Looking back at January, and the very real possibility of an altogether lackluster season for the San Jose Sharks, I don’t see how — OK, aside from the massive losing streak and early playoff elimination — you look at what the Sharks managed to do this season and be all that disappointed. The team opened the season with a franchise-best nine wins before their first loss — not to mention Patty Marleau tying the all-time NHL record with goals in each of the first four games of the season. Talk about a statement from Captain Gutless, eh, JR?

From a management and roster perspective, the big story of the regular season was, of course, the big names, both traded away and acquired: in particular Doug Murray (to the Penguins) and Ryane Clowe (now a Ranger). Now, I love these guys to death, but those moves were astonishing in their addition-by-subtraction nature.

The team had simply gotten too slow to compete in certain facets of the game, and what a hat tip is due to management for pulling the trigger and moving these guys. The decision to make those changes had to rest on confidence in a number of areas including how well the team can do with the spades of draft picks now available to the Sharks in both 2013 and 2014, as well as the more immediate issues of trusting available to call-ups from Worcester, and the ability to make a move for another key piece or two to help build a complete team. Like picking up Raffi Torres (*ducks and covers* — we’re getting used to doing that here in Bay Area, not on account of the earthquakes, but rather how y’all tend to throw things and boo and hiss when we drop that particular name).

As any Sharks fan knows, the nail biting really gets underway in the playoffs. The first round this year, however, the boys in teal were a whole lot of fun to watch. After attaining the 6 seed in the west, the Sharks proceeded to sweep the Vancouver Canucks in the first round. (Sweep! And I don’t mean that to be a swipe at Vancouver, at least not any more than it obviously is.) In doing so, the Sharks, no doubt, shook off some playoff demons and nightmares from match-ups past. And rudely provided fans and media, both, with what eventually turned out to be false hope about the prospects for the match-up in round 2.

I really don’t mean to come down too hard on the team here. The Sharks did indeed take the defending Stanley Cup champions to a seventh game in the conference semi-finals. Yes, they lost that game, in a grinding 2-1 defeat. But as a fan, you sense something unusual: a feeling of disappointment THAT the team lost, which is a real departure from years past, where the disappointment was aggravated by HOW the team lost. Team Teal has certainly done itself no favor in trying to shake the title of “chokers” during its previous eight consecutive years’ worth of postseason appearances.

In this year’s playoffs, though, it seems like this Sharks team finally managed to rid the franchise of that albatross; at the very least, I felt like they at least began to make that case, short of winning it all. This team was not one you could say went down without a fight. In fact, we saw a team that stayed in the fight, and that took that fight all the way down to the wire. They lost in game seven, they lost by a goal, and they lost by playing one hell of a series, after simply demolishing a familiar and fearsome foe the series before.

No, that doesn’t change how playoff elimination, especially in a close seventh game, is a gut-wrenching experience. I’m not trying to be a soothsayer in that regard. But, as I wrote at the very beginning of the season, this is not a team in as bad a shape as some people would have you believe. The coaching staff has, I think, proven themselves worthy. As the roster evolved over the season, it, perhaps improbably, became an entirely better lineup than at the beginning of the year, despite a lot of people thinking the roster was in more or less intractable shape.

The cabinet of prospects, bare as could be back in January, is now flush with picks in what was going to be an otherwise slim couple of drafts in 2013 and 2014. Leadership among the team seems to be managing an incredibly graceful transition: Marleau, Joe Thornton and Dan Boyle — all UFAs at the end of next season, as it happens — as the grizzled vets providing guidance and voices of experience, with Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski well-poised to take the reins for the future, playing in front of Antti Niemi who’s under contract in net for the next couple years yet.

Another season gone by, culminating in playoff disappointment for the San Jose Sharks. You’d be right to suspect frustration as the primary outcome. But if you ask me, the future is looking a good bit brighter than it was at the start of the season, and that’s an altogether pleasant surprise. Of course, every Sharks fan wants to see the boys win a Cup, but if this is plan B, it sure beats some of the other options, like just blowing the team up.

Finally I know I speak for all of us here in the Bay Area when I wish good luck to the Bruins and the Blackhawks as they head into Game 2 in the greatest sporting battle of them all, the Stanley Cup Final. May the half-a-championship* go to the best team, indeed.

* – I’m kidding, I’m kidding! You people are so sensitive about the impending record-book asterisk, aren’t you!?

