They say you cannot win a game in the first few minutes, but you can lose one. This never made sense to me in a one-on-one competition--if one team can lose it, ergo the other must be able to win it.
Now I understand the phrase and they are correct: they were talking about the San Jose Sharks.
In game one, the Sharks came out flat and were down 2-0 before the six minute mark. It was a hole they could not dig themselves out of.
In game three, they jumped all over the Flames and the goalie who had been frustrating them, running him out of the game in less than four minutes with a 3-0 lead. But they were unable to close the deal and the Flames came back to win, 4-3.
They managed to lose game one in the opening minutes, but could not win game three in the same fashion.
It all started with two hits. First, Dion Phaneuf let Patrick Marleau go by him on a touch-up so he could splat him to the boards. This was a cheap ploy and cheap shot, but there is no way it was a penalty. You have to expect this, and Marleau got to the bench, got a butterfly bandage beneath his eye, and got back into the game.
I felt that was a victory for the Sharks' toughness, and perhaps so did Keenan's squad of thugs. So they dialed it up a notch.
Just a couple shifts later, Marleau was coming up the boards and Cory Sarich absolutely blew him up with an elbow to the face. It could have been elbowing, roughing, or charging (the overhead camera clearly showed he left his feet), but nothing was called.
Score one point for Mike Keenan's whining over what was actually taking place on the ice (see Saturday's article). Score another one when the Sharks' response actually resulted in a Calgary power play.
Calgary's power play came into the playoffs ranked in the bottom half of the league, and San Jose's penalty kill finished as the league's best. But Calgary has three power play goals to San Jose's two with half the chances.
Let me say, however, that unlike Keenan I am not whining. For one thing, the Sharks response did dictate a penalty be called on them. And while if only one of the two penalties was going to get called it should have been Sarich's, that was the only truly bad call of the game.
The bottom line is the Sharks have had their fortitude questioned before, and their lack of response on the ice last night proved they still should be. It is not whether you have a tough guy in the playoffs, it's whether you respond by playing tough.
The Flames tried this against Detroit last year, a team that lacked tough guys. It failed, because the Red Wings kept playing their game and they were just better than Calgary.
So are the Sharks, but they fold up the tent when something goes wrong, and the Flames know them well enough to take advantage of this. It is a simple game plan: if you can't beat 'em, beat 'em up. They will stop playing like they did last night in allowing four unanswered goals.
This team is too talented to be out in the first round. If they lose this series, Ron Wilson is to blame for his team quitting.
Bob Hartley has won two Cups and is available.
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3 months ago
There is no way the Sarich hit was a charge. He was on his feet until after he hit Marleau. This was an absolute bone crushing hit and a clean hit. As for Keenan's band of thugs, Phaneuf crosses the line once in a while but overall Calgary is a gritty team that must play physical to win. They don't have the talent but they have players that show up in the playoffs and play tough, unlike perennial choke artist Joe Thornton. Sarich won the game for Calgary with that clean hit laying out Marleau.
from 3 months ago
You obviously did not look objectively at the replay from above--he left his feet before contact, clearly.
I called them all a band of thugs because they are: most of the team engaged in this last year against the Wings, including McLennan and Iginla spearing players! However, I did recognize their superior mettle, but your response suggests you did not see the whole article but could not get over the portion you disagreed with. That is a shame.
And calling Thornton a perennial choker shows you listen to the knock on a player without examining the factors at play: he had 22 points in 22 games with us the last two years. He played one of those series with torn cartilage in his ribs--most people can't handle the pain when they breathe with that problem much less deliver the puck on target. In another one he was still a teen. Read Bryan Thiel's article about debunking NHL playoff myths.
from 3 months ago
Also you did not address the other ways a penalty should have been called--an elbow to the head (and Marleau did not duck) is roughing, and when it's extended it's also elbowing. I just wanted one of the three called.
But sincerely, thanks for responding. You don't have to agree with me, and I realize my first comment may have conveyed the opposite message.
3 months ago
Calgary has been hitting the Sharks hard, because we haven't been making them pay the price! In Game 2, we couldn't score a single goal with 3:30 of 5-on-3 play... I mean, of course they're gonna hit us hard if we don't make them avoid penalty time!
This series is a complete unmitigated disaster so far. Disaster. Still, I think that they can easily win 3 in a row... so lets see it happen.
from 3 months ago
No doubt. There are two ways you can combat dirty play: reciprocate or score. I prefer the latter (just like Detroit), but if you can't do that, do the other at least! That's why I chose the title I did.
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