@ 7:30 PST
32-27-14, 78 points		44-19-10, 98 points
10th in Western Conference		2nd in Western Conference

Between focusing on the Sharks play and forecasting potential playoff matchups, it’s easy to find yourself losing sight of what games like tonight are really about. It has nothing to do with April and little to do with litmus tests.

But it sure as hell has a lot to do with passion.

Dallas is one of those organizations that just brings out the worst in people. You’ll be headed down to the Brit before the game and see a grandmother smacking around some kid in a Modano jersey with her purse as ice cream dribbles down the star in the center of his chest. A mom and dad will be dropping off their kids at the police blockade in front of HP, and in between handing out twenties and blowing kisses, dad will lay on the horn and mom will scream a couple of obscenities while flipping off a group who flew in from Dallas to catch the game.

Morrow put a bullet in your chest two years ago. That’s enough to put a hop in your step if you’ve recovered by now. Throw in a handful of playoff losses, shit relocation decisions, Mike Ribiero’s basic existence, an 8-2 whooping last week, and you have a recipe for some serious bad blood.

You’re not an American if you don’t boo during the National Anthem twice tonight. Those are just facts.

Kari Lehtonen probably gets the start for Dallas tonight, Nabokov for San Jose. I’d like to see Greiss get some more time down the stretch but that’s a fruitless plea at this point. You have to figure we’ll see him sometime this weekend though, what with the Sharks playing a back to back. I had a debate earlier today with my buddy who said Nabby should suit up against Vancouver because they’re the better team, but I countered that is precisely the reason why I start Greiss in that situation. The Nucks basically have the three seed locked up and San Jose won’t see them in the first round, while Colorado is a potential early bird opponent. Makes more sense to me for Nabby to see some time there but what do I know.

Also, I think it’s probably safe to say the 1-4 seeded teams are locked into home-ice advantage at this point, with some shuffling between them obviously a possibility. Detroit is hotter than Hansel right now; therefore, my money says San Jose draws them in the first round wherever they end up on account of the universe being a cruel, cruel mistress. Mark it down.

It’s kind of depressing that The Tank won’t be able to give Turco a proper sendoff before he leaves for free agency this offseason. I feel like the city needs to boo him one last time before he heads on his way to split an apartment with Crazy Eddie. Maybe the media department has put together a highlight reel of all the goals he’s given up in San Jose over the years, and plan on playing it in between periods tonight. That should be standard practice from here on out really.

No word yet on whether Scott Nichol plays tonight, but I’m sure DP will have the logistics sometime in the afternoon. I liked how the lines shook up yesterday against Minnesota in the short-term, but long-term you have to play Thornton with Heatley. Give this another game or two to rally the troops and then get back to that duo with Gooch riding shotgun to goal scoring land. Establish some chemistry heading into April and sacrifice a goat or two while you’re at it.

PETA is going to be all over me, but I’m serious. Goat on the altar. We need to flip the mojo this year, and I think going back to our pagan roots might be what this team needs. It’s either that or some virgins, but I don’t think the writing staff at Defending Big D are all that big of Sharks fans.

Prediction: Sharks win 4-2. Goals by Boyle, Marleau, Setoguchi, and Blake. Marc Crawford gels up his hair to prepare for a big mixer at the Quinlan Center this weekend.

Go Sharks.