1. Martin Havlat

In March of 2012, I took my youngest son to his first hockey game. Sharks-Kings at Staples in Los Angeles.  His older brother was a big fan and would accompany me to almost every home game. After multiple times of asking him, my younger son finally surrendered and agreed to come to his first game. Early in the game, Martin Havlat scored a goal, looked up into the stands, and as if staring directly at my son, flipped off the crowd, and yelled “fuck-off!” It was as if he was speaking directly to my son. He was 8 years old at the time (my son, not Havlat). Really? What a classy guy. Thanks Marty! 

2. Joe Thornton

In April of 2011, After Joe Thornton scored the game-winning goal in a first round Playoff game against the Kings in Los Angeles; he decided that winning the game was just not enough. He thought that antagonizing the crowd was just what was needed. Right after he scored, he blew a big kiss to the LA crowd. Classy move Captain! 

When was the last time Kopitar, Richards, Hossa, Toews, Bergeron or any other elite forward blew a kiss at the crowd after scoring? Nope. Just Joe. And maybe Steve Ott. Nice company, Joe. 

3. Ryan Clowe

A picture tells the whole story. And it wasn’t even a penalty!  AND he even denied doing it. AND he still denied doing it AFTER seeing the video. WTF?!?

So, the Kings will have their hands full with the Hawks in the Conference Final. But it feels awfully good to beat the Sharks in the playoffs. Almost as good as winning the Stanley Cup last year. And as for the Sharks? Well, let’s stay classy. Better luck next year!

I suppose I should be grateful to have been able to watch the Canucks play any hockey at all considering the entire season was nearly a complete write-off due to the NHL lockout that lasted for 113 days. But honestly, I was having more fun during the lockout than watching the often tedious and uninspiring hockey played by the Canucks.

It is essentially the same core team from two years ago. Minus Cody Hodgson (don’t get me started). But they sure didn’t play like that Cup-contending team. I fondly remember when the Canucks would score SHGs, or would score the game-tying goal with 10 seconds left in the third period, then win in overtime. Or when the Sedins would dazzle us with their displays of hockey wizardry.

But this season the Canucks struggled on almost every front. Defense was wobbly and woeful. Goals were as rare as sightings of Tim Thomas. Goaltending was strong, but mired in the drama of having two starting goalies, which Cory and Roberto lampooned in an amusing video segment for TSN. And key players were constantly getting injured.

The Kassian Konundrum

Zack Kassian started off the season impressively while playing on the first line with the Sedins. Of the 7 goals he scored, 5 of them were while playing with the Glimmer Twins during the first two weeks of the season. But as soon as he was moved off the first line his play went to hell in a hand-basket, scoring a total of 11 points for the entire season.

On the other hand, the guy we traded to get Kassian, Cody Hodgson, earned three times more points (34) and scored twice as many goals (15). That unfortunately did not help the Buffalo Sabres much. They slipped from 19th in the NHL last season to 23rd this season. But the Canucks slipped further, from 1st in the NHL last season to 8th this season.

Nearly all Canucks writers still feel the Hodgson/Kassian trade was a good deal for Canucks. I think it’s complete bullshit. Just because Cody didn’t single-handedly lead the Sabres to the Playoffs does not make him any less talented. And the old “but he wanted out of Vancouver” excuse is weak. Yes, he wanted out of Vancouver because Vigneault and Gillis completely mis-managed that relationship and treated him poorly. The Canucks have faltered ever since Cody was traded away prior to last year’s Playoffs, and none of the new players acquired since have done as well.

Goalie Imbroglio

The mishandling of the goalie situation was the biggest mess and distraction for the Canucks. Cory Schneider was named the new starting goalie for this season while Roberto Luongo, with his enormous contract, remained on the roster. Then, in early April, Twitter was aflutter with hyperventilating fans who were preparing for the end of the Luongo era when he was called off the ice by Canucks management minutes before the trade deadline.

But nothing happened. A trade never materialized, which meant Luongo was stuck being Number 1 Backup Goalie for the rest of the season. I don’t know the intricate details of why a deal never happened, but, I’m pretty sure this was the biggest fuck-up by General Manager Mike Gillis so far. It will no doubt be a drama that continues to play out during the off-season.

Vilifying Vigneault

Poor Alain Vigneault. The giggling, gum-chewing Head Coach didn’t have a chance against the pitchfork-wielding public who were calling for his head even before the Playoffs began.

