Bleacher Report - Articles by The Enforcer

San Jose Sharks: Mid-Season Report Card and Awards Banquet

The Enforcer — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 19:35:57 -0500

Here we are. Halfway through the marathon NHL season, the San Jose Sharks find themselves in an unfamiliar position: at the top of the leader boards in the standings. With a complete change of coaching staff, Team Teal definitely has a new steam in its stride.

With 40+ games completed (and mostly won), it's time for a little mid-season evaluation and awards banquet. Find your tables, folks. The ceremonies are about to begin...

The Sharp Shooter award goes to Devin Setoguchi. Who knew that the kid could find the net so easily? With effortless ability, Setoguchi trails only the team captain in goals scored this season with 20. Quite an improvement from last season, to say the least.

The Helping Hand award goes to Joe Thornton. Jumbo Joe has the uncanny ability of making *any* of his teammates better players. We've seen him bring Jonathan Cheechoo up to Rocket Richard levels of play, and this season we've seen Devin Setoguchi and Patrick Marleau benefit from Joe's amazing on-ice vision and passing skill. He is an indispensable member of Team Teal.

The Silent Partner award goes to Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Announcers hardly ever say his name during games because they never need to. He shows up, he does his job and does it well. He may not be a flashy player, but night after night, his solid contributions keep the opposing team's score down.

The Brick Wall award goes to Douglas Murray. This award is given to the player that best exemplifies Newton's Third Law. When an opposing player crashes into a semi- stationary Murray, a completely elastic collision occurs, where Murray stays relatively still and and the opposing player flies backwards onto the ice. A lesson in physics, indeed.

The Garbage Collector award goes to Ryane Clowe. This award may not sound like a positive thing, but most of Clowe's goals are scored after a goalkeeper gives up a juicy rebound that he then puts squarely in the back of the net. Clowe's physical presence in front of the net allows him to score off of the goalie's garbage, hence the award.

The Tall Drink of Cement award goes to Alexei Semenov. What exactly does he do out there, anyways? While I like that he will drop the gloves every now and then, would it kill him to actually throw a punch that didn't look like it came from a third grade girl? With his size he could be a very valuable player, but with his lead feet stuck in cement, he's just another body that gets in the way of the guys doing the actual work.

And as much as it pains me to do it, The Clunker award goes to Jonathan Cheechoo. My goodness, what happened here? As of late, he's been contributing on the third line, but for him to even be on the third line is a fall from grace in and of itself. He was the Sharks' golden child two seasons ago, scoring goal after goal. Half way through the season, Cheechoo has six goals in total. Six. Ouch.

Despite a few minor hiccups, the season so far has been one that every Sharks fan has been dreaming about.

Will San Jose have enough left for the second half of the season to keep the incredible momentum up and win it all?

The Fat Lady Sings the Blues for San Jose Sharks...Again

The Enforcer — Mon, 05 May 2008 06:43:08 -0400

Photo credit: Ronald Martinez for Getty Images

Say it with me, kids: Quadruple overtime. Three extra 20-minute periods and nine minutes of a fourth for a total of 129 minutes of all-out, do-or-die play with San Jose's playoff life at stake.

Make no mistake—Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals between the San Jose Sharks and division rival Dallas Stars was not for the faint of heart.

For 68 of those extra minutes, the game was knotted at one goal apiece. With heroic goaltending from both Marty Turco and Evgeni Nabokov, fans must have been wondering what it was going to take to put the puck past either man.

I certainly did. They both looked completely unstoppable.

And although both teams were beyond tired, no one gave up. It wasn't a question of who wanted it more, but a question of which team could endure the crippling mental strain of fatigue while keeping their heavy legs moving.

The Sharks gave everything short of their souls in Game 6. But nearly halfway through the fourth overtime, Brian Campbell got called for a minor penalty, putting the Stars on the power play.

Stars' captain and all-around badass Brenden Morrow finally figured out how to score on the superhuman Nabokov, garnering Dallas the win and the right to move on to face the Detroit Red Wings.

A note to the Sharks: next time, sell your souls. Sign the papers. Make the deal. Do whatever needs to be done.If you're wondering who might broker such an acquisition, look no further than the Stars' No. 10, Brenden Morrow. I'm sure he'll gladly take what you're offering. He did last night.

Now, here's where I'm gonna take a different approach to the end-of-the-season wrap-up. Not wanting to be overly negative (because believe me, I could be!), I feel like focusing on the good things from the Sharks season.

