San Jose still has a 2-1 deficit in their second-round series.

Logan Couture scored the overtime winner in San Jose's 2-1 victory Saturday.
Couture briefly exited the game due to a suspected leg injury, but was able to shake it off. Dan Boyle scored San Jose's other goal. Patrick Marleau assisted on both of the Sharks' goals. Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton each registered an assist for San Jose. Brad Stuart led the team with four blocked shots. Tommy Wingels recorded a team-high six hits.

Logan Couture has returned to the Sharks' game against the Los Angeles Kings.
Couture spent time in the Sharks' dressing room after crashing into the boards. Sharks fans can breathe a sigh of relief.

The San Jose Sharks said that Logan Couture might not return on Saturday.
Couture crashed into the boards and appeared to sustain a leg or ankle injury. He played 7:41 minutes before he left the game.

Martin Havlat has left Saturday's game so that he can be evaluated.
Havlat only logged 4:52 minutes of playing time in his return from an undisclosed injury. The Sharks are listing him as questionable for the remainder of Game 3.

Logan Couture went to the Sharks' dressing room after crashing into the boards.
Couture appeared to be favoring his left leg. It was not immediately clear if he would return.

Sharks GM Doug Wilson won't comment on his $100,000 fine.
Wilson was punished for his comments following Raffi Torres' suspension. $25,000 of Wilson's fine was actually automatic because the NHL doesn't allow teams to make a formal statement regarding a disciplinary decision in the 48 hours that immediately follow the ruling. The other $75,000 was because the NHL felt his comments were inappropriate. With all that in mind, he might have only added to his financial losses if he had offered any public reaction to the fine.

Tim Kennedy won't participate in Game 3 on Saturday.
Kennedy probably lost his spot in the lineup because of Martin Havlat's (undisclosed) return. Kennedy had two penalty minutes and logged 6:51 minutes of ice time in Game 2.

Martin Havlat (undisclosed) is expected to play on the third line Saturday.
Havlat was considered probable for this game after talking to Sharks coach Todd McLellan following the morning skate. However, it wasn't clear where he might fit into the lineup. It looks like he'll play alongside Scott Gomez and Tommy Wingels.

Sharks GM Doug Wilson has been fined $100,000 for his comments following Raffi Torres' suspension.
Torres was suspended for what the NHL judged to be an illegal hit to the head on Jarret Stoll. Wilson offered his own rebuttal and said the NHL "made an inappropriate application" of Rule 48.1. $25,000 of Wilson's fine was actually automatic because the NHL doesn't allow teams to make a formal statement regarding a disciplinary decision in the 48 hours that immediately follow the ruling. The other $75,000 was because the NHL felt his comments were inappropriate.

San Jose Sharks coach Todd McLellan said that there's a "good chance" Martin Havlat will play Saturday night.
It is not yet clear what line Havlat will play on, assuming that he ends up playing at all. The Saturday practice lines weren't altered to accommodate Havlat's potential return, but that's because Havlat informed the coaching staff of his availability after the morning skate.

Adam Burish (hand) is participating in the Sharks' Saturday morning skate.
Burish is recovering from a broken hand. He's hoping to return before the end of the second round, but there's no guarantee that he'll succeed.

Based on the San Jose Sharks' morning skate, it looks like there won't be any lineup changes on Saturday.
That would suggest that Martin Havlat (undisclosed) will not return for Game 3. Consider him doubtful for now and keep in mind that the Sharks might still choose to tweak their lineups in the minutes before the 9:00 p.m. ET start time.

Scott Gomez had two assists Thursday, including his 100th playoff point of his career.
Gomez played in Game 2 as the third line center, replacing the suspended Raffi Torres. It was his second two-point game of the season, with the previous one on March 9. With Torres suspended for the remainder of the series, Gomez will get plenty of work on the third line and the power play.

Brad Stuart's goal on Thursday was his first of the season.
Stuart did not score during the regular season while picking up six assists. He also added an assist as he had his best offensive game of the season. King's goalie Jonathan Quick seemed to be screened on Stuart's goal. "I was just shooting the puck. Save it for the playoffs," Stuart said. "We've just got to keep doing the same things. If he doesn't see it, it's tough to save it. That's what we have to keep doing." Do not expect Stuart to have this kind of offensive breakout again in the 2013 playoffs.

Raffi Torres won't appeal his suspension.
Torres was suspended for the rest of Round 2 for his illegal hit to the head of Kings forward Jarrett Stoll. Don't think that this means Torres agrees with the suspension; in fact the organization disagrees with it. Sharks general manager Doug Wilson released a statement on it, calling it "abundantly clear that this was a clean hockey hit." He also said it was an "inappropriate application" of Rule 48.1, where the head is the principal point of contact and target of the hit. Wilson said this suspension was "grossly unfair" to Torres.

