Still Real
November 10th, 2008, 1:08 pm
The streak had to end sometime. Playing their 5th game in 8 nights, and the second half of a back-to-back, the Sharks couldn’t quite keep up with a young speedy team in Phoenix. If the legions of youngsters in Arizona continue to develop, this team will be a force to be reckoned with in a couple of years. And Breezy came up huge- there were at least a half-dozen great chances in the 2nd and 3rd that would have tied the game.
There hasn’t been much adversity yet, so the question lingers- how will this team handle it? After a mediocre performance in Phoenix, will this team rise up again and spank a weak Nashville team at home? I’m betting they will.
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I’m not sure I agree that the performance yesterday was mediocre. Yes, they should never have given up those two goals in 30 seconds, and who knows what would have happened if Boyle didn’t take that costly and a stupid penalty on Carcillo which sealed Coyotes victory, but we still looked better. The only mediocre performance I have seen from this team came in Anaheim, but even then we outshot the Ducks and Jiggy was standing on his head.
The bottom line, if playoffs were starting tomorrow, I can’t see us losing four games out of seven to anyone, including Detroit.
Dropping the game last night after playing so hard against the Pens, Wings and Stars doesn’t bother me in the least. I think that they know how to win the tough games and that is what they lacked in the playoffs over the last three years.
If I am going to get knit-picky, and I am, I am concerned that Grier isn’t understanding McLellan’s system. His typically awesome penalty kill notwithstanding, he seems uncomfortable with the puck and can’t seem to get it off his stick fast enough. We don’t expect him to score (or even shoot on net) on the breakout anymore, but when his line is controlling the play on the attack he either throws the puck to an open corner or shoots without waiting for support. It’s Ron Wilson hockey, and it was evident last night once again. I’d like to see JR get some time in his place on his line and see what comes of that. You know JR is itching for better scoring opportunities.
I think they would see this loss as more of a fluke. They played carelessly. Now, if they had lost to the Red Wings, then they would start quetioning themselves.