The San Jose Sharks had a chance to return to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2011 and they teased us. They really had us going.
They made game 6 look like it was going to be a laugher.
They made the game look too easy.
But as we all must know by now....nothing comes easy in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and nothing and I mean nothing comes easy against the Nashville Predators.
Ask the Anaheim Ducks. They were in the same position. Up 3-2 with game 6 on the road. You see where I'm heading.
In a series that has seen more momentum shifts than a pendulum at full tilt, why not play 7? It must be fate or karma or just bad luck.
Chris Tierney scored twice in the first period to put the Sharks up and in control. It should have been an insurmountable lead for the Preds, given San Jose's prowess on the road and the way they thoroughly dominated game 5. It should have been check and mate.
It was a 2-0 lead in a game that could have eliminated their opponent and they blew it. I've almost convinced myself the Preds did it on purpose just to mess with our heads.
Like a freight train that's lost its brakes, the Predators came storming back full force. Nashville's comeback (twice) was fueled by a raucous home crowd and the uncanny ability to flip the switch to elevate their level of play far beyond what the Sharks had to offer.
Just when the Sharks took the lead back at 3-2 on Logan Couture's third period goal, the Preds flipped that switch again to pull even at 3. It was Colin Wilson again too. Wilson has like 100 goals in this series...give or take.
And while the Sharks were still licking their wounds....Viktor Arvidsson (who has been all over the ice in this series) scored the first Stanley Cup Playoff goal of his career only minutes into overtime, giving the Predators a 4-3 victory and forcing a decisive game 7 in California on Thursday.
Now, for the first time this spring, the Sharks face the possibility of being eliminated from the playoffs and I don't like their prospects. These Preds are good and the way the find ways to comeback...it's almost super natural. Like it must be fate...
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Forget about the 2-0 and 3-2 leads, this was by far the worst game San Jose has played in these playoffs. For a team that looked unbeatable in game 5, they sure picked a bad time to bust out their best beer league impersonations.
The Sharks had a grand total of nine shots on goal in the second and third periods and were outshot 29-16 at 5-on-5.
From Martin Jones whiffing on the Ryan Johansen game-tying goal,
The lazy defense from everyone in white...
To the standing around while Nashville skated unabated toward the net...
...game 6 was a flop in every sense of the word.
I felt good, no great, about the Sharks following game 5 and I feel none of that now. I saw first-hand what this Nashville team did to the Ducks. I don't expect anything less than Nashville's best in game 7. I'm not sure I can say the same for the Sharks.
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By the numbers...
- The Sharks were out shot 32-18 for the game. FWIW, San Jose is averaging 28.2 shots per game in the playoffs. I can't remember the last time the Sharks has less than 20 shots in goal in a game.
- San Jose scored on their only power play. The Sharks are now 11 of 39 with the man-advantage in the playoffs.
- Nashville had allowed 10 PPG's in 13 games during the playoffs. That's the worst in the league.
- Nashville and San Jose are they only playoff teams left standing without at least one shutout from their goalies.
- San Jose and Dallas are they only playoff teams that haven't been shutout yet.
- San Jose is 5-4 all-time in game 7's and 2-1 at home.
- Nashville is 1-0 all-time in game 7's and 1-0 on the road. See Anaheim Ducks
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Game 7....Can your heart take it?
thanks for reading, Steve Follow me on Twitter: @Faultlinehockey