With the 2010 Vancouver Olympics only days away, I can't help but get a little excited, specially because this time around, the Olympics have been Sharkified. As dozens of the NHL's best players were selected to represent their countries, the Sharks received a special honor of having the most players chosen to play hockey at the international level - eight in total. Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Dany Heatley, and Dan Boyle for Team Canada, Joe Pavelski for Team U.S.A., Evgeni Nabokov for Team Russia, Douglas Murray for Team Sweden, and Thomas Greiss for Team Germany. It's odd for me to look through the rosters of all the countries playing and seeing everyday rivals turned into teammates and teammates turned into opponents. I'm not sure who I'm even rooting for, of course I'm all for Team U.S.A. but with having the majority of the Sharks on Team Canada, it's going to be hard to watch them play against each other when these two titans clash on Day 10.
As for who is going to walk away with the gold medal? My money is on Team Canada, they have a lot to prove this time around since they haven't gotten the gold since 2002. I truly believe this is Canada's gold medal to lose and I can't imagine what will happen if they do lose the gold on home ice . . . can't imagine. Dany Heatley is a bona fide villian in Canada because of the whole trade fiasco. He was seen as a traitor because not only did he ask to leave the Ottawa Senators, he refused to go to the Edmonton Oilers and instead moved down to sunny San Jose. While I and the rest of the Sharks fans appreciate his move, many Canadians could not understand why a Canadian player would choose to not play with a Canadian team. So if Canada loses the gold, there are going to be twenty-three players that are going to be black-listed.As for Team U.S.A., they are looking very promising this time around. With Ron Wilson (the Sharks old head coach) taking the reins, as well as a shift to younger players - Team U.S.A. could medal which they failed to do in Torino. I'm hopeful that they can make it to the medal round but realistically, they are going to have a hard time getting there. Their late match-up with Team Canada, could make things very interesting though.
As for the other teams that the Sharks are on, Team Sweden is the defending gold medalist so expect them to be in the hunt, Team Russia is always a powerhouse not to underestimate, and while Team Germany has never won a gold - look for them to put in a decent run at a medal chance.
I am seriously worried about the Sharks though. With the Olympic break, it's caused all the other games usually played during this time to be pushed ahead, causing a lot of back-to-back games later down the road - a time that every win is essential. Plus, teams with high number of Olympians tend to do poorly in the post-season because of injury and fatigue. Taking these stats with the fact that you have eight key players playing two weeks more of hockey - it has to make you wonder about the Sharks chances for post-season success. No doubt they will get into the Playoffs, but don't forget, there is no next year to win the Stanley Cup. Doug Wilson has already promised major changes if the Sharks don't go deep in the playoffs . . . he moved over a dozen Sharks players after last year's upset - I can't imagine what he will do this year if the Sharks fail. Plus, with major players like Patrick Marleau and Evgeni Nabokov up for free agency next season, the face of the entire franchise could be completely revamped.
So I'm definitely worried about the impact these Olympic games will have on the Sharks and their bid for the Stanley Cup. You have the number one scoring line (Marleau, Thornton, Heatley), the number one offensive defensemen (Boyle), the number one defensive defensemen (Murray), the number one goalie (Nabokov), the number one utility player (Pavelski), and the back-up goalie (Greiss) all playing two weeks more of intense hockey. My main concern is with Nabokov, he is known as a workhorse around the league for racking up a lot of games (he's already on a 70 game pace) but that hasn't always been a good thing. While in the regular season, Nabby is stellar but once the post-season hits, he seems to lose his edge. He is crucial for the Sharks to get out of this early exit habit and with him playing even more hockey, I don't know if he'll be able to hold it together for the Playoffs. In all honesty, international hockey is very . . . weak. Rules are different and while you get a lot of great games, it is nothing like the speed and physicality that you find in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I'm sure all of the Sharks players will do well in the Olympics, I just hope that they still leave some gas in the tank for playoff time. One player I do think will benefit from playing Olympic hockey is back-up netminder Thomas Greiss. With Nabby playing so much, Greiss hasn't seen much action, so to be able to consistently play will help improve his game. He's a good goaltender but I doubt his consistency and his ability to step up to the plate if something happens to Nabokov in the post-season. Even with all the worries I'm still excited about seeing so many Sharks representing their respective countries and can't wait to see the games get underway. Plus, I'll be able to enjoy two sports that I rarely get to see - curling and women's hockey. So get ready to enjoy some great international competition and maybe a few upsets as well.