Adam Burish's upper body injury is a broken hand.
Burish has been ruled out for the second round, but he's hoping to prove that projection wrong. He had three points and 25 penalty minutes in 46 games in the regular season.

Jason Demers (lower body) appears to be progressing nicely.
"He's getting closer," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. "Today's skate will give us a much better indication of where he's at. He's going to become an option here pretty soon." He's been out since April 18 with a suspected ankle injury.

Martin Havlat (undisclosed) is still questionable for Game 3 on Saturday.
Havlat skated for about an hour on Friday. "Getting better. We'll see how it goes tomorrow morning," Havlat said. He didn't want to speculate any further about the possibility of him returning soon. Sharks coach Todd McLellan is looking forward to putting Havlat back into the lineup, but cautioned that it's "Marty, mother nature and the trainer's decision."

Sharks coach Todd McLellan has been very happy with what Scott Gomez has given them this year.
Gomez is far removed from his days as an NHL star, but he's become an important piece of the Sharks' squad. "Gomer has been a very good player for us in a number of different ways," McLellan said. "I don't want to say it's surprising, but he's almost like a third or a fourth coach. He's trying to do things the right way. He's trying to get guys to keep their shifts short, that we have a high guy, that we don't turn pucks over. I didn't know we were getting that in Scott Gomez, but we're getting it, and he's been a big influence that way."

Patrick Marleau scored a goal in San Jose's 4-3 loss Thursday.
Marleau has five goals and six points in six postseason contests. He hasn't been this hot since his historic start to the 2013 campaign.

Although the San Jose Sharks are down 2-0 in their second-round series, coach Todd McLellan is confident they can bounce back.
"The one thing I like about our team, is maybe in the past this would have probably bothered our team a little more," McLellan said. "But, with the group of guys we have, I think we can recover from this." Game 3 will be played in San Jose, where the Sharks were 17-2-5 this season.

The San Jose Sharks disputed Marc-Edouard Vlasic's costly delay of game penalty.
The argument is that the puck hit Kings forward Jeff Carter before going into the stands, but the referees disagreed. That gave Los Angeles a 5-on-3 advantage, which they used to score two power-play goals late in the third period of their 4-3 victory. "You go back and look at it, it looks like it changed direction," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. But he also added, "The one thing that I've learned, certainly through this playoffs, is it's not going to do me any good to whine and moan and bitch about the referees. It's not going to get us anywhere. We took some penalties, we needed to kill them, and we move on." It's worth noting that Vlasic's third-period goal might have been the game winner if not for his penalty.

Mark-Edouard Vlasic went from hero to possible goat in the Sharks 4-3 loss on Thursday.
Vlasic scored the go-ahead goal at the 8:56 mark of the third period and it looked like it would hold up to be the winner. But things went bad for Vlasic and the Sharks as he took a delay of game penalty for shooting the puck over the glass with the Sharks already down a man with 2:19 left in the third. The Kings scored twice on the power play to win and take a 2-0 series lead. Brad Stuart scored and added an assist while Patrick Marleau also finding the back of the net.

Antti Niemi gave up two power play goals 22 seconds apart late in the third period as the San Jose Sharks dropped a 4-3 decision to Los Angeles Thursday.
Niemi gave up a first period goal to Jeff Carter and a second period power play goal to Drew Doughty as both shots beat him on the long side but he allowed the Sharks to come back from a 2-0 deficit to lead 3-2 before the fiasco in the final two minutes. Niemi is now 4-2 as he stopped 27 shots. His GAA in the playoffs rose to 2.24 while his save percentage is now .921. He will have to play better with the series headed to San Jose as the Sharks are down 2-0.

Updating an earlier item, Mark-Edouard Vlasic has returned to the ice for the third period.
Just an FYI.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic was forced to leave the game in the second period when Jeff Carter slammed him into the boards.
The incident happened with 4:35 left in the middle stanza. Vlasic was hit dangerously into the boards as Carter received a two minute penalty for charging and Vlasic went to the dressing room. Stay tuned as the Sharks will have trouble on the blueline if Vlasic is unable to return.

Raffi Torres has been suspended for the rest of Round 2 for his illegal hit to the head of Los Angeles Kings forward Jarret Stoll during Game 1 on Tuesday night.
Torres was assessed a minor penalty for charging on the play. He is a repeat offender and there was an injury on hit to Stoll, which also factored into the length of the suspension. He will be eligible to return if the Sharks can defeat the Kings and advance into the third round of the playoffs.

