The Clarity of Distance

OK, in the interest of full disclosure I have to admit I am out of town and did not actually watch the Sharks shootout loss to the Coyotes last night. But, in an odd kind of way, hearing about it without actually having seen it has proven somewhat illuminating.

They lost the way they've lost many times before - at home, in the shootout, blowing a late lead, giving up a shorthanded goal. And, since I didn't see all the times they carried the play I am not fooled in to thinking 'oh, a break here, a break there...they were clearly the better team, they just didn't close the deal, it will even out over the course of the season'.

Guess what? I'm beginning to think they just may not be the better team we all think they are. When you just read the results, and consider the familiarity of those results...well, perhaps this is just the team we have.

Perhaps we really are a team that can't win at home, that can't hold leads, that can't win shootouts, that allows almost as many goals on the power play as it scores(OK, exaggeration, but admit it, it feels that way).

You know what we call teams like that? Hint: the answer isn't "Contender for the Cup".

I feel somewhat like a hypocrite considering I wrote just last week that the Sharks were doing fine and fans complaining were overreacting and should be happy with the team they get to watch. But you know what? Perhaps I just needed to step away and not watch them for a game to see what everyone - but me - who has been watching them is seeing.

And maybe you all are right.