La Voz

Media Credit: Steven Cabana Down 6-1, the Sharks take to the ice at the start of the third period.

The San Jose Sharks lost an important opportunity to close the point spread between their division rival Anaheim Ducks Tuesday night. All season long, the Sharks have been in the Ducks' rearview mirror and had a chance to move within their blind spot. But after a 7-4 disappointing loss, the Sharks fell back into the rearview mirror.

But don't let the score trick you.

At the end of the second period, the Sharks fell 6-1 to the Ducks after a complete defensive collapse, allowing the Ducks to score four unanswered goals. The only highlight in the second period was Sharks' enforcer Scott Parker's battle with George Parros in match-up of the league's best heavyweights.

Now, I understand that an enforcer's role in the game is to either protect or provoke. Parker, however, took it too far. When the Sharks fell behind 2-0 early in the first period, head coach Ron Wilson sent out Parker to shift the momentum. But none of the Ducks were accepting Parker's invitation to fight.

I love to see Parker drop the gloves as much anyone, but the Ducks should be applauded for not letting the Sharks get under their skin.

No one expected the Sharks to bounce back in the third period the way they did. True, they are known as a comeback-in-the-third-period team, but five goals against the division leader is nothing less than a miracle.

Captain Patrick Marleau and forward Jonathan Cheechoo breathed new life in the game when they scored three goals, two courtesy of Cheechoo.

The miracle would have happened had Josh Gorges and Cheechoo's shots not rung off the post.

The lesson to be learned from Tuesday's disappointing loss is that you have to play defense first and let that dictate the rest of the game. All seven of the Ducks' goals were very easy goals to capitalize on, with the exception of Travis Moen's second goal of the night in the second period. The Sharks defense, which has been very reliable in shutting down the opposition, let the Ducks weave pass the blue-line like a club bouncer would let an attractive woman cut in line.

Another key lesson, one I'm sure Wilson is aware of, is to score early in the game. Until Marleau's goal in the third period, the Sharks didn't score a goal. Their first period goal came courtesy of goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere kicking in the puck after he made a save off of Mark Bell.

The team can't wait for third period heroics. The Sharks have been known to comeback with a vengeance after a disappointing loss. Hopefully, they will regroup when they face the Ducks tonight in Anaheim and not fall back anymore in the standings.

The former Pride of the Pacific need to skate with more pride if they want to prove to their critics that they are the better of the two.

Article Tools