Detroit Makes Nabokov Look Like Swiss Cheese

Detroit Makes Nabokov Look Like Swiss Cheese

Well, I think it's safe to say that the Detroit Red Wings are still the team to beat in the NHL. Yes...the San Jose Sharks have more points. Yes...Team Teal beat them once this season. Yes...San Jose was playing its 3rd game in four nights. All these things are true, but it's tough to call ourselves the "best team in the NHL" after getting whipped by a score of 6 - 0. On a night when a single goal would have been sufficient, the Red Wings put up two field goals on only 28 shots. Brutal.

The game started out very well for the Sharks. Having put multiple shots on net, San Jose looked destined to score the first goal of the game. Unfortunately, Ty Conklin stood tall and kept the puck out of the net. Then, at 14:31, Johan Franzen put what looked like a very low percentage shot on net. However, the wrister beat Evgeni Nabokov gloveside and gave the Red Wings a lead. Roughly 90 seconds later, Pavel Datsyuk threw another relatively harmless looking shot on Number 20 and it also found its way back into the San Jose goal. In the first period alone, Detroit scored two goals on only seven shots.

From there on out, it was just worse. The Stanley Cup Champs put in another goal in the second period and three more in the third. Nabby simply couldn't stop the puck tonight. It wasn't as if he was the victim of multiple odd man rushes...Evgeni just wasn't able to keep the puck from going through him.

It was a pretty frustrating game to watch as San Jose was only able to launch 24 pucks on net. To be honest, Conklin didn't have to work too hard to pick up the shutout as the Sharks couldn't get much going...not even on the powerplay.

Part of me wants to make excuses because they are playing their 3rd game in four nights AND on the back-end of a back-to-back. However, as I said in my last post, that's no excuse. The Sharks are going to face even tougher situations in the playoffs and excuses don't change the win-loss record. Besides, both Jonathan Cheechoo and Joe Pavelski returned to action which should have offset the fatigue at least a little bit.

Well, time to head back home, get some rest, and regroup. That's two losses in a row...tying their season's worst losing streak. Hopefully, just like last time, the Sharks can rebound and get back on track. But it won't be an easy task this Saturday. The New York Rangers, currently the 2nd best team in the Eastern Conference, will be looking to sweep California after having beat both the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings on their current West Coast road trip.

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One loyal fan's blog about the San Jose Sharks' quest for the Stanley Cup

Detroit Makes Nabokov Look Like Swiss Cheese