2008 Woodie Awards
Sharks still treading water
Matt Larvey
Issue date: 4/28/08 Section: Sports
Maybe Game 7 was exactly what the San Jose Sharks needed. In the past two years, they never had a problem getting past the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. However, this year, the Calgary Flames put up a fight that forced the entire Sharks roster to realize that the remainder of the playoffs won't be coming easy.
At the brink of elimination, the Sharks were pushed into a corner. And that's exactly what they needed. Playoffs, especially in hockey, is when legends are made. And in this series, there were three Sharks who deserve recognition.
Oh Captain, my captain. Okay, he's no Abraham Lincoln, but Patrick Marleau took a beating in game 3 that many hockey analysts saw as the catalyst for the Sharks to regain the series lead. Marleau, unphased by his disappointing regular season, wore the red badge of courage and led his troops to a decisive series victory.
Give him the Vezina trophy already! The award is "given to the goalkeeper adjudged to be the best at this position as voted by the general managers of all NHL clubs." After being worked like a dog during the regular season, playing 77 of 82 games, Nabokov showed no signs of being tired. His former teammate and counterpart in the last series, Mikka Kippursoff, was pulled twice while Nabokov managed to keep his cool between the pipes.
And of course, Jeremy Roenick. Every Sharks' follower must have been shaking his/her head when Doug Wilson brought the decorated-yet-worn-out Roenick to San Jose. But Roenick, true to his character, proved all the critics wrong. He had a great regular season, and was the key reason the Sharks managed to walk away with a Game 7 victory last week. His four-point performance in the final series game will live down in Sharks' history.
Now what? Well, the lessons have been learned. Now its time for the Sharks to take what they've learned and experienced, and set sail for the remainder of the playoffs.
Their next matchup comes against division and playoff rivals Dallas Stars. In order to get to the Western Conference, they need to shut down Mike Modano and company, or else the Sharks will look to yet another great season ending with a dismal playoff performance.
At the brink of elimination, the Sharks were pushed into a corner. And that's exactly what they needed. Playoffs, especially in hockey, is when legends are made. And in this series, there were three Sharks who deserve recognition.
Oh Captain, my captain. Okay, he's no Abraham Lincoln, but Patrick Marleau took a beating in game 3 that many hockey analysts saw as the catalyst for the Sharks to regain the series lead. Marleau, unphased by his disappointing regular season, wore the red badge of courage and led his troops to a decisive series victory.
Give him the Vezina trophy already! The award is "given to the goalkeeper adjudged to be the best at this position as voted by the general managers of all NHL clubs." After being worked like a dog during the regular season, playing 77 of 82 games, Nabokov showed no signs of being tired. His former teammate and counterpart in the last series, Mikka Kippursoff, was pulled twice while Nabokov managed to keep his cool between the pipes.
And of course, Jeremy Roenick. Every Sharks' follower must have been shaking his/her head when Doug Wilson brought the decorated-yet-worn-out Roenick to San Jose. But Roenick, true to his character, proved all the critics wrong. He had a great regular season, and was the key reason the Sharks managed to walk away with a Game 7 victory last week. His four-point performance in the final series game will live down in Sharks' history.
Now what? Well, the lessons have been learned. Now its time for the Sharks to take what they've learned and experienced, and set sail for the remainder of the playoffs.
Their next matchup comes against division and playoff rivals Dallas Stars. In order to get to the Western Conference, they need to shut down Mike Modano and company, or else the Sharks will look to yet another great season ending with a dismal playoff performance.
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