Make or break

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Doug Wilson doesn't want to fire his coach. Doug Wilson doesn't want to strip Patrick Marleau of his captaincy. Doug Wilson doesn't want to make a trade.

At some point soon, the general manager of the San Jose Sharks might have to do something he doesn't want to do.

Things are coming to a head in Silicon Valley, where the ice is getting thin, carving knives are out and the holiday season has been more "Bah! Humbug!" than "Ho ho ho!"

This situation has been building since the Sharks suffered a second-round bow-out of the Stanley Cup playoffs last spring when – for a second straight year – San Jose folded at the first sight of adversity.

Again.

In actuality, this team is too focused on the end result and not enough on the path with which to get there. They want to right the wrong of recent postseasons right now, and right now is not the time to fix it.

The Sharks don't look like they're having fun when they play. They look tight, almost afraid to make a mistake because they know criticism and ridicule is sure to follow.

You don't see Detroit playing that way. The Red Wings have just as much to be disappointed about as the Sharks. They had a 1-0 lead on Anaheim in a pivotal Game 5 of the third round. Had they held on instead of surrendering the tying goal and OT winner they might have beaten Ottawa for the Cup instead of Anaheim. There's nothing they can do about that now, so the Wings just go about their business of winning like before.

Windows of opportunity open for only so long. And the Sharks are confident because they still are one of the youngest teams in the league that their best opportunity still is in front of them. On the other hand, San Jose has been so close the last three postseasons – reaching the third round once and second round twice – one has to wonder if they've wasted their chance.

Frustration over recent results came bubbling to the surface Friday when Jeremy Roenick and Ron Wilson made some pointed comments, and the coach was caught the night before berating his team during a timeout on the video board, an image that brought a big cheer from the home crowd.

Those events, in addition to what he was seeing on the ice, triggered Doug Wilson to suggest the team meet on Friday instead of practice in preparation for Saturday's visit by Anaheim, which skated off with a 5-2 victory. There was some damage control going on here, too. Management doesn't want dirty laundry aired, and it was time to keep the gripes in-house, too.

So on Friday they met and met and met. Two hours later the doors opened. Players talked in general terms about what was discussed, but nothing specific was revealed. No surprise there.

Let's consider the options others have suggested.

Ron Wilson should not be fired. He, along with assistants Tim Hunter and Rob Zettler, give the team everything they need to succeed in terms of preparation and strategy. This is not a coach who hasn't been around. He has been to the Stanley Cup finals, coached teams to international titles and played in the league.

Some people are offended when Ron Wilson comes down hard on players, but what's wrong with accountability? Besides, who is available that is going to do better? Scotty Bowman? I doubt he wants to step back behind an NHL bench.

The Sharks came into Saturday's game No. 1 in goals-against and No. 2 in penalty-killing success. In other words, San Jose is playing outstanding defensive hockey. Defense wins championships. Enough said.

Marleau may not be the most vocal or animated captain, but that doesn't mean he isn't leading. By nature, Marleau is quiet and polite. He has a diligent work ethic. He is having an awful year statistically, but one player does not do all of the leading.

Craig Rivet, Curtis Brown, Mike Grier and Roenick all were acquired, in part, because they possess leadership skills, and the more you can add to the mix the better. Is it enough? Doug Wilson would like to add more of it, but not at the expense of what he already has.

And that brings us to trades. We're talking about a GM who pulled off arguably the most one-sided blockbuster in recent memory when he fleeced Boston for Joe Thornton. Men in Doug Wilson's position go entire careers without being able to pair 1-2 centers in Thornton and Marleau, the top two picks in the 1997 entry draft.

Now is not the time to trade Marleau, who along with Thornton should pose postseason opposition with massive matchup problems.

Sure, Doug Wilson will tweak the roster like every GM either will do or attempt to do by the trade deadline. But to break up the core or go in another direction doesn't make any sense.

That's not to turn a blind eye and suggest there isn't a problem. The team still needs to mature and show up on more nights than they have in the first half of the season. And, in terms of development, players like Matt Carle, Milan Michalek, Steve Bernier, Christian Ehrhoff, Joe Pavelski and Marcel Goc have to continue to improve instead of reaching a plateau and getting stuck.

This much is for sure – it's up to the players now. And if things don't change, Doug Wilson will have to do something he really doesn't want to do. He'll have no choice.

Ross McKeon is the NHL editor for Yahoo! Sports. Send Ross a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.

Updated on Sunday, Dec 23, 2007 2:15 am, EST

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