What creates a winning team?

Skill? Sheer talent? An award winning coaching staff? A good system?

Those things help, and they help quite a bit, but they aren't everything.

Watching 24/7 yesterday I was very struck by what Peter Laviolette said about teams that win. Teams that win championships have passion. Innate, burning passion the drives one to succeed in the face of nearly all odds. Passion that keeps you going through the rough times with confidence that it can and will get better. Passion is what drives the best among us to strive for more, instead of sitting back complacently thinking of what could be.

Passion is what it takes to win as a team in the National Hockey Leage and passion is what the Sharks lack.

Now look, I know that's a pretty heavy statement, so allow me to explain. Lacking that passion is not the same as lacking heart. I don't believe for a second that these guy do step on the ice every night wanting to win. I believe they do, I just feel that some of them, and unfortunately some of the leaders and stars on the team, lack the drive to player better than what they can do based on talent alone. They lack that fire, that desire to truly push themselves to the limits and overcome adversity once confidence has been lost. This is why they have yet to win a Cup. It's not the coach, it's not various fiddly "pieces", it's not the schedule, it's a lack of desire from the best among them to succeed at all costs.

To have drive like this, you cannot rely on skill alone. You have to listen to the worst of what the press, and your fans have to offer, and take it to heart without taking it too personally. You have to use that as motivation, to prove the doubter s wrong, to improve your game to more than anyone ever thought it could be, to play ever night like it matters, because it does.

Some of the Sharks do this. Some are motivated to succeed on their own,and you can see this based on how they play. For some, even in the worst of slumps, they work. They work harder than anyone else on the ice and they don't quit until the final horn sounds.

Until the big boys on this team stand up and lead by example, hold their teammates accoutable for floating along, and decide that their talent, while great, is not enough, they won't reach the promised land. As soon as true desire is kindled in their bellies, this team will be unstoppable. No matter the coach or the players, once they all commit to giving everything they have every moment of every game, there will be no team that can stop them.

Remeber how back in the mid to late 90s there were all those "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" books that sold like hotcakes by telling people to chill the eff out for a few minutes and remember that life isn't over just because Eddie in Accounting stole your stapler?

Never leave me again, my little red flower

Right. Well, I think that's how we need to look at the Sharks game against the Hawks. Instead of freaking out over what was wrong, let's try to look at what went better than it had against St. Louis. Why? Let's be honest here, ANY improvement from the game on Saturday is a victory in and of itself, even if it's a small one, that didn't result in a win.

The Sharks showed up for 40 minutes. That's 40 more minutes than they did on Saturday night. True, they also went back into the Bat Cave for the last 20, which just happened to be the 20 minutes the Hawks decided to show up for, but we're looking at positives here.

McGinn is still money. That's a plus. He scored the first goal for the Sharks on a nice wrister.

Mystery House had an assist on Braun's goal.

The Sharks scored 2 goals first.

The game ALMOST went to a shoot out.

The Sharks did get a point.

Teeth still looked good.

The Sharks took very few penalties.

Desi only got fined for boarding Lepisto.

The ice stayed frozen.

The sun set and rose.

Life, as we know it, persisted in the universe.

 

I SHALL CONTINUE TO FLARE MY NOSTIRLS IN AN OFFENSIVE MANNER UNTIL YOU RESOLVE THIS IN A WAY WHICH PLEASES ME!

The dichotomy between these past two games is just stunning. Admittedly, I was very wary of going to the game on Thursday. The Sharks had just played a stinker of a game against Minnesota and they were playing the Stars, a team long hated and long frustrating to Sharks fans, and I'm going after...that? Hockey Gods save me!

They listened!

So the game wasn't all glitter and rainbow riding unicorns, there were some issues, once again with Special Teams, and a ten minute stretch Mina and I described as "the snoozer" (we also sang the Globetrotters song) over all, the game was really quite good. Now yes, I was a tad worried when the Sharks once again scored within the first minute and 22, but this time they did not let us down. Who's a beast? TEETH IS A BEAST!

Also, are we loving us some Ginner or what? That shot? Wow. That angle was unreal. I'm still not even sure how it went in, but it did and that's all that matters.

Let's just say this right now, Steve Ott, still a douche. (stick on the neck?! You take your ten minutes and go to the locker room and you like it!)

Should we talk about the failed 5 on 3? No shots on goal? Deflating. That cannot keep happening.

Riberio scored late in the first to bring the score to 2-1 Sharks going into the first intermission. At this point, a guy we're referring to as "KoolAid Man", who was a Stars fan, stood up and started shouting "OH YEAH!". He repeated this performance as the Stars tied the game about 7 minutes into the second. "OH YEAH OH YEAH OH YEAH!" Our section, being awesome, also started to call him KoolAid Man and started tell him to STFU. It was pretty awesome. He must have been annoying Clowe too because Clowe was like "SIT DOWN SON!" and scored just under 12 minutes in to make it a 3-2 game. Then, like magic, right off the face off, Mystery House bats one in to make it 4-2. Mina had been on her phone looking something up and stood up looking completely confused. The jeers rained down on KoolAid Man like a voice storm. Exhibiting good form, he took it as well as he dished it out, and kept smiling.

