Hockey Playoffs about to start

[Arlos]

Can't wait for them to get started... Hard to call for predictions yet, with still no idea who Vancouver will be facing, but anyone have any thoughts or comments?

-Arlos

[Spazz]

Id like to see the cup back in Detroit.............. where it belongs.

I also would like to see the penguins, sharks and canucks go out in the first round cuz im a hater like that. I think predicting the cup is always kind of hard to do. Goalies heat up players you wouldnt expect do wild shit and you just never really know what will happen. Just gotta root for your team and hope for the best.

[Tikker]

it's going to be tough to beat the canucks I think

they're really deep at every position, even goalie

[Spazz]

Well first round is over least i saw the penguins go out. I hope we can steam roll the sharks and im not sure who we will play after that. Im hoping for a detroit washington final round.

[Arlos]

Not much chance of that Detroit-Washington Finals, eh?

Sharks have been REALLY impressing me this Detroit series. If not for Howard playing out of his mind, the Sharks take games 1 & 2 by scores of 5-1 or 6-1, basically. Game 3, I think Detroit was marginally the better team (it was certainly the best game they've played this series so far), but they went into a prevent defense in the 3rd, and it cost them. Niemi really bailed the Sharks out this game.

The sharks are 6-0 in 1 goal games, and 5-0 in OT this postseason. (halfway to the 93 Habs record there!) I don't think there's any doubt that many previous years versions of the Sharks would have found ways to lose many of those games. This year's team, though, seems to be quite different. Thornton is playing incredibly well, especially defensively (and yet he's still scoring at a point-a-game clip), and we've got much more balanced scoring throughout the lineup. Couple years back, if you shut down the Sharks top line, they were kinda screwed. Now, though, what, we've got Pavelski (godlike in the playoffs) on the 3rd line? Yeesh...

I don't know if we'll sweep Detroit (though I hope we do, some of our guys, like Clowe, are obviously hurt and could use the rest), but I think it's safe to say the Sharks will be making the Western conference finals again. I'm guessing we'll face Vancouver, which would be a heck of a series, but even there, I like our chances.

My prediction: Sharks vs Bruins in the Stanley Cup Finals. (and just think about the amount of ink that will get used up writing about Joe Thornton in THAT series)
Sharks win the finals in 6.


-Arlos

PS. I think it's safe to say that ownership of the old Sharks' title of "Supreme Playoff Choke-masters" has now been quite convincingly taken by the Capitals, yes?

[Spazz]

Its not over yet arlos.

[Tuggan]

I don't know if we'll sweep Detroit (though I hope we do, some of our guys, like Clowe, are obviously hurt and could use the rest), but I think it's safe to say the Sharks will be making the Western conference finals again. I'm guessing we'll face Vancouver, which would be a heck of a series, but even there, I like our chances.

[Arlos]

Still not over, but yes, the Sharks have looked like crap. Especially Marleau.

-Arlos

[Tikker]

i can hear thornton and marleau choking from here

[Arlos]

Actually, Thornton has been playing really well. He's been a beast on D as well as playing quite well on offense as well. He's honestly been one of our best players sinc elike game 2 of the 1st round.

Now, MARLEAU on the other hand.... He has achieved epic levels of sucking this series. TRULY epic levels of suckage. Hell, he's sucked so bad that Roenick, an ex-teammate, called him gutless on the air. Now that's sucking.

-Arlos

[Spazz]

Suck a dick arlos.The sharks are not going to win a cup and you guys got lucky tonight.

[Arlos]

That was an amazing game. Datsyuk is obviously a hyper-advanced hockey-playing cyborg sent back from the future. Wow, the guy is insane. That backhand goal, I don't think any goalie, any time, ever, makes that save. Insanity.

Thornton continued playing awesome tonight himself. Marleau actually had a really good game. He was buzzing around the net all night, scored the game winner, and made a huge defensive play on Eaves right at the end of hte game to prevent a point-blank shot. Easily his best game of the series, by far.

Check the historic stats too. This is, by goals, the closest series in NHL history. 6 1-goal games. 7, really, considering that the only game that WASN'T a 1-goal win was only a 2-goal win because of a last-second empty-netter.

