There, there, Brian Campbell. I know you don't understand what's going on. And frankly, when it comes to your play as of late, neither do I.
Did anyone ever see that episode of Seinfeld where George couldn't have sex for six weeks and becomes SUPER smart, giving Derek Jeter batting advice and agreeing to do a presentation for Jerry, but then meets a Portuguese waitress, does the deed and becomes a MORON?!?
Can anyone confirm (or deny) that something similar to this has happened to Sharks' usually rock-solid defenseman Campbell? Because, seriously, there HAS to be some sort of explanation as to why he has recently forgotten how to play the game of hockey. It's like he's never seen a puck before. The mistakes he's made in the series against Calgary thus far have really hurt the Sharks and more often than not, they've lead to scoring chances and goals for the Flames.
Since the Sharks acquired him at the trade deadline, Campbell could do no wrong. Sharks fans everywhere rejoiced and sang his praises from mountain tops all over the Bay Area. But now, every time he touches the puck, all kinds of wrong takes place. What happened to the spin-o-rama goal scoring heroics?! It's truly puzzling.
Is there an injury that the Sharks are trying to keep quiet? This explanation makes the most sense, as the PR folk are very tight-lipped when it comes to injured guys during the playoffs. And if that's the case, Christian Ehrhoff is back and looking decent. Why not swap Campbell out for a game? He's obviously not 100% in some regard. I'd even take Sandis Ozolinsh over Campbell's amateur play right now (I can't believe I just typed that).
Now, if Campbell IS 100% physically and he's still playing like a pee-wee defenseman, then there's a problem.
Keep in mind that as I write this, its only the middle of the second period of Game 4. There's plenty of time for Campbell to get his head back in this game. Plenty of time, yes...
...but the clock is ticking.
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2 months ago
Holy lord. I think Campbell's performance in game 6 has earned him one thing, and one thing ONLY:
A seat in the press box for game 7.
So many mistakes! So many mishandled passes! So little focus and effort!
Granted, Campbell wasn't the only Shark out there that had problems tonight, but it seemed like every time he touched the puck, the result was a turnover or a Flames scoring chance.
#51, take a seat. Your services are no longer needed in this series.
2 months ago
Can't put him in the press box--he's the only guy of his talent on our blueline. But if he does not come up, I would not even try to re-sign him. Michalek has to go the press box, though--what the heck was he doin' out there? And what happened to Joe? Why are we not prepared in the first period of these games?
Check out my article when you get a chance. In the meantime, I will say something to Doug Wilson as a metaphor for the future of this team if they do not pull out game seven. In the immortal words of Bob Deniero, as Alphonse Capone: "I want 'em dead! I want their families dead! I want their houses burned to the ground!"
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