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Credit, kudos and return of the
man-eaters
Transformation a pleasant
surprise
1/4/04 - by Steve Flores
Credit needs to be given where credit is due. The 2003-2004 version of
the San Jose Sharks came out of the gate as if they were the 1994-1995 team. No
offense, poor defense, no special teams to make mention of and generally a bore
to watch.
I saw no hope, no desire and zero heart. But alas, it is a
long season and over the past month the Sharks seem to have transformed into
the proverbial Phoenix as they have risen from the frozen ice to the top of the
NHL's Pacific Division.
The team's turnaround seems to have begun
after a players only meeting held by the team's veterans on Oct. 28 after a
listless 3-0 loss to Carolina. The meeting made it clear to all that each and
every player needed to step up their efforts. Specific references were made to
the team's 2 brightest young talents, Patrick Marleau (24) and Marco Sturm
(25). The two aforementioned players have been in the league for several
seasons despite their youth. They both possess above average levels of speed,
size, and skill yet have always been tentative with the puck as if fearful of
stepping on the toes of more veteran members of the squad. Team Captain (at the
time) Vincent Damphousse made it clear to the two young players that the time
is now for them to take more initiative and that they need to take more chances
with the puck.
Since that meeting the Sharks have streaked from last
to first with stellar power play, penalty killing and goaltending.
"All we really changed was going hard for 60 minutes, that was the one thing we
said over and over in the meeting," said current Captain Alyn McCauley.
McCauley, acquired for Owen Nolan last season, scored his career high
10th goal of the season Wednesday night with 4:59 left in regulation. The goal
was the game winner as the Sharks downed Columbus 1-0. That win pushed the team
to 8-6-4-2 on the road this season. McCauley is one of the veteran's that has
stepped up his game during the team's current surge. A surge that has seen the
Sharks extend a home-unbeaten streak to 11 games.
The praise however,
is to be shared by the entire squad as the full team effort has resulted in
some impressive statistics. The Sharks are amazingly 7th on the power play, 7th
on defense and 15th in overall offense.
The team defense has been
especially impressive during the current run of success. Kyle McLaren and Brad
Stuart are healthy and levying crushing, bone shattering hits that had become
trademarks of both players' games prior to a contract holdout and injuries
respectively. Both are back on track. Scott Hannan and Mike Rathje have been
stellar in their own zone and even the team's forwards have bought into Head
Coach Ron Wilson's defensive system. The team and actually, the leagues current
overall trend of defensive style hockey is definitely not the epitome of
exciting, but the Sharks are as effective as any team in the way they play the
game. If winning is the bottom line then the Sharks are well on their way back
to playoff land.
Who woulda thunk it?
Three players that
deserve special praise are Marleau, Sturm and Goalie Vesa Toskala. Marleau was
drafted, as a 17-year-old wunderkind several seasons back and until now hadn't
even come close to broaching the potential that the Sharks brain trust had
envisioned he would achieve. Marleau's 17 goals place him 7th in the league in
that category. But aside from his goal scoring exploits Marleau has been
visibly more active on the ice and is obviously more aggressive on the attack
than he has ever been. The same can be said of Sturm who has shown solid play
in both zones and has clearly taken on a stronger leadership role on the team.
Toskala stepped in for an injured Evgeni Nabokov and provided quality
net minding during the team's longest unbeaten streak (8 games) in franchise
history. Since returning from injury Nabokov has also been nailz. Nabokov is
6-2-2 since returning from a groin injury.
Jonathan Cheechoo, Nils
Ekman and Scott Parker also deserve praise. Cheechoo reminds one of a younger
Mike Ricci with a bit more of a nose in the offensive zone. The young winger
has an uncanny ability to be in the right position and his choppy skating style
and go-for-it attitude makes him one of the more exciting players to watch when
he is on the ice.
Now with his 3rd team in 2 season's Nils Ekman seems
to have found a home in San Jose. Ekman has scored big game-winners for the
team while electrifying the crowd with his skating abilities.
Parker
acquired in an off-season deal has provided the toughness and some on ice skill
that the team sorely lacked the past couple of seasons.
G.M. Doug
Wilson and Coach Wilson had hoped to attack the rest of the league with youth,
speed and team defense. Despite early failings the team has looked at itself
and made almost amazing strides in transforming the floundering guppy into the
once again proud carnivore of the Shark Tank.
Contact Steve at stevybo@yahoo.com
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