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While losing to a division opponent, especially your arch-rival, is always a bitter pill to swallow there is reason for satisfaction in last night's game.  Namely, the Sharks showed up.  For all three periods.  For once.

Joe Thornton was leaving his comfort zone and working it from behind the Anaheim net.  Mike Grier was drawing penalties and creating havoc.  Jeremy Roenick was like those old Timex commercials: he'd take a licking and keep on ticking.  Even the power play was snapping rather than lollipoping the puck around.  Well, once anyway.

That all said, the game also highlighted some weaknesses, such as why Alexi Semenov is a career journeyman defenseman as he was lost on Anaheim's game-tying goal in the third.  And the moment it went to a shootout, game over.  For San Jose.  Again.

Fortunately, the team has very little time to brood about it, as they're back hme tonight to face a surprisingly good bunch of Coyotes.