Round 1: Sharks (1) vs. Ducks (8)

[puck_it]

<table width="535" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" style="font-family: verdana; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none;">Thursday, April 16</td><td style="font-family: verdana; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none;">at San Jose, 10:30 p.m.</td><td style="font-family: verdana; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none;">VERSUS, CBC, RDS</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" style="font-family: verdana; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none;">Sunday, April 19</td><td style="font-family: verdana; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none;">at San Jose, 10:00 p.m.</td><td style="font-family: verdana; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none;">VERSUS, CBC, RDS</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" style="font-family: verdana; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none;">Tuesday, April 21</td><td style="font-family: verdana; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none;">at Anaheim, 10:30 p.m.</td><td style="font-family: verdana; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none;">VERSUS, CBC, RDS</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" style="font-family: verdana; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none;">Thursday, April 23</td><td style="font-family: verdana; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none;">at Anaheim, 10:30 p.m.</td><td style="font-family: verdana; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none;">VERSUS, CBC, RDS</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" style="font-family: verdana; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none;">*Saturday, April 25</td><td style="font-family: verdana; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none;">at San Jose, 10:00 p.m.</td><td style="font-family: verdana; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none;">VERSUS, CBC, RDS</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" style="font-family: verdana; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none;">*Monday, April 27</td><td style="font-family: verdana; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none;">at Anaheim, TBD</td><td style="font-family: verdana; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none;">VERSUS, CBC, RDS</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" style="font-family: verdana; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none;">*Wednesday, April 29</td><td style="font-family: verdana; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none;">at San Jose, TBD</td><td style="font-family: verdana; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none;">VERSUS, CBC, RDS</td></tr></tbody></table>

[SoCalcaniac]

Ok, I've found a building that rivals ours in the frenzy dept. it would be that building in SJ. I never get tired of the ol' Shark head being lowered down on the ice so the team can skate through it. :lol:

Randy Hahn and Drew Remenda do the pregame chatter right in the thick of the crowd as the media row is basically right in the crowd; and the SJ fans were standing the whole time waiting for the team to come out, waving their towels. Very similar vibe as our building.

LOL- Bobby Ryan has not one whisker on his face and the rest of the Ducks have fuzzy faces already - I'm sure Ryan's not yet shaving, heehee

I'm stressed out already. Goooooo Sharks. and crap the Hawks are losing 2-1.

[KaniacFever]

Ok, I've found a building that rivals ours in the frenzy dept. it would be that building in SJ. I never get tired of the ol' Shark head being lowered down on the ice so the team can skate through it. :lol:



Back in December my brother was going out to San Jose for some training work thing. As a 'team building', the leader took them all to a Sharks game. I told him he better take pictures of that shark being lowered down the ice. He kept texting me pictures throughout the game. Needless to say I was very jealous. He did say that the crowd was awesome and that was in December, I can't imagine what it would have been like last night.

[nccanes]

Except when they got shutout!

Funny to think the two teams that lost on home ice were Caps and Sharks.

[SoCalcaniac]

:ticked::ticked::ticked:

I was up for the ENTIRE game, screwed my entire morning routine straight to hell - and didn't get into the gym until well after 6:30am this morning, all for a flippin' shutout. :help: That incredible atmosphere went straight to the tank and I'm sure there is panic with the NOcals.

Oh, Lordy, help me, I am doomed to this nonsense for gosh knows how long. Between the Canes & the Sharks, my black hair will be completely white and I'm just not even in the mood for any of it.

[caveman]

After our own game 1 debacle I couldn't sleep until 5 AM. So I missed all but the first period of the 7 PM games yesterday, didn't watch a minute of this. I don't really care either way, but:

1. the Sharks outshot the Ducks 35-17 -- keep that up and they will probably be fine
2. Hedican out with "back spasms" makes me less likely to cheer for the Ducks, as:
3. I think I have a man-crush for Ryan Clowe already, and then (as a BONUS) he elbows Pronger last night. Could he get more awesome?

