Enough Yip-Yappin, Let's Play Some Hockey
Have you noticed that everything in the news about the San Jose Sharks or the Nashville Predators is focused on the rhetoric between the players and coaches? In fact, I have yet to come across an article, over the last two days, that just talks about hockey. I know that all of this nastiness makes for good headlines, but I personally want to get back to what matters most: the on-ice action.
With that said, let's take a look at what the Sharks need to do to win Game Three. Here are my keys to the game:
Nabokov Needs to Steal the Show
More specifically, Evgeni needs to steal the game. In Game Two, Nabby allowed four goals on 21 shots; that comes out to a .810 save percentage which is way below his season average of .914. To regain the momentum, Nabokov needs to come up with the big saves and keep the puck out of the net. Hopefully, a strong performance will frustrate the Preds and allow the Sharks to gamble a bit more in the offensive zone.
"Focused" Aggression
As Game One showed us, playing passively and protecting a lead is not the way to go. Instead, Team Teal needs to be aggressive and go to the body which will force turnovers. However, the aggression must be focused; I know that the Sharks are angry about the cheap shots and want to get revenge, but they can't lose focus if they want to win this series. Team Teal needs to keep their cool, use their size and skill, and put consistent pressure on the Nashville defense. If it doesn't result in more scoring chances during Game Three, it will definitely lead to a tired Nashville defense for the remaining games.
Add Power to the Power Play
In Game One, the Sharks were 1 - 7 on the power play; add the 0 - 5 effort in Game Two and that equals an 8.3 power play percentage. This efficiency is way below the 22.4 percent that San Jose posted during the regular season. Throughout the majority of the year, Team Teal held the NHL's best or second best power play, but it hasn't shown so far. Granted, it has only been two games, but from a fan's perspective, it's clear that the Sharks aren't clicking with the man advantage. If you need any evidence, just look at the missed opportunities during the five minute major against Alexander Radulov or the lack of shots on goal during the 5 on 3.
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