Stars-Sharks: Goaltending Lapse Leads to Sharks Victory

It was interesting to see from Section 217 how the Sharks would handle the Stars. The Stars are stock piled with talent and pests, but are also underachieving. Seeing as how the Sharks had been dismantling the league's elite, but had only been squeaking by the league's terra firma, any fan would have doubts. 

Tonight's game was no exception from the season's past efforts. Granted, the Sharks are on a roll (winning six straight), but it becomes worrisome when it takes the combined effort of Joe Thornton, Dan Boyle, Patrick Marleau, Jonathan Cheechoo, and Rob Blake to manage two goals out of 33 attempts in 60 minutes of hockey. 

The first of these was a Dan Boyle wrist shot from the left wing face-off circle past Marty Turco who remained with his glove hand extended long after the goal had been scored.

The second was a failed back-handed clearing attempt by Turco, which, instead of ending up safe on the blade of a Dallas stick, hit the feet of Patrick Marleau. The Sharks captain took advantage of the Dallas goaltending faux paux and scored the game winner at 19:38 in the third period. 

The fact that the Sharks were saved from reaching overtime is relieving (everyone benefits from dumb luck), but this isn't suffice playoff time. You can bet your life Turco wouldn't have tried to manage to pull of something like that in game six of the Western Conference Final.

October and November games aren't meaningless, but they don't compare to games in April, May, and June. 

But right now the Sharks hold a seven point lead in the Pacific Divison and a six point lead in the Western Conference, and for another four or five months that's all that matters.

It is also worth noting that with Sean Avery's arrival in Dallas, which requires him making more stops at the tank during the year, the Sharks are going to have to find a way of taking care of him responsibly. This is an area of the game that has come back to bite the Sharks in the rear end.

Don't get lured into taking stupid penalties and don't get dragged down with them. Retaliation has its time and place and if retaliation isn't necessary, the Sharks will have to find a way to roll with the punches.

Next game: @ Phoenix, tomorrow, Sunday 11/9 at 5PM.