[livinthedream]

Okay, I saw this and LOL'ed

http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/ept_sports_nhl_experts__28/ept_sports_nhl_experts-13156346-1239829483.jpg?ymr_9GBDejOBfDFM

[SoCalcaniac]

In all the kerfuffle with our own game, and me trying to settle down just a tad- I FINALLY got to see my Sharkies WIN! :lol:


Wooo! and it was a doozy. I'm hoping they can tie this up in ANA and go on back to the tank and this thing back in order. I was starting to be filled with some doubt - those Sharks are pretty close to the Canes in that they find ways to try and stop my heart, and do their damndest to make life hard for themselves. ;)

[SoCalcaniac]

As if things could not get worse for me- My Sharkies are now down in the series 3-1. :ticked::beatup:

I begged off going out to the airport as I had a team call with our Latin America team @ 6:30am Eastern due to the time difference, so I stayed home and "planned" to go to bed and maybe just watch half of the game. got suckered into the whole thing, and they got clobbered 4-0. Bobby Ryan with 2 goals. They even had a 15 minute delay cause of some broken glass between the benches. Oh and I woke up this morning with a text from friend back home who was at the game in ANA, and they had an earthquake (small just a 3 pointer) and supposedly there were aftershocks during the game - how'd ya like to get a text like that? -- heehee.

Someone help me, I'm losing my mind. I don't even know what to say about the Sharks. There is something fatally wrong with the playoff makeup of this team. and if someone says it's the Joe Thornton factor I'm gonna scream some more. Can't put my finger on it, and I'm sure Todd Maclelland is trying his darndest to figure it out, but holy cow- the Ducks, are just killin' it here. This could not have been a worse matchup for SJ. it's not even the so-called President's Cup curse. It's something deeper.

I'm a huge Sharks fan, but right now, I'm on the edge, I can't even imagine what the NoCals are feeling. I'm sure if they knew a socal was cheering on their team, they'd say I cursed them. :lol:

[nccanes]

And this is why I say I'm THRILLED with our series and how our team is battling -- all of them. Other than game 1 we've had 4 straight games where the game was truly undecided until the final second of the game. Our series could be over (with NJ having won in a sweep or us winning 4-1) or it can go 7. Amazing really.

[SoCalcaniac]

Oh my word. I think Jeremy Roenick just about made me cry in that pregame interview. (puck_it, look out, crying alert from me- run for the hills, haha) The girl in the kelly green blouse that is just a tad on the tight side, asks him "what did you have to say in the room?"

JR: "We all talked, I spoke, I asked the fellas to put themselves in my position, this could be my last NHL game, Blakey's (Rob) last game; I've been in the NHL for 20 years".... and he trails off and then says "I didn't ask them to do it for me, or do it for us (him & Blake) but I just asked them to put them in my shoes"

I remember Forslund at that Sports Museum gathering downtown in 2006 where he spoke about Game 7- and a question was asked if he knew what Rod said before Game 7- Forslund said something like 'it's something that's said between those players" I often wonder what he said. That whole thing (the room and the dynamic in it) completely fascinates me.

But the look in JR's eyes- Geez. His heart was in his throat, the tone was very serious, you can just see the desperation. That was crazzzy to watch.

ETA: FINALLY. A Sharks PP goal............and it's the whipping boy---- Joe Thornton. (please,please,please keep this going)

[Caniac4life]

Just can't get used to those mustard yellow stripes on their boards. I would understand if they were pink. Almost as irritating as Boise St. and they're blue astroturf. And that da*n foghorn when someone scores... WOOOOONNNK!

[Caniac4life]

....off to GoDaddy.com :lol:

[Caniac4life]

Friggin TWC, put the DVR on pause to make a B, double E, double R, U, N, and the damn thing went into sleep mode and I lost the entire 3rd period. Oh well, Sharks... don't look at Pens/Flyers highlights during the intermission.