Despite a premature and unceremonious departure from the second round (for the third straight year) and certain players and coaches who need to pack their bags, this has been the most entertaining season of hockey that the Sharks have put forth in a long time.

Here are the highlights, according to me:

Torrey Mitchell, Mike Grier, and Patrick Rissmiller

This line clicked so well and made some seriously jaw-dropping plays. Torrey Mitchell is fast and exciting and even though I've slammed Rissmiller in the past, he really seemed to find his stride alongside the veteran and the rookie.

These guys single-handedly made hockey thrilling for me again.

Curtis Brown and Ryane Clowe

Both came back from fairly serious injuries to really contribute when it counted. Why was Curtis Brown was scratched from so many post season games? The world may never know.

The Acquisition of Jeremy Roenick

This had me scratching my head a little, but I think JR has shown that he is FAR from finished in the NHL. Look for him to come back for another season. His leadership is undeniable.

Joe Thornton and Jonathan Cheechoo

So what if these two didn't have another Rocket Richard/Hart Trophy winning season? Those two really compliment each other's strengths.

Cheesy as it sounds, I can't imagine one without the other. They're made to play together. It's like they're soul mates.

Evgeni Nabokov

I've never been a Nabokov supporter. I think I may have cried when Vesa Toskala was traded. I've always felt that inconsistent play was all Nabokov had to offer. And despite claims of his ability to "focus," he just always looked bored to me.

Well, I'm still not on the Nabokov train, but I have to say, last night he was phenomenal. Amazing. Unconsciously good. I have a new level of respect for the guy. I just wish he could play that kind of hockey all season.

And finally...

Randy Hahn and Drew Remenda

I know for a fact that I got a little misty when Drew announced he wasn't coming back two years ago. Marty McSorley held it down in the broadcasting booth for a year, but there's no denying the chemistry that Randy and Drew have together.

Having Drew back this season has made Sharks games all the more enjoyable. Talk about soul mates!

I think all of us Sharks fans can concur, we have the best broadcasting team in the business. Randy and Drew...drop me a line. I'd like to buy you both a beer. Thanks for the laughs.

The playoff beards are gone along with San Jose's hopes of finally winning hockey's most coveted prize. Even though I am crushed, I'd like to thank the organization as a whole for keeping me on the edge of my seat for the entire season. It may not have always been pretty, but it definitely kept this fan coming back for more.

Here's looking forward to October!

San Jose Sharks-Dallas Stars Game Five: Now We've Got Ourselves A Series

The Enforcer — Sat, 03 May 2008 06:41:47 -0400

(photo credit: Jon Swenson)

Overtime has been the kiss of death for the Sharks all season and especially in their series against the Dallas Stars. But in last night's Western Conference semi-final game five, it was not so.

After spectacular third period goals by Milan Michalek and the previous bane of my hockey existence, Brian Campbell, San Jose managed to come back from a two goal deficit to tie the game and force overtime.

It's no secret that I've been pretty hard on Brian Campbell since the playoffs started, even going so far as to write an article wondering what happened to the once-solid defenseman.

He's made me want to rip my hair out more than a few times. But as I watched his shot sail past Stars' goalie Marty Turco in the middle of the third period, all his previous puck fumbles and painful giveaways were forgiven.

Regulation finished with the game tied at two goals apiece.

A little over a minute into overtime, Joe Pavelski took the puck towards the net and waited. And waited. And finally, just when it seemed that he might have held onto the puck too long to get a decent shot away, he fired and beat Turco cleanly to propel the Sharks to a 3-2 OT victory.

The Tank sounded louder than it's ever been as Pavelski attempted to give a post game interview, having to yell his answers into the mic.

Nicely done, Sharks’ fans! Keep that level of energy up! The boys in teal clearly fed off of it.

And although the crappy VS telecast didn't show it, a first hand account of the Stars as they filed off the ice painted them as "dejected" and "scared.” Nice!

Here's where things get weird...

If someone were to cut open one of my veins, I have no doubt that he or she would see either the blue and gold of the California Golden Bears or the Sharks’ teal.

I'm what you'd call a die hard fan.

Even so, I found myself in the middle of a total Rocky IV moment last night, and it all centered on the Stars' captain, Brenden Morrow.

