"For months, this young, rambunctious, and altogether infectious bunch played with house money, thumbing their collective noses at the idea of another year of rebuild futility. They pretended to be a finished product. They didn't know any better. And if they did, they simply didn't care that it wasn't yet their turn to contend for a playoff spot."
"All season long, this roster defied expectations, relying on sheer willpower and youthful ignorance to mask its flaws and make it look like a team that genuinely deserved a playoff spot. They cannot make that claim today. The magic has evaporated, replaced by the disjointed play you would naturally expect from a franchise trying to climb out of the NHL's basement."
"San Jose is only three points back of a Wild Card spot in the West, holding two precious games in hand over the desperate pack elbowing for that final berth. But it's not the math that is setting off the sirens inside SAP Center; it's the method. The way the Sharks were losing and continue to lose is one giant, flapping red flag."
The San Jose Sharks' impressive early-season performance has collapsed under the weight of inexperience. After months of playing with confidence and defying expectations, the team now faces a five-game losing streak, including a 4-1 loss to Calgary. While mathematically close to a Wild Card spot with games in hand, the method of their losses reveals deeper problems. The Sharks are committing fundamental mistakes and showing disjointed play characteristic of a rebuilding team. Their early success masked underlying flaws through youthful determination, but that magic has evaporated, exposing the team as genuinely unprepared for playoff contention.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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