Quality Over Quantity Could Be Recipe For Sharks

Here we are again. The Sharks are a top seed in the NHL playoffs and the scores do not show that whatsoever. Every game in their Western Conference Quarterfinals against the young and enthusiastic Colorado Avalanche have all been decided by one goal. The last three games have went to overtime, resulting in two Sharks wins and one by the Avalanche. The series is now tied 2-2, with pivotal game 5 scheduled for tonight at 10:30 p.m. at H.P. Pavillion.

The Sharks outshot their opponent 51-17 in Game 3 and had 40 plus shots in Game 4. Not to take anything away from Colorado goaltender Craig Anderson, but there were few shots that were even difficult to stop by NHL standards. From what I've seen, I feel as though San Jose just races down the ice and fires on net, hoping for a lucky bounce and something to go their way. I haven't seen a lot of screening the goalie or setting up decent shots. Yes, the Sharks are by far more talented than the Avalanche, but pure talent does not always result in victories.
Has anyone been paying any attention to the Sharks during recent years? Playoff disappointment after playoff disappointment, resulting in early round exits. I would rather have the Sharks put up 20 quality shots than fire 50 shots that have a very slight chance of going in. As a fan of San Jose, it's getting tiresome watching Anderson make save after save. He is a professional goalie. He will stop easy shots.

The Shark Tank is one of the loudest arenas in hockey, and it should be rocking tonight. There is still a lot of pressure on the Sharks to come through and win this game and series. They have three olympic gold medalists on the front line and neither of them have netted a goal so far. That has to change and it would be nice to see it happen tonight. I know that Anderson can stop a large quantity of mediocre shots. Can he consistently save quality shots from some of the best players in the league? I would like to find out.

Shawn Marosek

SHARKS LOOK TO REBOUND AFTER PLAYOFF DISAPPOINTMENT

The San Jose Sharks had the best record in all of hockey last season, but that didn't mean much once the playoffs started. The President's Trophy winners were ousted in the first round by the eighth-seeded Anaheim Ducks four games to two. It was a bitter ending to what was a promising campaign for the Sharks, who compiled a record of 53-18-11 (117 points) and were the dominant team for much of the first half of the season.

San Jose certainly wasn't the best team in the second half of the season last year, but still managed to claim the top seed in the Western Conference. The organization hoped that the amount of talent they had would result in the franchise's first ever Stanley Cup. It was supposed to be their year. In the end, it ended in familiar fashion with an early exit from the playoffs.

Now the men in teal look to bounce back this season and make another run at a title. Their are some new faces and their were a few trades in the offseason that might have surprised some fans. Longtime Shark and fan favorite Jonathan Cheechoo and budding star Milan Michalek were traded to the Ottawa Senators. In return, San Jose received Dany Heatley, who is a great player but has had some trouble in the past. Heatley was involved in a car accident in 2003 that killed Atlanta Thrasher teammate Dan Snyder. Alcohol was involved but his blood-alcohol content was below the legal limit. He wanted to be traded from Ottawa and eventually got his wish.

The Sharks also traded Christian Ehroff to Vancouver. Erhoff had underachieved with San Jose, and the organization felt like it was time to move on. He is known for his lightning fast shot, but he was very inaccurate as a member of the Sharks.

Head coach Todd McLellan, who made his debut last season with San Jose, hopes that the players have learned from their postseason failures.

"We carry around the past with us. We as an organization know exactly what happened," said McLellan, who was an assistant coach with the Red Wings before coming to San Jose. "But if we're going to sit and keep our minds and hearts in that spot, we have no chance of going forward. We better carry that with us, but we better start looking ahead."

The Sharks return some familiar faces that need to get over that hump and at least advance far into the playoffs. Heatley will join Joe Thornton (25 g, 61 a, 86 pts) and veteran Patrick Marleau (38 g, 33 a, 71 pts) in what hopes to be a special year for San Jose. Goaltender Egveni Nabokov has been one of the best goalies in the league for several years, but McLellan admits that he will have to earn his starts this season. It's hard to believe that Nabokov wouldn't be the main man between the pipes and it would be a big surprise if that was the case. The organization also has a plethora of young talent and a lot of confidence that they will have a big impact.

The fans at the Shark Tank had plenty of reason to cheer last season, but they also have reason to be skeptical of this 2009-2010 squad. Anything short of a deep playoff run will be considered a failure, and rightfully so.

Shawn Marosek

NHL on Christmas Break; Sharks and Others Involved in Closely Contested Season

The NHL heads into Christmas break and the standings are very close in the Eastern and Western Conferences. The Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings lead their respective conferences by a decent margin, but the teams fighting for the playoffs aren't separated by much. In the West, the Stars are in secondplace with 46 points, while the 8th and final spot belongs to the Anaheim Ducks, who have 41 points. In the East, second and eighth place are only separated by 5 points. Many teams that are below the playoff line are not far behind, which makes for an exciting three months of NHL regular season hockey.

This is the first that I am actually into the NHL for real. A couple seasons ago, I got into the first seven games or so and then lost interest. This season, I started watching this month and for some reason, I'm totally into it. I'm a San Jose Sharks fan and hopefully they can get over their troubles at home (6-9-3), overtake the Stars in the division and get a decent playoff seed. They lost to the Detroit in the Western Conference Semi-Finals last season and the Red Wings look like they will be tough to handle again this season. Detroit is a storied franchise and it's not a suprise they are atop the Western Conference. The Sharks on the other hand, came into the league in 1991 and are looking to capture their 1st ever Stanley Cup. I think they can do it if they play up to their potential, but their offense sometimes looks obsolete, especially their pwer play.

This is how close it is in the NHL, especially in the West. Last week, the Sharks were second in the West, but after a shootout loss to Phoenix and getting blown out by the Stars, San Jose finds themselves in sixth place. Another loss would most likely have them on the outside looking in. Maybe in this case, it's a good thing that the NHL is a long season. The Sharks have time to move back up the standings and I am looking forward to seeing how it plays out. Once Christmas is over, it's back to the ice for these players and the quest for the Stanley Cup will resume.

Shawn Marosek

Shark Win, Coach's Job Not Completely Secured

The San Jose Sharks improved their record to 13-8 on the season with a 3-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche Monday night. With the win, the Sharks have moved into a multiple team tie for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. I know it's a little early to be talking about the NHL Playoffs, but if the Sharks fail to make the postseason, you might find a new coach in San Jose.

Many believe Ron Wilson is on the hot seat with the playoff disappointments in past seasons attached to his name, so ownership might want to move in a new direction. The Sharks have plenty of talent, including centers Joe Thornton, who they picked up in a trade last season, and newly acquired Jeremy Roenick. Yes, the team is in second place in the Pacific Division, but expectations are higher than the results so far. Wilson has held the Sharks coaching job since Jan. 4, 2002 and he has no intention of that changing. However, until the Sharks move up the standings and start showing people that they compete with the big boys like the Red Wings and Stars, there will continue to be a cloud over their head coach.

Shawn Marosek