Taco Torrey scored to make it 5 to 2, scoring just 3 seconds too early to provide the Tank with the runs delicious fast food tacos. Despite booing the mention of the Taco Minutes every single game, fans seemed just a tad disappointed by the time of this goal. I for one, was happy about it. A) it's a goal for the Sharks and b)I am not willing to risk the stability of my gastrointestinal track and text to get a code for free "tacos."

The third was without any additional scoring, but overall, Thursday night's game against the Stars was a thoroughly enjoyable reminder of what it's like to be a Sharks fan.

***

The game against the Blues was so boring, it probably lulled some fans into light comas. It spawned a hash tag on twitter, used by both fan bases, #thingsmoreexcitingthantheSharksBluesgame, among which grass growing, paint drying, waiting in line at the DMV, colonoscopies, pooping, and a trip to the lady doctor were all listed as things that are, in fact, far more exciting than that game was. We should probably toss in waiting in line at the Post Office during the holiday season. At least there, you're likely to see some crazy people.

I believe both teams had a COMBINED 9 shots on goal at the end of the first. Oi. *zzzzzzzzzzzz* The game never got any better. Sharks lost 1-0 and that's really all the time I want to spend recapping that bore-fest.

Oh, wait, one more thing. The players and TMac were apparently pleased with their play last night. Really? What game do you all think you were playing? One less sleep inducing? Very, very disappointing.

It was an game that started with such promise. Exactly one minute in, Mr. Clutch himself, Joe Pavelski skated in and potted a goal behind Harding. The crowd exploded. Finally! A string start! This is going to be the best game ever! And it was, for about 10 minutes. Then, as they say, the wheels fell off, caught on fire, rolled into a creek and nearly set the creek on fire before finally extinguishing themselves into a damp smokey mess.

Ok, maybe I am overreacting a bit, but the rest of the game was just bad. Harding, arguably, suffered the worst of it after being nailed in the face by fellow Wild member Nick Schultz, left the ice with an apparent neck injury. (Here's hoping he recovers quickly). Rookie net minder Matt Hackett, nephew of the former Sharks goal tender Jeff Hackett, took his amazing hair and skated over to the net in relief.

Matt-I-have-amazing-hair-Hackett

Stupid good Mikko Koivu set up Bouchard with just 12 seconds left in the first, tying the game at 1 a piece. At this point, going into the first intermission, hopes ran high. The Sharks could come back and score more, no problem! This kid's a rookie, and not only that, it's his first NHL start ever! No WAY the Sharks don't beat him!

*sighs*

More like every way the Sharks don't beat him. Minnesota only scored one more goal, making the final score 2-1, but it was the score that was the disappointing part; it was that the Sharks didn't seem to show up after the first 10 minutes of the game were done. Passing was bad, defense was bas, offense was bad, communication was bad if it existed at all, in short, the Sharks looked BAD. To be able to compare the bad to the utter amazing that was the first ten minutes was just...deflating.

Not sure what else there is to say other than tonight is a must win.

 

***

It's never a good idea to start out a conversation with your coworker, who also happens to be a Ducks fan, but saying "How you guys doing with Broudreau, huh?" when the Ducks won the night before and the Sharks lost. In my defense, I wasn't aware the Ducks had even played the night before because, well, it's the Ducks, who cares?

When the Ducks lost the first two games following Boudreau's arrival, I felt a little bad for him. Here's a guy who was just fired by a club for losing, and his new team proceeds to keep doing the same thing. Now? Yeah, not so much.

 

Alternatively titled "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly." The Good: Montreal. The Bad: The Panthers. The Ugly: LA Kings. That pretty much sums up how each game went.  The Game vs LA was HORRIBLE, a shut out, utterly disappointing performance against a team that the Sharks know how to beat. They have Quick's number, they have beat the Kings on multiple occasions, and when they really are clicking, they can mow the Kings down. Sadly, they didn't seem inclined to show up and lost, badly.

So, here comes the Habs, offering a chance for redemption. The Sharks always seem to have exciting games against the Habs, with the often touted Spin-o-rama, Cheechootrain driven 6-4 comeback of a few seasons ago. (we'll get back to the spin-o-rama moment in a few minutes) Of course, the Habs are no pushovers, and they made the Sharks comeback not once, but twice in order to get the win. And even that wasn't enough, they also had to go to a 6 round shootout. Because apparently we didn't have enough heart attacks during the first 65 minutes.

Oh, the spin-o-rama. The moment that made Sharks fan fall in love with Brian Campbell, now the moment he set us up to break our hearts. Fans booed him once again upon return, now as a Panther and no longer as a Blackhawk. While Heatley being booed was somewhat puzzling, Brian Campbell leaving was another matter entirely. No, I want to stay, but waiting it's about family and OMG HOW MUCH? HONEY? WE'RE MOVING TO CHICAGO! I can't entirely fault the man for taking a huge salary deal, but it was the lies leading up to it that angered so many Sharks fans when he left. The lies, and the perceived cost of what amounted to a very pricey rental.

