The San Jose Sharks forced a sixth game in their series against Dallas after a stunning third-period comeback and beautiful overtime winner.
Many fans must be wondering what exactly Ron Wilson said in the locker room between periods. The Bleacher Report has the exclusive:
Wilson: All right guys, it hasn't been a very good first two periods. Even a quick look at the scoreboard reveals the other team is winning. This is bad news for our team, since we are not the other team. We are our team.
Roenick: Hey, that's right! Coach is right!
Wilson: Indeed I am. What's more, if we don't score at least two goals in the next period — the so-called 'third' period — then we will lose this game and our season will be over.
Marleau: Wait, slow down. If we don't score any goals in the next period, then we will have our work cut out for us in our next game... right? That's not the worst thing ever.
Wilson: No, no. That's a common misconception. As it turns out, the rules technically dictate, that if we lose this game...we don't get a chance for another one.
Thornton: What?! Well, why didn't anybody tell us this?
Wilson: The guys in the front office hadn't done the math yet, obviously.
Roenick: So then what options do we have?
Wilson: Well, my inclination is that if we want to win the Stanley Cup —
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Thornton: Of course, we want to win the Stanley Cup! That's the whole point.
Wilson: Yes, then we must win this specific game. This very one that is happening right now.
Soupy: Oh, geeze, we had better get our act together. If I had known that, I wouldn't have played like complete junk this entire playoffs. Classic case of miscommunication.
Wilson: No worries, Soupy, we'll deduct it from your free-agent contract.
Soupy: Fair enough, my bad.
Thornton: Very well, then I think the best course of action for us is to win. And not just in any game. We need to win this one. Right now. So I guess we'll have to...um...
Wilson: Score goals. That's my recommendation.
Michalek: That's it? Just score some goals? That's all we have to do?
Wilson: Yes, we need at least two, if not more.
Marleau: Oh, we can do that. If that's all we have to do...
Wilson: My suggestion is that when you guys shoot the puck, you aim it at the upper-corner of the net, and make sure that it's so perfectly placed that it skims both the crossbar and the post on the way in. Those shots are harder to stop.
Soupy: Ok, I can do that. Are you sure that you wouldn't rather that I commit a giveaway at the point which leads to a Dallas breakaway?
Wilson: That's very tempting... but goals are probably preferable.
Pavelski: Should I try to score too?
Wilson: Yes, my strong recommendation for the next 20 minutes is that every single person on this team tries to score a goal.
Nabby: Even me, Coach?
(Team Laughs)
Wilson: No, you've scored enough goals for one lifetime.
Michalek: Wait, does that mean that I should score a goal too?
Wilson: Yes, everyone on the team. Even you. Every player should aspire to score a goal in this period, as we want to score not one, but two.
Thornton: And if we just score a handful of goals in this period... then that's all we have to do to win it? Just score a few easy goals? We did that all the time this year. I set up as many goals as anybody in the league, I think.
Wilson: You sure did!
Marleau: But wait! What happens if our team doesn't spend any time in the penalty box? Then how can you expect me to score?
Wilson: Give the biscuit to someone else.
Marleau: Okay.
Wilson: Alright, boys, what are we gonna do?
Team: Score goals!
Wilson: And how many do we need?
Team: More than one!
Wilson: That's right, go get 'em boys! Charge!
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3 months ago
Brilliant. Although I'm SHOCKED that there were no garbage cans being kicked around....
3 months ago
Great stuff--nice writing, nice idea, nice humour, BUT EVEN NICER COMEBACK VICTORY!
His next speech: don't score first!
3 months ago
Here's what we need in the next game:
1. DALLAS SCORES FIRST
2. Keep taking stupid penalties until Marleau can score one short-handed
3. Remind Michalek what a crappy first round he had, and tell him that he still hasn't made amends unless he scores another goal.
4. Figure out who the three biggest goats of the series are to-date, and tell them that they need to combine for a goal. Sit them out of game six, obviously, to remind them that they owe you.
5. Rinse, wash, repeat in game seven.
3 months ago
That is just awesome, Bryan. Hilariously awesome work.
"Soupy: Ok, I can do that. Are you sure that you wouldn't rather that I commit a giveaway at the point which leads to a Dallas breakaway?"
This nearly slayed me. I've been HARD on Campbell since the playoffs began, but with that goal last night...all is forgiven (well, almost).
GAME SIX BABY! HERE WE COME!
3 months ago
GOOOOOO SHARKSSSSSSSS!!!!!
I am a Pensylvanian native but my family and I flew out to California last winter and attended a Sharks game. It was one of the most intense experiences in my life. You would not really think of San Jose being a hockey town, but boy its was crazy. The HP Pavillion was incredibly nice, by far the nicest rink I have ever been in.
from 3 months ago
Yes, many people wonder why hockey is big in San Jose. I think that they have to remember that the city of San Jose is one of the ten largest in the entire country. But because it's not a particularly flashy or touristy town, most of the major teams go to San Francisco (or even Oakland). Thus, when a professional team finally did agree to pick San Jose over SF, it was a huge moral victory, and they embraced them like no other.
I have since moved from the San Jose area, where I grew up, to San Francisco. And obviously I love the Niners too. But there's always that special place in the heart for a team that truly was the 'home' team.
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