from Scott Burnside of ESPN,

Many have been waiting for this moment in San Jose all season: the moment where the seams so tightly sewn by Wilson and the rest of the team come slowly undone, bursting to reveal the true nature of this team beneath.

And it provides a sharper edge to the proceedings that this undoing is occurring with less than a month to go in the regular season and with the Sharks still nibbling at the edges of the Western Conference playoffs -- having made 10 straight postseason appearances.

Wilson needled Thornton from afar by suggesting to season-ticket holders late last week that he took the captain's "C" from Thornton last offseason because he couldn't handle the pressure. Then Thornton suggested not too subtly that Wilson keep his yap shut and stop lying. The two might as well have planted a cartoon tub of TNT outside the Sharks' dressing room and dragged a long fuse to ownership's door.

It is clear now that barring some sort of monumental recovery by the team that would see them make up the five points they are now short of the playoffs and then make a decent showing in the postseason, ownership cannot allow the passive aggressiveness that has been this team's identity to continue.

No, this offseason will be a time for doing, not waiting and tinkering around the edges.

But who will be left standing?

read on