It doesn't happen very often, so you have to take a step back and show some gratitude when everything falls into place the way it did Wednesday night. We'll get to the details in the report card below, but I enjoyed watching the Sharks' 3-2 victory over Dallas, seeing the club pull witching two points of the Stars for top spot in the Pacific Division.
After the game my wife and I headed out to a little Thai restaurant. Now, I freely admit that my palette isn't as refined as hers. My idea of fine dining usually involves a bib and the term "all you can eat," so I was a little hesitant about the menu, especially since the only item I could pronounce was the jumbo prawns.
I relied on her to order, and she chose a darn good beef plate, some sweet and sour chicken which was outstanding, and a funky scallop/mussel/shrimp soup made with coconut milk. She didn't like the seafood at all, so I had to pretend she made an excellent selection. Just between you, me, and the blog it wasn't great, but being the man I had to take one for the team. You know how it is. Besides, if you've ever eaten chicken foot soup anything else is prime rib by comparison. I also had the chance to sample some goat head soup when I lived in Jamaica, but that's a story for another time.
Full, fat and happy, I was ready for the talkcast. Mark and I had a lot of great callers last night, but we got a real treat when we went to a caller and it turned out to be Randy Hahn. Shark fans are fortunate to have one of the best broadcast teams in the league, and we were thrilled to have Randy on the program. Of course, it would have been much more exciting if we hadn't left him waiting for a half hour before brining him on, but he was great. Not only did Randy bring a professional voice to the show, but offered some great insight and hit on several interesting topics. If you want to listen to the talkcast you can access it at the bottom of the blog in the previous episodes menu, or you can download any of the archived episodes at talkshoe.com.
As for the game itself, it was an impressive road victory for the Sharks, who extended their winning streak to three games. Breaking it all down, it was one of the most complete efforts of the year.
Offense - A-
Joe Thornton was the catalyst tonight, producing another three-point effort and helping Marleau and Cheechoo find the back of the net. His pass to Marleau was absolutely world class, a play you'll be seeing on highlight reels for years to come. The pass on its own was incredible, but Thornton's vision and anticipation made the play spectacular, making a little glance over his shoulder and delivering a perfect feed.
Thornton's goal also came from a great effort, barreling to the front of the net for a nice feed from Michalek. The Sharks value his production, but his play is also setting an example for everybody else. You don't see many fluke plays or lucky bounces from Thornton, and you always get a solid effort. The Sharks backed off a little down the stretch, and you hate to see them take their foot off the gas late in the game, but they didn't give up the equalizer.
Defense - A
Icing seven defensemen looked like it paid off again, and Rivet was the only blueliner who saw more than 20 minutes against the Stars. It might seem small, but those extra 2 or 3 minutes make a huge difference when you're trying to protect a lead late in the game and the Sharks still had fresh legs right up to the final buzzer.
San Jose limited Dallas to 19 shots on goal thanks to great puck possession and several blocked shots. One of the trademarks of this Sharks team has been something I call the "prom night" defense. They don't give teams many second chances, forcing the opposition to close the deal and find the twine on the initial chance because once those big bodies collapse the rebound is cleared and the puck is heading the other way. Okay, I promise not to write the terms "prom night" and "big bodies" in consecutive sentences ever again.
Goaltending - B+
Nabokov would have like to have both goals back, especially that first one that snuck through a partial screen, but he made enough quality saves to earn a B+ and earned the two points in the closing minutes. Is he going to start Friday against the Coyotes? It makes sense for Patzold to get a start, but I wouldn't bet against it.
Power Play - B+
Finishing 1-for-5 is decent, but I really liked the movement on the power play. It seemed like the Sharks were able to control the zone a little better and work the puck around for some better looks. Also, you might say Cheechoo got a lucky bounce on his goal, but it was created by an odd-man situation down low and a nice play by Thornton to dish the puck off and draw some defensive attention as he went to the net.
Penalty Kill - A+
Once again, the penalty kill was awesome. It's amazing to see the confidence the team has on the penalty kill, and it helps the entire team breathe a little easier. The Sharks don't take many penalties, but having a strong PK helps everyone play a little more aggressively and take some chances out there. It's a nice luxury to have when the biggest knock on the PK each night is that they didn't net a shorthanded goal
Turned My Head
Joe Thornton - Nothing he does should surprise us any more but you have to be impressed with the way he's stepped up his game lately, scoring 10 points over the last four games. That's impressive on its own, but it becomes a crazy stat when you consider the Sharks have scored 11 goals over the last four games. Joe now has 34 points, playing a role in nearly half of the Sharks' 69 goals this season.
Marleau/Cheechoo - Will this victory finally get them off the schnide and get both of them rolling? You'd sure like to think so, because I'm getting tired of writing about scoring slumps and trade rumors. If both these guys can get going it will trickle down to the rest of the lineup and take some of the focus off the negative aspects of this Sharks season.
Turned My Stomach
I caught a glimpse of some eel at the Thai restaurant that nearly turned my stomach, but I didn't see anything during the Sharks game that caused any digestive problems or intestinal discomfort.
Final Grade - A
Last month's winning streak was met with skepticism, but this could be the start of something big for the Sharks. It wasn't a perfect win, but the team should be full of confidence heading into Phoenix on Friday, and the Western Conference is still wide open with plenty of hockey to play. Scanning the standings, the only team that's played like a Cup contender is Detroit, and it's about time the Sharks step up and make people take notice. A great night all the way around and we're finally getting the feeling this team is moving in the right direction after a disappointing start.
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Here's a handy link to the San Jose Sharks Hockeybuzz talkcast if you're interested in listening to any of the past episodes. Thanks for your continued support and tune in to the next show Friday morning at 10 a.m.
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