I'm reluctant to write this, but I can't ignore it any longer. Most of the time I write to inform or enlighten, choosing a topic and expounding on it. Ultimately, the purpose is to entertain both the readers and myself, and it's been a good day at the blog if I can do that without offending anyone, spreading misinformation, or giving people reason to fill my inbox with hate mail.
However, sometimes the topic chooses me, nagging at my brain and weighing on me until I'm forced to let it out. This blog has been brewing for months and I've ignored it for as long as I can, but it was finally spurred by today's events.
Let me begin by saying the Sharks are an immensely talented team from top to bottom, front to back. The way he's been playing this season, if I had to choose a goaltender to win a game for me I'd put Nabokov up against any goalie in the world. Of course it would have to be sudden-death overtime rather than a shootout, but you get my point.
San Jose's defensive corps is balanced with speed, size and toughness. It has all the elements a successful team needs, combining youth and experience without overextending themselves. The numbers speak for themselves, and the blueline's strong play has made the Sharks the best defensive team in the league, with the best penalty kill.
Up front, everything flows through Thornton. Shark fans are lucky to watch him every night, literally turning the mediocre into the marvelous. Go right down the line and you can see the depth of this team. Marleau's a fantastic player, Michalek is one of the most coveted young forwards in the league, and Setoguchi is going to be a star for years to come. Cheechoo is a pure sniper, streaky and sneaky as anyone playing today, while Bernier, Clowe, Pavelski and Mitchell represent the team's prosperous future.
Having said that, the Sharks are not a Stanley Cup contender. Not even close. They look great on paper, they look great on the ice, and if you want to compare wins and losses, goals and assists, they'll stack up against the best teams in the league. However, teams don't win the Stanley Cup by outscoring their opponents; they win it by outlasting their opponents.
Hockey, more than any other sport, is about survival. Raw, cold, merciless survival. Teams don't lift the Stanley Cup by defeating opponents, they lift hockey's ultimate prize by destroying opponents, breaking down their will to fight. The playoffs aren't a sprint, and certainly not a marathon, but a 15-round prize fight. The winner is the team that keeps slugging long after they've grown too weary to lift their arms. The loser is often the team to absorb punishing shots until they lean helplessly along the ropes, their limp arms dangling at their sides.
For all the tools they possess, all the wonderful skills they exhibit, the Sharks are one of the league's softest and weakest teams mentally. I thought they played their best game of the season Saturday afternoon. Ironically, the effort came in a 4-2 loss to the Dallas Stars, but they finally showed us some fight and determination. I felt really good about the Sharks after the game, thinking that maybe they were on their way to becoming that merciless, relentless team Shark fans have been waiting for.
Craig Rivet was a hero today, standing up for the franchise in the first period. Nobody had to tell him to do it, but he knows how important it is to protect your most valuable asset. Marleau was ridden heavily into the boards in the third period, and the defenseman who committed the crime stood ready to engage somebody, anybody. Marleau rose to his feet and shrugged it off before skating away. A crowd eventually gathered, but it was a half-hearted demonstration more than anything else.
I'd probably feel a lot better about the Sharks if I hadn't watched any hockey Saturday night, but I did. I saw the Canadiens trounce the Leafs, and then watched a fabulous game between the Oilers and Canucks. None of those teams have the talent to match up against the Sharks, but they play the game the right way. Each of those teams scratch and claw and fight for every inch of the ice. They dig along the boards with purpose, rather than leaning on their stick and waiting for a 40-second shift to expire. They drive the crease and pound an opposing goaltender, eventually pounding the flesh of any player taking exception to the infraction. The Sharks don't push until pushed, often raising token resistance before politely skating away.
Still rewinding San Jose's effort in my mind, I was fully prepared to praise the Sharks for a strong effort, but the Oilers reminded me how far they have to go. Sustained pressure, physical play, intensity, purpose in the neutral zone, chemistry on the breakout, presence in the crease, overcoming adversity, performing in the clutch, the Oilers displayed all of the elements the Sharks are still trying to produce.
Champions are fun to watch because they inspire confidence. They symbolize the sacrifice it takes to reach the top of the mountain, overcoming the odds. The Ducks did that last season, punishing opponents and rising to overcome whatever challenge presented itself, finishing the journey battered but not broken. We all know San Jose did the opposite, and they've come into this season playing the same way, not only hesitant but boring as well.
Every Shark fan from the Bay Area to Budapest wants the same thing. They want this team to take on the characteristics of a shark, becoming merciless and relentless, smelling blood in the water and going in for the kill. If that ever happens optimism is sure to follow. Until that point, the Sharks will remain a talented team that lacks the killer instinct.
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