Sharks hungry to fix reputation
If the San Jose Sharks have ever had the potential to knock the playoff monkey off its back and take a legitimate shot at the Stanley Cup, Game 7 Thursday night is the time to do it.
With an impressive first-round series victory over the Los Angeles Kings, the Sharks seemed to have emerged as one of the best comeback clubs in the playoffs, but now that title could belong to the Detroit Red Wings.
We saw the Sharks do it in LA when they rallied back from a 4-0 deficit to win Game 3 6-5 in overtime, then, it continued with a 2-1 comeback over Detroit in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinal.
Since then though, Detroit has seemingly regrouped and proven that they too can play the catch-up game and what seemed to be San Jose’s series is now being controlled by Detroit.
Now, many people may be thinking that the Detroit comeback was deja vu for San Jose, foreshadowing another underachieving playoff performance. To those people, I say bollocks!
To win the Stanley Cup and be the best team in the NHL, you have to beat the best teams, face adversity and, perhaps most importantly, rally together.
And let’s face it, Detroit, who swept the Phoenix Coyotes in the first-round in the blink of an eye, is not a team known to roll over – instead they’re a perfect test.
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Still, folks refuse to give San Jose any credit.
In the upcoming do-or-die game, they have the chance to prove them wrong.
The fact they were able to come out with a 3-0 series lead is an achievement in itself and something not many pundits expected.
Although the Sharks have been atop the standings for the past few seasons and made it further than they ever have in the 2010 post-season, their roster has never been as deep or as tight knit as it is now.
Aside from Scott Nichol, a fourth-line energy center that is pivotal to the San Jose penalty kill and on the face-off dot, every Sharks regular has recorded at least a point in the 2011 playoffs.
In addition to the plethora of secondary contributions coming from the likes of Kyle Wellwood,Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture and call-up Ben Ferriero, San Jose captain Joe Thornton is performing exceptionally well through 12 games thus far. Not only has he produced on offense with two game-winning goals and 10 points, but his defensive zone coverage has immensely improved.
He matched up well with Pavel Datsyuk in the first three games, but the Russian wonder has taken over in the latter few. Datsyuk, along with Lidstrom, have proven to be instrumental in staging a ‘Wings comeback and the Sharks must find a way to shut the pair down like they did to begin the series.
Sharks’ assistant captain Ryane Clowe missed Game 6 and, according to Pierre LeBrun ofESPN, is still healing, making him a game-time decision for Thursday’s final tilt. The void left by the Newfoundlander’s absense in Game 6 was beyond noticeable, as Clowe, who is tied for third in the playoff points race with 13, has played a monumental role in the team’s success both on the score sheet and in the dressing room. He will surely be missed again should he not be deemed eligible to return.
Moreover, Patrick Marleau needs to contribute more and generally play with some oomph – especially if Clowe remains sidelined – in order to defeat the experienced Detroit squad and push further towards the prize.
With Dan Boyle pushing 35, both Thornton and Marleau aged 31 and Dany Heatley right behind at 30, this Game 7 is more than a must-win – it’s a can’t lose.
Whether you dislike the Sharks or buy into the choke artist stigma, you have to admit their effort against the experienced Detroit team has been commendable.
If they can turn it around in Game 7 and use home ice to their advantage, a seven-game series with Detroit could polish them into a team strong enough to compete with the Canucks for the Western Conference title and, without looking too far ahead, finally kick their unfortunate playoff reputation.
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