The Magic of Jumbo Joe

Did you see that pass last night? All I can say is WOW! If you didn't, check it out:


Positively Gretzky like. Now, no one will ever be as great as Gretzky - I was lucky enough to get to watch him in LA while I was in college, he's why I'm a hockey fan to begin with - but Jumbo Joe is as close as I've seen to Gretzky in regards to his on ice vision since The Great One himself.

Just that highlight alone doesn't do Thornton justice though - if you watched the game last night you saw that he not only controlled the flow every shift he was on the ice, he also set up the two Sharks who needed goals the most, Cheechoo and Marleau. That's leadership. Oh, he also scored the game winner - did I mention that?

Strangely after a stellar start as a face off man that was one area where Thornton struggled last night, but big props to Little Joe Pavelski for a huge faceoff win to ice the game at the end. I thought Pavelski, while undeniably talented, might be a little small and soft to play tough NHL minutes but he's proving me wrong.

Quietly the Sharks are 7-1-2 in their last 10, well positioned in both the division and conference races. I still don't quite know what to make of this team but at the moment I'm liking what I see.