More About the Ottawa Game...

Despite their recent struggles and turmoil (head coach John Paddock was fired at the end of February) the Ottawa Senators are still a very dangerous hockey team. The Sharks got them last night in a fairly vulnerable state, however...the Sens were a long way from home, coming off a 3-1 defeat against the punishing Anaheim Ducks, and without goal-machine Daniel Alfredsson. So I was disappointed that the Sharks did not come out of the gate looking for blood last night. Most of the first period was played in their zone, the Senators were winning all of the battles for loose pucks, and overall San Jose was lucky to get out of the first period scoreless. The lack of energy was particularly apparent on the heels of the electrifying win against Montreal on Monday. The Sharks did not really start to look dangerous last night until late in the second period, by which time the Senators had finally taken a deserved 1-0 lead.

I give the Sharks credit for storming back to win...I'm certainly delighted to see Marleau net a couple of goals, and Cheechoo continues to be on a tear, which is fantastic. Brian Campbell played well again last night--San Jose has yet to lose a game with him in the lineup. But they were playing against a tired, slightly struggling team with some drama going on off the ice. Against an energetic, confident, distraction-free opponent, the lack of intensity the Sharks exhibited for the first half-plus of the hockey game last night could have sunk them into too deep a hole, beyond the reach of any late-game heroics.


Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!

The Sharks will face such an opponent tomorrow night when they travel to Chicago. I watched the Hawks gleefully stomp a more talented Vancouver Canucks team on Sunday, and since then they have chalked up wins at Minnesota and against Anaheim--those are two very tough teams. The Blackhawks are making a virtue of their youth and inexperience...the former they tap for energy and enthusiasm, and the latter is almost certainly a factor in their failure to be awed by the red-hot defending champions, whom they shut out last night 3-0.

If the Sharks come onto the ice tomorrow night as flat as they did against Ottawa, they will trail after the first period, probably by multiple goals. Hopefully San Jose will come out flying, and this assertion will go untested.