[SoCalcaniac]

Thank Gawd Keith Jones wasn't right in the intermission before the OT period started. He sure is a Ducks fan, heehee.

The Sharks tried hard to give this one to the Ducks, and all of a sudden, I have my doubts on Nabokov. Maybe I'm watching him too closely- it's concerning either way.

They're not out of the woods, still do or die. They live for another day- (I'm all out of cliches, lol) Back to ANA.

[SouthernHockeyChick]

My problem with Nabakov is the same as it's always been. Occasionally after a stop that really should have been sorta routine, they'll focus the camera on him and he'll be looking like he just crapped his pants and he's totally about to lose his sh*t. That's always made me feel uncomfortable. But he seems to do just fine anyway so, if it works for him....

[PennsylvaniaCanesFan]

As sure as the sun comes up, the Sharks go home early. Again.

Check out Ross McKeon's article on Yahoo!. He is recommending the team be blown up now. Granted he is a tool, but I don't disagree with him on this one.

[caneshockeychick]

I just can't believe it...:(

[Deke]

As sure as the sun comes up, the Sharks go home early. Again.

Check out Ross McKeon's article on Yahoo!. He is recommending the team be blown up now. Granted he is a tool, but I don't disagree with him on this one.

It is definitely time to blow that team up. I hate it for Roenick, but they are a joke. No heart on that team whatsoever.

[DSCanesfan]

Wow! Another President's Trophy winner ousted. I think IIRC Detroit is one of the few President Trophy winners that has gone on the win the Cup. Some notable collapses in recent memory: Ottawa in '06 and Barfalo in '07 and now San Jose in '09. I remember being mad in 2006 that we let the President's Trophy slip from our grasp. But in hindsight I'd much rather let that one slip than the Trophy we got in 2006.

San Jose does have to retool now. Last year they let the coach go. Still an early exit. This year what do they do? One thing I have heard some people say on XM is its time to trade Joe Thorton. Maybe they'll trade Cheechoo. If they do I want JR to offer them Frank Kaberle and a late round pick in this year's draft for him.:laugh:

[Captain Slack]

I don't think there's any denying it now: Jumbo Joe, for all his gifts, is not a playoff performer and the Sharks have no heart or grit. For all their talent, they don't know how to dig deep & grind it out. I don't know what this team needs, but a change in on-ice leadership is almost a must. Marleau should be traded or at least have the C taken away. A tough, single-minded captain needs to be brought in. Someone who will say, "get on my back & let's go!"

[caveman]

IMHO Nabokov is the one that didn't appear very interested at key times, not the skaters. I think Joe's getting a pretty unfair shake here, again IMHO, he's one of those effortless skaters and people think "oh he's not trying hard" just because his legs aren't pumping up and down like hummingbird wings. But Nabokov went long stretches without playing with any apparent urgency, memorably kicking a puck into his own net.

Also IMHO this was a large case of three things the DUCKS did well. (1) Hiller made what, 300 freakin' saves? (2) Pronger on the ice half the game, Niedermeyer on the ice half the game, that's two HOF d-men cutting the ice in half the entire game and (3) Perry-Getzlaf-Ryan caught fire.

The main Sharks-culpable thing there is #3 -- where were the punishing hits on those guys? Where was the lockdown D? Where was the lockdown checking line?

Anyway I can't call out the Sharks on heart. I don't know anything about what makes Thornton or Marleau tick. The Sharks' "big March trade" was "Acquired Travis Moen and defenseman Kent Huskins from the Anaheim Ducks for goaltender Timo Pielmeier and center Nick Bonino." Sorry, that's not putting together the D-corps you need to make it through.

