You’ve all seen this one before. In any nature documentary worth the film it’s printed on, two forces collide: one, a majestic apex predator in search of one or two more good years; from across the field, a plucky and burgeoning young challenger here to earn its place at the top.
Tonight, the former was represented by the San Jose Sharks, and the latter by the Minnesota Wild. Burns, Karlsson, Couture, Jones, and especially Marleau (soon to tie and surpass Gordie Howe in NHL games played) came in all over the age of 30 and found themselves out-done by the spring chickens in Minnesota.