On Monday March 6th Sharks forward Joe Thornton became only the thirteenth player in the NHL’s 100-year history to achieve 1000 total career assists. An incredible achievement especially given that the NHL has had only 5500 players over its centennial lifetime. According to sjsharks.com Thornton is only the second player to achieve the 1000 assist marker when starting their career after 1990. The other is tireless wonder Jaromir Jagr who plays for the Florida Panthers at 45-years-old.
Thornton’s historic assist came on an empty net goal, which ended up being the game winner when the Jets scored a power play goal with seven seconds remaining.
As time expired the Sharks ended up with a 3-2 victory, giving the Sharks a seven-point lead atop the Pacific Division.
Patrick Marleau, a career Shark, also made history of his own when he surpassed the 500-career goal mark earlier this season. Marleau continues his climb up the ladder of history, currently resting at number forty-one all-time, alongside Peter Bondra, with 503 career goals. Marleau also holds the record as the youngest player to reach the 1,300 and 1,400 career games played mark. In 2016, at age 36, he became only the 36th player in NHL history to reach the 1,400 mark.
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Sharks defenseman, Brent Burns, is making his own run a NHL history. Fighting stick and glove to become the NHL’s overall points leader, as well as capture the Norris Trophy for best defenseman in the NHL.
If he accomplishes this historic feat, he will be the first defenseman to hold both the Norris and Art Ross trophies. He currently sits at seventy points, only five behind league leader Connor McDavid of Edmonton who had seventy-five points heading into Friday.
The Sharks would not be in the playoff race this season without their outstanding goal tenders Martin Jones, who has risen from the shadow of LA King great Jonathon Quick, and extraordinary rookie Aaron Dell.
Throw in Jannik Hansen, the Sharks' recent trade acquisition from the Vancouver Canucks, who was drafted number 287 overall in 2004. It may not seem like a big deal, but no other NHL player has played as many games as he has when drafted as late as he was.
NHL game time
The NHL Metropolitan division leading Capitals entered the the Shark tank Thursday looking to continue their dominating season.
The reigning Western Conference Champion San Jose Sharks weren't about to float belly-up in the face of the NHL's best team. The match-up promised intensity as the Sharks looked to stay hot, with the Caps wanting vengeance for the 3-0 shutout handed to them by San Jose in Washington on November 8th.
Former Shark Daniel Winnik didn’t wait long to draw blood with the game’s first goal at 5:26 of the 1st period. Fresh off an unsuccessful Caps power play, Winnik converted a quick Jay Beagle pass from behind the net into a sweet goal. He slipped a backhander past SJ goal-minder Martin Jones’ gloved hand.
Three minutes later Joe Thornton showed off his shooting prowess as he charged to the net and buried a behind the net pass from Jannik Hansen.
Thornton would add NHL career assist number 1,001 on Joe Pavelski’s 24th goal of the season at 2:32 of the 2nd, giving the Sharks a 2-1 lead.
After the Capitals' Brent Connolly tied the game late in the 2nd, Logan Couture scored two power play goals, his 22nd and 23rd goals of the year. Couture’s goals came at 18:04 in the 2nd and 8:05 of the 3rd. Couture’s back-to-back goals gave Brent Burns his second and third assists of the night, giving him forty-three assists and seventy points this NHL season.
The Sharks survived the Capitals' NHL eighth ranked power play five times, and held on to defeat the NHL’s number one team 4-2. The win improved the Sharks' season record to 40-19-7. San Jose will continue their historic run on Saturday, March 11th at 1:00pm PST against the Nashville Predators in San Jose.
