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Sharks Sweep
by IwoCPO on 04/28/07 at 09:36 AM ET
Comments (30)
Read the comments from the Shark fans below and you’d think that was the case. San Jose has swept Detroit. In a new, unique device to ostracize the remaining eleven thousand American hockey fans, Gary Bettman—if you believe the hockey historians in San Jose—has decreed that the Western Semi’s have been reduced to a best of one.
Shark fans, that small sect of hockey geniuses who populate the hotbed that is Northern California, took to their keyboards after Game 1, tip-tapping witty little notes like this:
I’m not going to gloat or boast or dress up in my teal thong and ride down the Castro into a rainbow of hockey happiness. That would be dumb because we still have to whip your ass three more times. It is going to happen. Just like we said. The Sharks are bigger and stronger. The Sharks defense is better. And the Sharks had one power play and, guess what Puckheads, they scored. Just like Mike and I said they would.
Disturbing.
Bobby Lang, despite Uncle Jack Adams Mike’s airplane bathroom premonition that he would actually be a factor, has been banished to the fourth line where he belongs. Actually, he belongs elswhere, but we’ve discussed the reasons Babcock can’t send the lazy SOB to the press box.
Hank Zetterberg’s sick. He’s got the flu. No, his back hurt. No, his wrist hurts. Whatever the case may be, he was ineffective in Game 1. In fact, he’s been largely silent with the exception of Game 5 against the piece of crap garbage cheating dirty Flames when he racked up 3 points.
One power play: one goal for San Jose. Back door…appropriate. Lidstrom the one guy we can’t afford to do anything but play 60 and Thornton capitalizes. Grier on a lucky fluke goal.
And the sweep is complete.
Is Game 2 a must? Of course. There can be no rightful expectations of anything but misery should Detroit lose today, but did Game 1 leave you convinced that the Wings aren’t in this thing? No. Was it discouraging? Sure. Is Nabokov the NoCal Russian Kipper? No. Are there available remedies?
Yes. Todd Bertuzzi has to take a game over. Re-phrase. Bertuzzi has to control his shifts. He has to be visible and relevant every time he’s on the ice. Is he going to generate 25 quality scoring chances? No. But every shift he has to bring something, a shot, a hit, a taste of violence and possibility of at least a misdemeanor.
Khan(!) reported yesterday that Homer’s out until Game 4, or at least that’s what Holmstrom told a Swedish newspaper. Homer-less for three more games? Trouble. Big trouble unless Uncle Mike has a plan to generate frustration in front of Nabokov. Cleary, despite his efforts, wasn’t cutting it. And, really, no one can replace Homer in that role.
Except for Bertuzzi. I said it the day Holland made the deal and I’ll say it again: Chelios needs to be in that boy’s head. If the nastiness is missing from Bert’s game, someone’s got to remind him of its value. No one else has the pedrigree to do that with the credibility that Chelios brings to the table.
If not Bertuzzi, then it has to be Datsyuk. Games 1 and 2 were nifty against the bastard axe slinging cheating dirty intent to injure Flames, but it’s time to renew your contract with the faithful Pavel.
If not Datsyuk, then Zetterberg. But we have no idea. Not one of us can say we know what to expect out of Hank. And that includes Uncle Mike. I don’t, like many of you, buy the flu idea. I just don’t. I have the flu today, but I’m up and about, doing what I do, spreading wit and cheer.
Oh, that’s a hangover. My bad.
If not Zetterberg, Bertuzzi or Datsyuk; then Hasek. Sorry Dom, but yeah, it may be time. Consistency is nice. It makes us warm and secure. But it may be time for brilliance. Just throwing that out there.
If not Hasek, then you. I find it hard to criticize the apparent apathy that has enveloped Hockeytown. Number 1, I’m not there. I haven’t lived in Michigan for nearly twenty years so it’s ridiculous for me to point the finger at Wing fans who have elected to sit at home. Number 2, the organ-I-zation is among the most arrogant in sports. It’s almost gratifying to see the franchise taking the shaft because it should be a long-awaited wakeup call from a fanbase that is tired of the Wings taking their loyalty for granted. Discussion can be found here on this subject. San Jose fans, at least those who live in a “2.5 mile radius” of the Shark Tank are apparently finding the empty seats at the Joe amusing.
I don’t. I don’t enjoy losing home-ice advantage. But while the empty seats are discouraging, they’re not to blame for the minor hole we’re in today.
