Sharks pummeled by Hawks in first game after Thornton/Wilson public feud
So that whole Joe Thornton, Doug Wilson Friday rift. The one where Thornton told his general manager to “shut his mouth” after Wilson said “stress” and “pressure” led to his stripping Thornton of his captain’s C. How was that going to play out in San Jose’s next day game against Chicago. Well, horribly if you’re the Sharks.
San Jose lost 6-2 to Chicago. The game was 2-2 heading into the third period, then the Blackhawks scored four unanswered goals – one of which being an empty netter.
Did San Jose’s loss have anything to do with that Thornton, Wilson thing? Players predictably said it was caused by other issues.
From CSN Bay Area:
“Our job is to come here and play hockey, and that’s what we did,” said Logan Couture, when asked if the Joe Thornton-Doug Wilson rift has become a distraction. “Guys showed up, and I thought we played pretty well.”
And that Pavelski guy, who made that stirring speech on EPIX that one time:
“We support each other and we want to play, and we want to play hard. Guys responded pretty well with that today. But, you’ve got to find a way right to the end to win. It can’t get away from us like it did.”
And as for Thornton, who scored a goal, saying more on the topic … check out the tweet from the San Francisco Chronicle’s Ross McKeon who noted the ‘alternate’ captain told himself to ‘just say nay’ … or no.
And most importantly for San Jose, they gained zero ground on the playoffs. Depending on how the action turns out the rest of the night, they could fall further. The Sharks started the night three points back of both the Wild card and the final playoff spot in the Pacific Division.
Are you rebuilding? Are you refreshing? Are you going for it? If you’re asking these questions it means you’re a mess. The best option may be to tank – Sharks style.
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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper
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