Beyond Reach: San Jose Stanley Cup Dreams

Hockey season officially ended a few minutes to midnight yesterday. 

I turned off the TV immediately after Brendan Morrow scored the fourth-overtime goal, only to hear the receiver still blasting broadcasting. Yeah, it was already that type of night. 

Plus, this unexpected four-overtime game overlapped my sister's episode of Desperate Housewives. Double whammy. 

Give credit to the boys for defying the odds to force an improbable Game 6. Both teams played almost perfect games, except Dallas was one step ahead when it mattered most.

The Stars were opportunistic because they created those opportunities. They always had defensive pressure within our zone with at least one forechecker. They played the neutral zone trap early in the series to make create those turnovers. Their penalty killers attacked on the power play rather than standing around like our unit. Sloppy puck-handling haunted us. Too many centering feeds went into open space. Lethargy and impassionate play surfaced at the most crucial times. 

Everything seemed within reach, but were actually far beyond.  

As a friend of mine described it, our young guys were nervous, and you could tell. 

Throughout the series, I hounded Christian Ehrhoff because of his turnovers and poor decisions. He committed fewer statistical turnovers than Ryane Clowe and Mike Grier, but he botched too many passes deep within the zone. When he saw a black jersey (white at home) flying toward him, he freaked out. In the four losses, he racked up a minus-6 rating.

You can easily make this case for any of the defensemen. None could establish that break-in pass.

They also couldn't clear the puck while killing penalties because they weren't actually killing. They either passively contained or tried to block shots, ultimately doing neither.

They relied too heavily on Evgeni Nabakov, who should not receive any of the blame in this series. Nabakov's saves and Patrick Marleau's two short-handed goals were the only bright spots on special teams.   

The Sharks outshot Dallas overall, but how many were quality shots on goal? They emphasized throwing the puck on net and get traffic in front of Turco, but they frequently passed on shooting opportunities, often right onto a Dallas stick. They also stressed playing the puck along the boards, but could never win possessions.

Leaders were short and few these playoffs, especially with Dallas. Jeremy Roenick provided much of the emotional spark, and Marleau quietly set an example with his play. Mike Grier, however, was an absolute no-show. He needed to anchor his grind-line, especially since he bears the "A" on his shoulder. The other "A," Joe Thornton, was spotted in and out of the shadows. But Dallas players bombarded him for obvious reasons, which led to his lackluster play. 

Packed away now are the relics of a once-great season: two rally towels, one pom-pom, the flag I proudly waved on my car window, my Sharks t-shirt, and jersey.   

After I recover my sunken heart, I will elaborate on offseason changes. But there is one that is resonating throughout Sharks Territory: Axe Ron Wilson. 

My choices (in order of preference): Bob Hartley, Tony Granato, John Tortorella, Peter Laviolette (if released), and Marc Crawford.  And please, for the love of God and Sharks hockey, not Paul Maurice or assistant coach promotions.