First I should apologize in advance for any spelling, grammar or general mistakes over the next few hundred words. Thanks to Scott Hannan and John Scott scoring in the same game my head exploded and I’m still trying to put it all back together.
Let's look at the fierce backhander from Scott before we begin. Notice how amusing the entire San Jose Sharks team finds it that he scored another goal.
San Jose dominated the game from the start of the second period on. The power play goal Duchene scored should have been saved. Stalock was slow getting across and was then dealt a bad bounce from his glove to his shoulder to the twine. Overall it was another solid game for Stalock.
Taylor Fedun had another solid game. I really wish we had seen him before now. He brings that secondary puck movement from the backend.
Joe Thornton’s 5v5 shot attempt differential was +15. Lol. Even John Scott – with a 0% offensive zone start percentage – had a +3 differential. That’s how silly this game was.
The Sharks should be given credit for not rolling over and dying during the last week+. If they had, who could really blame them? It’s been a long season filled with self-created drama and sideshows. Instead, they’ve opted to compete to the end of the season. The result is they still have a slim playoff hope. A lot has to go right, but they’re one of six teams that haven’t been statistically eliminated from a playoff position.
Alex Stalock has – over his last five appearances (Mar 1 – Last Night) – a 5v5 save percentage of 95.65% and a 3-0-1 record during that time. He’s been playing great and giving the team a chance to win. You might even say he looks like he did last season. Was he playing great earlier in the season? Absolutely not. Was he given a chance to succeed. No, he wasn’t. He’s now with three starts in a row and the Sharks should ride him until the season is over. They need to gauge where he’s at to get a better idea of what they can get out of him next year because, unless they trade for a goalie, they aren’t going to be getting a gem in free agency.
Brent Burns – over the same Mar 1 – present timeline only with 14 games – has an even strength goal differential of +1, the same as Dillon and Vlasic, behind only Braun and Irwin. His SA60 is less than Braun and Vlasic and he’s given the puck away less than Mueller, Vlasic, Braun and is tied with Dillon for giveaways. What’s my point? Progress. People want to default to blaming Brent Burns for this and for that and it’s nonsense. His play has been getting better and he’s no longer leading all the categories for all the wrong reasons – yet I’m still forced to read the foolish cries for his return to forward around the internet.
Get over it. He can make 10 nice plays without credit and as soon as he makes a bad play that Braun or Vlasic has already made he’s a villain. Stop living in the past. It’s not October. Don’t be like Sidney Crosby haters who still hold on to his rookie season complaint level like it still exists today. He doesn’t complain more than any other player in the league just as Burns doesn’t make any more mistakes than other Sharks defenders right now.
What’s Left:
Arizona @ Arizona Dallas @ Edmonton @ LA
If the Jets lose three of their last five games and the Kings lost two of their next five that means the season finale against the Kings will be for the last wild card spot if all of that happens in regulation and the Sharks win their next four. Easy, right? Maybe not, but doable? Surprisingly, yes.
The Kings play the Canucks and Flames – two teams who might want to beat the Kings – and the Jets have the Canucks, Wild, Blues, Flames and Avalanche left to find three losses.
Keep the dream alive, Sharks fans. Or, if you don’t want to, Worcester is still holding on to a playoff spot in the American Hockey League.
Thanks for reading.
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