Lots of people found Vigneault’s hands-off, laissez-faire coaching style a teensy bit off-putting while his team was quickly spiraling downward. I mean, if I were the Canucks coach, I’d be screaming and throwing shit around the locker room Tortorella-style. Perhaps he did, I have no idea. But whatever he was doing late last season and all of this season was just not working. The constant experimenting and tweaking of lines befuddled bloggers and started the “Fire AV” drumbeat that got louder and louder after each Playoff game loss.

Eventually those calling for Vigneault’s head got their wish. He and two of his assistant coaches were fired by Mike Gillis last week.

Gillllyyyyy!!

I’m amazed that, after mis-handling the Luongo trade and leaving the team without a strong Center for much of the season when he ended Manny Malhotra’s hockey-playing career, Mike Gillis is still the Canucks GM. Many point to him as the real reason for Canucks’ dilemma, and Vigneault was simply trying to work with what Gillis inadequately provided. But like the “Gilly” character played by Kristen Wiig on SNL, Gillis has yet to pay a price for the mischief he has caused. Or even say “Sorry.”

But now that Vigneault is gone, Gillis is left holding the bag full of problems that still plague the Canucks, including the additional burden of finding a new coach who can work with the team he’s assembled. But if the team continues to flounder and he flubs the Luongo trade, it’s possible Gillis could be looking for a new job this time next year.

Millionaires in Six Seconds

While there was plenty to bitch about, there were a few redeeming moments during this truncated travesty of a season.

Canucks management got a lot of feel-good mileage when they introduced the Millionaires replica uniforms worn during the game with the Detroit Red Wings on March 16th. I was really looking forward to seeing them play in those uniforms and loved how they celebrated Vancouver’s long, rich hockey history and contributions to the sport we know and love today.

When Alex Burrows scored the first goal just 6 seconds into the game, breaking the Canucks record for fastest goal scored, I thought maybe this could be the turning point as they channeled Fred “Cyclone” Taylor and the Cup-winning Millionaires from 1915. No such luck. Detroit ended up trouncing the Canucks 5-2. We haven’t seen those Millionaires uniforms since.

Oops, this is supposed to be about happy moments. Back on course…

Henrik Breaks Stuff

Thanks to my Canucks-season-ticket-holding Fairy Godmother, Mary, I was at the game on February 15 when Henrik Sedin broke the Canucks all-time scoring record. He scored his 757th career point, surpassing Markus Naslund who previously held that record. The entire stadium erupted into a long, boisterous standing ovation. The only thing missing was a large bouquet of flowers presented to Henrik and an encore. Unfortunately, the Canucks ended up losing that game to the Dallas Stars by one point.

There I go again! Stay positive, Tom.

BizNasty No Longer a Dickhead

In my “Biggest Dickheads” post at the beginning of January, I included Paul Bissonnette (BizNasty), who plays for the Phoenix Coyotes, after a dust-up with him on Twitter last year. One night after the Coyotes played Canucks here in Vancouver, I posted another snarky tweet about him that I was sure he wouldn’t see because he had blocked me.

Well, he saw it and re-tweeted it. But surprisingly he unblocked me and we ended up having a private chat on Twitter that was short but sweet. Paul wanted to let me know that, while some of his followers may have hurled homophobic slurs at me, he supports gay rights and has no problem with gay people. I thought it was pretty nice of him to reach out like that. Now I can go back to thinking he’s hot again.

Most Unforgettable Canucks Tweet of the Season

One last moment that I can never forget was when injured Canucks backup goalie Eddie Lack sent out this tweet in early March:

No, he wasn’t talking about Alex Semin. A photo accompanied his tweet which showed a bicycle seat splashed with spooge! For realz!! Lack emphatically claimed in a followup tweet that he did not do it. And I believe him. But, wow, I don’t think any other professional hockey player can top that tweet, not even BizNasty.

Thanks for the Memories

This is my final post for PuckBuddys. It’s been an absolute honor to be the first writer recruited for this ground-breaking hockey blog, but I’m, afraid I must resign my position as both Canucks writer and Western Conference Bureau Chief. When Craig and Doug asked me to be a contributor in the Summer of 2011, I thought they must be high or drunk or both because I knew nothing about hockey and was a newly-minted Canucks fan. So of course I said “Yes!” Since then, they’ve built an impressive stable of writers who provide the best rainbow-colored commentary about hockey you can find on the Internet. I’m proud to have been a part of it.

