[Open Thread] Game Seventy-Eight: San Jose Sharks at Anaheim Ducks
You might want to send the kids out of the room for this one.
Pretty much every element you'd want in a pre-game scenario indicating things could get a little (ahem) excitable are present. Los Tiburones can wrap up the division title with a win tonight, and what better place than at the home of their arch-rival. Anaheim comes in with a chip on their wing, smarting from the embarrassment of not only losing their most recent game with San Jose but being totally dominated. Were it not for backup goalie Jonas Hiller being on top of things it would have been an absolute blowout (and let's not forget how the Sharks held the Ducks to zero -- zero -- shots on goal in the third period). Let's see, anything else adding fuel to the fire... no, don't say anything, it's coming to me... oh wait that's right...
Chris Kunitz.
Jonathan Cheechoo.
Cheap shot.
No need to look for the instructions as far as how this has been assembled. Jody Shelley has made it quite clear how since the NHL couldn't be bothered to look into the matter, it was up to San Jose in the metering out an appropriate response department. Although in the radio pre-game show the other night Jamie Baker made a strong case to go after someone more integral to Anaheim's lineup than Kunitz (the name Francois Beauchemin was offered), somehow the suspicion is it will be Kunitz facing a fair amount of wrath. Which means George Parros will be on patrol for the Ducks. Which means... refer to the aforementioned excitability factor.
Okay, let's drop the puck.
Pretty much every element you'd want in a pre-game scenario indicating things could get a little (ahem) excitable are present. Los Tiburones can wrap up the division title with a win tonight, and what better place than at the home of their arch-rival. Anaheim comes in with a chip on their wing, smarting from the embarrassment of not only losing their most recent game with San Jose but being totally dominated. Were it not for backup goalie Jonas Hiller being on top of things it would have been an absolute blowout (and let's not forget how the Sharks held the Ducks to zero -- zero -- shots on goal in the third period). Let's see, anything else adding fuel to the fire... no, don't say anything, it's coming to me... oh wait that's right...
Chris Kunitz.
Jonathan Cheechoo.
Cheap shot.
No need to look for the instructions as far as how this has been assembled. Jody Shelley has made it quite clear how since the NHL couldn't be bothered to look into the matter, it was up to San Jose in the metering out an appropriate response department. Although in the radio pre-game show the other night Jamie Baker made a strong case to go after someone more integral to Anaheim's lineup than Kunitz (the name Francois Beauchemin was offered), somehow the suspicion is it will be Kunitz facing a fair amount of wrath. Which means George Parros will be on patrol for the Ducks. Which means... refer to the aforementioned excitability factor.
Okay, let's drop the puck.