If not the fans, then Uncle Mike. Ramp it up son. Somehow, he’s got to get them going. Nick Lidstrom’s not going to offer a fiery speech. Somehow the motivation has to be unique and well-planned. Moving B. Lang to the fourth line may light a fire and set an example. But it has to be more.
Game 2…a must-win? Oh yes. Saw a reference to the ‘02 hole below. I like the argument, but we know it’s false. San Jose isn’t Vancouver and Nabokov isn’t Cloutier. Gotta have it.
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Comments
I enjoy things like this:
April 27, SanJoseSharks.com:
“For Larionov and Makarov, [going into Game 7] was no big deal,” Constantine said. “For the rest of us, we were shaking in our pants. They had the experience of the World Championships and Olympics and helped us win in that environment.”
wait, I thought experience wasn’t all that important. maybe Sharks fans should enlighten the ignorant dopes at SanJoseSharks.com who wrote this.
btw…
Like today’s Sharks, they balanced scoring with a ridiculous amount of checking
ridiculous amount of checking? I don’t see it. I think people are misreading the Sharks and Wings both, and this series is going to (like most series) make the “experts” look dumb.
Posted by Paul on 04/28/07 at 11:13 AM ET
“BORING. You must be hungover yourself.”
Posted by Nemo
In the Shadow of that “brilliant” statement everything is boring.
Posted by johnnygloveside on 04/28/07 at 11:14 AM ET
I expected more fire, fight, and fiestiness, Johnny. Anger. Rage. “Ramp it up son” ? Wow. Motivating stuff. I sense serious insecurity from the post.
Posted by Nemo from outside the 2.5 mile radius on 04/28/07 at 11:18 AM ET
Lions…on the clock
Posted by Mooch on 04/28/07 at 11:22 AM ET
“I sense serious insecurity from the post.”
??
What we have here is a Wings fan who has been there, done that, just like the Wings. It’s why the Sharks (and their fans) are thinking “we’ve got them right where we want them” and the Wings (and their fans) are thinking “it’s a long series, please get your hopes up and look past us.”
Posted by Paul on 04/28/07 at 11:26 AM ET
I understand that we have a serious fan getting us started every day. I expected more fire, and more severe criticism, that’s all. Maybe IWO is lightening up, getting old.
Peace.
Posted by Nemo on 04/28/07 at 11:29 AM ET
There were actually fans at a draft party at Ford Field? Oh my… Maybe that’s where the missing fans are today.
Posted by Mooch on 04/28/07 at 11:32 AM ET
The Sharks did forecheck a lot at the beginning of the game (Schneider had a very tough start because of that pressure) but as soon as they had their 2-0 lead, they fell back to a tight defensive game. It was pretty boring, but efficient.
Posted by Luc on 04/28/07 at 11:35 AM ET
For Paul to compare the Constantine roster with the current Sharks proves he is off his meds. Either way, the result was the same. Win and Win.
Puck drops in 2.
Posted by Can'tStoptheGrier on 04/28/07 at 11:53 AM ET
Um, I’m not the one who made the comparison. RIF
Posted by Paul on 04/28/07 at 12:03 PM ET
As a sharks fan, I have to shake my head when i read these comments. It’s been only one game. It’s far from over. Any sharks fan who is sitting around boasting about how the series is over obviously doesn’t understand the idea that we need 4 wins to move on, not 1. So let’s not get ahead of our selves just yet. On the flip side, San Jose is the best road team in the league for a reason. Watch for them to take a 2-0 series lead today.
GO SHARKS
Posted by OC Sharks Fan from The OC? on 04/28/07 at 01:10 PM ET
SJ totalled 9 shots in period 2 & 3. Why is everyone pretending it was the other way around?
Posted by Gramps (hockeytowntodd) from HockeyTown on 04/28/07 at 02:00 PM ET
Personally, I was hoping Babcock would pull Hasek after the second goal to settle the team down.
They picked up the hitting, and no surprise but along with that came some momentum in their direction. They finally scratched that donut off the board and started looking like the Wings team we know, instead of the shell that played the first 75 minutes of this series. Problem is, sometimes in the playoffs 75 minutes is too long to wait.
I have just one question for Mike Babcock. WHY IN THE F#@$ DID YOU HAVE LANG ON THE FIRST PP UNIT?!?!
Geez, man, put him in the press box already.
Posted by Paul on 04/28/07 at 04:01 PM ET
Well well well. Now that Sharks fans have seen the real Red Wings, it’ll be interesting to see what they’re saying after this game.
Big bad Flames.
Big bad Sharks.