You can still find me on Twitter (@GayCanuck) making snarky, bitchy comments about hockey and Glee. Over and out. XO, Tom, a.k.a. GayCanuck

[Editors’ Note: We thank Tom for his service, good cheer and panache. He’s responsible for our single biggest traffic day (Ohai, Naked Kesler), and the banner we have at the top of the site. With any luck, we can talk (cajole) him into helping us with our off-season site redesign. Replacing him won’t be easy and we’ll start the search for his replacement immediately. The audition process promises to be rigorous; we’re looking for verve, sass and style. Extra credit will be granted in both the talent portion and swimsuit competition. Inquire within.]

Not that you should believe the playoffs are in the picture; per the preseason power rankings at ESPN, where the Sharks get burned, appearing in 23rd place, just above Edmonton. Ouch.

So let me ask you to stop shoveling dirt for a moment, and make a good old homer-tastic prediction: San Jose is actually going to squeak into the playoffs this season. To go with that, a decidedly un-homer pair of predictions: their window for the Cup has closed, and the team is probably about a year or so from getting blown up.

The Sharks are going to make the playoffs. It’s a largely unchanged squad from last season, once Brent Burns is back from surgery recovery and yeti training camp or whatever explains his most recent team head shot, and Jason Demers’ hand is fully healed. In this shortened season, so long as the squad manages to stay healthy — a big stipulation — then they should be well suited to hit the ground running.

Todd McLellan

Staffing is largely the same, coaching is largely the same. That stability counts when you have almost no prep time and each game is almost double the fraction of the season it normally is.  The shortened season also acts to mitigate one of the major concerns of the Sharks: the aging core of the team: Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Dan Boyle, and Ryane Clowe are all a year older. (So is everyone else, of course, but they’re not he ones taking heat about age being a detriment.)

But we’re playing a 48-game season here, so — and again, this is a big stipulation — as long as injuries don’t plague the team because of the compressed schedule, the grind of the full season won’t have time to wear the team down as it usually would for the playoffs.Anecdotally, this team seems to like to hit a fairly lengthy midwinter streak where they string together a bunch of wins. There’s no science or math in this, so take it with a grain of salt, but based on the shortened time frame of this calendar, if that streak comes again this year, it could happen at a very good time: the final push to the playoffs.

Rumors are louder this year than in the past that the core of this team may not make it through the season. I suspect these calls to blow up the team are a still a bit premature, but probably not by much — though of course if things have gone horribly wrong by the trade deadline, all bets are off.

I think there’s one more year or so left with the current roster in place. Look at it this way: Doug Wilson loves to make deals. He loves to move the pieces to try something new. Since the end of last season, though, not a whole lot has happened to that end: free agents Brad Stuart and Adam Burish were signed to deals by San Jose; several UFAs were allowed to walk.

That is not DW-level deal-making, kids. If blowing up the team was the best move at the end of last season, we’d at least see some bolts being loosened so that things fall apart this year. You’ve got to figure that means he (and/or ownership) thinks the team is pretty much in as good a shape as it can be for the season ahead. But that also suggests rightly that the cupboard is pretty bare. Major changes are on the horizon, no doubt, but as long as the team is looking at a realistic chance of making the playoffs, it happens after the Cup is awarded at the earliest.

The Sharks have the experience, a system that they’ve managed to ride to the playoffs several years running, and a staff that’s largely unchanged. I think that plays in their favor given the challenges the short season of 2013 presents, so I’m going with “they’re in”.

For essentially the same reasons as above, though, I think history has shown that situation, which works to get to the playoffs, doesn’t seem to convert to playoff hockey with the same effectiveness. I won’t point fingers and issue blame. Yet. That’s what the post-season writeup is for. But I think the experience is also there to suggest that, without some changes, what’s currently in place is not going to cut it when it comes to winning a Stanley Cup.

And if I’m wrong about that last prediction, what the hell, it’s feasting on crow, dressed head to toe in teal, at a Stanley Cup championship parade in San Jose. I can totally live with that.

Now LET’S DROP THE PUCK!

That said, I should probably just go ahead and come out. No, not like that — the masthead says it clearly enough, “boys who like boys who like hockey”. (Heyo!)  What I mean to say is that I play inline hockey. While I’m sure that’s bound to bring a wave of scorn and derision from the rest of the hockey-playing PuckBuddys crew, the jeers are welcome, because hockey’s just too much fun to care!  There’s volumes to be written on comparing the two sports, and maybe someday we’ll get around to it. A good topic to keep in the hopper in case, say, we happen to have a distinct lack of NHL-related things to cover. *cough cough*

But enough about that.  I’m so glad to be able to write my intro post here to mark a year of playing hockey myself, but far beyond that, it’s been a crazy year around the NHL, the hockey world, and here in Sharks Country.

