With the Sharks in tough against the Canucks, it's time to prove they're a battle-tested team.
Once again, the San Jose Sharks have hit a fork in the road.
It's "prove it" time.
Turn right and you get back into the Western Conference championship series. Turn left and you move one step closer to elimination.
The key for the Sharks Friday is to assert themselves physically in an effort to try to slow down the Vancouver Canucks without crossing the line and getting themselves into penalty trouble. The way the Sedins are playing now, it would be a mistake to give them too much odd-man playing time.
Obviously that means one Mr. Ben Eager needs to reign in his emotions -- assuming the Sharks keep him in the lineup. Eager was almost single-handedly responsible for his team losing Game 2 when he blew a gasket and put his team down a man time and time again. Frankly, I think Sharks coach Todd McLellan should have known better than to throw an out-of-control player who had just gone cuckoo on his bench over the boards. In a one-goal game, he was just asking for trouble.
You want trouble? You got it.
Regardless, the Sharks have had their backs against the wall before and they have responded well. There's something about this particular collection of players that has convinced me they need adversity before we see the best they have. As has been pointed out by nearly everyone, Joe Thornton has been a better playoff performer this year than we've seen in the past, but from where I'm sitting, I believe Jumbo Joe can still take it up a notch.
Maybe it's Little Joe we should be worrying about. Five goals and eight points in 15 games are certainly decent numbers for a second-liner, but when you think back to a year ago when he was one of the more prolific scorers in the post-season, you just know he is capable of more. If the Sharks are to upset the Presidents' Trophy winners, they need everybody hitting on all cylinders.
If the Sharks can find their game Friday, I think we could be witnessing a classic playoff series.
Biz Z
Sure enough Tim Thomas rebounded from a shaky performance in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final, albeit a game he won, as the Boston Bruins skunked the host Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 3.
There's no question the return of centre Patrice Bergeron had a huge impact on the Bs. But more than anybody, it was huge defenceman Zdeno Chara who stole the show Thursday night. Chara was second in ice time for the Bruins (behind Dennis Seidenberg) playing 28:27 and led the club in hits with four. More than anything else, though, it was how he kept both Vinny Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis from working their magic in the offensive zone that really allowed his team to take the lead in the series. Chara used his big reach to poke the puck away from Lecavalier countless times as the Bruins stuck to a disciplined game and ran their playoff road record to 5-1.
You can bet the Lightning will be working feverishly to come up with a game plan to reduce Chara's effectiveness for Game 4 and it may start with dumping the puck by him rather than trying to carry it past him.
Encore
Does Tyler Seguin have to give the Conn Smythe Trophy back now?
One game after being anointed the "next big thing" after he exploded for two goals and four points in just his second big-league playoff game, Seguin came back to earth a bit in Game 3. No need to worry though. The 19-year old played a decent game even if he went pointless. In 13 minutes of action, Seguin managed three shots on goal and was 50 per cent on his faceoffs. He was even given credit for Boston's second goal, but that was ultimately awarded to defenceman Andrew Ference.
What was most interesting was how Bruins coach Claude Julien didn't go crazy and play Seguin considerably more minutes than he is used to on the basis of one great showing. This kid is going to be a star in the NHL, but the Bruins are not rushing the process.
