by Larry Leavitt

SAN JOSE–The Sharks right now are slumping they don’t seem to be in sink, they don’t seem to be on the same page, but there are some brighht hopes there. The third and fourth lines are playing good. The first line really have to get it together but the Sharks have a few games to go before the playoffs.

The Sharks really need to standback and regroup and kind of play the game for fun, right now their pressing and putting too much into it. Rather than play the game, their trying to work the game, they should play hockey rather than work hockey. The Colorado Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov stopped 47 shots in the Avs 3-2 win on Sunday afternoon.

Varlamov saw the shots that were coming at him turned away the shots that were there and was quick to react to them and Varlamov did an excellent job and when you play in the NHL your going to run into excellent goalies but you still have to play the game and you got to put the puck on the net and take advantage of your secondary chances but in the case of the Sharks the puck just wasn’t bouncing for the Sharks.

There were a couple of plays where the puck would bounce over the stick and the Sharks offense couldn’t finish the play. The timing wasn’t right it just didn’t work out and that’s going to happen. The Avs Matt Duchene didn’t get the two points but it’s pretty good to see the Avs a young team celebrating like they did there. They clinched for a playoff spot on Saturday and they worked hard to get to post season.

The Sharks are in the Pacific Division still trying to stay in front of the Anaheim Ducks trying to get home ice advantage which is a key in the playoffs. If the Sharks don’t get it or if they don’t find it it still would be nice if they can get home ice in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Fortunately taking it into their own hands the Sharks are now counting on the Ducks to lose so they can have that home ice advantage.

The Sharks have the Edmonton Oilders (26-39-9) their a young team, they’ve been coming on strong they beat a tough Ducks team 4-3 Friday and they gave the Ducks a ride for their money at the Rexall Center in overtime and the Oilers won the shootout. The L.A. Kings and Nashville Predators are also coming to San Jose and Nashville is one of those surprise teams.

The Preds really compensate for what they lack in offense they make up in defense and what they do is they play a huge defensive game and they wait until that one moment when they make that attack and waiting for that one mistake. The Predators will play a full 60 minute game against you and they really don’t focus on the offense which they lacked in their last game to Dallas a 7-1 loss on Friday but focused on it on the night before against Buffalo with a 6-1 win. Which Pred team shows up at SAP Center on Saturday the Sharks we’ll have to wait and see.

Larry Leavitt does Sharks commentary weekly for Sportstalk Radio