As Morrow's first and then second goals were disallowed, I found that, much like the Russian boxing fans in the final scene of Rocky IV, I was having a change of heart.

Knowing nothing more about Morrow than the fact that he's a badass with a ton of skill in a Stars’ sweater, I've never liked the guy.

He may very well be a great person, but he plays for "them," which automatically makes him a villain.

Last night, though, I feel he was robbed. There's been an inordinate amount of talk already about Morrow's disallowed "kicking" goal. From my seat on my couch, it looked like a good goal with no "distinct kicking motion" present.

Maybe if the game would have been broadcast in HD, I would have had a clearer look.

Now, if the refs wanted to get nit-picky, they could have really hosed Morrow and sent him to the box for goaltender interference (and they would have had a good case for it!), thereby negating the goal in that fashion.

But did he really kick it in? Nah. I felt bad for the guy.

After Morrow's second goal of the night was disallowed (and couldn't be argued), I'm sure he felt like he just couldn't catch a break. Despite the fact that he's been a Shark killer in the past, I found myself rooting for him.

Why? Who knows.

It was like Rocky IV all over again, where I was supposed to be rooting for Ivan Drago and half way through, switched to cheering for Rocky. Weird, I know.

(Please note: I'm not saying that, in this scenario, the Sharks are Ivan Drago and the Stars are Rocky Balboa. I was just merely trying to communicate, albeit poorly, how strange it was for a ridiculous Sharks’ fan like me to feel badly for the opponent.)

In any case, both teams head back to the Lone Star State for game six. Dallas still leads the series 3-2, but I feel the energy and desire have definitely returned to the Sharks.

They'll take it in seven. I believe they can.

The playoff beards live to see another day. Randy Hahn and Drew Remenda will return to call the game. The Sharks are playing inspired hockey again. All is right in the world...

Sharks-Flames, Game Four: O Brian Campbell, Where Art Thou?

The Enforcer — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:31:39 -0400

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.

The Olympic Torch: Passing on Politics

The Enforcer — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 13:44:04 -0400

On a sunny California day, amid controversy and protests, the Olympic torch made its way along some of the lesser known streets of San Francisco.

Today's stop in the City by the Bay was to be the one and only torch-relay stop in North America. After what happened in Paris earlier in the week, San Francisco officials did their best to keep protesters, spectators, and even torch runners confused and on their toes to avoid the same sort of situation.

The route was changed a multitude of times and the closing ceremony, scheduled to happen at Justin Herman Plaza, was canceled. Torch runners had to share their time with another person to ensure that all 70+ people would get a chance to hold the Olympic flame after the course distance was cut in half.

Local news channels provided nearly four hours of agonizing play-by-play coverage, even when nothing was happening. The media sensationalism might have seemed like overkill to some.

But all the protesting and the torch relay actually happening was a big deal and people needed to hear about it.

What are my thoughts on the whole thing?

I fully agree with Tibetan protesters; who feel China's human-rights policies need a serious overhaul.

Hillary Clinton recently called on President Bush to boycott the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics stating, "The violent clashes in Tibet and the failure of the Chinese government to use its full leverage with Sudan to stop the genocide in Darfur are opportunities for presidential leadership."

While this statement cannot be argued in my eyes, Bush's decision to boycott the ceremonies, if he chooses to do so, will have little or no political ramifications.

Since his Iraq war blunders and foreign-policy oddities, no one listens to or takes the advice of our fearless Commander in Chief. Certainly, no one in China.

But still, I can see her point.

Now, if Senator Clinton called for a U.S. boycott of the entire games, THEN I'd have something to say. To bar Olympic-caliber athletes from competing in the world's most prestigious games because of political reasons, seems silly to me.

I understand that by abstaining from participating, countries make a VERY clear statement about whatever their leaders feel strongly about, but for the athletes, that opportunity may only come around once.

To take that away from those who have dedicated their lives to perfecting their sport in hopes of competing on the world's biggest stage seems crazy. Did those athletes have any sort of say in shaping their country's foreign policy?

No, you say? Then why punish them by taking away the one thing they've worked so hard for? Aren't there better ways of making a political statement?

In a strange way, I almost feel like the recent attempts to halt the Olympic torch relay follow the same lines of crazy. I understand that the protesters want their message out there and thanks to the media coverage, they've succeeded.

But to block something as pure as the Olympic flame, which symbolizes a time when politics were put on the back burner for the duration of the games, goes against the Olympic spirit.

