First game of 2009. Team with the worst record in the NHL. First loss at home.

WHAT????

Yup. I have a bad feeling in my “chicken fried” stomach that the Sharks are going to get snake bit tonight by the New York Islanders. This team, who haven’t won a road game since November 24th which means 11 losses in a row on the road, is exactly the type of team that gives the Sharks fits. Consider this.

EXHIBIT A: The St. Louis Blues. 1-1-1 vs. Sharks.
Another bottom feeder in the NHL but the team plays hard and forechecks all night. They are young and have played the Sharks better than most top tier teams.

EXHIBIT B: Columbus Blue Jackets. 1-2-0 vs. Sharks.
Another middle of the road team that plays with a non stop motor. They have taken the Sharks to the limit in one loss and beat San Jose on their own turf.

I watched the Islanders play at Phoenix last night. They lost 5-4 in a tightly played game. New York is not very talented, but they play with heart and hustle. With a Sharks team that is scrapping around a little lately, dropping overtime losses in St. Louis and Minnesota on the road trip, could the Sharks be ripe for the picking tonight? I think so. Islanders get up early and the Sharks rally to make a game of it, but too little too late.

ISLANDERS 3 SHARKS 2 Ugh.

The good news is my predictions have been lousy lately. I got everything wrong on the road trip – so maybe the “chicken fried” feeling in my gut from my trip to the South isn’t such a bad thing…

POSTGAME: AS ALWAYS, IT IS A PLEASURE BEING WRONG. LISTEN FOR A NEW PODCAST THIS WEEK!