Tim Kennedy is projected to play on the fourth line in Game 2 Thursday night at Los Angeles.
He will skate alongside Bracken Kearns and Andrew Desjardins in his second outing of the 2012 playoffs.

Scott Gomez will center the third line Thursday night in Game 2.
Joe Pavelski has been promoted to San Jose's top line, so Gomez will play between Tommy Wingels and James Sheppard. He has no points and six shots in three playoff appearances.

Joe Pavelski moved up to San Jose's top line at Thursday's morning skate with Raffi Torres unavailable.
Torres is in New York for an in-person hearing, so Pavelski will play with Patrick Marleau and Logan Couture in Game 2 against Los Angeles. "We like Pav there, and think he's a responsible two-way guy, and has the ability to help out in the faceoff circle against a [Anze] Kopitar or a [Mike] Richards, said coach Todd McLellan."

Logan Couture offered his thoughts on what the Sharks have to do on Thursday to beat Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick.
"More traffic, more shots in succession," Couture said. "He's aggressive, he comes out of the blue [paint] and takes a lot of the net away. Shoot off of him. Rebounds. He's in a zone right now. He's playing great. He's seeing everything, compact with the puck, it's hitting him and not coming off him. We've got to find a way." The Sharks suffered a 2-0 loss to the Kings in Game 1 of their second-round series. If San Jose is to fare better on Thursday, Couture will probably be a big part of that. He had three goals and five assists in four games against the Vancouver Canucks in the first round.

Dustin Brown said that Raffi Torres is someone "you're definitely aware of when he's on the ice."
Torres will have an in-person hearing in New York on Thursday because of an illegal check to the head of Los Angeles' Jarret Stoll, but Brown wasn't speaking exclusively about Torres' suspension history. "hat's one of those things where as much as he's been suspended, he's had a lot of really clean, hard hits, and you need to be aware of that," Brown said. "He likes to come off that weak side, and I think everyone around the league knows that. It's just bringing awareness to it. On the second goal, he came down on me and I knew he was coming, so I just gave it low-to-high, and it ends up being in their net. So that's the type of plays you need to make and try to use his aggressiveness to our advantage." It's entirely possible that Torres will be suspended for the remainder of the Sharks' second-round series against the Los Angeles Kings.

Raffi Torres will travel to New York for an in-person hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety on Thursday.
He is being summoned to discuss his illegal check to the head of Los Angeles' Jarret Stoll in Tuesday's Game 1 loss to the Kings. Torres is suspended pending the outcome of the hearing and given his spotty history it appears to be likely that he'll miss some games.

According to reports, the NHL has requested to have an in-person hearing with Raffi Torres for his hit on Los Angeles forward Jarret Stoll.
That means he could be suspended for five or more games for his high hit late in the second period of Game 1's loss to the Kings. Torres is a repeat offender, who has been suspended three times in his career. He received a 21-game ban in last year's playoffs for an illegal hit on Marian Hossa.

There have been some rumblings that Raffi Torres will have a hearing for his hit on Los Angeles forward Jarret Stoll.
However, there has been nothing official from the league yet. Torres received a two-minute penalty for charging on the play and he appeared to hit Stoll in the head with his shoulder.

Dan Boyle saw some similarities between what the Sharks went through in Game 1 and what the St. Louis Blues said after losing to the Los Angeles Kings.
San Jose suffered a 2-0 loss to the Kings. "Our effort was pretty good," Boyle said. "But, it's probably a broken record with what St. Louis went through. I read that they felt they possibly were the better team in the series, they just weren't scoring enough goals. We've got to get a little hungrier and a little dirtier and a little meaner in front of their net." The Sharks will have a chance to bounce back in Game 2 on Thursday.

Raffi Torres doesn't think he should be suspended for his charging penalty on Jarret Stoll.
Torres appeared to make contact with Stoll's head, but he sees it differently. "I didn't really think it was even going to be a penalty," Torres said. "They called it charging, I don't think I launched myself. I took a step and a half, and glided into him. Obviously he was leaning over, and I still feel like I got a shoulder to his shoulder, and then it kind of looked because he was leaning over that I came up a little high. I didn't even think it was going to be a penalty, but I hope he's alright." The incident occurred late in the second period and Stoll wasn't available for the final 20 minutes of play.

Antti Niemi looked a bit shaky in Game 1, turning aside just 18 shots in the Sharks 2-0 loss on Tuesday.
Niemi was particularly impressive in the Sharks opening round sweep of Vancouver, so this result could just be a result of rust, as San Jose hadn't played in a week. He did keep his team in the game, but received no offensive help, largely due to his goaltending counterpart's performance. Niemi will need to match Quick's effort if the Sharks want to slow down the defending champs

Matt Irwin recorded six shots on goal in a disappointing night for the Sharks offense, dropping Game 1 2-0 on Tuesday.
The Sharks coaching staff praised Irwin for his performance in the first round against Vancouver, and he's off to a solid start in this series. However, he and his defensive partner Dan Boyle will need to find a way to beat Jonathan Quick, who looks almost unbeatable right now. Logan Couture recorded just two shots and finished an ugly minus-2 on the evening.

Martin Havlat (undisclosed) practiced with the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday but will not play in Game 1 against the Los Angeles Kings.
Havlat has skated the past two days after being limited to off-ice work. The veteran winger hasn't played since getting hurt during Game 1 of San Jose's first-round sweep of Vancouver. Coach Todd McLellan said he's hopeful Havlat will return during the series against the Kings.

It looks like Bracken Kearns will skate on the San Jose Sharks' fourth line in Tuesday's Game 1.
Kearns and Tim Kennedy both took turns skating in the spot normally held by Adam Burish, who is likely out of the entire second-round series with an upper-body injury. Kearns left Tuesday's morning skate well before Kennedy, which is usually a sign that Kearns will be in the lineup at gametime.

Martin Havlat skated on his own Monday but is unlikely to play in Game 1 or 2 of the San Jose Sharks' second-round series.
This is definite progress since Havlat hasn't even skated since he was hurt during Game 1 of the Sharks' four-game sweep of the Canucks. Still, while Havlat traveled with the Sharks to L.A., it appears unlikely he'll play before the series returns to San Jose.

Jason Demers (lower body) practiced Monday and says he's ready to return to the lineup if needed.
Demers hasn't played since April 18 with what's believed to be an ankle injury. While there was some doubt as to whether he'd be ready for the second round, it appears the long layoff after sweeping Vancouver gave Demers enough time to heal. We likely won't get a hint at San Jose's lineup until Tuesday's morning skate.

If it wasn't for a late surge by the San Jose Sharks, Sharks GM Doug Wilson might have been a seller at the deadline.
The Sharks certainly started down that road by trading defenseman Douglas Murray on March 25. However, Wilson ended up acquiring Scott Hannan and Raffi Torres at the deadline. "The players earned it," Wilson said. "If we hadn't played well after the initial trade, we wouldn't have done it. But we had played well." Torres is particular has been a great acquisition. He's been physical without spending a lot of time in the sin bin and he scored the game-winning goal in Game 2 of San Jose's first-round series.

Brad Stuart knows that the San Jose Sharks have their work cut out for them against the Los Angeles Kings.
"They're a hard team," Stuart said. "They're going to play hard, and every line is going to throw some physicality at you. They're going to make it tough, and they don't give you any ice for free, you're going to have to work for it." The Kings are also obviously the defending Stanley Cup champions. Stuart has won it all too, which is something most of his teammates can't say. Stuart expects that experience will give the Kings an edge, but he added, "Whether you've won it before or not, every team is going to be prepared and gunning for you because they want to move on."

After taking a couple days off, the San Jose Sharks held practices over the weekend.
The Sharks earned a break after sweeping the Vancouver Canucks in the first round, but at the same time, they don't want to lose their momentum. "In a really strange year, this is a long break," Todd McLellan said. "There is some energy in practice, and that energy bank that you have is full, so that's a good sign. The bumps and bruises are healing." The Sharks will play against the Los Angeles Kings in the second round.

The San Jose Sharks worked on their second power play Saturday.
The Sharks had seven power play goals in four games from their first unit of Logan Couture, Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, Patrick Marleau and Dan Boyle but nothing from anyone else so the second unit of T.J. Galiardi, Raffi Torres, Brent Burns, Matt Irwin and Scott Gomez got lots of work on Saturday. "He has a ton of experience there, and he seems to be able to settle things down on that power play unit. When it's in his hands, it's calm," coach Todd McLellan said of Gomez. "They gave us some quality minutes and created some situations where we didn't give up momentum, which is real important. There were times they created some momentum. We'd like that to continue."

Jason Demers attended San Jose Sharks practice on Saturday.
The offensive defenseman is currently day-to-day with a lower-body injury. The Sharks are getting a nice rest after sweeping the Vancouver Canucks, so players like Demers aren't facing the same pressure to rush back.