Sorry, Spazz, but the Sharks were just better tonight, overall. Wings gave it a hell of a run, that's for sure. Mucho props to them, absolutely.

Now, on to Vancouver. In all seriousness, I think whoever wins the WCF will win the SCF. Both Vancouver and the Sharks are miles better than Boston or Tampa.

I predict Sharks over Vancouver in 6 or 7.
Boston over Tampa in 6.

-Arlos

[Spazz]

Im telling you the sharks arent going to win the cup. They never do and they wont this year either.

[Tikker]

eh, the sharks are the weakest of the 4 teams left

they've got the worst goalie left in the playoffs, and they have almost no heart at all

Vancouver is going to just pwn the sharks, while I suspect the East will go a full 7 games. Roloson and Thomas are just too hot right now for it not to go that way

I don't give a rip about really any of the teams left, but I've always liked Roloson, and I'd like to see him get another shot at a cup

[Zanchief]

"heart" is not a quantifiable statistic.

[Tikker]

"heart" is not a quantifiable statistic.

maybe not, but you can see who has it, and who doesn't

[Zanchief]

I don't think you can, nor do I think performance can be measured by who is perceived to have it and who who doesn't. It just seems to be a thing Canadians say to undermine European or French Canadian players.

[Arlos]

Tikker also hasn't been allowing for people or teams changing.

Look at every single media report of both Sharks' series. Every one has talked about how Joe Thornton has been playing his ass off this postseason, both setting up goals, scoring game winners, AND playing selke-level defense. In all seriousness, he's probably been our best player, though Clowe and Couture haven't been far behind, and Setoguchi has been a sniper. Oh, and much as I used to like Nabokov, Niemi is just plain better. Nabokov found ways to lose big games. Niemi finds ways to win them. Sure, he has a bad game occasionally (see 2 games in round 1), but in the biggest games, like Game 7, he comes up huge. 38 saves on 40 shots, and at least one goal, Datsyuk's backhander, was utterly unstoppable.



That's Datsyuk's goal. Insane. accelerating through 3 sharks players, bad angle, backhand shot, and he puts it into a 1 inch spot in the top corner of the far side. You have no clue how glad I am we do NOT have to face him any more this postseason. rofl.

Anyway, the series vs Vancouver should be quite interesting. People all over the net are already calling it a Choke-off. rofl. Sharks have never been to the SCF, Vancouver's never won it, and has only been there once, and that not since '94, when they lost to the Rangers. Should be a good one. Oh, and yeah, I don't think either of the teams in the East can keep up with either Vancouver or SJ. Me, I'm pulling for a SJ-Boston series, with Joe Thornton scoring the series clinching goal, if only because I would laugh my ass off at all of the boston media's heads exploding in reaction.

-Arlos

[Tikker]

Datsyuk's backhander, was utterly unstoppable.

you've got to be kidding me

every time you say shit like that you lose any smidgin of credibility you might have

it's a shot, from outside the circle (aka bad angle), that most junior B goalies would be expected to stop

Niemi is not a particularly good goaltender. go back and check out any coverage of last years playoffs. the blackhawks won mostly despite niemi


@Zanchief

do you seriously believe that?

Do you honestly feel like you can't tell which players want to win more than others?

[Tikker]

ps, Bieksa goal tonight was almost exactly the same as the Datsyuk goal, (placement wise) except forehand, rather than backhand

[Tuggan]

almost exactly the same, except for the 3 defenders and the 1 handed backhand shot. stfu tikker. we get it, youre canadian and the ultimate hockey guru.

all i have to say is vancouver is the better team, and i'll be depressed if san jose makes it to the final, + i'm cheering for sj.

[Tikker]

almost exactly the same, except for the 3 defenders and the 1 handed backhand shot.

1 handed? open your eyes you retard

my point is that the shot was the same, same angle, etc

peewee and up goalie would be expected to make the save

[Tuggan]

datsyuk was playing with a broken hand.

[Spazz]

Cup is never ever going to a team in canada again.

[Harrison]

brb going to riot.

(kidding, but I like saying it...)