SAN JOSE – The biggest concern for the Sharks headed into Friday’s second round opener against Nashville came to fruition.
After a week off between games, most of San Jose’s skaters were a tad off in the first period, misfiring on routine passes and not churning their legs as powerfully as they had in the five-game first round slaying of Los Angeles.
Not Joel Ward, though. Six minutes into the first period he squashed Ryan Ellis behind the Sharks’ net in what was his best attempt to help the team get right back into playoff-mode.
“We knew they had played a tough seven-game series against Anaheim,” Ward said.