I have given up trying to figure out this team. Before game 4 I didn't have any grand illusions of any miraculous comeback. All I asked for was a good effort and play for PRIDE. If you were going to go down, go down fighting...or at least competing in the corners. Through the first half of the game it looked like more of the previous 3 games, losing battles in the corner, can't get the puck out of our own zone, stupid passes. The worst had to be Seto's great centering pass to Lehtinen for the 1st goal. At that point I was done. Ron Wilson was going to be fired, there would be massive player movement, the Sharks would be known as a great regular season but chokers in the playoffs. Then something happened, don't ask me what it was, it just did. Zubov made like a Sharks D-man and coughed up the puck and Patty scored. Then I thought "great, now you guys are getting my hopes up again just to come crashing down in the 3rd." Then once again something happened to start the 3rd period. A different team came out.. and played like.. well the Sharks. The puck was leaving the zone, players were fighting for possession in the corners, Ribeiro and Morrow were being pressured, Grier looked like well..Mike F'ing Grier.
Now believe me, I am not thinking this has changed everything and we are going to steamroll Dallas 3 straight. This all could go for naught if we come out and lay another egg tomorrow, but as Sharks radio guy Jamie Baker said, "all you want to do is plant a tiny seed of doubt in Dallas' mind. Winning game 5 would plant another and put all the pressure back on them for game 6. Ron Wilson lives for another day.
Sleek/Rudy: Feel free to update the picture. I felt like adding player's heads but could not figure out who would be Heckle and who would be Jeckle.
[Sleek Edit: I'm not touching that cartoon; I think it's best left to the reader to fill in. However, the Sharks' win was the subject of today's PuckToon at Fanhouse. Enjoy!]