for the San Jose Sharks, their game against the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday night is now truly a “must-win” if they wish to stay in the race for the Pacific Division. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
It’s Really a Must-Win
The term “must-win” in sports is often overused, but for the San Jose Sharks, their game against the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday night is now truly a “must-win” if they wish to stay in the race for the Pacific Division.
That’s because the Ducks beat the Canucks on Monday night and move to 110 points, three points ahead of the Sharks. Both teams have three games remaining, but the Ducks own the tiebreaker.
It will be tough sledding for the Sharks if they want to win the division and avoid a first round matchup with the Kings, but they’ve only shot themselves in the foot by losing to inferior teams down the stretch.
Nieto Helping His Mom Fight Cancer
Here’s a terrific piece written by David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News on Sharks forward Matt Nieto’s mother fighting breast cancer, and her son standing by her every step of the way.
The article spoke about how hockey helped Nieto get through his rough childhood, where he grew up in an unsafe neighborhood down in Southern California.
Now, Nieto is doing all he can to support the woman who raised him.
“He wouldn’t even talk about the hockey game,” said his mother, Mary, who has undergone multiple surgeries and chemotherapy. “He’d be like, ‘How’re you feeling today? What’s going on? When’s your next doctor’s appointment?’ He was just real compassionate and always thinking about me.”
She will be there on Wednesday, watching her son play when the Sharks take on the Ducks in Anaheim.
Quotable
Head coach Todd McLellan on watching other teams in the playoff picture:
"We have nine periods of hockey left. Those nine periods have to be real good periods. They have to prepare us to play against whoever the opponent is. That’s the best way of approaching it. If we spent too much time watching other teams fail or succeed. . . . Unless you’re in front, you can’t control what happens. We’re behind right now. That’s just the way it is."