Sharp Has No Regrets After Missed Opportunity In Game 7
(WSCR) You can't fault fans for still thinking about it. It's only human.
Patrick Sharp was standing all alone to Roberto Luongo's right and Jonathan Toews gave him a perfect pass. The puck reached Sharp's stick and he immediately flicked it on net. Luongo slid over and got his shoulder in the path of the puck. Minutes later, the Canucks scored and the Blackhawks' season was over.
For fans, that's the lasting image of the 2010-11 season. The Blackhawks had climbed back from a 3-0 deficit against the hated Canucks in the first round of last year's playoffs and had reached overtime in Game 7.
If only Sharp had shot it a little harder. If only he had shot it a little higher.
That's how fans look at it. But not Sharp.
WATCH: Patrick Sharp on The Danny Mac Show
"I really haven't thought twice about it to be honest with you," he said on The McNeil and Spiegel Show Wednesday. "The pass came over, the defenseman kind of delayed the pass from coming over so (Roberto) Luongo had a good jump on the play. I did the same thing I had done all season in that situation, shoot it as high and as hard as I can and as it was leaving my stick I knew it was going to clip his shoulder. It would have been nice for it to go in but I didn't have any sleepless nights that's for sure."
Sharp said it's important to have a short memory in those situations and now he's only thinking about opening the season Friday in Dallas against the Stars. Sharp hasn't played since that fateful Game 7 because of an appendectomy at the start of training camp, but he is expected to play in the opener Friday night.
