Not only did the Sharks win, but Doug and I both were flawless in our hockey picks.  Check out DOH 125 for all the ‘rules’.  Doug mentioned in that episode how much we missed Douglas Murray, and it certainly was apparent last night.  He hit everything, he jumped into the play, he made good defensive stops.  The guy was an animal, and clearly itching to get back in the lineup, especially against the Sharks’ playoff ouster.  Helluva game.  If only the Sharks could play with that energy and urgency on a consistent basis, we might just have something here.

Yesterday, when I heard Niemi was going to start, I though that was a pretty wacky move.  Ok, a dumb move.  Now that McLellan’s gamble paid off, I still don’t understand it.  If Niemi starts this weekend against Vancouver and gets shelled, I’m not sure if anything was really gained.  Chicago is a rival team- to me, it’s straightforward.  You start the guy who is the better goalie at the time, and Niitymaki is clearly that.  Niemi seemed like a good candidate to start against EDM on Saturday, second half of a back-to-back.  Let him build some confidence after a few good starts.  I guess last night’s win kickstarted the recovery, but it still seems like a needless gamble.

Here I am, bitching after the Sharks finally get a win after three atrocious games, and against a tough team.  I should be thankful.  I am thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving.