Quick Thoughts on Game 1

A few quick thoughts about game 1 before I have to go to a meeting.

- Our powerplay looked great for the most part. We had some trouble getting the puck controlled and into their zone, but once we did, we got some really good chances. Looks like McLellan has our guys moving around on the powerplay. No more of Big Joe on the half-boards trying to create something. Also, it's REALLY nice to have guys like Blake and Boyle on the point. They both have great shots and really know how to work the powerplay. That puts pressure on the opposing penalty killers to get out to the points, giving our forwards more room to move. Another thing I noticed is that we always tried to have someone parked in front of the net, mostly Cheechoo. Even in the post game interview, comparisons were drawn to Tomas Holmstrom, Detroit's pest in front of the net on their PP. I think the traffic paid off, particularly on Ehrhoff's goal. Jiggy was pretty well screened and I don't think he saw the shot all the way.

Okay, I ran out of time so I'll finish this post later.

Continued... I think for the rest of the season, I'll use the following rating system to convey my options. SCORE - good thing. MEH - not good, not bad. FAIL - bad thing. Let's test it out on game 1.

SCORE - Dan Boyle and Rob Blake - Both Blake and Boyle played solid first games for the Sharks. There were no spectacular plays on either end of the ice, but both contributed both offensively and defensively. Blake stood out more because of the bombs he launched from the point on the powerplay and strong play in front of our net, but it's Boyle who can really make a difference, with his smooth skating, fancy puck skills, and quick and accurate shot. Almost as important, he looks to be a solid defensive player, something that can't be said of our previous "star" defenseman.

MEH - Joe Thornton - Big Joe seemed to have a very sloppy game. I don't remember any plays he made that led to a scoring chance for us (aside from his assist to Cheechoo on the 5 on 3 - that was just too easy). He had some trouble with the puck and didn't carry play like he usually does. It was just game 1, so I'll give him a break. At least he made a big hit on Scott Niedermayer to set the tone early in the game.

FAIL - Sharks' 3rd lines - Fail seems like such a harsh word, so I may have to rename my rating system. I guess you can't say the 3rd line failed, but they certainly didn't have a good game. Maybe they're not used to playing together yet, but the line didn't seem to work well together at all. They didn't really generate any scoring chances and had trouble in their own zone. I remember at least a couple shifts where Anaheim was putting on the pressure in our zone and our 3rd line couldn't do much about it. They had trouble clearing the zone and made a few big errors. One play that stands out in my head is when Ryan Clowe tried to pass the puck up the middle but it went straight to a Ducks player in front of our net. They were also on the ice when Anaheim scored their only goal. Once again, it was their inability to get the puck out of the zone that led to the goal.

SCORE - Evgeni Nabokov - I have a feeling Nabby will SCORE often this season. He was solid as usual, only letting in 1 goal on a deflection. He also bailed out the Sharks on a few mistakes, stopping Teemu Selanne and Brad May point blank.