It’s a lesson the San Jose Sharks have learned the hard way each year since the NHL lockout: It doesn’t matter how you start, it matters how you finish. The Sharks have put that lesson into practice on a nightly basis this season, producing five wins despite having opened the scoring only once during their first nine games. That trend continued Monday night as the Sharks rallied for a decisive 7-3 victory over the New York Rangers, and it’s ironic that the Sharks’ best performance of the season came after they’d fallen behind 2-0, because it’s a deficit that has haunted them so often in the past.
Trailing 2-0 doomed the Sharks during Game 6 against the Flames in 2004, it was the final score during Game 6 against the Oilers in 2006, popped up again a year later in Game 6 against the Red Wings, and marked the beginning of the end for San Jose in Game 1 last season against the Ducks. After the Rangers took an early 2-0 lead on Monday night, there wasn’t much reason to believe the Sharks would rebound to even the score, let alone win the game. But after all these years, maybe the team has learned a thing or two about a 2-0 scoreboard.
Brad Staubitz kicked off the comeback with the second goal of his NHL career, Dany Heatley scored the equalizer on a terrific individual effort, and Jed Ortmeyer banged in a rebound to give the Sharks a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. That was the difference in Monday’s game – rather than relying on one or two lines to provide energy or offense, each of the Sharks’ four lines chipped in. Patrick Marleau and Devin Setoguchi may have been late to the party, but they combined for six points, ensuring that each line was accounted for on the scoresheet.
That balance helped swing the momentum in San Jose’s favor, and each aspect of the game complimented another as the visiting team established its dominance. The Sharks ruled the faceoff circle, they were physical on both the forecheck and defense, they attacked with speed through the neutral zone, and they crashed the net for second and third chances. Each of those elements helped the Sharks draw penalties, amassing over 11 minutes with the man advantage and scoring two power play goals.
Steve Valiquette started the game for the Rangers, and you have to wonder why John Tortorella decided to go with his backup goaltender. While they were winning games, the Rangers hadn’t played very well in recent victories, so maybe Tortorella used Monday’s game as a wake-up call, a reminder to his team that they couldn’t put in a subpar effort and expect to win games. Valiquette wasn’t going to bail them out and he didn’t, but I don’t think Henrik Lundqvist would have fared any better against the Sharks. In fact, he did enter the game in relief, allowing two goals on 12 shots.
It seems last season’s crushing defeat has had at least one positive side effect on the Sharks’ weary fan base. A new perspective has taken root in San Jose, and increased maturity has tempered both people’s optimism and pessimism. Despite a rocky beginning, the Sharks have asserted themselves and proved they belong among the best teams in the league. However, after years of disappointment, no other team knows one simple lesson better than the Sharks: It doesn’t matter how you start, it matters how you finish.
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For the first time this season, three studs aren’t nearly enough to acknowledge all of the Sharks’ great performances. At the same time, it’s hard to pick out three players who deserve dud status, since so many players had a positive impact. There’s no doubt it was San Jose’s best game of the young season.
Three Studs
3. Jed Ortmeyer - Finding Ortmeyer on this list is like finding licorice in a Cobb salad, but he deserves it. In a little over 13 minutes of ice time, he led the team with five hits and scored a goal that would have held up as the game-winner if Nabokov wasn’t such a sieve. Ortmeyer was a constant thorn in the Rangers’ side, sticking it to his former club with a relentless forecheck and some gritty play in all three zones.
2. Patrick Marleau - Marleau put his speed on display, carving up Madison Square Garden with a dazzling display of hustle and creativity. His effort on Setoguchi’s first goal was impressive enough but he didn’t stop there, adding a goal and another assist. He’s been a one-man show on the second line since Joe Pavelski went down, but finally got some help the last couple games and could have a permanent linemate in Setoguchi.
1. Devin Setoguchi - He’s been overshadowed by Heatley this season, but Setoguchi has his own blistering shot and he doesn’t hesitate to use it. The third-year winger is surprisingly versatile, and he’s backchecking like he means it, which is a welcome sight no matter which line he’s skating on. With Michalek in Ottawa, Setoguchi is the new forgotten man in San Jose, but should be part of the Sharks’ three-man goal scoring race all season.
Three Duds
3. Rob Blake - Once again, Blake led the team in blocked shots and he’s right up there with the league leaders, which is remarkable. However, his accuracy is worse than Ehrhoff’s ever was. Blake missed the net on four of his five shot attempts, taking some of the sting out of the Sharks’ power play. He was also at fault on Michael Del Zotto’s goal, poking at a rebound rather than moving his feet to clear it out of the zone.
2. Joe Thornton - Thornton committed the worst turnover of the season Monday night, springing Sean Avery for a breakaway moments before Chris Drury opened the scoring. It was an inexcusable play, and the kind that makes lesser players healthy scratches. Overall, Thornton wasn’t much of a factor in San Jose’s win. He didn’t attempt a shot and failed to set up many quality scoring chances other than Avery’s.
1. Ryane Clowe - I know people are assuming Clowe’s game will come around, but it’s been nine games without any significant improvement. At what point does the coaching staff address the issue or work to correct it? Alexander Frolov (5 points in 8 games) has already been demoted to the third line in Los Angeles, and he was a healthy scratch against Dallas on Monday night. Clowe has been the worst player on the team this season, and hasn’t done anything to deserve either the benefit of the doubt or preferential treatment.
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