Wild ride ends way too early for Sharks fans
 

Jim Adams

The Union.com

12:01 a.m. PT May 6, 2008

It was over early in the Game 6 overtime Sunday night.

Despite being locked into a 1-1 goaltender's duel, Dallas' Brad Richards had been fed a nifty pass 1:31 into the first extra time frame.

It was a gimme.

Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabakov had committed to the other side of the goal. The puck was comfortably on Richards' stick. All he needed to do was shoot. The entire right side of the goal was open. It was an empty-netter. Game over. Stars in six. Time to go home.

Somehow, someway, in a manner beyond description, Nabakov got his glove over to the right post. Mind you, the shot was perfect, the speed was stealth, the placement superb. However, just as the puck was crossing the line for the winner, Nabakov extended as far as he could and captured the game.

It was so unbelievable that the play had to be reviewed to make sure the puck had not crossed the line. All the time, all Nabakov did was shake his head, indicating there was no goal and that Game 6 would continue forward.

Continue forward it did. Deep into the Dallas night, one team bent on an end-of-series handshake and another determined to force game 7 in San Jose stood toe-to-toe and duked it out exactly the way this game was meant to be played.

Four overtimes ... more than 129 minutes ... the equivalent of an excess of two regulation games. The day eclipsed in "D" town and May 4 had become May 5. There is no other sport of which I can think, not even baseball, that would venture forward so late.

Many families had departed. Die-hard fans left their children to sleep uncomfortably in their arena seats. Yes, the game had started late (8 p.m. CDT) to accommodate television, but no one envisioned that this chain of events would unfold. It was nothing short of a remarkable spectacle.

A Brian Campbell give away gave Mike Ribeiro a one-on-one chance with Nabakov. Joe Thornton had an open shot at Marty Turco as a result of an exhaustion-induced mistake. Mike Greer tied up Louie Armstrong just as he was poised to tap it in. Patrick Marleau had Turco beat, only to see the Stars netminder flash his pads and deflect the shot helplessly behind the goal.

There were so many amazing, heart-stopping moments that one felt exhausted as the evening-into-late night unfolded.

Campbell had played 45:30 minutes out of a total of 100 when the second overtime elapsed. Fatigue was beginning to take its toll. You could see it in their puck handling and skating speed. Sharks commentator Jamie Baker noted that this was a level of exhaustion to which even the most seasoned competitor is not accustomed. He felt that a mental mistake would probably decide the tilt.

Then the referees took it into their hands. They decided to give the Sharks a power play at the 3:00 mark of the third overtime when they called Nicklas Grossman for hooking Patrick Marleau. When San Jose failed to convert, it was a foregone conclusion that somewhere between then and Friday ... however long it took ... Dallas would have the next chance.

On an inconsequential play similar to those that they had let pass for the previous 68 minutes, they "evened it up." At 8:14 Brian Campbell was off for tripping. The longest game in Sharks history was entering its final moments.

Forty-nine seconds later, it would be over.

Everyone, even the referees, could now go home. Super pest Brendan Morrow had sunk the dagger into the Sharks' hearts. A man advantage that late, with such a level of fatigue, proved a season-ender for San Jose. It was time to call it a series. Despite Nabakov's heroics, indeed it played out for Dallas in six.

However, before we go skating off into the summer, let's contemplate things for a moment.

1. Sunday night's game was an epic. It was heroic, courageous, and beautiful. With a rejuvenated bandwagon laden with thousands of Sharks fans waiting for that big comeback after being down 3-0, it was proof of how great this game really can be.

For those who witnessed it (and I would have to think the ratings were high since it went for almost six hours), the grit and dedication of those who play this sport could never be doubted. The team that won was not the one who wanted it more. Nor was it the best. Kudos to both. It was simply the last team to get it across the red goal line.

It was an incredible conclusion to an impressive regular season that lost steam following a tough series with Calgary.

2. The Detroit Red Wings now have a date with the Stars in the Conference Finals. That series should not go long. Detroit should win the Western Conference and the Stanley Cup.

3. Watch for Jeremy Roenick to return for one more season. He proved over and over again that he still has a lot of gas left in the tank. JR is not done. He re-proved himself. He was a very durable performer on Sunday even in the face of such a rigorous contest.

4. The Sharks will have a new coach. Ron Wilson did a great job in parlaying this team into a great competitor. However, he never delivered the cup to San Jose, going to the Conference Finals only once. Management will want more out of this team in 2008-09.

5. There will be some movement. I doubt Brian Campbell will be back. Watch for a trade involving a well-known Sharks player. To his credit, Doug Wilson is a very poor loser and he will continue to fine tune this team.

6. Evgeni Nabakov, Joe Thornton, and Patrick Marleau are safe. Don't fall over. Marleau had a great post season and is poised for an excellent return.

7. This team will probably go deeper than ever next season. The nucleus of this team is young. The experience they derived from the post season was noteworthy. Although hope springs eternal, there will be enough adjustments by Doug Wilson and crew to make next season more exciting.

Although you may view this as hype, take it to the bank.

ooo

A special thanks to The Union for the best hockey coverage east of San Jose. To those who have written and called me, you are following the most exciting sport on this earth.

I enjoy hearing from you. It has been a great journey. We have great hockey fans in Nevada County. For those who think I am crazy, do not go to a game.

It is so contagious that you will be bitten. Life will never again be the same. I have seen it over-and-over again.

Here's to a great 2007-08 campaign and to the promises of great days ahead.

Jim Adams lives in Nevada City, is a regular contributor to The Union and a broadcaster for TouchDown Productions. He may be reached via e-mail at adamses@inreach.com.