Sharks vs. Ducks, Round 3

Ok California fans, tonight is round 3 of the Sharks, Ducks outings. It will be interesting to see which game the Sharks bring to the rink tonight after the Christmas holiday. Will they be the team that showed up for the games against the Ducks (in SJ, not Anaheim) and the Flames, or the one that showed up for the Ducks (in Anaheim, not SJ) and Dallas? I would like to see a good hard-fought game that, (of course) results in a SJ win. I do not want to see a game where the teams "don't show." That would cheat us all out of what should be a great game.

Sharks show effort in win

The game against Calgary was a complete 180 from the Dallas game as the Sharks outworked their opponent, winning the face-offs and throwing the hits around. It was good to see Goc and Hannan score too. The defense played well and for all the Gorges naysayers out there, I thought he played a good game. Yes he's small and tends to get knocked around, but he played pretty smart hockey and some good D against the flames. I would like to know what got Cheechoo back into Wilson's doghouse as it appeared to me that he was working pretty hard.

Dallas blanks Sharks

So, what does a long layoff after a very intense game (Sharks) + a team who had three separate "team-only" meetings after a lackluster loss (Stars) = ??? A loss for the Sharks who never really got it together and a win for a much more inspired Dallas Stars team who were seeking redemption for their less-than-inspired play the night before. It was a painful game to watch for Sharks fans, though I saw a few glimpses of hope in the third. While the Sharks were obviously rested, I didn't see them taking advantage of that fact. Dallas outskated them to get their goals. And I sure didn't see many Sharks laying the hits down on the Stars except for McLaren and a very nice one by Marleau. The intensity just wasn't there and Dallas deserved that win.

General Musings

So, it's been a while. A lot has happened since my last post, but due to non-hockey related duties, I haven't had time to post. Or rather, been to tired at the end of the day to type stuff up. Since then, I've missed a few games thanks to my work schedule and attended a few. My last game was the exciting to watch Sharks vs. Ducks in San Jose. Other than the slightly inebriated fan sitting two seats down, I had a great time, sitting almost center rink in those expensive seats that I usually look down upon. The crowd emotion was neat and while not quite playoff-intense, was enough to elevate the game above the usual intensity. Of course the fact the Sharks were playing the Ducks who had last slapped them down 5-0, I'm sure had something to do with the atmosphere too. Finally, the Ducks lost in regulation again. Oh well, two down, six to go, followed by (hopefully) a meeting or 7 in the playoffs. But first, we have to finish out this half of the season followed by the next. Let's see what happens. (Good hockey I hope).