1/10/07 edmonton 3, SHARKS 2

You know you're not doing a very good job when you have 17,496 people referring to you and your profession as feces from a male cow. Brad Watson and Don Koharski learned this first hand last night as they made several calls to upset the home fans, setting off a two minute chant of the previously mentioned substance. The Sharks brought a pretty spirited effort, spraying goalie Dwayne Roloson with 34 shots, but it wasn't enough for the Teal, who lost their first game of the new year. Evgeni Nabokov allowed 3 goals in the first period for the third consecutive time, but rather than the other two, he was left in to dig himself out of the hole that he had created. Marcel Goc and Western Conference All-Star Jonathan Cheechoo each had a goal.

Speaking of All-Stars, the results were just released, and both Cheechoo and Joe Thornton were voted as starters for the Western Conference along with Joe Sakic (Colorado Avalanche), Nicklas Lidstrom (Detroit Red Wings) and Scott Niedermayer (Anaheim Ducks). Roberto Luongo (Vancouver Canucks) will be starting in net. In the East, Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins) and Alexander Ovechkin (Washington Capitals) lead the way, with Daniel Briere (Buffalo Sabres) skating alongside, and Sheldon Souray (Montreal Canadiens) and Brian Campbell (Buffalo Sabres) on the blueline. Fellow Sabre Ryan Miller will be manning the pipes. The All-Star reserves will be announced later this week.

The Sharks will finish their 7th back-to-back set tonight when they take on the Los Angeles Kings (7:30 pst). As a traveler, it will be my final Sharks game at the larger than necessary Staples Center, sitting in the same seat that I've had the pleasure of warming each of the past 3 contests. Staples has been nice to the Sharks this year, as they come in having won two of the three games played between these two teams in these friendly confines.

Go Sharks (BULLHOCKEY)
-Jess