Two painful losses. A 3-2 Overtime loss to the rival Blackhawks followed up by a 4-3 loss in a shootout to the division foes Colorado Avalanche. Including those two contests, San Jose had gone 2-5-2 in their last 9 games and had been under some scrutiny. HP Pavillion, otherwise known as the Shark Tank, was just what San Jose needed to heal their wounds, and a six game homestand couldn’t have come at a better time.
San Jose hit the ice again against Colorado, looking to get some revenge on the team that sent San Jose home with a sick feeling to their stomaches. Except through two periods of play, San Jose couldn’t seem to find their rhythem, and they had a 4-2 deficit to overcome heading into the third period of play. Brett Burns, Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture scored within a span of 4:29 to seal a dramatic come-from-behind-victory against the Avalanche. ” It finally paid off. Things have not been going our way but it was only a matter of time before it shifted our way,” expressed by captain Joe Thornton. This may have been what San Jose needed to get going.
But they couldn’t relax for long, as the young and energetic Edmonton Oilers came into the San Jose, looking to knock down one of the top teams in the west. De ja Vu, the Sharks fell behind once again. After getting off to a 1-0 lead on a goal by Martin Havlat, San Jose gave up two quick goals to Edmonton. Then the top line came through, Joe Thornton knotted up the score for San Jose at 2 a piece, and then the vet, Patrick Marleau, who has seemed to break every Sharks record possible, quite possibly the greatest San Jose Shark ever, scored the game winner for San Jose 6:11 into the third period of play. “Now we got to get a little streak going,” expressed Thornton.
San Jose didn’t blink in their next matchup against Tampa Bay, scoring 5 unanswered goals in the first period of play, as Todd Mclellans boys were dominant, winning by an impressive score of 7-2.
Call it “Duckitaitis” or whatever you want, but the San Jose Sharks can not figure out a way to defeat the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks, among the worst in the NHL, points wise, found a way to beat San Jose (for the third time this season) 3-2 in SO. They had to shake that performance off as they welcomed their arch-rival Vancouver Canucks to town. The Canucks had their number, beating San Jose 3-2 in SO. San Jose once again fell behind 2-0, but found a way to come back, but couldn’t finish. There were many hot tempers flaring, including Joe Thornton trying to pick a fight with Henrik Sedin during the commercial break.
The tough loss will be fresh in their minds as the once again take on the Canucks, Jan 2nd, on NBC sports network at 7:30 ET.
NHL STANDINGS
| Western Conference | GP | W | L | OT | PTS | ROW | GF | GA | HOME | AWAY | L10 | |