Sharks defenseman Matt Irwin has impressed the coaching staff with his play in the first round of the playoffs.
Irwin has been paired with veteran Dan Boyle and he averaged nearly 18 minutes of ice time while recording one assist in the opening round sweep of the Canucks. "He hasn't strayed or wandered from his recipe for success in the regular season and the playoffs," Coach Todd McLellan said. "When you do that, you seem to fit in very well." Look for Irwin to continue holding down a lineup spot for the foreseeable future.

Raffi Torres is likely to stay with Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau even if Martin Havlat is able to return from injury for the start of Round 2.
"Marty is a more cerebral player, not as physical as Raffi is. Raffi plays with a different type of tenacity than Marty does," coach Todd McLellan said. "But, I thought that was a big change in the series. Raffi playing there gave that line some energy, and there's no doubt we miss Marty and hope he's going to be back for the next round, but the way those three played (Couture, Marleau and Torres), I liked that line." His physical play has opened up chances for his skilled linemates and he scored the overtime winner in Game 2.

Tim Kennedy skated on San Jose's fourth line at Friday's practice.
The Sharks will have to replace Adam Burish (upper body) when the second round of the playoffs begins and coach Todd McLellan hasn't made a decision yet who will play. "I wouldn't read a lot into anybody that practices there this week," McLellan said of the fourth line spot. "We'll keep that open. We have a number of different choices." Martin Havlat is questionable for Round 2 as well, so Kennedy could be called upon to fill in like he did in Game 2 against Vancouver in the quarterfinals.

Tommy Wingels said he'll be ready for the next round of the playoffs after he was shaken up in overtime in Game 4 against Vancouver.
Daniel Sedin was given a two-minute penalty for boarding on the play and Wingels appeared to be in discomfort when he left the ice. The Sharks scored the series winner on the ensuing power play. Wingels has two assists in four playoff games.

Martin Havlat said his injury was not caused when Vancouver defenseman Kevin Bieksa hit him in the groin with his stick.
He hasn't skated since leaving Game 1 after just 3:16 of ice time. Havlat is able to ride a stationary bike, but his return to the ice is uncertain so he appears to be unlikely to play for the start of Round 2.

Jason Demers (lower body) may not be ready when San Jose begins their second-round series.
He wants to be 100 percent when he returns so CSN's Brodie Brazil reports that he's "trying to do it the right way" when it comes to his recovery. Demers' timetable remains unclear though.

Adam Burish isn't expected to play in the second round of the playoffs because of an upper-body injury.
He was slashed in the hand by Vancouver's Alex Edler late in the second period of Game 4 and did not play afterward. Burish didn't have a point in San Jose's opening round sweep of the Canucks, but he did record six hits and four blocks. "Brings an element of experience, grit, tenacity, so we're going to miss him," said coach Todd McLellan. "We've been able to recover from other injuries so far throughout the playoffs. I think the players that have adjusted and adapted their game and come into the lineup did a tremendous job. We're going to ask them to do that again."

After sweeping the Vancouver Canucks, the San Jose Sharks have some light days ahead of them.
Joe Thornton said the next few days would be about resting and getting healthy. It's a great opportunity for the Sharks to stay fresh, especially given how rough this year's condensed schedule was, but it could also make them rusty going into the second round. They will likely go a little over a week between games.

Joe Pavelski scored two power-play goals in San Jose's 4-3 overtime win on Tuesday.
Pavelski's efforts helped the Sharks complete their four-game sweep of Vancouver. He has four goals and eight points in the playoffs.

Sharks coach Todd McLellan noted that his team has a different attitude this year.
"In the past you kind of felt the pressure, and this year we didn't feel that way," McLellan said. "We're a loose group, playing free. Not a lot of expectations that are put on us from the outside that have been there in the past. Just a different group of characters that came through." The Sharks have built a reputation for being a great regular season team, but one that consistently falls short in the playoffs. This time around they were incredibly streaky, but overall not terribly impressive, in the regular season, but they managed to upset the third seed Vancouver Canucks in four games.

Logan Couture had two assists in San Jose's 4-3 overtime win on Tuesday.
Couture was stunning against Vancouver with three goals and eight points in four games. San Jose has completed their sweep of the Canucks, so Couture will get an opportunity to rest before the second round. Fantasy owners will just have to hope that doesn't cause him to cool down.

Antti Niemi has been nominated for the Vezina Trophy.
Niemi had a 24-12-6 record, 2.16 GAA, and .924 save percentage in 43 starts this season. He was probably the most consistent of the three finalists and was even strong when the Sharks were not in 2013. Although the playoffs don't count towards the award, he has stayed sharp in the first round with a 1.86 GAA and .937 save percentage in four starts.

