BoT Gameday: Game 5 Sharks vs. Blues

This is it. What started out as informal Captain’s practices at Sharks Ice in August, through training camp in September, then a six month ride that is the 82-game regular season, to this. Two options for our beloved San Jose Sharks. Win and a rocking crowd will be ready to roar in Game 6 on Monday night. Lose and Monday will be filled with cleaning out lockers and scheduling tee times. Time to decide what you want more.

San Jose has to do something to right the ship. It’s struggles on the penalty kill and power play have been noted all over the place. And we can go on and on about the players who are depended on scoring how they have been struggling. But what hasn’t been noticed has been the shocking faceoff percentage. This was a team who once dominated the faceoff circle, is breaking even. Credit the Blues for completely taking the Sharks out of their game. Another thing San Jose’s defense isn’t doing is checking the back door. That’s where Andy McDonald has been hanging out the entire series and it’s been paying dividends. On the flip side, the Blues defense has been giving up a shot but the rebound is quickly picked up by a Bluenote and an odd man rush breaks out. Team Teal has to find a way somehow to crash the net, block Elliott’s view of every shot coming at him. If anything was learned from those three garbage time goals, it’s net front presence and disturbing the goalie’s view.

Time to make history for San Jose. They have only forced a Game 6 once, when being down 3-1 in a playoff series (2009 vs. Anaheim.) Team Teal has never won a series after being down such deficit. Only 24 teams in the 250+ best of seven playoff series have won after being down 3-1. Time to shock the hockey world once again. And as for this Finatic who holds a ticket to Game 6, for the sake of my sanity, LET’S PUCKING DO THIS!