San Jose Sharks on Thin Ice at Home 12-08-07

San Jose Sharks on Thin Ice at Home

“I don’t know if we were as mentally focused and prepared as we should have been.”--Mike Grier

By Barbara Mason
Bay Area Sports Drive/Raiderdrive.com

The San Jose Sharks were hoping to continue their winning ways as they took on the Buffalo Sabres at HP Pavilion Saturday night. The Sharks were on a four-game winning streak, which had ushered them onto the top of the heap in the Pacific Division. They have been playing very good hockey on the road; however, home ice has been a challenge from the beginning of the season.

The Buffalo Sabres, on the other hand, have had a miserable road trip out West, getting trounced by the Anaheim Ducks (4-1) and the Los Angeles Kings (8-2). They just have not been able to handle the physicality they have encountered, and the San Jose Sharks had hoped to bring on three periods of blistering hits in their game against the Eastern Division visitors Saturday night.

The problem that the San Jose Sharks have been having all year is winning at home, a real disappointment, since they used to be such a threat at home. They have to prove that they can win at home and have yet to figure out what that winning formula is. This is crucial for the Sharks, since they will play seven of their next eight games at HP.

San Jose came out strong in the first period. Shark goalie Evgeni Nabokov defended 10 shots on goal in the opening period. “He’s given us absolutely incredible goaltending from the first game of the season right up to now,” said Sharks defenseman Craig Rivet. “He’s been the backbone for us all year,” he said. At 14:01 in the first period, San Jose’s Ozolinsh scored his second goal of the season, assisted by Joe Pavelski (5th assist) and Patrick Marleau, for the first score of the evening and the early lead. The period ended with the score 1-0.

The last thing that the Sharks expected in the second period was the intensity that the Sabres came out with. They put up two scores in less than ten minutes, taking the lead and showing that, yes, they could handle a physical onslaught and come out on top. The speed and physical nature that San Jose had come out with in the first period was extinguished in the second period--it just seemed to vanish. Buffalo was not finished with San Jose in the second period, scoring their third goal of the evening and extending their lead to 3-1, as the Sharks inconsistent play at home continued to hamper them. It only got worse as the Sabres added another goal to bring the tally to four, and all San Jose could hope for was the end of the period and a chance to regroup. Buffalo danced through this period, outskating, outmaneuvering, and out shooting the Sharks the entire period. San Jose had twice as many power plays, coming up empty on all of them. Buffalo’s Ales Kotalik (8th goal), Tim. Connolly (4th goal), Michael Ryan (2nd goal), and Paul Gaustad (5th goal) all came away with goals in the second period and a 4-1 lead.

The third period saw Patzold take over goalie duties, giving Nabokov a breather. San Jose was in danger of their suspect home record taking another hit as the final period got underway. The Sharks had two more power plays in the period, bringing that total to 6 for the evening, every one of them yielding absolutely nothing. A situation that should mean an advantage for the team has meant virtually nothing this season for San Jose. A fifth goal by Buffalo, followed by number six and shortly thereafter seven, sealed the win for Buffalo; and San Jose came away with another disappointing and, frankly, embarrassing loss at home, 7-1. With less than a minute left in the game, a scuffle behind the San Jose net broke out, clearly defining the frustration that the Sharks were feeling.

“Awful mistakes, just not being sharp,” said Sandis Ozolinsh as he described the way the game played out Saturday. The only goal of the evening for San Jose came off his stick. “There was no composure, no patience. We basically expected things to happen. I have to be way better than I was, and I wasn’t. That’s not the way to make things happen,” he said.

“We made a lot of errors that we can’t make. Every night, you have to be ready to work; and there are things you can’t do against that team, and we expressed it before the game,” said Mike Grier after the game. “Not get pucks deep and make soft plays, and we did that. They are one of the best transition teams in the league and they made us pay for it. I don’t know if we were as mentally focused and prepared as we should have been,” he concluded.

The San Jose Sharks have got to find a way to win at home or the next seven of eight games that will be played at home could mean a virtual disaster. While Mike Grier did not have the answers to their lack of success, he did state plain and simple the reality of what is going on at home for the Sharks. “We can’t afford to let any more points go at home.” It’s as simple as that for the San Jose Sharks.