3:33 of Bliss, 56:27 of Agony

For three minutes and thirty-three seconds last night, I was never, ever so excited to be a Sharks fan (except maybe on the day the Sharks traded for Joe Thornton). At 3:33 of their third playoff game vs a very tough Calgary Flames team, the Sharks looked like they completely owned this series. They came out fast, skating like the wind and crashing the net with an intensity I’ve never seen before. Calgary looked shellshocked. 3:33 in and they were wide-eyed and scrambling for their playoff lives. These Sharks looked nigh-unstoppable.

Then Mike Keenan called a timeout and pulled Mikka Kiprusoff in favor of backup Curtis Joseph. Keenan is known for pulling a goalie at the drop of a puck, so pulling Kipper didn’t seem like that much of a stretch. He sent a message to his team.

At 3:34 of the first period, things started to turn. The Sharks started playing their conservative, defense-first style which works late in a game when you’re trying to protect a lead, but not when you have 56:27 to go in a playoff game. Having a three goal lead and lots of momentum with almost an entire game left to play doesn’t amount to anything if you start playing prevent defense. It might work in the regular season, but this is the playoffs. No team in the playoffs worth its playoff salt is just going to lie down and die.

And that’s exactly what Calgary did last night. They responded to the three goals. They started skating. They started hitting. They made passes. They forechecked and put pressure on the Sharks. It seems like the roles reversed from the first few minutes of the game. The Sharks started to look bewildered. Calgary then did what was probably the smartest play in the entire game: they went after Patrick Marleau, driving him into the boards with a vicious hit.

Anyone that follows the Sharks from a more casual perspective is probably thinking “Well, so what? So what if they went after Marleau? It’s not like he’s Joe Thornton.” Anyone that watches Sharks playoff hockey knows that Marleau is the guy that stirs the drink in the playoffs. He pretty much beat Nashville single-handed in last year’s opening round until Detroit figured out how much impact he has in the playoffs and shut him down. Calgary seemed to take a play out of the Detroit playbook and employed the same strategy. Every time they were near Marleau, they hit him. They took him off his game. And they took the Sharks off their game.

Calgary rallied because they never stopped attacking. The crowd got back into the game (and Calgary has one of the loudest, most passionate crowds I have ever seen). The team got an important win in the series and an important psychological advantage in the series. Right now, the Flames own the momentum and the advantage. And the next game is on home ice.

The Sharks have a lot to overcome.

Joe Thornton needs to prove he is a playoff performer. Joe Thornton dominates in the regular season. With his combination of size, physicality, playmaking and scoring, Joe is a force to be reckoned with. His skill level far surpasses many players in the league and he can control the entire tempo of a game. He needs to elevate his game in the playoffs because he has been a non-factor thus far. The Sharks need more than two assists out of their franchise player. Joe needs to shoot more too… he has a wicked shot. Use it.

Bench Milan Michalek. Milan is great player, but he’s been a non-factor so far. A benching might be a good wakeup call.

Whatever happened to Brian Campbell? Oh Soupy, where did you go? I miss you so. Brian Campbell was another great trade pulled off by GM Doug, and it reaped immediate dividends in the regular season (anyone remember the 18 game unbeaten streak?). Campbell brought smooth skating, passing and offensive flair to the blueline, which the Sharks definitely needed. The other thing he brought was unpredictability. He needs to jump into and lead the play more often. This creates mismatches… this has defensemen exclaiming “holy crap” because they’re never quite sure what to do. This sort of play will win you hockey games. Let the lad run wild. Take the fight to them.

Clone Ryane Clowe. I had my suspicions that Ryane Clowe would be a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs and I was right. I would give him the Conn Smythe trophy right now, if there weren’t fifteen more games that need to be won. The no-look goal he scored last night showed he’s got as much skill as he has brawn. He hits everything in sight, yet is always in the play, creating, and driving to the net. The rest of the team needs to watch what this guy does and do as he does… he knows how to play playoff hockey.

Skate, hit and drive to the net. Playoff hockey really comes down to a couple of things: fundamentals and intensity. The Sharks need to improve both. Skate like your life depends on it, every shift. Hit everyone in sight… never stop hitting. And crash the net. Fancy shooting will not get you many goals in the playoffs, but there’s always a lot of garbage that can be swept into the net. (See Ryane Clowe, above).

Prevent defense prevents you from winning. The more time you spend playing defense in your own end, the more likely you are to lose. The Sharks are one of the best teams in the league at protecting a lead… just don’t start protecting that lead with 56 minutes to go in a game.

The Jody Shelley Factor… or lack thereof. The Sharks got steam rolled last night. Shelley should have been on the ice immediately after the Marleau hit with an answer waiting for Iginla or Phaneuf. If they attack your star players, be prepared to answer twofold. Bring a gun to the knife fight. Don’t just buckle like a belt. Let Jody go out there to do what he does best… by being physical and creating room for your more skilled players.

Watch out for the guy crashing the net on the weak side. You guys have beaten the Flames with this play on the powerplay. And they’ve used it to beat you on their powerplay. More than once. When you have four guys standing in front of your own net, make sure at least one of them is watching the weak side.

I know it seems I’m ranting and complaining a lot, but this is my team. I bleed teal at this time of the year and really love what this organization has built over the last few years. I think we’ve got a truly special team… one that could win it all. But last night showed me they’re lacking that crucial killer instinct and intensity to get the job done (which was a problem in the regular season as well, except in the last 20 or so). The Sharks had that killer instinct for 3:33, but they need to have it for a full 60 minutes. Just because you’re up early doesn’t mean you stop attacking. This is the playoffs. Keep attacking.

Rant over. And for the record, I didn’t pick on Nabokov at all (which is probably a miracle). Personally, I thought he played swell. Yep, I actually wrote that. Good job Nabby.