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Sharks take one on the chin
By Jeremy Harness January 9, 2010 |
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SAN JOSE - Right now, the Detroit Red Wings are in an unfamiliar place, one that is not alongside the elite teams in hockey. But don’t tell that to the Sharks, especially after Saturday night’s game. After a solid first period during which the Sharks controlled most of the action, they got their heads handed to them in a huge way by the resurgent Red Wings, 4-1, at a boisterous HP Pavilion, an arena that was noticeably more quiet as the game drew to a close. In the final three periods, while Detroit kept sharp, the Sharks became sloppy and were sitting ducks for the Red Wings to take advantage despite taking fewer shots on goal. “They didn’t need any risk in their game to score four goals against us,” Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. “On the other hand, for some unknown reason, we thought we need a bunch of risk, and (that) we needed to be a fancy team to beat them. “It’s not happening that way,” he continued. “I don’t know how many times we need to play against teams like that to realize it, but we still haven’t learned the lesson.” In the first period, the Sharks looked like that championship-caliber team that fans here have been accustomed to seeing. They broke the ice at the 11:02 mark of the opening period, when Patrick Marleau scooped up a rebound and fired into an open net for his 29th goal of the season. Goalie Evgeni Nabokov was on top of his game early, stopping a handful of close-range Red Wings shots, including a breakaway with about a minute left in the period by Drew Miller, who tried to fake to his right but to no avail. It all went downhill from there, as the Red Wings, who currently hold the ninth spot in the Western Conference, hit their stride with full force and thumped the Sharks with it for the rest of the night. While San Jose still got plenty of shots on goal but drew blanks, Detroit converted on their chances, scoring three goals in the second period alone. “When we did have possession, we made a few mistakes, and that caused odd-man rushes and breakaways,” Marleau said. “They skated well and fed off our turnovers.” It didn’t get any better in the third, either. The Red Wings piled on another goal early in the period, when Darren Helm rammed one in from point-blank range and stretched their lead to 4-1, sending a good portion of the sellout crowd at HP Pavilion straight to the exits. “They still have a top team with top players,” Marleau said. “It’s always a tough game against them.” |
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