by Larry Leavitt

SAN JOSE–The San Jose Sharks who came off an amazing victory in a shootout with the Chicago Blackhawks last Saturday night it was basically a puck possesion team versus a puck possesion team with a surprisng short handed goal from the Sharks Joe Pavelski. Then right away Chicago answered back to tie it up.

The interesting part of last Saturday’s game was the shootout the Sharks are now eight for nine in their last shootouts all eight of those victories were shootout victories which in the beginning of this year the shootouts weren’t going as well. Take the point while you can get them. Their stealing them now.

The Sharks who had come into that game with a three game losing streak and it was not so much the losing streak that was important and that would bother you because your going to lose some, it’s the team your playing at the moment. They were playing Chicago and they came out with the tie and the one point in the shootout. which was a big moral victory.

If the Sharks face Chicago again it would have to be in the Fianl Four round of the Stanley Cup playoffs and the Sharks have to be glad they got this one under their belt. The Sharks can always to refer to the Blackhawks who were an unbeatable team that won the Stanley Cup a few years ago. They have a chance this year and it gives you a lot of confidence when you go into those finals.

The Sharks played the second of four home games with Philadelphia on Monday night at the SAP and the games on Saturday and Monday were battles, one thing the Sharks did right was they keyed up the fans and they really have had three good games this week. It started wtih Philadelphia on Monday night, then they will host Dallas on Wednesday night, and wrap up the first half of the season with a finale before the All-Star break with Columbus on Friday night.

There’s that two week Olympic break coming, their going to see a big push here, the big concern is they have Jason Demars out, he was scratched last Saturday night with multi scratch injuries last game for the Sharks, we hope to see Demars get some ice time. You have to be excited about these three games finishing out before the Olympic break. That means your going to be that much closer to seeing Logan Courture coming back.

There is not a lot of word on Tomas Hertl but the Sharks are very fortunate to get as far they have and the people that they’ve called up have done a really good job an admirable job and it’s not like their pulling their weight but their not Logan Couture. Their not that top light and as much as I’ve given them credit for he’s done a great job. He still has a little ways to go to fill those Olympic shoes.

Larry Leavitt does San Jose Sharks commentary each week for Sportstalk radio