Reilly stickhandles in the backyard.
Los Angeles, CA
Good morning Sharks fans and all my other loyal reader. San Jose has achieved, soared and vanquished the hated LA Kings! Revenge is sweet, the pundits can finally shutup about the vaunted Kings and their abilty to “turn it on” when they need to. The Sharks exorcised the hurt and put it back on LA by winning their first round matchup with the Kings 4-1. Even sweeter was doing it front of the Kings fans at the Staples Center.
As a loyal Shark fan for 25 years, these same Kings have left scars on my psyche that will remain forever because of the well documented, no, ad nauseum prattling of sportswriters, talking heads and Kings fans regarding the meltdown of San Jose after going up in the 2014 playoffs 3-0. Losing four straight including 2 on home ice has been a burr under my saddle for two years. The great Drew Doughty “we could see it in their eyes”comments will live in infamy because it is the ultimate disrespect to ones opponent.
“Once we won that first game of the San Jose series, we kind of had a feeling we were going to come back and win that series,” Doughty said back in April of 2014. “And you could see it in their eyes and their team and their captains and leaders that they were worried about us coming back.
Not this time Drew, although like zombies, the Kings kept coming back and the outcome was in doubt until near the end of Game 5. San Jose was the better team, and G Martin Jones outdueled his mentor and idol Jonathan Quick. Los Angeles had no answer for the Sharks team speed and looked old and slow by comparison. Jonas Donskoi was the MVP of Game Five, scoring two goals and giving Kings D men fits all night.
Does the decisive series victory mean San Jose can move on from the choker moniker the Sharks have carried since then? Its a start! I have the ultimate respect for what LA has accomplished in the past because they have what the Sharks and their fans have coveted for over 20 years, a Stanley Cup championship. Two as a matter of fact. I only want one before I die. Bring on the Ducks!
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Hope she’s OK wit it