(1/24/08)

(Note: The following is the newest chapter in my still-untitled Sharks journal.)

Last year's "#4 vs. #5" Western Conference Quarterfinals series featured a Game 1 that created another unforgettable San Jose Sharks Stanley Cup Playoffs story. This story is a "feel good" story because the Sharks player who committed the third period, final-minute turnover that helped the fourth-seeded Nashville Predators score the game-tying goal, which forced two overtime periods to be played, is also the Sharks player who scored the game-winning goal. When the Game 1 "dust" had "settled," and the fifth-seeded Sharks celebrated their 5-4 double overtime victory and the 1-0 series lead, Sharks left wing Patrick Rissmiller earned head coach Ron Wilson's "Player of the Game" award: a Wonder Bread hat, which is the hat that the movie "Talladega Nights" and it's star character Ricky Bobby (Saturday Night Live alum Will Ferrell's lead role) made famous.

This story also possesses a "strange but true" part that merely helps to reinforce the "unforgettable" description. The intermission that preceded the first overtime period is when Sharks TV play-by-play announcer Randy Hahn predicted that Patrick Rissmiller would score the game-winning goal. Randy Hahn knew that Rissmiller was the Sharks player seeking redemption the most. Patrick Rissmiller scored the game-winning goal, and Randy Hahn was correct.

Rissmiller's game-winning goal created a great story, but only a "Sharks win the Stanley Cup" story could top Jamie Baker's Game 7 game-winning goal that helped the 1993-94 San Jose Sharks win 1994's "#1 vs. #8" Western Conference Quarterfinal series. Rissmiller can claim that he joins two clubs that include Jamie Baker: 1) the "unforgettable postseason Sharks game-winning goals" club, and 2) my "Have A Photo With Him" Sharks team. Rissmiller became the twenty-fourth Sharks player to join my "Have A Photo With Him" Sharks team when he was January's second Sharks Store Meet-and-Greet feature player.

Patrick Rissmiller gave an hour and 35 minutes of his time and showed how much he actually regards Sharks fans. The left wing who wears #34 signed autographs and allowed a player-and-fan photo opportunity, a photo that a Sharks Store representative snapped and will be e-mailed. My sister and I held the waiting line's tenth spot, and we endured an eight-minute wait that ended when I reached the probably-granite-top, bar-level table where Rissmiller was seated. When I approached the left wing, who wore his teal RBK Edge jersey and a faded Boston Red Sox cap, I said my usual "Thanks for coming out and doing this. This is awesome. You're doing a great job this season. (My player-and-fan photo was then snapped) Thanks again." Rissmiller autographed my Thursday, January 18, 2007 (Sharks vs. Phoenix Coyotes) insert and my "When I Don't Have Anything For Him To Autograph" t-shirt. And when I told Rissmiller that he was "doing a great job this season," I wasn't patronizing him because #34 is a San Jose Sharks player and not a Worcester Sharks player; I remember when Rissmiller was a 2003-04 temporary call-up.

Rissmiller's Meet-and-Greet earned him a four fins score, which he would have automatically earned because he didn't receive an elevator-exiting applause that the first 25 numbered people give. The left wing didn't lose points because I felt slightly disgusted when I saw him wearing a Boston Red Sox cap; I understand and realize that the Sharks' #34 is a Belmont, Massachusetts native. I didn't buy a "Rissmiller 34" black jersey-like t-shirt that the Sharks Store now sells (or a photo), but I can expect that Rissmiller will soon become a Patrick-Marleau-caliber or Milan-Michalek-caliber top-favorite Sharks player.

Patrick Rissmiller wearing a "Boston" team's cap means that he is the best "bean" that the Sharks prospects farm has produced. Patrick Marleau will always be THE Sharks' Patrick, but now Rissmiller has an unforgettable Sharks postseason story that joins Marleau's three playoff hat tricks. And both Patrick's comprise my "Have A Photo With Him" Sharks team too.