Steamrolling in New York and a Dark Cloud in Tampa Bay

The Sharks whip out of San Jose for a 6 game road trip for the next couple weeks to hit all eastern conference teams in high hopes to prepare for a faster paced game.

They first stopped in the domain of Alexander Ovechkin, in the nation's capital. On the ice, the capitals' star player embarassed the sharks in a 4-1 loss with Ovechkin putting two goals past Nabakov sending the sharks on road to their next game.

Next up, the sharks took to the north to take on two of New York's teams, the Islanders were first on the list. The sharks stepped up their game significantly. With Joe Thornton dropping a goal and two assists, Nabokov making 31 saves, the sharks matched their previous game in score 4-1, but this time, they were on the winning end. Sharks always coming from behind, and scoring second.

After Saturday's game with the Islanders the sharks drove over to play the Rangers in Madison Square Gardens. The sharks came onto the ice flat and slow to start out with, dropping into a quick 2-0 hole but coming back in the end of the first to tie it at 2-2. The second period rolls around and after tying up the first, the sharks come out with a tenacity for blood in the second, notching 3 goals and letting in zero. Then, the third period rolls around and the sharks clean up the damage in the Gardens by steamrolling the rangers 7-3.

After the huge games in Detroit the sharks seemed invincible, but they still have three games left, and on the road trip they still are only 2-1 with their record. In my mind, it seemed like the two wins in NY gave the sharks a huge head win to jump down to play the Tampa Bay Lightning. The sharks quickly dropped into a 2-0 hole in the first hardly even getting a shot on net. Seeming to be lying in a hibernating period in the first the sharks notch a goal in the second making it 2-1, but before the light comes from the end of the tunnel, the second period ends after the bolts of lightning drop in yet another goal making it 3-1. The sharks end up getting another goal to make it 2-3 in third. After pursuing for awhile for the third goal for San Jose, the lightning pick up their fourth goal. In a desperate act, the sharks pull Nabokov out for a 6-on-5 trying to put in 2 quick goals within the last 3 minutes of the third period. Even more unlucky, the sharks give up an empty net goal ending the game with a loss 5-2.

The sharks play Atlanta and Philadelphia on Saturday and Sunday respectively. Hoping to pull of a duo win before heading home, i think the sharks and their fans have the same mindset.

Chew on that, shark fans.
tootles!