Reilly T. the Hockey Dog

Reilly the Hockey Dog and I were walking out to the back stoop to chew on a stick, mine from Nicaragua and Reilly’s from the redwood tree in the back yard.  He looked at me and said, “How do you feel about the Sharks bein in first place”? Well, I said “I wounldna thunk they could pull it off.  Ducks were ten points up on the Sharks about three weeks ago”..

San Jose is on a bit of a tear right now, going 7-1-1 against the Eastern Conference, vaulting them past the Hated Ducks of Anahymen for first place in the Pacific Division.  Trying to keep it light tonight.  Furthermore, the resurgence in the play of the captain,  C Joe Thornton and  Patrick Marleau has this observer amazed.

In an earlier post I mentioned that Marleau’s biological Stanley Cup clock was ticking, and I have to think that so is Thornton’s.  Both of them aren’t going to get many more chances, so why not win one this year?  They are both doing the little things, yes I know it sounds cliche, that win games.

There is a nice blend of skill, youth, speed, experience and goaltending on this team that gives them a real shot this year.

Rolling four lines as Todd McClellan has done can be a big help come playoff time and guys like Marty Havlat and James Sheppard are clicking on the third line.  Logan Couture is back along with the fearsome Raffi Torres for added scoring punch.

St. Louis is the favorite in my book, but in spite of their gaudy point total they have a couple of issues, like San Jose swept em this season! Perhaps the Sharks are playing more relaxed because they weren’t anointed the Cup winners in the preseason polls, as they have often been in the past.

Don’t know why, just keep it up.