You were surprised by San Jose’s epic collapse. You were shocked the team turtled after taking a 3-0 lead. You were mystified the Sharks didn’t have any physical response to either Dion Phaneuf or Cory Sarich’s hits on Patrick Marleau. If any of those statements apply to you after San Jose’s 4-3 loss to Calgary then you obviously don’t watch much Sharks hockey. When it comes to mental toughness, this San Jose team falls short time and time again.
Blown leads aren’t new to Shark fans, and quitting with an early lead has become commonplace in San Jose. During the regular season, the Sharks had the league’s fourth lowest winning percentage when leading after the first period – a disappointing .667. Only Toronto, Florida and Los Angeles had lower winning percentages, and the next lowest playoff team was Dallas – 21st at .704. That statistic occurs because of a coach that doesn’t know how to motivate his team, and a superstar that fails to show up in the biggest games.
Once again, Sunday’s loss validates everybody who criticizes Joe Thornton for disappearing in the playoffs. He assisted on Ryane Clowe’s goal but beyond that he was a complete non-factor, failing to create any scoring chances and wasting his 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame with soft, uninspired play. While Shark fans might not like it, the criticism is warranted, just as it has been every April when Jumbo Joe straps on the blades.
One point of motivation and inspiration had to be Patrick Marleau; popping up to his feet and soldiering on after taking two of the hardest hits you’ll ever see. He was easily San Jose’s best player and showed an awful lot of courage. However, you still have to win the game, and as the captain you still have to prevent your teammates from turning in an embarrassing effort. Marleau scored a goal, helping the Sharks take a 3-0 lead before they mailed in the next 56 minutes. Jarome Iginla saw the Flames fall behind 3-0, but scored a goal and assisted on another as they outworked the opposition for 56 minutes.
Regarding the hits on Marleau, certainly there should have been a boarding penalty called on the Phaneuf hit, riding the Sharks captain headfirst into the glass. The Sarich hit spurred a lot of controversy, but I though it was clean. He kept his elbow tucked in close to his side and followed through, turning the momentum of the game (and possibly the series) with a mammoth blow.
Not surprisingly, there wasn’t a physical response from the Sharks after either incident. San Jose proved, once again, they’re not willing to do what it takes to win the physical battles or stand up for one another. Sarich-Marleau could be the new Torres-Michalek. Jody Shelley has become nothing more than a scarecrow, trying to ward off danger with a scowl and a few bursts of profanity. He’s a hall monitor when the Sharks need a bully, and they’ve been pushed around the last three games because of it.
I’ve re-posted some of my previous comments on intimidation and retribution – written after the Kunitz incident – because they continue to be San Jose’s most glaring weaknesses. You think I write this stuff to rile people up? You think I keep hammering this point home to drive up traffic or draw out spicy comments? I write it because it’s the truth, as politically incorrect as it might sound, and the lesson clearly hasn’t sunk in yet. Nothing has changed. Year in and year out the Sharks are bullied, pushed around and disrespected. I shouldn’t be the one explaining this to Ron and Doug Wilson.
This is a lesson the Sharks have failed to grasp, but you can’t let teams take liberties with anybody on your roster. Raffi Torres smashed Milan Michalek’s face and nobody laid a finger on him. Scott Hartnell busted Jonathan Cheechoo’s knee and there wasn’t any payback. Alexander Radulov bounced Steve Bernier’s face off the plexiglass without any retribution. Nik Antropov drove his knee into the side of Evgeni Nabokov’s head and nobody batted an eyelash.
First of all, payback isn't about violence for the sake of violence, and nobody would have received any satisfaction from Chris Kunitz suffering an injury. In fact, it wouldn’t have made anyone’s day any brighter to see Kunitz doubled over in pain on the Anaheim bench. The main purpose of retaliation, either immediately after a play or a week later, is the same reason people install home alarm systems and NHL clubs employ enforcers: prevention. Nobody is going to cross-check an Anaheim player in the back of the head because all hell will break loose, resulting in clenched fists, harsh words, and possibly a few tears.
Some might say the best retaliation occurs on the scoreboard, but that's a crock of bull because it doesn't prevent future incidents. If Kunitz decides to take liberties with Jonathan Cheechoo's brain he'll do it because he knows there won't be any consequences. San Jose winning the game doesn't bring Cheechoo back into the lineup, it doesn't erase the damage that has been done, it doesn't send a message to Kunitz that his shenanigans won't be tolerated, and it doesn't make anyone think twice about taking a run at San Jose's players down the road.
Entering the playoffs without the ability or willingness to intimidate the opposition is a little like showing up to Oktoberfest and ordering near beer. What kind of message does it send to Cheechoo when nobody comes to his defense, when nobody demands accountability? Quite frankly, it makes me sick. San Jose had better avoid Anaheim, Minnesota and Calgary in the postseason, because each of those teams carries a few thumpers who have basically been given the green light to rough up the Sharks' skill players. While they’re nice perks, home-ice advantage and a Pacific Division championship banner won’t do anything to change that.
We’ll see how San Jose responds, because the track record isn’t good following these crippling playoff losses. The Sharks couldn’t match Edmonton, blowing a third-period lead in a Game 3 overtime loss during the 2006 Western Conference semifinal. They ended up losing four straight. San Jose didn’t have any answer for Detroit after wasting a third-period lead in a Game 4 overtime loss during last season’s Western Conference semifinal. They lost three straight, bringing a premature end to a promising playoff run.
History has a way of repeating itself, especially when a team fails to learn from lessons of the past. Will San Jose rebound on Tuesday night, or will they fall victim to another early playoff exit? You’d like to think the former, but my money’s on the latter.
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