|
|
One More Night in
Camelot Shock the world and acctually win
The NHL playoffs loom on the horizon, and when they
begin the hopes and fears of several fan bases will be realized. For some, this
post-season brings optimism and hope, while for others just reaching the second
season is enough of an accomplishment. However, for others, the playoffs have
been a House of Horrors for so long that they can no longer bring themselves to
have anything approaching excitement; and it is this last category that best
describes the San Jose Sharks.
It wasn't so long ago that the Sharks
approached the playoffs with a limitless ceiling, icing a team that on paper
looked like a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. Though reality fell far short
of potential, there was still an air of anticipation come April as Championship
dreams seemed well within reach. Glory was there for the taking, if only the
team had the will and desire to simply grasp it.
Sadly, those days
have long since passed, and the squad preparing for this post-season isn't
anyone's pick to go all the way. Pessimism, bordering on defeatism, abounds - a
fact confirmed by the all too often empty seats of the SAP Center. No one is
dreaming of hosting the Cup, rather, people just want to see the Sharks be
competitive and maybe win a Round.
In this sad reality it's easy to see how far the club
has fallen in just a handful of years. But rather then sit here and complain,
I'd rather spend my time and energy wishing for just one more glimpse of the
glory days.
Give me one last Spring in which Patrick Marleau is just a
step faster than most defenders, as he was 2006. Let me see the will of Joe
Pavelski be enough to make him a hero, the way it did 2010. I want to see
Martin Jones play like Evgeni Nabokov did in 2004, and I want to see the whole
team play with the same heart that Mike Grier did.
If the glory days
of this crop of players is past, if the window has shut and all we are left
with is hoping they win a single game or round, then the honest truth is that
we were all spoiled. We witnessed one of the top hockey franchises of the 21st
Century, and along the way we forgot just how lucky we were. And now, we have
come to the end of that road. The luster has worn off, and all that remains is
the remembrances of yesterday.
With this is mind, is it too much to
yearn for one more run from this roster? For one more night in Camelot? This
time so we can appreciate it, savor it, and let the chapter close on a happy
note. Just one more, happy, magical, Spring.
Contact Ryan at
at ryanhall@letsgosharks.com
|
|
What did you think of
this article? Post your comments on the Feeder Forums |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|