A San Jose Sharks Blog

Early in the game, the Sharks were flying...putting pressure on Calgary and getting a lot of shots on net. You could feel the energy in the crowd, and more importantly, you could see the the Sharks' energy on the ice. Thanks to the powerplay, San Jose got the early lead with a goal from Jumbo Joe Thornton. Off of a sweet pass from Cheechoo, Number 19 had the entire right side of the net to put the puck away...which he did.

However, the Flames got back into the game thanks to a powerplay goal of their own. With Milan Michalek in the box, Calgary put one by Nabokov and tied the game. This goal seemed to switch the momentum...on the ice and amongst the crowd. Hell, even I was getting ready to pick Number 9 as my goat if San Jose were to go on and lose (if you've been reading my blog recently, you know how I feel about Milan's performance thus far).

Things got even worse early in the second period when the Flames took the lead. Somehow, the Sharks defense broke down and allowed Owen Nolan to skate in all alone on Nabokov. It appeared that Nabby made the initial save, but the crafty Nolan was able to get the puck into the net. It was pretty clear to me that he "guided" it in, but I guess that's not the same as a "distinct kicking motion"...so the goal counted.  I could tell the Sharks were working hard, but it wasn't translating into goals...pretty frustrating.

Then it happened...Jeremy Roenick, the oldest player (38) on the Sharks, put the rest of the team on his back and stole the momentum back from Calgary.

With a strong forecheck, San Jose forced the Flames defense to turnover the puck. On the near boards, JR picked up the biscuit and fired it towards Kiprusoff. With Seto screening in front, the puck found its way through Miikka's pads and tied the game at two goals apiece. But the Sharks didn't stop there...

Three minutes later, JR struck again, but this time on the powerplay. After shaking a Flames defender at the blueline, Roenick threw the puck towards the scrum in front. The shot rebounded back to JR who then put the Sharks up by two with a quick wristshot into a partially open net. Then, less than five minutes after that, Joe Pavelski scored his third goal of the playoffs. After a Mike Grier shot, Little Joe picked up the rebound and roofed it over Kipper's stacked pads. The goal chased Kiprusoff from the net and Calgary brought in Curtis Joseph to try and stop the bleeding...and why not, he was able to do so in Game 3 when the Sharks were up by three goals early.

Fortunately, this time around, San Jose got to CuJo. With Setoguchi buzzing around the net, JR found the rookie winger in the high slot. Without delay, Seto sent the puck to the back of the net, beating the Flames goaltender on the short side.

In the third, San Jose shut things down, but continued to push the puck up ice when the opportunity presented itself...an excellent strategy that I think most Sharks fans can stand by. Even with San Jose's "defense-first mentality" in play, Calgary was able to get a third goal, but it wasn't enough in the end.

Now it's on to the second round where the Sharks will face the Dallas Stars, a division foe. I expect to see another tough series, but after this one against Calgary, San Jose will be ready. Besides, as I mentioned after Game 1, the Sharks just need to go out there and play their game...either it will be good enough or it won't.

Fortunately, in the first round of this year's playoffs, the Sharks' game was good enough.

Notes:

• Even though they tried, the refs weren't successful in letting Calgary get back into the game. I understand that the Sharks had a big lead, but some of the penalties that went uncalled were so ridiculously obvious.
• Joe Pavelski had another great game...Number 8 always seems to find a way to help the team win...it's almost as if he's our secret weapon. Let's hope that Number 8 continues to fly under the Dallas defense's radar.
• With three minutes left in the game, Calgary pulled CuJo to gain the man-advantage. Down by two, a single empty-netter would have iced the game. However, the Sharks weren't able to put the nail in the coffin even though numerous players tried.
• Owen Nolan, the Sharks' former captain and still my #1 All-time Greatest Shark, had an amazing series. Buster was physical and put up some critical points in the Flames' victories...he looked like the Nolan I remember. Fortunately for San Jose, he couldn't win it by himself, although he definitely tried.