Thomas Greiss (3-2, 1.99 GAA, .928 save percentage) gets the start in goal tonight against the Phoenix Coyotes and here's what Todd McLellan had to say this morning about that decision.
"He's earned the opportunity and with the long break coming up between now and the Detroit game and him not having played since that night on the island, we want him to get back in there," the coach said, referring to the fact San Jose has four days between tonight's game and the one that follows.
McLellan said he likes Greiss's ability to stay sharp and maintain a strong work ethic.
"He undrstnds his role. It's a role he's been accustomed to in his time in NHL," the coach said. "I feel comfortable calling his number whenever, whether it's back to backs or with two weeks."
McLellan said Greiss appears more confident after spending last season playing in Sweden, and he knew he had the chance to stay in San Jose from the start of training camp because of the injury to Antero Niittymaki.
What changes has McLellan seen in Greiss's game?
"He plays a lot neater around his net than he has in the past. Not as many second and third opportunities," the coach said. "That could be a reflection of the D around our net, too, but I think one goes with the other."
One thing that wasn't a factor in his decision, McLellan noted, was the fact Greiss was in goal when the Sharks beat the Coyotes 6-3 on opening night.
"Both teams are at a different place now than they were then," the coach said. "It's been six weeks. I don't think you can put a lot into that."
*****Logan Couture says he isn't troubled by the fact his name isn't on the official NHL All-Star ballot.
In fact, he said this morning, he wasn't even aware that list came out two days ago.
"Who's on it?" he asked.
Told that five of his teammates - Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski, Dan Boyle and Brent Burns - did make the list, were, Couture noted they were all great players.
"This team, we've got so many good players that I'm not focused on making the all-star team. I'm focused on having a good year," Couture said. "That doesn't bother me. I don't care if I play or get nominated."
And he didn't take the bait when I mentioned that Michael Grabner of the Islanders, who finished behind Couture in the Calder Trophy race last season and has only six points this season compared to Couture's 11, was on the ballot.
"He plays on a different team," Couture said. "He doesn't play with Joe Thornton and those type of guys."
Couture, who took part in All-Star weekend festivities (but not the game itself) in Raleigh, N.C., last season as one of the "young stars" did say it would be unbelievable to play in an all-star game at some point - but not necessarily this year.
*****Couture (@Logancouture)and Ryane Clowe (@ryaneclowe29) headed up to San Francisco on Friday to tour Twitter 
"I've never been to one of those tech companies like that," Clowe said. "When you walk in, there's people going everywhere just carrying a laptop, people sitting in corners, people on couches, all on laptops. I don't know what everyone was doing, but it was pretty neat."
Clowe said he was glad he went, and "tried to get them to bump my followers."
Clowe has 23,929 followers, not even close to the 66,764 who follow Couture. And both of them are seriously trailing the NHL's most renowned Twitterer, Paul Bissonnette of the Coyotes who has 167,511 as @BizNasty2point0.
Part of that is because Bissonnette is a pretty funny guy willing to share more of his private life than most athletes. Is Clowe willing to try that approach?
"Not yet," he said, "but if that's going to get me the followers, I may jump on that train, though."
The NHL has place some minor time restrictions on when players can go on Twitter
Clowe said that subject didn't come up.
"No one who worked there or showed us around mentioned it," he said. "They just said get more guys from your team."
*****A few thoughts on this weekend's Hockey Hall of Fame activities in Toronto that culminate with inductions on Monday.
One of the players entering the hall will become only the second to have ever worn a Sharks jersey (Igor Larionov was the first). Alas, it turns out to be Ed Belfour, one of the least popular players to ever skate for - or against - San Jose.
Belfour was acquired by the Sharks from the Chicago Blackhawks in a January 1997 trade, but was a less-than-stellar 3-9-0 in 13 games with San Jose and signed with the Dallas Stars almost immediately after becoming a free agent the following July. That put him right up there with Theo Fleury and Chris Pronger on the home crowd's villains list whenever he came back to play.
Beyond that, though, a couple personal thoughts on two of the others entering the hall of fame.
Canadian newspapermen rarely get a following in the U.S., so most of you probably aren't familiar with the work of Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun, a columnist who has been covering the Oilers in one form or the other for decades.
All I can add to the praise Jones is deservedly receiving (and do check out Dave Lozo's article at is that the few times I've gotten to sit around a table with Terry Jones - whether it was covering the 2006 series vs. Edmonton or last spring's WCF against Vancouver - have been some of the highlights of my time away from the rink in this job.
The guy knows how to hold court and tell a story, in print or over a pint. And the HHOF recognition is an honor long overdue.
The other thing I'll mention is that when I first started covering the Sharks, not as the beat guy, I tried to sit in the press box section closest to the scouts, hoping to absorb some of their knowledge.
Some of them kept to themselves, others were more willing to talk and share the occasional insight.
Mark Howe was one of the latter. Not that the Red Wings director of pro scouting ever divulged state secrets, but he was there with an answer if I asked what went right or what went wrong on a given play - something I may have missed. We still catch up today when we run into each other.
Howe, of course, is going into the Hall of Fame on his merits as a defenseman (and for a sense of those, please check out ESPN's Craig Custance's story at and not because of his last name or the fact he befriended the occasional sports writer.
But just thought I'd add my congratulations to everybody else's.
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