Big Joe has a big night

Lets face it, the San Jose sharks have been the team with the most preassure to get results in this years playoffs. They have won the presidents trophy for the first time in franchise history and their home record had only 5 regulation loses on it. And because every time a team doesnt win someone has to be blamed the spotlight has been put on many of the sharks. But the one person that has been on the spot light the most is deffinatly Joe Thornton. Mr.Thornton has been under so much preasure to preform this post season that it would have broken many lesser men. But Joe came through when he needed it most. With his team facing elimination he came through with a 3 point night. All three goals that the sharks scored were because of him and because of him the sharks live to fight another day.

Joe Thornton has been hearing all of the critisim for the past four games. Like the fact that he is losing over half of his faceoffs. He has only managed 5 goals in 41 playoff games as a shark and untill tonight that number would have been even worse.

The thing is Joe is about as important to this team as Nabby, when they are both playing a dominate game the sharks win. When one of them plays a dominate game the sharks still manage to win and when niether of them play a great game the sharks still manage to squez out some wins.

So tonight Nabby did not have a dominate game (he did untill the third period but alas that is part of the game and so his game was not dominate) but Joe did. He won his faceoffs. He was a human battering ram for some shifts. He contributed sever quality shots on net (including the assist to the game winning goal in OT1) and simply did the right thing every time he could. And now the sharks will take on the ducks in game 6 and again will face elimination. But I think that they will prevail because of several reasons. #1 Nabby is over due to have a dominate game #2 The ducks played a game that they have been playing all series and the sharks still beat them and so their confidence is great right now #3 With the sharks facing elimation they will be a desperate hocky club and when they play desperate hockey they can beat anyone in the league.

So now that Big Joe has checked in, and patty Marleau has both of the game winning goals for the sharks in this series it is time that the rest of the team follows suit and plays a dominate game because ladies and gentlemen these sharks are just starting to look good again. Expect a game 7.