Make no mistake, I am not pro China. I'm just pro athlete. I'm pro fair competition. I'm all for an Olympic games free of political grievances.

I call for a separation of sports and state! Who's with me?

Sharks Versus Stars: That's What I'm Talking About!!

The Enforcer — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 12:03:00 -0400

The last game of the regular season for the San Jose Sharks is in the record books and boy, was it ever worth the price of admission! Hang on to your seats, kids. This game had it all: Incredible goals, a holy TON of penalty minutes and most importantly, the intensity that the Sharks lacked in their previous game.

I'll admit...I was a little more than skeptical about the San Jose's playoff chances after watching an incredibly uninspired game against the Los Angeles Kings at the beginning of the week. I feared today's game against the Sharks' division rival Dallas Stars would be more of the same. I couldn't have been more wrong.

This game meant nothing to either team. Both had already secured their post season playoff spots, but with the level of intensity both teams displayed, you'd never have guessed. Kyle McLaren, not normally known for fighting, dropped the gloves very early on in the first period against a much more skilled Krys Barch. Although minor, this altercation set the physical tone for the rest of the game

Not long after McLaren's scrap, Joe Thornton took on Steve Ott for a hit against Milan Michalek in which Ott left his feet. Judging by the look on his face, Ott wanted no part of Thornton, but no matter. For his efforts, Thornton received nineteen penalty minutes and a free pass to the dressing room in the early minutes of the first period. Its worth noting that Thornton is also not particularly known for his fighting skills.

These two incidents were the beginnings of an all-time franchise record high 95 (yes, 95) penalty minutes for the Sharks. This included another franchise record forty one penalty minutes (again, yes, 41) accumulated by the ever-gritty and ready to go Jody Shelley. Dallas tallied a still impressive sixty five penalty minutes over the course of the game.

Somewhere in the midst of everyone's fists, Patrick Marleau picked up a power-play goal and Jonathan Cheechoo managed to score a beauty in his first game back since the Chris Kunitz elbowing incident. In the second period, the fighting continued and the Stars came back strong with three unanswered goals that would secure the "W" for them.

Although Thornton was allowed back on the ice several minutes into the second period, his absence was very evident during power plays. Watching the Sharks try to muster up a decent effort during their man advantage time, its clear that Thornton runs the show. Note to Team Teal: keep No. 19 outta the box at all costs.

Despite the Sharks' loss, I have to say, I LIKE the way they played today. Players that usually stay out of trouble were all up in the mix (Milan Michalek?! Joe Pavelski?! Hello!) and guys stood up for their teammates. They played tough and looked hungry. The Sharks team that showed up today was as inspired and enthusiastic as they've ever been in the recent months.

It'll be interesting to see if the Sharks can bring that same intensity once all the regular players are back in the lineup. Craig Rivet and Christian Ehrhoff have been known to drop 'em from time to time. And now that San Jose's first round opponent has been decided, they'll need every ounce of grit, heart and desire they can bring. The Calgary Flames are no slouches! What will happen? Start growing your playoff beards now and stay tuned...

San Jose Sharks: The Points Streak Comes to an End

The Enforcer — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 07:07:34 -0400

It's OK, Ron...I know just how you feel.

After watching the San Jose Sharks tear through the end of their regular season schedule, picking up at least one point in 20 straight games, Thursday night's debacle against the Los Angeles Kings left me scratching my head and rolling my eyes.

At a time when the NHL's top teams are refining their games in preparation for the playoffs, the Sharks have looked razor sharp and ready to take on all-comers for weeks. But after last night's lackluster effort that looked VERY MUCH like the first half of the season, I can't help but wonder...did the Sharks peak too soon?

You know the feeling. Every sports fan does. The feeling that this just might be the year that their team wins it all. Early in the season, after the first few wins, there's always talk that this is the year! This has got to be the year!

Well, Sharks fans have been feeling that way since the team's inception. And team Teal has come close a few times, only to have it all fall apart when it counts the most. It's an Oscar-worthy sob story, really.

But this season has been different for the Sharks. Fans have watched two rookies in Devin Setoguchi and Torrey Mitchell shine, while veteran players and top goal producers struggled...and struggled...and struggled.

Then, with the addition of Brian Campbell, everything seemed to completely turn around.

Captain Patrick Marleau and Rocket Richard winner Jonathan Cheechoo came alive and remembered how to score.