Ignoring Campbell, and riding the high of a crazy win against the Habs, the Sharks roll out to face the Panthers. Now the Panthers are a much improved team,but the Sharks have this right? Right?

Yeah, not so much.

Speaking of Campbell, guess who he plays for now? He was one of the man big signings the Panthers made over the summer in a desperate attempt to use their vast, well below the cap floor team resources, to buy a group of winners. It appears to be working for them.

Yes the final score was 5-3, with the Sharks on the losing end of that score, but they go so outplayed by the Panthers it wasn't even funny. Whereas they had, and took advatage of a chance for the comeback in against the Habs, any shot they had at all was blown away when the Panthers scored three goals in the second.

I think everyone was disappointed after this game, the team, the fans, Sharkie, the guy who yells "SUSHI!" from the stairs in the concourse. Just to much potential to get back into a grove, and it was dashed by the play of many large cats.

So what's going on with the Sharks, why are they so streaky? Why does Boyle seem like he's hurt or off all the time, why can't the boys connect, why don't the seem to have any energy? We'll investigate this in the post game following the game against the Wild, as well as realignment and Bruce Boudreau being a Duck.

Reader Emily, fantastic as always, has sent us a new video commemorating Joe Thornton's 1000 NHL game, his shirtlessness, and yes, the slide. Please check it out. Her vids are top notch and always very heartfelt while still being funny and super supportive of the Sharks quest for the Cup. (They will get there, dammit! And when they do, they will win) You may even see some familiar art in here! Keep an eye out!


(ignore the haterade in the comments. It's YouTube. Being positive on there is like petting a porcupine the wrong way and not getting stabbed. IMPOSSIBLE)


Coming soon, but still fashionably late, reaction to the Ducks firing Carlyle and hiring Boudreau. That will teach me to ask questions like "Why Bobby Ryan and not Carlyle." Why? BECAUSE THIS HAPPENS!

This game was billed as a huge one. A big test for the Sharks. Could Antti Niemi once again show up his old team, proving once more that letting him walk was questionable at best? Could the Sharks continue their win streak? Would Chicago skate circles around the Sharks D? Would both coaches exploded into a pile of angry gelatinous rage at some point? Would Quenneville quit mid game in utter frustration?



Well, they might have, but if they did no one knew because the were all lulled to sleep by one of the slowest and sloppiest games every to be played on Sharks ice. The Sharks, for the life of them, could not complete a pass at all. I heard, and have since read, many comparisons of the game last night to a rec league game played by people who can barely skate, let alone stick handle. That went for both sides, and the Hawks, while better able to pass and do things like hold the zone, couldn't seem to coordinate much more than a few pushes which inevitably resulted in Nemo making a crazy save against them to keep the puck out of his net. In fact, Nemo was by far the best player on the ice last night. For both teams. I was figuring he'd be all three stars because, honestly, there weren't many other players to chose from. He really gets motivated for games versus his old team, and plays out of his mind. He didn't just stand on his head last night, he was break dance spinning on it.

Mina and have never left a game early. Oh, we have debated it. We've seen some pretty wretched ones, but we always stay. For one thing, the possibility that the game will get good and you'll miss it keeps our butts in the seats, but we also already paid for the game and it seems a shame to waste the money and leave. I did, however, suggest that we do just that and go watch the rest of the game in a bar, with beers, sometime before Demers' wacky goal in the second. The ONLY goal of the second. Or third. Or first. No seriously, there was one goal. ONE. The Sharks barely got more than 5 shots in the first and second, and yet, they were the team that got the one, singular, solitary goal in the entire game. We of course stayed till the end following this explosion of offensive prowess from the boys in Teal.

The goal was an odd one. Right off the face off. There we all are, bored, awash in mediocrity and BOOM, Demers scores.  Demers. WHAT? And to think I was questioning his inclusion over Braun's just a few short hours prior. Apparently the puck bounced in off Kane's stick, but at the time we couldn't tell. It looked like it was a pass form Couture to Demers that somehow rocketed in past Crawford. The tank exploded. We all figured this was going to be the start to some amazing on ice action, but things settled right back down into slow trap mode and remained that way for the rest of the game

Dan Boyle had a lousy night, poor guy. He got called for 3 penalties. The Sharks only took 4 the whole night and Dan Boyle served time for 75% of them. (Chicago also only had 4 penalties, a marked difference from the 100 plus in the game v Dallas a few nights earlier.) The boarding call he took was questionable at best, but he looked terrible all night. On the plus side, he was in good company. On second thought, I'm not sure that's actually a good thing.

The Sharks can redeem themselves on Saturday against the Canucks. That's the great this about sports. Have a crappy game? Well , there's probably another one to make good on in a few days.