The You Can Play Team has formed, with the mission of ensuring sports are an environment where it’s safe and cool to be a gay person. And aside from the awesomeness of the project in general, of specific interest to the Sharks community is that the Team is led by one of our own, Tommy Wingels. Inspiring, heroic stuff on his part (and speaking personally, much appreciated)! I know, I could go on, but it’s preaching to the choir around these parts. Ya’ll just go get you some Wingels jerseys, OK? And a YCP T-shirt, of course!

The Sharks had a grueling end of the 2011-12 regular season, topped off with a home-and-away versus the dastardly LA Kings, which also turned out to be a battle for 7th and 8th seed in the Western Conference playoffs.  Our lovable team in teal twice beat the Kings, earning the supposedly-better 7th seed, leaving the Kings to fight the harder battle from 8th. Long story short, the Sharks totally bounced in the first round and did not win the Stanley Cup.*

It’s the endeavor of the Sharks organization to finish turning the corner it feels like they’ve been trying to turn for several years now, dating back to around the time Sharks GM Doug Wilson pulled off one of the Most Awesome of Awesome Trades(tm) to acquire one “Big Joe” Thornton. The Sharks are, of late, such an exciting team to follow in the regular season, making almost every game entertaining and a worthwhile watch (not to mention justifying the cable bill!).

I wrote a whole paragraph here about playoff disappointment and all the same stereotypical — and, sadly, empirically true — things about the Sharks, but no more of that, eh? Beat that disappointment, elevate the game, particularly in the playoffs. Shut everyone up by making a deep run. That’s the goal. That’s the charge. Go, fight, win. Eighty-two games to get in good position, then sixteen hellaciously hard-fought postseason victories. That’s the mission from here, boys and girls.

I can’t wait to see how it goes this time: “next year” is just, if you can believe it, a half-dozen weeks away. And I’m so, so excited to be a part of the PuckBuddys team, to chronicle the NHL season that’s about to commence for the San Jose Sharks, and have a blast with all of you while things unfold.

Well, unless there’s a lockout…

* – The Kings had a somewhat different outcome of their postseason, you may recall. They did not, in fact, bounce in the first round and did, in fact, win the Stanley Cup. Funny, that.

Gloria Nieto

A guest piece from Gloria and Emily, longtime readers, activists and Sharks fans. We first met Emily last April when she sent us a great video she produced that riffed on the NHL’s “History will be made” campaign.

We got to know Gloria last summer while she was lobbying the Sharks to do an “It Gets Better” Video. In an odd twist of timing, right on the heels of the Wayne Simmonds – Sean Avery incident, the team’s front office declined. 

But fully jazzed by the launch of You Can Play, Gloria and Emily took and LGBT Night with the Sharks game last week, and got to see the Tommy Wingels PSA aired in the arena. Gloria (@sjgloria on Twitter), and Emily report that they’re headed back to the Tank Monday night tonight for the Avalanche game, and they’ll be getting a tour of the TV production set up there. And in another case of timing, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, will air a feature on Tommy and his involvement with YCP during the pregame show. At the end, we’re happy to debut Emily’s latest video: “You Can Cheer “

Jess Hutchins and Robert Parra

“Monday, March 19 was Pride Night at the Tank with the San Jose Sharks. Over 400 LGBT fans were part of the 17,000 sell out crowd watching the Sharks take on Conference rival the Anaheim Ducks.

Unfortunately for Shark fans we did not come away with the W and lost ground in the race for the Cup. San Jose Pride President Nathan Svoboda was there and had this to say about Pride night.

“LGBT Night with the Sharks is doing great. San Jose Pride is always working with the Sharks organization.  This is an annual event. We continue to work on this and it will continue to get bigger and bigger.”

Cynthia Lacuesta

The Sharks also ran, for the first time, their video of Sharks player, Tommy Wingels talking about the new You Can Play Project. Take a look here to see what our local hero is doing to end homophobia in the locker room.

It was just announced today that Wingels has been nominated for the Masterston trophy for his work on You Can Play. 

We are certainly lucky to have such great momentum in Silicon Valley for ending homophobia.  Now, boys, about those playoffs…”

We really don’t buy into numerology, or for that matter astrology, Scientology or ideology; only Capsology.   But we couldn’t help but notice in last night’s dispiriting shutout, the ominous recurrence of a certain digit: Number Eight.

