by Larry Leavitt

SAN JOSE–The Edmonton game was a pretty close game Tuesday night and it shouldn’t have been and the Oilers are a good team don’t get me wrong but the Sharks all season have played down to their level of their opponents and they had a two goal lead and let Edmonton back in and they didn’t put in a full 60 minute game. They let the Oilers back into it and it was a scary thing but at the end the Sharks held on to win by a goal 5-4.

The game should not have been as hard fought but a win is a win, the Sharks really do have a good team but at this stage they have to put all the puzzle pieces together. The Sharks have a lot of talent. The prepartion for the Sharks was good for this one. The coaches had them prepared at the morning skate for this one and some of the prepartion before each game is amazing.

They just haven’t back down in the last few games they go gack to the board and watch film and watch pass tendency of each player and each goalie. They look at at the last stop on goals or saves and on offense and they look at the goals against on opposing goalies to see if they were high or low and want to check out what the opposing goalies weaknesses are.

They’ll also check the last time the two teams played each other to see how they match up, there is a lot that’s going on in the background before a Sharks game. The problem with the Sharks is getting up for a game where their opponent is not a playoff team. When the came into play Thursday night against the Kings in the Sharks 2-1 win they knew coming in it would be a playoff atmosphere.

You might have to go back when the Sharks played the Philadelphia Flyers the Sharks came out with tenacity with a feirce look in their eyes and they came out hitting. This is a team that you want to come out and watch the Sharks came out physical, they play the body, they play the forecheck, and work hard in the corners and earn the puck and make things happen.

It’s just not a matter of showing up and start skating and see how it goes, they execute a lot of plays and watch and see what a lot of teams like to do. They really get an idea what the coaches want them to do and in the game against the L.A. Kings my first take on that game on Thursday night Kings head coach Darryl Sutter he really ordered a great move at the beginning of the game.

The Kings had played the night before it was a back to back game for the Kings and Sutter put in his back up goalie Martin Jones a native from Vancouver. If the Kings would have won that game they would have a lot of confidence going into the playoffs and they probably might face the Sharks.

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