Antti Niemi stopped 32 of 35 shots in the San Jose Sharks series clinching 4-3 overtime victory on Tuesday night.
Niemi was solid through the first two periods, but allowed two goals in a two minute span in the third period to give the Canucks the lead. Luckily, he was bailed out later in the period as Joe Pavelski notched the tying goal before regulation expired. Niemi should continue to ride the success he's achieved all season through next round.

The San Jose Sharks completed their four-game sweep of the Vancouver Canucks after a 4-3 overtime win on Tuesday evening.
Marleau notched the overtime winner on the powerplay. Joe Pavelski continued his incredible postseason start, notching two goals and nine shots on goal in series clincher. Pavelski caused huge problems for the Canucks, tallying eight points in the sweep. Joe Thornton recorded three assists and Logan Couture added a goal and an assist in the win.

Dan Boyle is seeing a lot less ice time this season.
Boyle had been among the NHL leaders in TOI for the last six seasons and was top-ten in five of those seasons. The 36-year-old saw a lot less ice time this season and averaged 22:47 minutes, 48th best in the NHL. A lot of it has to do with penalty killing as Boyle is rarely used in that situation any more and has yet to see the ice in shorthanded situations in any of the three playoff games. "Some nights it's an adjustment for me," said Boyle. "I'm used to playing more, and sometimes I find myself sitting a little bit longer."

Scott Gomez (soreness) returned to the San Jose lineup for Game 3 Sunday.
Gomez had been out of the lineup since April 23. He played 16:39 minutes and had two shots on goal, a couple of hits and a blocked shot. He saw 4:44 minutes on the power play as the Sharks were happy with his play with the man-advantage but mostly saw time on the fourth line with James Sheppard and Adam Burish.

Scott Gomez (soreness) returned to the San Jose lineup for Game 3 Sunday.
Gomez had been out of the lineup since April 23. He played 16:39 minutes and had two shots on goal, a couple of hits and a blocked shot. He saw 4:44 minutes on the power play as the Sharks were happy with his play with the man-advantage.

Anttii Niemi turned aside 28 of 30 shots Sunday as the Sharks defeated Vancouver to take a 3-0 series lead.
Niemi was solid in this contest and has been remarkably good throughout the postseason, even if he hasn't received the adulation typically associated with such a great performance.

Logan Couture singlehandedly crushed the hopes of the Canucks with a four-point performance in Sunday's 5-2 victory in Game Three of their Western Conference playoff series.
Couture registered two goals and two assists for the Sharks, who have taken a commanding 3-0 series lead with this victory. Joe Pavelski was also a major contributor for San Jose as he recorded two goals and an assist in the win while Patrick Marleau also found the back of the net and Joe Thornton dished out a pair of helpers.

Martin Havlat (groin) will be a game time decision on Sunday.
Havlat was injured during Game 1 when the Canucks Kevin Bieksa hit him in the groin with his stick. The Sharks medical staff will test him on Sunday morning and he will play if he gets medical clearance. Havlat had eight goals and 18 points in 40 regular season games in 2013 but only played 3:16 minutes Wednesday in Game 1 before the injury.

Jason Demers (lower body) did not skate on Saturday and will not be in the San Jose lineup Sunday.
Demers has not been able to play since April 18. Consider him day-to-day for now.

Scott Gomez (soreness) could return to the San Hose lineup Sunday.
Gomez skated again on Saturday. He has been out of the lineup since April 23 and while he skated before Games 1 and 2 as well, coach Todd McLellan held him out of action. "There's no doubt we'd like to get him into the series. He makes a big difference to our team, especially with the power play," McLellan said of Gomez. "As soon as he's ready and feels good and knows that he can go into that type of competitive environment and contribute, then we'll use him." Gomez will be a game time decision.

San Jose Sharks coach Todd McLellan wants to make sure his team doesn't get complacent with their 2-0 series lead.
"We've got two. We can't be happy with two. We've got to get three now," McLellan said. "You have to show up with that sense of urgency. There isn't any difference between the teams now. It's a goal, it's a shot, it's a save. Maybe a penalty. They're that close. So if one team gets a whole lot more desperate than the other, advantage to them." The series is going back to San Jose, where the Sharks have a 17-2-5 record this season. We'll see if that success translates to the playoffs.

