To say that anyone expected the events of last night would be a lie, but for the most part they were pretty entertaining, unless you’re a Ducks fan.
This game featured two teams on opposite sides of the scale as of late. Anaheim had won seven straight while the Sharks had lost four in a row. Both teams hate each other and desperately wanted the win before the puck was dropped.
What transpired was a game that the Sharks absolutely needed. Possession-wise it was a fairly even game with the Sharks given a slight advantage throughout most of the game. The big story, though, wasn't the 4-1 victory by San Jose; it was the 165 minutes worth of penalties that were handed out. The tilt featured nine fighting majors, one game-misconduct and seven 10 minute misconducts.
I’m not going to run through the entire game, you’ve probably all seen the highlights if you didn't watch the game and no written text account can do it justice. I do, however, want to talk about John Scott’s antics and the Anaheim media.
Anaheim Media After the game the Anaheim media voted Tim Jackman as the second star of the game. It was a highly unprofessional move and is a clear attempt at making the three-star system an utter joke. Jackman had 21 penalty minutes and 6:51 of ice-time. To vote a player the second star of the game with the performance that Jackman had is sad. The Anaheim media members should be ashamed of themselves. They clearly handled the loss with as much class as members of the Ducks team did.
I don’t much care for the three star results as they have no impact on the game, but it is a reward for strong play over sixty minutes for players on both sides of the puck. To think that some of these people are potential NHL Awards voters is disgusting.
John Scott
It was only a matter of time before John Scott did something questionable and, truthfully, I’m surprised it has taken this long given the amount of time he’s played this year.
In the 3rd period Scott came off the bench, prior to any whistle, on a legal line change with the sole intent on going for round two with Tim Jackman. Scott had no desire to play hockey that shift as he went straight towards Jackman and dropped his gloves.
As TSN’s Bob McKenzie points out there is no automatic suspension but it is now in the hands of NHL Player Safety.
I get the rest of the rough stuff and I get the other fights. It’s a heated rivalry and it was a beat-down. I enjoy the intensity and fighting of a good match. What I don’t enjoy is the pure goonery of John Scott’s antics. It’s a waste of time and energy by everyone involved and it puts a black mark on an otherwise respectful San Jose organization.
The only positive thing that can come of this is that Todd McLellan won’t be able to insert John Scott into the lineup, no matter how much he’d like to, if the league decides that supplementary discipline is the correct path. I don’t see how the Sharks boxer on skates can get away without a suspension here.
David Clarkson got an automatic 10 games, as per the situation rules, for leaving the bench to come to the aid of a superstar player. I know the situation was different in the sense that the whistle was blown and Clarkson came on the ice to be an additional player involved in an altercation but the motives were similar: to start a fight with no desire to play any hockey.
John Scott provides no deterrent; he’s a fourth line player that plays 5-9 minutes a game. He’s not on the ice skating with Hertl or Couture, he’s skating with Burish and Desjardins. He wasn't around when Ryan Getzlaf was about to put a beating on Mirco Mueller before the referee’s jumped in (see today's Hotstove for my thoughts on that). There is no value to his presence.
Alas, it was a great win for the Sharks and just what they needed after losing four straight games. The intensity and emotions of the game are something positive the Sharks can carry with them as they continue with the season. Maybe they didn't need another trip to Tahoe after all.
Thanks for reading.