As the Bay Area and Northern California ignite with excitement at the San Francisco Giants 2-0 lead in the World Series, and Playoff fever sweeps San Jose as the Earthquakes enter the playoffs - I can't help but hum the song "Everyday I Love You Less and Less" by the Kaiser Chiefs when I think about the Sharks. You just have to look at some of the names in SJ and you realize how stellar a team the Sharks SHOULD be yet every year they seem to fall short of what is expected of them. This year is going to be different though, the team has gotten a taste of the Western Conference Finals and now knows what is truly needed to win the Stanley Cup. So as Sharks fans gathered in front of the HP Pavilion for the street party before the season opener, you could feel the buzz of excitement for the start of a brand new winning season.The crowd was loud in the Shark Tank, from cheers during the National Anthem to hoots and hollers as each member of the Sharks team was introduced, including a standing ovation and the loudest cheers for Captain Joe Thornton. The boos were just as loud as the Atlanta Thrashers took to the ice. With the referees in position and both teams ready, the puck was dropped and the first home game was underway.
The Sharks quickly pounced on the puck and generated offense with the newly configured lines. The game itself was a little uneven and the pace was back and forth. Both teams looked to be a bit tentative with fast offensive strikes and moments of conservative defensive play. The Thrashers were able to get some great chances as the Sharks defense acted as if it was the first game they have ever played in hockey. Every season there is usually one (or more) players I tend to pick on quite a bit. Ehrhoff (when he was with the Sharks), Vlasic, and now Wallin. With Wallin completely healthy, I was interested in seeing if he could step up his play and prove that he was worth his $750,000 raise. I have to give credit to Wallin, though he looked rusty (as many on both sides did) he played aggressively and consistently. Blocking shots, clearing the crease, standing up on his blue line, breaking up defensive zone passes, and even getting a shot off himself - he surprised me with his solid play and what was even more surprising was that he was not on the ice for any of the goals scored against the Sharks.As for who would strike first - on the Power Play that reunited the Big 3, Heatley (#15, pictured above) tipped in a shot from Patrick Marleau for his first goal of the season and his 300th career goal - go Heater! Jumbo was also in on the action as Joe Thornton (#19, pictured below) received an assist on Heater's goal, continuing his point streak from the Sweden trip. HP Pavilion was still on their feet cheering as Ryane Clowe and Torrey Mitchell combined for another goal just 21 seconds later. With a great shot by Mitchell, Clowe redirected the puck past Thrashers goalie Chris Mason to give the Sharks a 2-0 lead in the first period - the Tank was rockin'.
Contrary to what I stated in this game's preview, Antero Niittymaki did not make the start, instead Antti Niemi (#31, pictured at top and below) made his debut in San Jose. For the first period, Niemi played well but the start of the second period would change everything. During another SJ Power Play, Marleau mishandled the puck at the point and turned the puck over to Andrew Ladd (of Chicago fame) who scored a short-handed- goal. Niemi gave up another goal late in the second period, one that he should have had - game tied 2-2.Unfortunately, things didn't change in the third period as the Thrashers were able to score 2 more goals with the Sharks only able to hit the post. With the defense's less than desirable play and Niemi looking very shaky at times, the Sharks weren't able to bounce back and fell 4-2 to the Atlanta Thrashers. With the poor play of the Stanley Cup winning goalie and the lack of offensive might generated by the new lines (Clowe-Pavelski-Mitchell line was the only one that seemed to generate a lot of offensive zone time) had many fans questioning the new look of this San Jose team. Unfortunately, the next game against Carolina didn't help as the Sharks were routed 5-2. They went on to beat Colorado 4-2, Edmonton 6-1, but stumbled against Calgary with a 4-0 loss. An interesting note, Nitty played in the games against Colorado and Edmonton (the games the Sharks won) and Niemi played in the games against Carolina and Calgary (the games the Sharks lost).
While the Sharks seemed to have stumbled out of the gate, there are some good things to take from the first five games of the season. First off is making Jumbo captain was the right move. He has not only lead the team on and off the ice but he also leads the team in scoring. After his late season injury, Dany Heatley is back in fine form and his presence on the ice is always felt when he plays. Clowe has also been impressive, always working hard with and without the puck. Crankshaft Douglas Murray is as big and powerful as ever and the addition of gritty Jamal Mayers has added even more bite to the Sharks. The Big 3 were also united during the Sharks game against New Jersey where they combined to score all 5 goals including Jumbo's impressive 3 goal night, netting himself a hat trick. Even with the Sharks shaky start, I think they will be able to iron out all of their problems fairly quickly. I still have concerns about the reliability of the defense and the fact that Niemi has yet to win since his first win in Sweden has me questioning whether he is ready to help take the Sharks to the next level. Luckily, Nitty seems well prepared to take his place and here's hoping that it's just adjustment problems for Niemi.
