The Short and Sweet Observations on the Last Three Games

These last three games for the Sharks have pretty much showcased everything fans have wanted to see, and everything that would just rather forget as well. It also shows just how tight the western conference has become as of late. So without further ado, let’s recap the last three games and what has happened.

Stars 3, Sharks 2 (11/12/09): This game definitely had the start the Sharks wanted, as they jumped to a 2-0 lead thanks to goals by Dany Heatley and Ryane Clowe and they entered the third period with that lead. Unfortunately, they forgot the memo about playing the ENTIRE 60 minutes, and let the game slip into a shootout loss. James Neal and Mike Modano took advantage of the brain shorts that happened in the third period, then Stephane Robidas sealed the deal in the shootout. Yes, they got the one point by avoiding the regulation loss, but that was the only positive to come from this. It only goes to show the fine line between losing a game and getting the beat, file this game under the former because the Sharks let this one slip away.

Sharks 3, Blues 1 (11/14/09): A nice way to rebound to say the least, and this was against a Blues team that was issued a challenge by their ownership. Chances are, the team was going to come out firing especially against a team like the Sharks, and they did so by scoring first. That would be all they would muster however, as the Sharks bit back with goals by Heatley and Jed Ortmeyer. It is quite encouraging to see Heatley settling in and playing freely with this attacking mentality instilled in the Sharks. Joe Thornton adding an empty-netter was little more than a bonus, this was definitely a traditional bounce-back game. This is an invigorated Blues team, don’t be surprised to see them in the playoffs this year.

Blackhawks 4, Sharks 3 OT (11/15/09): I will just go out on a limb and say this may actually be a preview of a western conference finals matchup. If that really is the case, hockey fans can settle in for a wild ride in a best-of-seven series. This preview had the feel of a playoff matchup, all the way to the overtime finish. While it may not have been the finish the Sharks wanted, this is what they have to expect with some of these upper-tier teams. Heatley became Mr. Automatic by scoring the Sharks first goal in the third straight game, even Jason Demers got into the thick of things with his first goal and Patrick Marleau marked his third. However, when a team like Chicago has Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Brian Campbell, and others, they are never far out of it. It proved to be the case as the Blackhawks came back from a 3-1 deficit to get the overtime win.

Even with the unsatisfying shootout and overtime losses, a 14-4-4 record is nothing to sneeze at whatsoever. There is also something to consider when talking about the Sharks, you can tell the level of a team when you look at the number of teams they “should” beat. It demonstrates the progress of a team because being able to handle business in those types of games (i.e. Dallas Stars) show the mental fortitude of focusing on the task at hand instead of looking ahead. A trait that can only be developed through the trial by fire method.

Until next time.

Tags: Opinion