Just Shoot the Puck (it sounds stupid, but it works)

OK, a quickie observation from last night's 5-2 Sharks win, their team record 9th straight on the road...the Sharks went down 2-1 and were teetering on the edge of one of their fold the tents collapses when a funny thing happened. They learned the important lesson their coaches have been trying to hammer home all season (and last season as well for that matter) - SHOOT THE PUCK!!!

When you shoot the puck at the net good things happen. To borrow a line from Dazed and Confused...it sounds stupid, but it works.

This team is so skilled that they get too cute on offense...rather than peppering the opposing goal tender with shots they instead try to make fancy passes to get just the right shot. Well, guess what? *ANY* shot is just the right shot! Ironically it is the Sharks' great skill level that seems to be hamstringing their offense. Just shoot the damn puck!

Turns out after all the clamoring from coaches and fans alike the catalyzing event that allowed the Sharks to learn this important lesson - at least for one night - was Craig Rivet's nothing little shot from just inside the blue line at 12:04 of the 2nd.

It was one of those shots that no one expects to go in...maybe you'll get a nice rebound, at the very least it might lead to a forecheck deep or a much needed line change. But something strange happened...it went in the net. All of a sudden we had a tie game, and you could almost see the wheels turning in the Sharks' heads.

Suddenly every player was winding up and letting it fly. Odd angles, blue line shots, spin arounds with hardly a chance to go in. And sure, most of them didn't go in. But it's no coincidence that they scored 3 more goals after Rivet's...with all the shots they were putting on net some were bound to go in, and indeed some did.

So, Sharks, remember this night and this lesson. Don't try to get pretty. Don't dazzle us with your skill. Just tenaciously keep shooting the puck at the net. Good things will happen. Trust me on this.