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 Here we go again
Will new season bring same-old, same-old?
9/28/08 - By Paul Krill
Once again, it's time for us
to start planning for Sharks games and hope for the best, despite our hopes
being dashed too early in what seems like every season of the Sharks'
existence.
In recent campaigns, the Sharks have been the subject of
lofty expectations and predictions of Stanley Cup championships. Unfortunately,
these predictions have turned out to be as accurate as predictions that World
War I would be the war to end all wars.
As we know, the Sharks have
bowed out in the sixth game of the second round the past three seasons. Just
like Halley's Comet appearing every 75 years without fail, the Sharks have
folded the same time each season.
In fact, the Sharks have lost to
lower seeds in three of the past four seasons, with the Sharks' playoff
opponents mocking the NHL's seeding system that was supposed to give the higher
ranked team an advantage. It hasn't worked out that way for the Sharks.
Want more depressing stats? Good. I thought so. Here's a good one. Of
all the early-1990s expansion teams (Sharks, Senators, Lightning, Ducks,
Panthers), only the Sharks, who joined the league first, have failed to ever
get to the Big Dance (aka the Stanley Cup Finals). Two of those teams, the
Lightning and the hated Ducks, have carted the fancy silver trophy home to fans
not as deserving as the ones here in San Jose.
So here we go again.
Are any of you like me? With excitement tempered by a feeling of resignation
that this season will be no better than previous ones, no matter what the
Sharks try? Bring in this guy, ship out this guy? It will only be another
second-round exit?
Attending the Sharks annual Teal-and-White practice
this week did get my spirits up. I discovered that Rob Blake and I share a
couple of traits: We both write left and shoot right. And I got Jeff Friesen to
autograph the same copy of "Feeding Frenzy" that he autographed about 14 years
ago when he was a teenager.
Of course, we don't know what is going to
happen this season. I have had a hard time getting excited about the very, very
long regular season. I wish the playoffs began right now.
But that's
not how it works. The Sharks must start all over again and repeat the same old
script that this Sharks' team is ready for big-time glory.
Maybe
they'll actually be right this time around.
Contact Paul at
at pjkrillsharks@yahoo.com
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