News

There was talk about who might start in goal for Calgary (San Jose Sharks' coach Ron Wilson cast his vote for Mike Vernon). There was talk about Evgeni Nabokov's post-game observation Sunday — that some of the Sharks' "boys" are going to have to become "men" (Wilson again: "Maybe he meant the singing group.")

Mostly though, the focus on the visiting Sharks was on which version of the team would show up for tonight's fourth game of their best-of-seven Western Conference first-round playoff series against the Flames. The one that finished with the best record in the NHL over the final third of the season? Or the one that spectacularly flamed out in each of the past two playoffs.

Craig Rivet, the Sharks' defenceman who joined the team at the 2007 trading deadline, said his squad had no one to blame but themselves for Sunday's crushing defeat, which left them trailing 2-1 in the series. They know it. They need to do something about it tonight.

"We played a team that basically up to this point has wanted it more than we've shown," said Rivet. "We feel very confident in our abilities, but we need to put the past behind us and look forward. That's the only way of looking at things.

"If you're going to sit there and dwell on things, that's not the right approach. In the room, guys have smiles on their faces. We've pretty much forgotten about (Sunday). If we can continue to play like we did in the first five minutes, we'll be in pretty good shape."

Yes, they would be. The Sharks held a 3-0 lead through the first three-and-a-half minutes, but eventually lost a 4-3 nail-biter to a Flames' team Rivet suggested possessed a "junkyard dog mentality." Wilson, who usually has a funny line for just about any situation, wouldn't be drawn into a discussion of Nabokov's telling comment, other than to observe: "I'm glad he said it. The most important thing is for the guys to hold themselves accountable — and challenge each other to rise to the occasion."

Two years ago, the Sharks lost Milan Michalek in the series against the Edmonton Oilers on an open-ice hit from Raffi Torres, with little response from their players. However, Wilson made a distinction between that moment and the turning point in Sunday's game — a hit by the Flames' Cory Sarich on Sharks' captain Patrick Marleau that re-energized the home team and ultimately started their unlikely rally.

According to Wilson, Marleau was still one of the best Sharks' players, even after the hit, and that some of his teammates needed to respond better.

"The one guy who wanted to be on the ice all the time is Patty," said Wilson. "That was unbelievable on his part. Unfortunately, some of his teammates let him down. They should have responded a little better, but again, hindsight's 20-20. You don't know the direction the game's going to go after a hit like that. Patty sure impressed me with his courage and determination after being squashed like that."

The coaches were having a little fun on the issue of who might start in goal for Calgary, given Curtis Joseph's 22-save shutout performance in relief of Miikka Kiprusoff on Sunday. When asked to identify his starter, coach Mike Keenan said straight-faced: "Curtis McElhinney."

McElhinney, of course, was the Flames' backup before Joseph signed as a free agent just before the deadline. Sunday's win in relief was Joseph's first in the playoffs in four years. The last came in the '04 season as a member of Detroit Red Wings, a team that Calgary bumped out of the playoffs in a monumental second-round upset.

Joseph saw some similarities between the current edition of the Flames and the squad from four years ago, in terms of its overall determination.

"Very similar to the Calgary team I played against in Detroit," said Joseph, "a team that works hard and has a lot of grit and is starting to believe in itself."

A larger issue for Wilson was the play of the Sharks' special teams, particularly their power play.

So far, the Flames have a decided edge there. The Calgary power play is three-for-nine (33 per cent); the penalty killing 2-for-17 (88.2 per cent). So even though the Sharks have had almost twice as many manpower advantages, Calgary actually is outscoring them on the power play.

"The one thing we can learn from what they've done is they've thrown pucks at nets and had a bunch of funny bounces and the puck has found its way in," said Wilson. "I think that's something we can learn from the Flames — throw pucks at the net and converge on the goalie and maybe get a lucky bounce."

"But our power play's got to be more effective. Even if it doesn't score, to move some pucks around and look like you're in control on the ice. We haven't looked that way in the series yet."

Thus far in the series, the Sharks' leading scorer and main man on the power play, Joe Thornton, has just two assists.

"I think Joe's a little frustrated right now," said Wilson. "He's just got to relax and not think he has to carry the team on his back and just let some plays develop — move your feet and skate and play hockey the way he can."

For his part, Rivet called the third-game loss a "big wake-up call" for our hockey club and suggested: It's going to make our team stronger …. It's maybe something that we needed it. We're going to be a much better team for it."

Unless, of course, they lose again tonight, which would give the Flames a 3-1 lead in the series and force them to win three in a row to finish off the seventh-seeded Calgary squad, which entered the post-season as a decided underdog but is finding ways to win.

"We just need to play better hockey," said Rivet. "We just have to understand that we're playing against a team that's going to fight for everything they can get.

"They have a junkyard mentality, where nothing seems to be special in any thing they do. They just want to try and outwork you. We feel if we can match that work ethic; and that grit they have, then we're going to be pretty well off.

"We're really looking forward to getting back on the ice. As a team, we're very confident. At the same time, we need to redeem ourselves.

"Sometimes, (a loss like Sunday's) can be devastating to a hockey club, but if you look around our room, guys realize what happened. We didn't deserve to win. We can come to the rink more aware of what we need to do in the series and that's play for 60 minutes and go out in Game 4 and give it our best effort and see what happens."

The Sharks plan to make two line-up changes for tonight's game. Defenceman Christian Ehrhoff, described by Wilson as their best two-way defenceman, will make his series debut after missing the first three games with an undisclosed injury, likely bumping matt carle to the sidelines.

Up front, wilson indicated that rookie Devin Setoguchi may go in, but he wouldn't say who he might replace. "You tell me Calgary's changes and I'll tell you ours."

Calgary didn't look to be making any changes. Speculation was Setoguchi could go in for any of Jonathan Cheechoo (who is seemingly playing with an injury), Jeremy Roenick or possibly tough guy Jody Shelley.