Patrick Marleau has two goals in two games for the San Jose Sharks in their Stanley Cup playoff series against the Vancouver Canucks.
The Sharks took the first two games of the series in Vancouver and Marleau has been superb. He tied the game at 2-2 and forced overtime when he scored with 56 seconds left in the third period Friday night. Raffi Torres ended up with the overtime winner. Marleau's goal was scored while the Sharks pulled their goalie and had an extra attacker. The Sharks had not scored a 6-on-5 goal in the final minute of a game all season. They picked a good time to finally do it.

Raffi Torres didn't even see his shot go into the net Friday night.
But 5:31 into overtime, his goal gave the Sharks an emotional 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks and an unprecedented sweep on the road of the first two games of their Stanley Cup playoff series. "They teach you as a young kid to go to the net with your stick on the ice and your head down, just be ready for anything," Torres said of his 2-on-1 rush with Brent Burns that ended the game. "I just made sure my stick was on the ice, got some good wood on it, and it worked out well."

Antti Niemi stopped 29 of 31 shots as the San Jose Sharks rallied to win 3-2 in overtime and take a 2-0 series lead.
Niemi never saw the Canucks' first goal of the night, a blistering slap shot from the point through tons of traffic, but played well otherwise. It was Niemi's 27th career postseason victory and he figures to have a strong shot at getting No. 28 with Games 3 and 4 heading back to San Jose starting Sunday.

Patrick Marleau tied the game at 2 and forced overtime with 56 seconds left in the third period Friday night.
Marleau banged home a loose puck behind Roberto Luongo after it slipped through the Canucks goaltender's pads following a Dan Boyle shot. It was Marleau's second goal of the series. Joe Thornton scored his first goal of the postseason late in the opening period while Brent Burns finished with two assists, including the primary on the overtime winner.

Raffi Torres scored the overtime winner in the Sharks' 3-2 comeback victory Friday night.
Torres played the hero role against his former team after Patrick Marleau tied the game with 56 seconds left in the third period but the game winner never would've happened without Brent Burns. Burns blocked a shot to start a 2-on-1 break with Torres, who received a picture-perfect setup pass from the defenseman-turned-winger. The Sharks now lead the series 2-0 heading back to San Jose.

Tim Kennedy will probably play on Friday.
Kennedy played on April 27 for the first time in more than a month, but he was a healthy scratch in Game 1 of the Sharks' first-round series. He's projected to center San Jose's fourth line.

Look for Raffi Torres to play on the first line with Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau on Friday.
Torres was bumped up in the depth charts because of Martin Havlat's injury. Torres delivered 87 hits in 39 regular season games, but was able to stay out of the sin bin for the most part. He finished the 2013 campaign with 18 points and 17 penalty minutes.

Scott Gomez (undisclosed) will not return on Friday.
Gomez was also unavailable for Game 1 of the Sharks' first-round series on Wednesday. He had two goals and 15 points in 39 games during the 2013 regular season.

Martin Havlat (undisclosed) will not be available on Friday.
Havlat sustained the injury during Game 1 on Wednesday. He had eight goals and 18 points in 40 regular season games.

Perpetually injured San Jose Sharks forward Martin Havlat is injured ... again.
The team didn't disclose the issue, but he left action and didn't return before the second period began. Havlat is often an intriguing pick - especially with fewer chances for injuries in the playoffs - because of his talent, but his fragility has pushed him to near-irrelevance.

Dan Boyle and Logan Couture were the San Jose Sharks' biggest difference makers in a 3-1 win against the Vancouver Canucks in Game 1 on Wednesday.
Both players had one goal and one assist, with Boyle grabbing the game-winner. Boyle fired four shots on goal while Couture had two SOG, one missed attempt and a 10-8 faceoff mark. Joe Pavelski had a nice night as well, collecting a pair of helpers.

Antti Niemi carried over a strong regular season into an impressive performance on Wednesday, backstopping the San Jose Sharks' 3-1 win against the Vancouver Canucks in Game 1.
Niemi stopped 29 out of 30 shots for the victory. While he's an underrated fantasy starter to begin win, he's put together quite the playoff career (at least record-wise). He's now 26-19-2 in his postseason career.

Scott Hannan will probably get the nod over rookie Matt Tennyson to play Wednesday night in Game 1 against Vancouver.
"We will have to make that decision still," said coach Todd McLellan. "Come game time, we'll still be making it. We'll look at what their lineup is like throughout warmup. We have an idea, but we're not sure. We'll go with an inexperienced puck-mover, or we'll go with a ton of experience." Hannan appeared to be the team's choice judging from the morning skate and he would make sense given his experience.

Scott Gomez will miss Wednesday's playoff opener due to an undisclosed injury.
It is believed he was hurt on a heavy hit from Dallas' Erik Cole on April 23 and he's still feeling the effects of the collision. Gomez missed the last two games of the regular season as well. "He's been a solid centerman for us," coach Todd McLellan said. "It affects us power play-wise, and what you don't see or hear, it affects us on the bench and in the locker room."

