Well, that was certainly an interesting and entertaining way to kick off Valentine’s Day weekend.
The 6-5 shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres proved to be a big rollercoaster. Rollercoaster is an understatement, but I honestly can’t think of a better phrase to describe the game.
But, if that game is any sign of what I’ve been feeling since after the All-Star Break, I’d be a little worried. I don’t care what other people say. Yes, the Sharks got off to a great start. Yes, I do think that the Sharks will pick up their performance level once guys come back from injuries. But, for the sake of this blog, let’s just look at their record since the All-Star Break:
Jan. 27 v. Colorado – 3-0 W
Jan. 29 v. Phoenix – 2-0 W
Jan. 31 v. Chicago – 2-4 L
Feb. 5 v. Carolina – 3-4 SOL
Feb. 7 v. Columbus – 2-3 OL
Feb. 10 v. Boston – 5-2 W
Feb. 11 v. Pittsburgh – 1-2 SOL
Feb. 13 v. Buffalo – 5-6 SOL
First, I’m just going to come right out and say it. Evgeni Nabokov has not been stellar. At all. It’s partly due to him, and partly due to the team that’s been playing right in front of him.
I won’t deny that he has made some of those important saves, but the problem is that he hasn’t been making enough of them. His play has been slumping for weeks. He gets beaten too often, comes way too far out of the crease, and looks sloppy overall. He’s been, dare I say, a little
too aggressive. There have been more soft goals going past Nabby this season, and it becomes discouraging to see the team be down by a few goals early in the game. It’s tough to come back from a deficit and expect to come out with a win.
I believe that Brian Boucher should be starting more games, without a doubt. He puts up good enough numbers and looks as cool as a cucumber most nights. However, there’s a reason he’s a backup goaltender. His numbers are good, sure, but the team has played better in front of him. Plus, he’s only played a small number of games, so of course his numbers are going to look good. It is what it is.
But, to Nabby’s credit, it’s not exactly like the team in front of him has been all that great. He’s been left out to dry with the defensive lapses in judgment and the lack of offense that’s become a reoccurring thing. The team’s been flat, period. This leads me to my next point…
The second line has been carrying the bulk of the load for the team over the past few games, making up for an invisible, turnover-happy first line and a third line that couldn’t score a goal to save their lives. The second line played well against the Sabres, and I really need to mention Joe Pavelski’s sweet goal that was fired over Ryan Miller’s shoulder. He’s money in the bank when it comes to those sniper shots.
Some guys on the first line finally decided to show up, with seven points altogether (Joe Thornton’s four assists, Devin Setoguchi’s goal, and Patrick Marleau’s two goals). But, you know what? Maybe I’ve been too preoccupied noticing other things, but Jonathan Cheechoo needs to score a goal. Seriously. The last time he scored a goal, or even notched a point for that matter, was the January 17 game against Detroit. Quite a while, if you ask me.
The injuries are really starting to take its toll, too. With Marcel Goc out (yes, he’s not an offensive powerhouse, but he’s good in the faceoff circle and works hard), we’re starting to see the lineup thin out considerably. With the absence of Brad Lukowich, Jeremy Roenick, Torrey Mitchell, and Jody Shelley, guys are playing more minutes than they’re probably used to now. Tomas Plihal played close to 14 minutes, and even Alexei Semenov played around 17 minutes. Putting that into perspective, Semenov’s ice time was almost the same as Setoguchi's, who’s undoubtedly on a higher skill level. It’s just a smidge excessive.
Bad habits are also starting to develop and manifest itself game in and game out. The slow starts, the turnovers, the bad penalties, and the inability to close out games are all things that have been contributing to the let’s-shoot-ourselves-in-the-foot style of play. I think giving up a lead with 3.9 seconds left in the third period is a good example. It’d be nice to go back to the complete, 60 full minutes of domination that the Sharks used to play earlier in the season.
To make things worse, it’s not like the schedule exactly works in their favor. Once they headed out on the road, I figured that it was going to be tough stretch, but boy was that an understatement. Looking ahead, the Sharks will face the New Jersey Devils (who are second in the Eastern Conference) on Sunday, the Edmonton Oilers (always bad news for the Sharks) on Tuesday, and the Los Angeles Kings (who are only four points out of a playoffs spot) on Thursday.
Get all the positive, lovey-dovey vibes you can soak up tomorrow. If this stretch of games is indicative of anything, it’s going to be a long month.
-Danielle
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