by ldh2013 » Tue Jun 21, 2016 8:26 am
SAN JOSE, Calif. . -- The San Jose Sharks locked up two of their cornerstone players before they could hit the open market this summer, signing three-year extensions Friday with captain Joe Thornton and franchise leading goal-scorer Patrick Marleau. The contracts prevent the two stars from becoming unrestricted free agents this summer and keep them under contract with the Sharks through the 2016-17 season. "Patrick and Joe continue to perform at an elite level in the National Hockey League and, most importantly, they make the other players around them better," general manager Doug Wilson said. "They both made it very clear that they wanted to stay in San Jose and we were able to agree on contracts that fit with our team building philosophy." According to TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.com, Thorntons deal is worth $6.75 million per season, or just over $20 million over three years with a full no-movement clause, while Marleau will get $6.66 million per year, or just under $20 million over the same term. Kevin Kurz of CSNBayArea.com is reporting Marleaus deal also has a no-movement clause. Thornton and Marleau were the top two picks in the 1997 draft with Thornton going to Boston and Marleau to San Jose. The Sharks acquired Thornton in a deal on Nov. 30, 2005, and the two have helped the Sharks win the most regular-season games in the NHL since that time. But despite all that success, San Jose is still searching for its first trip to the Stanley Cup finals. The Sharks lost the Western Conference finals in 2010 and 2011, and were knocked out in seven games in the second round last season against Los Angeles. San Jose is poised for another run this season and is currently fifth in the league with 72 points. Even at 34 years old, Thornton and Marleau are still playing at an elite level. Thornton leads the NHL with 47 assists and is sixth with 53 points. Marleau was picked for the Canadian Olympic team and has 21 goals and 26 assists this season. Thornton has 1,171 career points, the most of any player since he entered the league in 1997-98. He is currently 25th on the NHLs all-time assist list with 834 and 48th on the career points list. Marleau has played all 1,216 career games with San Jose, notching 425 goals and 483 assists. He is fourth in the league in goals the past six seasons with 187 and is 72nd all-time. Marleau ranks first on the Sharks career list for points, goals, power play goals, short-handed goals, game-winning goals and shots. Wilson has always done a good job locking up his key players before they hit free agency at below market prices. Thornton is taking a slight pay cut from his expiring three-year deal that pays him an average of $7 million a year. Marleau also took a slight pay cut from the four-year deal that pays him an average of $6.9 million a year. With these deals done, the Sharks have locked up almost all of their important players before free agency starts in July. The one key remaining potential unrestricted free agent is 37-year-old defenceman Dan Boyle. The Sharks have already reached long-term deals with defenceman Marc-Edouard Vlasic, and forwards Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns. . The 29-year-old scored once and assisted on another as Colorado edged the host Calgary Flames 3-2 on Friday. . James Neal and Brandon Sutter each had a goal and an assist, and the Penguins won for the first time in four games, 4-1 over the Nashville Predators on Friday night. . He displayed that dominant form in a solid six-inning performance Wednesday night as Toronto defeated the Houston Astros 7-3 at Rogers Centre. Morrow struck out nine batters as the Blue Jays (5-4) locked up their first series win of the young season and moved over the .LIVERPOOL, England -- Jose Mourinho riled his former assistant Brendan Rodgers as Chelsea successfully stifled Liverpool and scored twice against the run of play to win 2-0 on Sunday and dent the Premier League leaders hopes of a first title in 24 years. However unambitious Chelsea appeared at Anfield, goals at the end of each half from Demba Ba, who seized on Steven Gerrards slip-up, and Willian ended Liverpools 11-game winning streak in the league. Mourinhos side is just two points behind Liverpool with two games remaining. "They obviously sat very deep -- I think there were two buses parked today, never mind one," said Rodgers, who was a coach at Chelsea between 2004 and 2008. "It was clear that theyd come certainly not wanting to win the game, with the time wasting." That claim was unsurprisingly challenged by Mourinho -- "Time wasting? Whats that?" -- with the Chelsea manager affronted by criticism of his tactics. "When a team defends well you call it defensive display," he told reporters. "When a team defends badly and concedes two or three goals you dont mention a defensive display." But Mourinho continued his policy of dismissing Chelseas title prospects, stressing: "We have no chance." Its not that unrealistic for Chelsea, but Manchester City has replaced Liverpool as the team which has the destination of the trophy in its own hands. Third-placed City closed the gap on Liverpool to three points by winning 2-0 at Crystal Palace on Sunday, and it has a game in hand to play at Everton on Saturday. So by the time Liverpool plays at Palace next Monday it could have been knocked off the top on goal difference by City. Its a long time to dwell on a defeat that will suppress the fervour that had been growing at Liverpool that the team will win the English title for the first time since 1990, having started the season as 33-1 outsiders with bookmakers. Hours before kickoff, thousands of Liverpool fans lined the streets, preparing for the teams arrival at Anfield. It had the air of a victory parade, but whether the real thing takes place next month is now a lot more uncertain. "The bigger picture is that were still two points ahead of a team (Chelsea) that has spent an absolute fortune," Rodgers said. "If we win our two games well finish above them and then well see what happens with Manchester City. We achieved our objective of Champions League football. . ." That competition is Mourinhos priority this season, resting several key players Sunday for Wednesdays semifinal against Atletico Madrid after the first-leg was a 0-0 draw. Mourinhos defensive tactics at Liverpool might have seemed to his critics to be anti-football, but they demonstrated his abilities to successfully set up a team to be well organized and frustrate opponents. While Chelsea defender Ashley Coles curling effort forced the first save of the game from Simon Mignolet, there was little attacking ambition from the visitors. Liverpool controlled the game, but without the speed or fluency of recent weeks as the hosts couldnt find a route to goal. In the opening 15 minutes, Phillippe Coutinho volleyed into the sidenetting and Mamadou Sakhos shot was cleared off the line by Cole before he mis-fired the follow-up from six yards. The last time Liverpool played here Gerrard was caught on camera telling the players: "This does not slip now." But it was Gerrard, usually the reliable heartbeat of the team and inspirational one-club player, who slipped in possession near the halfway line in the third minute of stoppage time, giving away the ball to Ba. With Gerrard unable to chase him down, the Senegal striker charged through on goal and coolly placed the ball past Mignolet and into the net. However much Liverpool tried to batter through toward the Chelsea goal in the second half, the defence held up well. Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, a second-half substitute, are the leading scorers in the league with 50 goals between them, but they rarely came close to equalizing. Not even when facing 41-year-old goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, deputizing for the injured Petr Cech, who repelled Joe Allens first-time volley with a low diving save just before the hour. A rasping strike from Gerrard was also thwarted and a downward header by the captain lacked power to trouble Schwarzer. As the end neared, Suarez could not connect with Coutinhos cross, and the Uruguay striker saw a shot turned over in stoppage time before Chelsea stunned Anfield again. Former Liverpool striker Fernando Torres launched the breakaway, drawing Mignolet off his goal-line and then passing to Willian to walk the ball into the net. Mourinho jogged down the touchline, pounding the Chelsea crest on his coat in celebration. ' ' '
