NHL Play-Offs

[JohnnyK 28]

Yeah, Sharks look miserable, very uncomfortable that they might actually win. Give San Jose the golf players it so richly deserves, let's get on with it. Have to pick Vancouver for the final now, I guess, I can't see Detroit, certainly not Sharks beating them. Narrowed down to this, the East actually has the better teams, all in all.

 

Second period of Sharks-Wings was the most entertaining of the whole playoffs that I've seen though. Good fun, end-to-end stuff. Those old geezers looked pretty good. Mike Modano ferkhrighssake!! What is he, 62, 64 years old now? Jeeze.

 

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joe, what are you watching it on in Thailand? Computer? Dish? Just curious.

[joekicker 53]

At this exact moment I'm in the US watching Versus. But I have a Slingbox, so in Thailand I also watch it on Versus.

 

For hockey, though, there's lots of it on TrueVision subscription TV, on their "ASN" sports channel, I think that means American Sports Network, heh. The good thing about ASN is if you do it right and not read the sports pages, you can catch the taped games the next day and not know who won.

 

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[nkped 1,208]

One of the benefits of living in Washington state (and there aren't many) is being able to watch CBC hockey coverage on cable.

[VicVegas 70]

Give San Jose the golf players it so richly deserves, let's get on with it.

 

 

I think you can take Joe's hilarious quip two ways:

 

 

1. The Sharks players will soon be hitting the links, as in they won't have to worry about playing in the Western Conference Championship series.

 

OR

 

2. The Sharks couldn't do any worse if they threw some golfers on the ice.

 

 

Certainly this guy would fit right in. He also has a history of choking away a lead in dramatically embarrassing fashion, and, as evidenced by this pic, like a true Shark he seems at home in the water.

 

 

[JohnnyK 28]

 

I think you can take Joe's hilarious quip two ways:

 

 

1. The Sharks players will soon be hitting the links, as in they won't have to worry about playing in the Western Conference Championship series.

 

OR

 

2. The Sharks couldn't do any worse if they threw some golfers on the ice.

 

 

Certainly this guy would fit right in. He also has a history of choking away a lead in dramatically embarrassing fashion, and, as evidenced by this pic, like a true Shark he seems at home in the water.

 

 

Good one!

[JohnnyK 28]

One of the benefits of living in Washington state (and there aren't many) is being able to watch CBC hockey coverage on cable.

Yup, the best camera work from years of experience covering hockey. I hate the US networks camera work, they think you have to see the whole ice surface so the players look like ants and you can't see the friggin' puck.

BUT... if you watch the East playoffs you get Bob Cole announcing and he is fucking useless and needs to be sent back to the old age home. Chris Cuthbert calling the West series on TSN is much better. Neither is Danny Gallivan.

[brotherbuzz 3,206]

Good game 7 at the Tank. Detroit manhandled SJ in the second but a strong 1st and 3rd did the trick. Y'all ain't giving us a chance against Vancouver but IMO Detroit has more talent than they do and we still managed to move on. Anyway, looking forward to the next series.

[nkped 1,208]

It was a great third period. Wings couldn't quite get the one they needed. The good new is that there will be a west coast team in the finals so some of the games won't start in the middle of the afternoon on weekdays.

[joekicker 53]

Good game 7 at the Tank. Detroit manhandled SJ in the second but a strong 1st and 3rd did the trick. Y'all ain't giving us a chance against Vancouver but IMO Detroit has more talent than they do and we still managed to move on. Anyway, looking forward to the next series. thumbup

 

I thought your Sharks were sort-of okay for 53 minutes, as usual. This is a team absolutely not playing to its potential. But then some teams are like that - they play just barely good enough to win. I think Vancouver will crush them, but I'm putting about a nickel on that.

 

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[VicVegas 70]

Props to the Sharks for avoiding a major collapse.

 

Canucks vs Sharks - who will step up? They've both shown plenty of weaknesses, but can either take advantage?

 

Bruins vs TB - go Bolts!

[JohnnyK 28]

In the end Detroit didn't have the horses losing Cleary and Bertuzzi but they do have guts and they are pros.

Sharks and Canucks both must have at least some nervousness because both have played below potential in past playoffs.

Should be good, jet lag won't be a factor.

 

Damien Cox, Toronto Star on this series:

 

http://thestar.blogs.com/thespin/2011/05/f...s-far-west.html

 

 

Boston-Tampa should be good, too.

 

Damien Cox on that series:

http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/nhl/a...ific-east-final

[nkped 1,208]

Canucks looked like they actually want to win this against the Sharks rather than avoid losing. In the east, Tampa Bay looked good in the first game. If I was a betting man (I'm not) my money would be on Tampa Bay to win the cup.

