San Jose Sharks: Why the NHL's to Blame for the Sharks' Back-to-Back Losses

Sitting in section 221, row 16 during the San Jose Sharks' game against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday, I had a bird's-eye-view of their frustrating defeat. I watched in bewilderment as the Sharks allowed three unanswered goals in the third period, giving up their 2-1 lead and ultimately losing 4-2. 

"How could this be?", I asked myself. The San Jose Sharks playing the St. Louis Blues at home usually equates to a Sharks victory.

Backtrack twenty-four hours. On Friday night, I couldn't help but yell at my TV as I watched Jonas Hiller and the Ducks stymie the Sharks, 1-0 on a goal scored by the Ducks' fourth line.

So, who's to blame for these two losses? Well, part of the blame goes to the Sharks making inexcusable plays, such as misplaying the puck and turnovers in their own zone. Another factor would be the superb goaltending by Jonas Hiller and Brian Elliot, who made several terrific saves. But the main scapegoat? The NHL's horrific schedule.

After an impressive 6-3 victory in their first game at home against Phoenix, the Sharks had to wait an agonizing five full days before playing on the road at Anaheim.

And that's not all. The NHL had the audacity to schedule a back-to-back, with a game against St. Louis the next day. 

Why am I making such a big deal out of this? It is simply not fair to schedule a home opener, then a full five-days rest for a game that takes an hour's flight to get to (Anaheim). Usually, teams get five days off at the beginning of the season only when they play their first games in Europe (Anaheim and L.A. Kings). 

Now, I know that it is not entirely the NHL's fault. The Ducks and Kings played in Europe, giving the Sharks two less options as to who they could play during that five-day span. Many east coast teams were unwilling to make the trip all the way to San Jose just for one game. 

What the schedule did was take out momentum and energy in the Sharks following their win in the home opener. After a resounding 6-3 win in their first game, a team wants a day off, then to get right back at it. Giving them five days off makes them restless. What's more, scheduling a back-to-back after five days off is even more excruciating for the team. 

The Sharks lost the game against Anaheim on Friday because they had five days off, and weren't mentally or physically prepared. They lost on Saturday against the Blues because it was a back-to-back, and they were tired. These are not the only reasons for their losses, but the scheduling was main factor.

So, if the Sharks miss the playoffs by two games, the NHL's to blame.