| Chicago | 38 | 24 | 10 | 4 | 52 | 20 | 125 | 107 | 14-3-3 | 10-7-1 | 8-2-0 | |
| Vancouver | 38 | 24 | 12 | 2 | 50 | 23 | 128 | 92 | 11-5-1 | 13-7-1 | 7-2-1 | |
| San Jose | 34 | 19 | 11 | 4 | 42 | 15 | 99 | 83 | 12-7-2 | 7-4-2 | 5-2-3 | |
| Minnesota | 39 | 21 | 12 | 6 | 48 | 17 | 93 | 91 | 11-5-3 | 10-7-3 | 2-5-3 | |
| Detroit | 37 | 23 | 13 | 1 | 47 | 22 | 120 | 84 | 14-2-1 | 9-11-0 | 6-4-0 | |
| St Louis | 37 | 21 | 11 | 5 | 47 | 21 | 95 | 82 | 14-3-2 | 7-8-3 | 6-2-2 | |
| Nashville | 38 | 20 | 14 | 4 | 44 | 17 | 100 | 105 | 10-6-3 | 10-8-1 | 7-3-0 | |
| Los Angeles | 38 | 18 | 14 | 6 | 42 | 15 | 82 | 89 | 10-9-1 | 8-5-5 | 5-3-2 | |
| Dallas | 36 | 20 | 15 | 1 | 41 | 18 | 96 | 105 | 11-6-1 | 9-9-0 | 5-5-0 | |
| Calgary | 39 | 18 | 16 | 5 | 41 | 17 | 96 | 106 | 10-5-2 | 8-11-3 | 4-3-3 | |
| Colorado | 39 | 20 | 18 | 1 | 41 | 14 | 104 | 113 | 13-10-0 | 7-8-1 | 7-3-0 | |
| Phoenix | 38 | 18 | 16 | 4 | 40 | 16 | 98 | 101 | 7-8-3 | 11-8-1 | 3-6-1 | |
| Edmonton | 37 | 15 | 19 | 3 | 33 | 14 | 100 | 104 | 10-6-2 | 5-13-1 | 2-8-0 | |
| Anaheim | 36 | 10 | 20 | 6 | 26 | 9 | 85 | 120 | 7-10-1 | 3-10-5 | 3-6-1 | |
| Columbus | 37 | 10 | 22 | 5 | 25 | 7 | 91 | 124 | 6-10-3 | 4-12-2 | 2-6-2 | |
| Eastern Conference | GP | W | L | OT | PTS | ROW | GF | GA | HOME | AWAY | L10 | |
| NY Rangers | 36 | 23 | 9 | 4 | 50 | 22 | 107 | 77 | 11-3-2 | 12-6-2 | 7-3-0 | |
| Boston | 34 | 24 | 9 | 1 | 49 | 21 | 121 | 64 | 13-6-1 | 11-3-0 | 8-2-0 | |
| Florida | 38 | 19 | 12 | 7 | 45 | 17 | 100 | 105 | 9-4-5 | 10-8-2 | 3-4-3 | |
| Philadelphia | 36 | 22 | 10 | 4 | 48 | 22 | 123 | 106 | 8-5-2 | 14-5-2 | 6-3-1 | |
| Pittsburgh | 38 | 21 | 13 | 4 | 46 | 18 | 121 | 100 | 11-4-2 | 10-9-2 | 5-5-0 | |
| New Jersey | 37 | 21 | 15 | 1 | 43 | 13 | 103 | 105 | 10-6-1 | 11-9-0 | 7-3-0 | |
| Winnipeg | 37 | 18 | 14 | 5 | 41 | 17 | 101 | 105 | 13-6-1 | 5-8-4 | 6-3-1 | |
| Toronto | 37 | 18 | 14 | 5 | 41 | 15 | 116 | 122 | 8-5-4 | 10-9-1 | 3-4-3 | |
| Ottawa | 38 | 18 | 15 | 5 | 41 | 15 | 117 | 131 | 11-8-1 | 7-7-4 | 5-3-2 | |
| Washington | 36 | 19 | 15 | 2 | 40 | 18 | 107 | 107 | 13-5-1 | 6-10-1 | 6-3-1 | |
| Buffalo | 37 | 17 | 17 | 3 | 37 | 15 | 98 | 109 | 9-9-3 | 8-8-0 | 3-6-1 | |
| Tampa Bay | 36 | 16 | 17 | 3 | 35 | 14 | 99 | 120 | 10-5-0 | 6-12-3 | 5-4-1 | |
| Montréal | 38 | 14 | 17 | 7 | 35 | 13 | 97 | 107 | 5-7-6 | 9-10-1 | 3-6-1 | |
| NY Islanders | 36 | 13 | 17 | 6 | 32 | 11 | 84 | 113 | 8-9-3 | 5-8-3 | 4-6-0 | |
| Carolina | 39 | 13 | 20 | 6 | 32 | 13 | 101 | 130 | 9-10-2 | 4-10-4 | 5-3-2 | |
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Written by Cole
Just your typical sports fan. Although i have no people subscribed to my news feed :(
i can't contain my thoughts within myself, i NEED to let it out. I hope you'd subscribe to my work, it would mean a lot. We all click like on facebook, so why not subscribe here?? I hope your enjoy my work and share it with your friends!
