That’s Funny, the Sharks Don’t Need My Help
December 5th, 2008, 8:37 am
Well, they won last night, but just barely. I almost looked like a sad genius because the BJs outright dominated the Sharks for most of the game. The Sharks were outworked, outhustled, and frankly outplayed the entire first and second periods before Columbus got themselves into some penalty trouble, which took away a lot of their momentum.
The story of the game was Nabby. He had three or four outright robbery saves, the most flashy on Kristian Huselius coming across the crease. One second Huselius was trying to pull the biscuit to his backhand to flip into the wide open net, the next he was coasting to the corner because Nabby stole it off of his stick.
But Bryce had a good question in the last post’s comment thread:
Many of the teams that have been coming through were running through the Anaheim/LA gauntlet before the trek up the coast. Is this how we should expect more games to be when facing opponents on the first game of their trip to the state? Or is it the Blue Jackets just played out of their minds tonight?
I think this is how we should expect opponents to play every night. The fact that Columbus were rested and ready, and as well prepared any anyone could be, just highlighted the simple truth: whether the Sharks like it or not, they are now the measuring stick for the league. Every team will try to play their best game against the Sharks, like we do against Detroit. San Jose is no longer just a tough team out west- they are the standard. Only the pundits and bloggers care about whether the Sharks can keep it up in the playoffs and whether Joe is clutch enough and blah blah blah. Everyone else paints a huge target on the back of those new black jerseys. The league is coming, boys.
They are now the best starting team in NHL history (sort of). But since we’re gunning for the ultimate prize, would we have it any other way?
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So the Sharks were not great last night, yet they played hard enough to win. So far this season they’ve done it several times yet it was just twice, against Anaheim and Nashville, that they were the better team and yet lost.
I remember many times last season when we were the better team yet somehow found a way to lose a game. In fact, I remember plenty of playoff series when we were a better team up until a certain point in the series, and then managed to lose a series.
All I care is that this teams knows how to win even those games when things aren’t clicking because that’s the kind of skill that you need to win the Cup.
It seems to me that any time the Sharks play a team that are as fast as they are, they struggle to dominate. The other team closes passing lanes more quickly and gets to loose pucks at least as quickly as the Sharks. I think the Sharks have come to expect that extra beat to make the play that they normally get with other teams. It leads to missed passes and (sometimes dangerous) turnovers. The speed also means the other team can cycle in the Sharks’ zone for extended periods, which eventually causes defensive confusion & exhaustion. This definitely happened last night and I can remember thinking the same thing in at least one other game (maybe STL, not sure). Some might call the Sharks complacent in these games, but I think maybe it’s more just having their timing thrown off. It’s nice to see they still remember how to play in a game with actual momentum shifts, but damn do those games stress me out!
Anyway, I’m not sure there’s really a point here. Just an observation. Thoughts?
The speed is one thing, the commitment and discipline is another. A team with all three of those will give any team trouble, not just the Sharks. CLB was very good at that last night, FLA and PHX as well, but the problem with all those teams is it’s hit and miss. Sometimes they can, other times they can’t. And even a team that has one or two lines that can keep it up (like CHI) the Sharks just take advantage of the other lines.
Funny little observation about the game tonight…
Sharks have about a dozen scrums in front of Rolo, and he stands on his head. But not a single penalty called?
Canadian team on Hockey Night in Canada, refs turn their heads.
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