The New Jersey Devils limped into the HP Pavilion, looking to reverse their fortunes or lack thereof this season. Star sniper Ilya Kovalchuk returned to the HP Pavilion looking to build some momentum on their west coast road trip.
This matchup was a clear case of two talented yet underachieving teams trying to find their way, a preview of this game can be found here.
The San Jose Sharks had not looked particularly sharp and still seeking their first home victory. From shaky defensive efforts, poor puck control, and lackluster goaltending this Sharks team clearly was still trying to find its way post-Nabokov.
The Sharks looked just flat at times this season, with a clear emphasis on sloppy play, turnovers and lack of even strength scoring being red flags to the coaching staff.
This Devils team figured to be hungry and desperate coming into this contest, and the Sharks stressed the need to play fast through the neutral zone and focusing on even strength play.
Head coach Todd McLellan had played a bit of mad scientist this season, mixing and matching the lines in an effort to find some results. He would return to basics this game, reuniting the Big ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Phenom Jay
San Jose Sharks Smoke Devils, 5-2, Behind Joe Thornton’s Hat Trick
October 28th, 2010 by Phenom Jay Leave a reply »
Advertisement