Eight Is Enough: Last night was the Caps Eighth shutout of the season, the highest number since the Ninety-Eight season.

They Love the Phone Booth:  The Sharks record at Verizon now stands at Eight wins in 10 games.  The Sharks have now racked up Eight wins in their last 9 games overall.

The Great Two-Eight: The return of Sasha had been long anticip8ed.  He looked a bit rusty but all-in-all OK for not having played since January Eight. 

He racked up nearly Eighteen minutes (17:47) of ice time on 16 (divisible by Eight) shifts. 

Sasha showed some fancy stick work and passing but couldn’t find the twine.   Nearly Eight minutes into the game, he drilled one from the right side, was tapped and the puck  wound up between Neimi’s legs.

Due to a poor call by the refs, their first of at least Eight, the goal was washed out.  Goalus Interuptus. 

Haute Couture:  The hot rookie, Logan Couture, racked up his Eighth GWG of the season, his 24th overall, and he leads the league. He broke the scoreless tie with Eight minutes remaining in the third.

The Great Eight:  Basically a null-set for Alex last night.  We’ll have to W8 just a little bit longer.

MP Eight-Five: After the game, Matthieu Perrault talked to the media.

He said Saturday’s game against the LA Kings, ahead of our long Eight day road trip next week will be, “huge… a must win.” 

Don’t get us started on must wins again.  That has to be out Eighth must-win game in the last few weeks. 

Go Green:  Missing from the line up last night was Mike Green.  Did anyone count up the number of stitches he got?  Why do I have the feeling that there are at least Eight?

Coach’s Corner:

“They decided to get cute because they had a bit of success. If you don’t stick with a game plan, bad things usually happen.”

“We didn’t seem to want to shoot until we got down 2-0… We didn’t get opportunities because we didn’t deserve opportunities.” 

“They (Sharks) played a pretty good shutdown game and they worked harder than us.”

“He (Neuvy) played good for 51 minutes.  If you want to be a GR8 goalie in this league, when the game is on the line, you’ve got to be the one to make sure you stop those goals.”

Teams We H8:  Both the Bolts and Pens dropped games last night.  Those losses could not have come on a better night.  Losing 7-4 and 4-1 respectively, the goal totals for both games was 16 (again, divisible by Eight). 

A Man of Few Words:  Fredo Speaks

A Night To Not Remember:  This all happened on February Eighth.  We were idiots and played the 9 horse in yesterday’s feature at Aqueduct.

All photos: Susan Walsh, Associated Press

Maybe it’s the sunshine today and that the faint breath of Spring in the air.  Perhaps it’s the news that PB-favs Joe B, Locker and Smokin’ Al have seen their ratings jump 29% in the last year – third best nationally!  Or it could just be the Jack in our sippy cups.

Whatever the reason, today we’re walkin’ a lil’ bit lighter (don’t…) and feelin’ good about the Caps’ fishin’ expedition at Verizon tonight.  And why not, after our last two outings?  Friday’s return to Caps Old Form might have been written off as a fluke, we worried, were it not for Sunday’s even manlier trouncing of the Pens.

And in news that’s sure to make fanbois everywhere all aflutter, Alexander Semin returns to the ice tonight!  This is good news on several levels – in part because an aggressive AS could be just the extra push the Caps appeared to need if they hope to make playoffs.  And because PuckBuddy Craig was considering holding a vigil at Sasha’s house.  I see stalking charges!

But all is not unicorns and peppermints in Red World…not that we consider either a good thing.  Greenie’s still out with rumors of something that may resemble – or be – a concussion.  (He’s up and around, though, and sporting a healthy souvenir from Sunday, as Chris Gordon twitpic’d.)  Fehr and Poti also remain scratched; their return is not looking so good.

And the Sharks have been biting lately (hahahaha…the Sharks have…oh nevermind) as they aim to bump their winning streak to four.  Neuvy and Varly may be walling off the net, but the Sharks’ Antti Nieti is no (Stanley Cup-winning) pushover in the twine.

We could go on about the strong shark line Joe Pavelski and Patrick Marleau help comprise, or the defense work of “Danny Boy” Boyle.  But that’s not why we’re here.  So here’s your hockeymeat.

Our hope for tonight is that we make fast work of these Sharks.  Come to think about it, I could use a little sashimi.