I thought we had defeated these demons at the end of last season (Boyle was part of the State of the Sharks, primarily because he was seen as one who DID try to consistently show up), but alas, such is not the case.

Just like last year, our boys need to remember that you don’t slack off training just before the marathon begins – or you’ll get passed by.

I’m hoping he just meant it varies who does and doesn’t show up each night. Not that there are some guys who just never show up. Hope, being the key word.

But the playoffs are a different beast…and I don’t think we’ll know how they will play during them until we get there.

Careful… many of us said the same thing last year as we slid and slipped our way into the post-season, reassuring ourselves that they’d get it together.

I think we all know how that turned out.

Call me Chicken Little if you must, but our current state is mirroring last season much more than I’d like, even if the sample size (last two games) is a bit small. I’m praying like you all are that the Sharks bust their humps in ironing out the creases – because Calgary, Detroit, and Nashville are our likely first round options, and none of them will go down easily.

Anyone else tired of being the laughingstock of the NHL? Hopefully our boys are.

Chicken Little, over and out.

There is more than enough blame to go around and cover everyone, just as there is enough credit for everyone.

We’re down on guys like Huskins, Blake and Staubitz, but they have contributed this season. We love Joe, Patty and Nabby, but they can always improve.

Doug Wilson has said, at times, he’s trying to change the culture of the locker room. He wants winners in there. He’s glad to see Boyle and Blake assert themselves in the room more. There’s a reason he traded early and gave up assets for Wallin. Heck, there’s even a reason he gave Huskins his contract.

McLellan is a winner too, and I don’t know if he’s been too hands off with the team, and maybe he doesn’t have the respect of Joe and Patty the way he should, but that’s pure speculation.

I know that even though the team has a good record, I’m displeased with the lack of consistency, and the inability of the team to do fundamental things like pass tape to tape, and the continued insistence on making soft plays at the blue line.

That, to me, is a big time coaching problem. A team that expects to contend simply CAN NOT do these things. We make the comparisons to Detroit all the time. We’re trying to be more like them. That team, or teams like them, DO NOT make those kinds of mistakes, or if they do, it’s rare, and it is addressed immediately.

I don’t know what it’s going to take, but those things have to be gone from our game. You give up a bad goal on a high turnover because of a bad play to a team and lose a game in a playoff series, and THEN have to play them again in 2 nights? Not a recipe for success.

yea thats no good

I admit prior delight (not knowing the extent of the injury), but now I feel sympathy… of a sort.

Maybe Ovechkin has prophet abilities, and foresaw the Hawks and Caps in the Finals – that’s gotta be why he took out Campbell, it’s just gotta be…. /sarcasm

I think it’s because Murray is healthy enough to play – could be wrong, though.

Yes on the target shots. It was killing me yesterday when they couldn’t get any away. A few times they did and Hiller made saves, but there was nobody in front of the net for the rebounds! How frustrating

they are often in front of the net, but often look more frightened of the shot than attempting to tip it. no legit threat ala ryan smith or tomas holmstrom. also, their is rarely if ever a hard drive right through the net, lots of shots and stopping short. the effect on the goalie and defense cant be understated of driving the net hard.

dont even get me started on the inability of 4-5 of the 6 sharks d-men to dictate play in the defensive end. boyle and huskins, sometimes blake seem to do a reasonable job, but otherwise the sharks have to hope for a lucky bounce for a turnover one the opposing team starts to cycle. zero anticipation and lack of moving their feet has been a consistent problem for this team all year long. and the forwards dont help, getting either trapped down low on a backcheck (allowing opposing trailers to take open shots)or not supporting the d man on the half boards to once again, dictate play. it has been said off and on all year that a team with a defense as bad as san joses can not win a cup. hard to argue with that. yet there is the staggering statistic of our top 3-4 in the league goals allowed #, so who knows?

the bottom word is the keystone for all the sharks woes.
1. they cannot win battles because guys fail to move their legs and force plays or support eachother and outman the other team.
2. because they are often flat footed, breakout attempts stall out or take too long to develop allowing the opposing team time to set up a trap or pour on a solid forecheck.
3. the inability to maintain puck control is a result of north south gliding rather than criss-crossing and creating confusion for other defenders.

not that they never do those things, but i can guarantee when they fail to do them a lack of skating and good positioning are a huge culprit.

Nice, you got a shoutout!

That McLellan and Boyle play good cop/bad cop with the team when it comes to critiquing the team’s performance.

And hell yeah to the shoutout.