Turkey Day Roundup
After a loss like Wednesday’s to Chicago, it can be hard to be optimistic about your team. You can forget about your successes thus far and focus on the negative. So it is with great pleasure that I explore some of the things to be thankful for as a Sharks fan.
THE FIRST THING that comes to mind is Torrey Mitchell returning to the ice. After a long battle with tendonitis, he took up a five game assignment in Worcester (as he did last year) and picked up three points. The tone of this, however, is far happier than in the year past, as Mitchell’s stint did not cause a relapse. He has since been called back to SJ and skated between McLaren and Shelley at the last practice. He remains on the IR, but things are looking good. Mitchell has stated “I feel like I’m ready to play. I don’t know (the plan), but I feel like I’m ready for the call.” However, McLellan is adamant that he needs to know Mitchell is 100% before putting him on the bench.
ON A SIMILAR NOTE, Setoguchi has been skating at recent practices after missing the last two games. Boyle is also skating at full force after a ‘maintenance day’ resulting from a blocked shot against Anaheim. Others returning to the ice with injuries include Blake, Staubitz, and Shelley.
THE CHICAGO LOSS was one of the best things that could have happened to the Sharks. I attended the game in Saint Louis against the Blues, and have watched every one since. My overwhelming concern in each game was that the Sharks didn’t look as if they were winning any of the games. They were consistently out preformed, and got by because they capitalized on their opportunities. This needed to happen, and I hope it happens again in a few months. A flame has been lit under this team, and you will see them coming out strong against Edmonton (especially after their accountability session this morning). This team is at its best when shocked back into reality; when they abandon their complacent nature, they are as close to unbeatable as a hockey club can be (at least in the regular season).
THE SHARK TANK is amazing. The Scottrade center really does not compare (and I don’t just mean the repeated boos generated from my walking around in my jersey). The food, the great seats, the attitudes of the fans, and the love for the game of hockey that we are spoiled with in San Jose is missing from a lot of the clubs out there, and the Blues are one of them.
THE PROSPECTS aren’t prospects. In fact, they have produced better than some of the regulars on the club. Look to guys like Demers, who have racked up twelve assists and a plus three rating despite being fresh out of the AHL and reassigned repeatedly for hope about the future of our less-than-stellar prospect pool. Others have also been consistent in production, as McLaren, Ferriero, Vesce, and the like have all continued to impress the coaching staff.
HEATLEY, JT AND MARLEAU could not look better on a line together. And I think this is the most important of all. The Sharks have a first line that could very likely skate together in the Olympics they are that good. Heatley and JT are in sync and producing as well as, if not better than any duo in recent memory. And Marleau has only made their job easier, reclaiming his role as a dominant playmaker; it seems he picks up multiple breakaway opportunities a period, much less a game. And his 15 goals and thirteen assists attest to that. Together this top line has put together eighty-nine points—no small feat this early in the season.
AND FINALLY, to be writing again. This is only my third or fourth blog of the last two months as a result of insane amounts of work, travel, family, drama, and the like. It’s as if I haven’t stopped moving in months. It feels great to be back here writing about the team I love. So what I am thankful for is that I still get emails about the team, that my posting job at CTC has not been terminated, and that this website has flourished so dramatically in the last few months. Have a great Turkey Day everyone.