Brent Burns will continue to play forward when San Jose opens the playoffs at Vancouver on Wednesday night.
He will skate with Joe Thornton and T.J. Galiardi, which has been a tough line for the opposition to match up against. Burns has produced eight goals and 17 points in 20 games as a forward, which makes him an interesting player going into the postseason for poolies and for the Sharks.

Patrick Marleau is certainly a player to watch going into the San Jose Sharks' first-round series against the Vancouver Canucks.
Marleau got off to a historical hot start this season with nine goals and 14 points in his first six game, but has never been able to recapture that spark. He probably will never play that good again, but the fact that he scored just one goal in his last 16 games is concerning. He could be the difference in this series if he heats up.

San Jose Sharks coach Todd McLellan believes Logan Couture has elevated himself to the "elite" level.
McLellan cited Couture's place in the Sharks' leadership dynamic as one of the big reasons for his growth, but it's hard to deny Couture's offensive contributions. After registering just four points in a dismal February, Couture had 13 goals and 23 points over 29 games in the final two months of the season. As long as he's healthy, Couture is a strong pick in playoff pools.

Jason Demers (lower body) has been ruled out for Wednesday's playoff opener.
He didn't skate Monday and hasn't played since April 18 because of a lower-body injury. Coach Todd McLellan didn't provide a specific timetable for Demer's return, but he could return at some point during the series.

Martin Havlat skated in Monday's practice alongside Patrick Marleau and Logan Couture.
He didn't play Saturday in the Sharks' season finale to rest some minor injuries. Consider him good to go for Game 1 at Vancouver Wednesday night.

Logan Couture missed the final nine minutes of the third period Saturday.
Couture was hit by Trevor Lewis and did not return to action, playing only 11:50 minutes but looked okay after the game according to reporters. We will update this situation if needed but be a little cautious about Couture in the early going of playoff pools.

Winger Martin Havlat was not in the lineup for San Jose as they took on the Kings in their regular season finale Saturday.
Havlat was reportedly nursing a few minor injuries and the team felt it wise to hold him out in order to have him in prime condition for the beginning of the playoffs. "Marty didn't skate yesterday. Everybody has bumps and bruises at this time of the year," coach Todd McLellan said. "He took warmup and when we saw what the results were in St. Louis, we decided to get Kennedy in for a night."

Captain Joe Thornton acknowledged Saturday that the team was concerned about sustaining injuries in its regular season finale against the Kings.
Once it became clear the Sharks weren't in a position to gain home-ice advantage for the playoffs, the team's greatest concern was ensuring none of their key players sustained injuries. "You want to win every game we play, but you don't want to get hurt," Thornton said. "We tried our best. They were better than us." The Sharks will square off against Vancouver in the opening round of the playoffs.

Antti Niemi stopped 24 of 27 shots in the Sharks' 3-2 loss to the Kings Saturday night in the season finale.
It marked the end to one of Niemi's best seasons as a pro, going 24-12-10 with a 2.16 GAA and .924 save percentage.

Sharks coach Todd McLellan has no problem with the Chicago Blackhawks resting key players against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday.
The Sharks need St. Louis to lose tonight if they want to claim the fourth seed, so Chicago's decision hurts them. "They've earned the right to do whatever they want to do with their team," McLellan said of the Blackhawks. Of course, the Sharks could have avoided leaving their fate in Chicago's hands had San Jose beaten Phoenix on Wednesday. All the same, the Sharks will advance to the postseason and anything can happen at that point.

Jason Demers (lower body) isn't expected to play on Saturday.
Demers was seen with a protective boot cover his foot and ankle. He has a goal and two assists in 22 games this season.

Critics who panned the San Jose Sharks' decision to move Brent Burns from a defensive to a forward spot continue to eat crow.
Burns scored his ninth goal in San Jose's 2-1 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes on Wednesday. After going pointless in six games as a D this season, he's scored 17 points in 22 games as a forward. Best yet, you can play him in a defensive spot in many leagues, giving him significant value.

Thomas Greiss failed to get his second win of the 2013 season as the Phoenix Coyotes beat his San Jose Sharks 2-1 on Wednesday.
Greiss is 1-4-0 on the season, losing or getting a non-decision in every appearance since he began the campaign with a 24-save shutout on Jan. 26. Greiss has only played in three games since March began. The Sharks might decide to give Antti Niemi another breather, however, as the Finn has played a lot lately.