Bragging rights don't get you Stanley Cup rings, which the San Jose Sharks have found out all too painfully well the past few seasons, but Tuesday night's 5-2 victory over the Boston Bruins left us with some telling tidbits.
The Sharks' relentless forecheck, which will be their make-or-break staple come playoff time, slowly but surely badgered a Bruins defense that began to feel the effects by the end of the second period. By the time towering Boston blueliner Zdeno Chara found himself on his backside for the third time in the game, you could feel the momentum shifting in a contest dominated by the Bruins in the opening period.
AP Photo/Elise Amendola
Patrick Marleau, left, and Joe Thornton combined for two goals and two assists Tuesday vs. the Bruins.
"I liked our game once we got going," Sharks GM Doug Wilson told ESPN.com after the game. "I thought we played real strong in the last period and a half."
The Sharks kept coming in waves, pounding the Bruins' defense. The floodgates opened in the third period with four unanswered goals, all the result of the San Jose forecheck.
Should the Bruins and Sharks meet up in the Stanley Cup finals -- and Washington and Detroit, among others, will have a say in that -- Boston coach Claude Julien will need to find a way to alleviate San Jose's forechecking pressure. Easier said than done.
The night was supposed to be all about Joe Thornton's first full game back in Boston against the Bruins, but it was telling of the Sharks' depth and talent that the star center was largely kept in check until a puck went off his left skate for a goal in the third period. Perhaps another playoff lesson for the rest of the Western Conference teams. Shutting down Thornton isn't good enough. You also need to have answers for Patrick Marleau (one goal, two assists Tuesday night), Ryane Clowe (three assists), Milan Michalek (one goal) and Mike Grier (one goal), among others.
A lot of teams pretend to roll four lines. The Sharks actually do it and get results. Grier's checking line with Jonathan Cheechoo and Tomas Plihal might have been San Jose's best on this night, hammering away at Chara and the Bruins' other defensemen all night long. That softened them for Marleau, Thornton & Co.
From an individual point of view, it was a matchup that pitted Vezina Trophy candidates in Tim Thomas of the Bruins and Evgeni Nabokov of the Sharks, and Norris Trophy hopefuls Chara and Dan Boyle of the Sharks. The two San Jose players were better Tuesday; Nabokov's pad save on Marc Savard in the second period kept it a one-goal game before the Sharks took over. Boyle was everywhere, keying San Jose's transition game.
In the big picture, in a game that was hyped all week long and that mattered a lot to the players on both teams, the Sharks showed us they were a little more battle-tested. They've been a contender for five seasons, failing to deliver the big prize but nonetheless showing the resolve of a club that has played in some big, big games (most recently, a thrilling 6-5 win over Detroit).
This is new territory for this Bruins team. The penthouse still has new furniture. They barely got into the playoffs last season and were a team in full rebuild mode just two years ago. The Bruins are here to stay among the NHL's elite, but Tuesday night reminded us they still have much to learn.
"The thing I liked is that I've been here in Boston for over a week and I've seen a great buzz in this city," Wilson said. "It's exciting to see. It's great for the league to get the buzz back here in Boston and in Chicago.
"Listen, tonight, it was two real good teams going at it."
Pierre LeBrun