Edited May 16, 2011 by nkped

[JohnnyK 28]

Canucks-Sharks was good last night, I like skating teams and this should be a good series. Luongo gifted a goal as his tendency. He said later his stick had been broken from a slash so he didn't get good wood on it. He's a natural right-hand shot but has to shoot left because right hand is his stick hand. Canucks did look on their way to blowing home ice advantage. Coming from behind for the win has to be good for their morale. Thornton has been great, not mailing it in as in past playoffs. Sedins coming out of their slumber and Kesler is Kesler one of the best all-round players in the league right now.

[joekicker 53]

Thornton has been great, not mailing it in as in past playoffs. Sedins coming out of their slumber and Kesler is Kesler one of the best all-round players in the league right now.

 

Those are THE four names, my take.

 

Good game, good fun.

[midlifecrisis 4,048]

The San Jose Mercury-News today had sportswriters opining on how fatigued the Sharks looked in the third period. If the were fatigued last night, they were fatigued against Detroit too.

 

Perhaps they are just not fit enough then? Or perhaps the fourth line isn't contributing enough? Nah.

 

I think they just get shocked when other teams start taking it to them when they think they have control late in the game.

 

I will relate it this way, I was a miler in high school. I used to run as a front runner and beat this one guy on our team every race. One race I was in the lead as usual and just before the last turn he past me on my right shoulder. I will be damned that when I tried to mount a counter to his passing me, I couldn't find the energy and he went on to win and I dropped to fourth.

 

I think the Sharks are like this. It's between the ears.

 

Still, just win the next and come home. Or lose the next and win 3 in a row.

 

I don't know how you contain the Sedin twins and Kessler though.

[brotherbuzz 3,206]

I don't know how you contain the Sedin twins and Kessler though.

In a word................Gillooly.

[VicVegas 70]

I don't know how you contain the Sedin twins

 

 

Look at video from the Chicago series. They did a pretty good job of it.

[JohnnyK 28]

Canucks were well-rested, enough time to get over nagging minor bumps and scrapes. 100% sure the Sharks must have been tired, the Detroit series would have been physically and emotionally draining. Broons-Bolts tonight so I'm heading to the beer store now.

[JohnnyK 28]

Sharks are done. Canucks ran right over them in every aspect of the game and the swooners totally lost composure. Third period they were standing around watching the Canucks do their thing. It's clear the Sharks have little character. Canucks in five.

[brotherbuzz 3,206]

Sharks are done.

Hope you're wrong and it certainly doesn't look good for the Teal, but, the Sharks have Vancouver exactly where they want them.

 

Sharks fans love irony.......

 

 

Canucks ran right over them in every aspect of the game and the swooners totally lost composure.

Not true, they were busy collecting penalty minutes.

 

Third period they were standing around watching the Canucks do their thing.

Not true, they were busy collecting penalty minutes.

 

It's clear the Sharks have little character.

Character sharacter. Stevens won the cup for the Devils by being a talented thug on a cohesive team. The Sharks, for the time being, seem destined to forget how to play as a team when it matters most.

[brotherbuzz 3,206]

Well, that's one. It's a start.

[JohnnyK 28]

They had to have that one. But Canucks will be ready tomorrow. Missed the Bolts-Broons today but looks like it was a wild one, another beantown fold.

[joekicker 53]

They had to have that one. But Canucks will be ready tomorrow. Missed the Bolts-Broons today but looks like it was a wild one, another beantown fold.

 

Total Beantown fold. After Period 1, the "experts" telling us how the Bruins would just coast to victory, it was a laugher. After Period 2, no laugher.

 

It was a total fold. TB earned one goal, arguably none. They should have charged Howard for a ticket. Boston's defence may have been pretty bad over the final 35 minutes, but at least their offence was worse.

 

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[lespaul5000 15]

Total Beantown fold. After Period 1, the "experts" telling us how the Bruins would just coast to victory, it was a laugher. After Period 2, no laugher.

 

It was a total fold. TB earned one goal, arguably none. They should have charged Howard for a ticket. Boston's defence may have been pretty bad over the final 35 minutes, but at least their offence was worse.

 

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don't know if you ever played the game or not, but the big hit on Chara was definitely a game changer.

[joekicker 53]

don't know if you ever played the game or not, but the big hit on Chara was definitely a game changer.

 

Maybe. But tell the truth, I think the game changer is, the Brew-ins go up 3-0 in Period 1 and go in the dressing room, yuck it up, get that "we can't lose now" feeling. Did you see Howard LAUGHING after the first goal he gifted in the second period? Yeah, really funny, Tim. No big deal at all.

 

And I think the Brunes are the best team left. I think they go all the way. But that game was a gagger.

 

To me, that hit wasn't Scott Stevens giving it to Lindros, not at all.

 

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