The Rissmiller-Mitchell-Grier line started to click.

Evgeni Nabokov remained solid and had less work to do thanks to strong defensive play from Craig Rivet and Christian Ehrhoff.

Secondary scoring gave the Sharks a huge boost.

Everyone looked excited to play. They were playing their game...and more importantly, they were making other teams play their game.

Since acquiring Campbell during the mid-season trades, the Sharks hadn't lost a single game in regulation. Last night's loss to the Kings marked the team's first since Campbell came aboard. Before that, they'd lost five in a row with most everyone looking sluggish. If that's not a "total 180 degree turn", I don't know what is.

But here's the thing: did that "total 180" happen too soon?

With the playoffs starting next week, every Sharks fan out there has to be thinking "Will this season end like every other ones? Can they turn it around?" Any Sharks fan knows that the team can be VERY streaky...win a few games here, lose a bunch there, score points in twenty in a row here... You get the picture.

Let's just hope that last night's half-assed performance against the Kings isn't the start of a slide in the wrong direction. Losing games in the playoffs gets you one thing: an early tee-time.

That said, I really feel that this is the year! This has GOT TO BE the year!

When Will the NHL Finally Catch On in the U.S.?

The Enforcer — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 12:55:36 -0400

(Author's note: This article is a re-post of a blog entry I did on December 15, 2007.)

As I was driving home from my haircut today, I was listening to the Sharks game on the radio. Color commentator and former Sharks star Jamie Baker was just starting out on one of his trademark rants between periods. Sometimes, Baker has good points to make. Most times, his love of all aspects of the game borders on maniacal (and I can respect that!). Today was one of those times where I agreed with everything he had to say.

Jamie was wondering aloud, in a sort of monologue style, when hockey will finally be marketed in the U.S. so that the game's popularity grows. He argued that, in a time of thug NBA players, criminal NFL players and drugged-up baseball players (my thoughts on that are a whole 'nuther post entirely), NHL players are the most stand-up guys of them all, both on and off the ice. Sure, some are prima donnas (*cough* Selanne *cough*), and some get into minor trouble from time to time, but in general, the NHL has some of the most down-to-earth, respectable guys in pro sports. They work hard, they play even harder and the majority make less than other, overpaid, overrated pro athletes (*cough* Kobe *cough*). They play because they love the game, not for the attention they get from the media. Marketing the game of hockey in the U.S. should be a slam-dunk, in Baker's opinion. There's non-stop action, there's athleticism, there's -HELLO!- fighting! I totally agree with Jamie. Hockey should be a slam-dunk. And yet, it's just not catching on...

Baker recounted an incident at the Sharks annual fund raising golf tournament from a year ago. This was the same year that Joe Thornton was named the MVP of the NHL. Baker said that a guy in his group wearing a Sharks polo shirt asked him if the Sharks actually had any decent players that year. Baker was shocked that a supposed "fan" of the Sharks had no idea that the best player in the NHL was a member of Team Teal. I can totally sympathize. I sat in front of a couple at the last Sharks game I attended who were equally as clueless. Every time #17 touched the puck, the guy would elbow the lady next to him and say, "Look! That's Cheech! He's amazing!" After five or six mix-ups, I finally turned around to inform him that "Cheech" is actually #14 and that he's hurt and not playing right now. "Well, who's 17 then?", he asked me, incredulously. "Torrey Mitchell". We were sitting pretty high up, but even so, I could read "Mitchell" clear as day on #17's back. This "fan" even had a Sharks jersey and hat on.

I've often wondered myself why hockey hasn't really caught on in the U.S. Maybe it has to do with the media glorification of thuggish NBA/NFL players and their ridiculous lifestyles. Maybe its the fact that most of the U.S. isn't cold enough to have lakes and ponds that freeze over in winter months and kids don't grow up playing the game. Who knows. But I was born in Florida and have never lived anywhere above 37° of latitude in my days, and I'm a HUGE hockey fan. I'd like to see more kids growing up idolizing Patrick Marleau instead of Shaquille O'Neal, Barry Bonds or Micheal Vick. But then again, when the media is constantly shoving that type of player down consumer's throats, it's tough to embrace anything else.

Communities like this one should give fans hope. There are the die-hard hockey lovers out there, but hockey's mainstream popularity depends on one thing: convincing the media to love it, too.