@ 4:00 PST
5-4-1, 11 points		4-2-1, 9 points
8th in Western Conference		7th in Eastern Conference

Oh how the Hockey Gods love to mock us so.

• I’m getting tired of reiterating the same point over and over and over again, but here’s the easiest key to the game you’ll ever have to come up with- in 85% (6/7) of road games the Sharks have gone to the box first. In 85% (6/7) of road games, the Sharks have given up the first goal. Correlation may not imply causation but that’s pretty damning.
• On a related note, here’s your fun fact of the day. The only game this season that San Jose has scored first was in Anaheim. Coincidentally, guess who was there? Ticket and travel donations can be sent to my home address. Save the Sharks, support your blogger.
• I thought the third line did a good job generating energy Thursday night, and it seems like they were the only ones generating consistent scoring chances. Big ups to Manny, Ferrari, and Jed Sanseyebrowsmeyer for coming out to play when the rest of the team couldn’t manage to do so. Although Malhotra hasn’t found the scoresheet yet you can tell he’s starting to grasp the system after a couple of rough outings to start the season. The game against the Islanders might be the one we look back on and say, “That’s where he got things going,” whatever that means.
• Can we please start Greiss tonight? I was miffed McLellan didn’t get him in against the Islanders, and that hasn’t changed in the slightest. My case has been laid out rather extensively for the last three months (summation can be found here) so I’m not going to even bother saying more than that.

Prediction: Sharks win 3-2. Goals by Heatley, Marleau, and Malhotra. Dave Valentine takes a train from Atlanta to Philadelphia after the game to see our boy Brian Boucher.

Go Sharks.