According to David Pollak, San Jose Mercury News Sharks beatwriter, the Sharks held a closed door team meeting with GM Doug Wilson to address the growing elephant in the room – the Sharks lack of consistency and their inability to live up to expectations. Last night was bitterly disappointing. The Sharks played right into Phoenix’s hands, playing a grinding, physical game filled with a Battle Royale featuring eight players (P.S. can someone explain to me how Roenick didn’t get a fighting major??) San Jose didn’t play bad, but they didn’t play good – and the power play was embarrassing. The jumbotron caught Ron Wilson asking his team during a timeout this age old philosophical question.

What the $%&# are you guys doing? This is bull#$%&

The fans cheered. Everyone in our Section 124 was wondering the same thing. What are they doing? The Sharks look lost, dazed and confused on offense. Mike is right, it’s like they just don’t believe they can score more than two goals per game. Lack of fire, that is what Jeremy Roenick accused the players of last night. This has been the common criticism of this team for the last two years. As I said before, I call this team Jekyll and Hyde, and last night Mr. Hyde – the Sharks team that beat up Minnesota, Vancouver and went into Anaheim and won on Sunday night, was not here and Dr. Jekyll, the nice, mild mannered mediocre everyman, showed up and played down to its competition.

Not acceptable. Not for a team with Stanley Cup dreams. Here’s my take – this team meeting called by Doug Wilson is his final warning to this roster. This is their last stand before DW takes a blowtorch to some of his cornerstones and sends them packing. I like Patrick Marleau as a player and he is an outstanding leader in community service in the Bay Area. I don’t want the Sharks to trade him – but he is the root of the problem. Why?

1) He does not display strong leadership on the ice. Sure, he was involved in the fight last night, but I have the perfect view from my seats of Captain Pat not finishing his checks and floating around in the zone. He doesn’t bring it to the rink for sixty minutes night after night like other team captain’s in the league – Morrow, Pronger, Iginla.

2) Marleau’s dismal season on the stat sheet has poisoned other players on the roster. Michalek, Pavelski, Setoguchi – these guys can’t score unless you get them the puck. These are not garbage goal guys. They need the slick passing, speed racing Marleau to set them up…and he’s nowhere to be found.

3) Marleau hasn’t dealt with being the goat for last year’s series vs. Detroit and his confrontation with Ron Wilson. The pressure from the media and the doubting fan base is probably mounting for him.

So – what’s a GM to do? What is the going rate for Patrick Marleau? If the Sharks traded Marleau for Doug Weight, a prospect and a 7th round pick – would you be happy? I would be furious. Answers will come tomorrow night when we see if the Sharks can let off some steam and take it to the Ducks at home. If they don’t win, expect a few changes in Teal in the New Year and Captain Patty should been checking real estate options in Montreal or Toronto.