by Ivan Markarov

SAN JOSE–It’s been a little discouraging for the San Jose Sharks who have now dropped three of their last four games, they look like a disorganized team, they look like their out of sink. They can’t put a lot of passes together, they’re not playing as physical, the Flames are just running circles around the Sharks.

The possession by the Calgary Flames in one offensive series in the first period of Monday night’s game in SAP Center put together 30-40 passes for an unprecedented 1:30 possession of the puck without a Shark even touching the puck. That’s not how the Sharks want to play. Head coach Todd McClellan is giving it his all right now in a nice beating on the team in the locker room after a first period like that.

The Sharks used to be the team that was known for very strong first periods at the Tank, this season hasn’t been the case the Sharks have fallen asleep in the beginning and let the other teams get on board much like the game in Calgary or the game against Carolina last Saturday in San Jose. The Sharks didn’t start playing well until the third period on Saturday, these things happen but nobody on the Sharks seems to know why and they lost by three goals on Monday to Calgary 4-1.

The Sharks still want to be that team that plays very well in San Jose and get on the board first but so far this season they’ve been very inconsistent. It’s hard to say what their going to look like for the game with the Washington Capitals coming up on Wednesday night but they’ll have their hands full no doubt. The game on Saturday wasn’t enough against the Hurricanes they came back in that see saw match and scored three goals in the third period but then again it proved not be enough.

At the end of the game the Sharks allowed the goal that was to the go ahead goal for the Canes for the 5-4 win. The Sharks when they get in over their heads they have trouble trying to master another come back. The Sharks are struggling defensively right now they lost their best player Marc Edouard Vlasic who is the most consistent player on the team. Right now the Sharks are not sure what his injury is, it was ruled as a bad cold in the previous game but the Sharks put him on injured reserve.

For Valsic it might be an illness that might last longer or it could be something else no one really knows from the Sharks medical staff right now. It’s a big loss none the less as you could sense in the game without him on Monday night. He would be the one who pick up the puck in the end and position himself well.

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