I think Doug calls it just right: this team reminded me a LOT of the 2006 Senators and the 2007 Sabres. Except the 07 Sabres had a goaltender who gave a rat's ass and so they made it to the conference finals at least. (Such a damned shame they couldn't win... :laugh:)

[SoCalcaniac]

There could not be a more bitter day, in a looooong a** for me. There are no words for the bitterness I feel towards these Sharks right now, and I said it earlier, if I'm a Sharks STHer I want heads to roll, but that's me being extremely disappointed and just beside myself. Watching the Sharks postgame on Comcast last night was pretty brutal, that entire group, Hahn/Remenda and the studio panel, looked inconsolable, shell-shocked probably is better. Doug Wilson has alot of thinking to do.

I stayed up as per usual to watch this one, and was just 'sure' after that alarming (for me) Thornton/Getzlaf fight. Around that time, I got a text from our friends who are Ducks STHers and the text was - "the Sharks are scared- the bench looks flat". I thought WTH? they just got Joe angry enough to pick a fight- and sure enough, they fell apart, the Teemu goal, then Beauchemin goal a minute later- then they just fell the hell apart.

SJ had no grit here- that second line was at fault here too- they Pavelski and crew, had 70 goals in the reg season, and they could only muster up two in this series? There is plenty of blame to go around here and of course Marleau and Thornton are gonna get the heat- and they should, cause that's the gig you sign up for when you're the star players. But this is the team that took the first couple months to lose a game at home. Nabakov gets robbed of a Vezina nomination for his regular season efforts, but he frankly just looked so ordinary. Hiller at times reminded me of Cam Ward circa 2006.

They completely collapsed. I just don't understand how you don't recognize that this thing is going to be HARD. They've done the damn handshake line for years in a row, and you have to dig deep to just get through it. it's not OCTOBER dudes. Oh my gosh I thought I had cooled off, and I'm getting ticked again.

I supposed I should be partying and happy for the socals that won- and give it to the Ducks they played an excellent series. But, it's the NOcals, that I am just unbelieveably baffled by this entire thing, and the person I really feel for is Jeremy Roenick.

The Sharkies inherently don't have the killer instinct as a unit- I think the logical thing is to blow it up, but I don't know that they will.

[caveman]

The Sharks need a real playoff tested veteran goalie, and a real shutdown defenseman with an edge. That's pretty much it IMHO. (Heh of course 25/30 teams need that...)

[SouthernHockeyChick]

I SO wanted this to be the Sharks' year....and Roenick's year.:(


Dammit, I HATE the Ducks. And now I have to pull for them cause they're playing Detroit. Sh*t.

[Fernando da Silva]

My God. The Sharks look like they'll never win. Another one??

[caveman]

Dammit, I HATE the Ducks. And now I have to pull for them cause they're playing Detroit. Sh*t.

If the Chicago-Vancouver winner doesn't come out of the West, I'm going to be quite disappointed:

2008 Wings
2007 Ducks
2006 Oilers
2004 Calgary
2003 Ducks
2002 Wings
2001 Avs
2000 Stars
1999 Stars
1998 Wings
1997 Wings
1996 Avs
1995 Wings
1994 Canucks
1993 Kings
1992 Blackhawks *Roenick's lone appearance

1994 was the year I really, really, really went nuts for hockey. Before that it was catching the Wings on the radio or the odd Bruins game (Cam Neely) on NESN on the huge hand-crank satellite dish. Since then the Wings went to the finals 5 times and the Ducks have been twice, though since 1999 each has "only" been there twice -- same number as our own Hurricanes and the Stars -- and the Devils have been there 3 times since 2000 (4 since 1994). Anyway yeah, would love to see some 1992 or 1994 magic come out of the west.

I wouldn't mind a more recent rerun in the east. ;] (Though not a repeat conference winner, that'd be lame.)

[Caniac4life]

Dammit, I HATE the Ducks. And now I have to pull for them cause they're playing Detroit. Sh*t.

I hate the F'n Ducks more, Go Wings!

God that left a bad taste.