I didn’t see it last round, I don’t see it this round.
Posted by Paul on 04/28/07 at 04:52 PM ET
I thought the Sharks had swept us? I turned on the TV to maybe catch some golf or something and there’s the Wings playing puck.
WTF?
Not only is it a best-of-seven series, Sharkies, but the game is 60 minutes long.
Sitting on a two-goal lead in Game One worked out. Game Two, feh, not so much.
Gagged like Ian…
Posted by O-Joe on 04/28/07 at 04:55 PM ET
You mean the series is not over yet??? I didn’t even watch today, thought they were done.
GO WINGS
Can’tstoptheCleary
Posted by millsz from Brownstown, MI on 04/28/07 at 05:08 PM ET
I’ll tell you what the key to Game 2 was:
Bell’s Oberon
I don’t think it was a coincidence that a few minutes every time after I opened an Oberon, the Wings scored a goal. Three Oberons, three goals. This is some pretty potent stuff!
GO WINGS…and Drink Michigan Beer!!!
Posted by Matt from Chicago on 04/28/07 at 05:09 PM ET
I’m looking all over the blogs for Sharks fans, but can’t find any. Must be a parade in San Fran or something.
Posted by Paul on 04/28/07 at 05:13 PM ET
The parade route started filling up right after the Thornton goal put the Sharkies up two-nill. But alas, Shark fans were disappointed.
Here’s one right after the Datsyuk game winner:
Posted by O-Joe on 04/28/07 at 05:28 PM ET
Sorry, we’re not sitting around at our laptops waiting on your every word Paul. Besides, there was a parade and I took third place. You talking to Ms. Open Face Turkey Sandwich of San Jose Hoffbrau!! I’m so pretty.
Now we have home ice Puckheads. Not that 2,000 empties at the Joe really creates a big advantage….Enjoy it while it lasts.
Posted by Can'tStoptheGrier on 04/28/07 at 05:31 PM ET
I love that O-Joe is exposing his latent homosexuality on this blog by sharing his personal stash of gay erotic photography.
I wouldn’t even know where to find that stuff. Congrats O-Homo!
Posted by Can'tStoptheGrier on 04/28/07 at 05:35 PM ET
Sorry, we’re not sitting around at our laptops waiting on your every word Paul.
LMFAO
that’s pretty funny considering this post from you:
Not much action here tonight. Funny how you Puckheads got quiet after Game One.
Hmmm..
Posted by Paul on 04/28/07 at 05:38 PM ET
This series isn’t going to be easy. I still feel the Wings had trouble dealing with the Sharks, especially after that brutal start. I like our forechecking better than last time. Let expose this D a little bit. They’re not that good. I thought Cleary played very well today. What a beauty goal from Datsyuk, and to think Samuelsson had a big part in it…!
I love the comment from can’tstopthegrier about the empty seats, especially when we consider the level of hockey knowledge from people in California. I remember when the All-Star game was in SJ in 1997. The guys at my local sport network went on the streets of San Jose and asked questions about hockey to the civillians. Some answers were pure nuggets of hockey wisdom. I even wonder if 75 % of the San Jose attendance even know who is Curtis Brown…
Posted by Luc on 04/28/07 at 05:41 PM ET
San Jose is the new Denver. Bunch of bandwagon hockey fans who don’t know anything about the game. I was really happy, though, when the Wings finally scored in Q1. Errr….
I wonder if the Sharks have the rules published in the game program like the Avalanche used to do.
Posted by Paul on 04/28/07 at 05:45 PM ET
Can’tStopTheQueer:
I wouldn’t even know where to find that stuff.
Uh, huh…sure. Because Googling “Bay Area Gay Pride” on its image search page, which is where I got them, turns up absolutely nothing on your ‘puter.
Dork…
Posted by O-Joe on 04/28/07 at 06:39 PM ET
“San Jose is the new Denver.”
Ouch, Paul. Questioning an entire fan base’s sexual preference is one thing, but comparing them to Colorado? That’s just inappropriate, this is still a family board. How am I going to explain that comment to my 3 year old daughter?
Now…if the Sharks were to retire Thornton’s jersey after this season…
Posted by Gabriel from San Diego, CA on 04/28/07 at 10:48 PM ET
Besides looking up “Bay Area Gay Pride”, O-Joe is known to Google Image such items as “Astro-glide”, “Barbara Streisand” and “receiver”.
Posted by Can'tStoptheGrier on 04/29/07 at 01:59 AM ET
Funny stuff, ‘Queer.
I hear Carrot Top is going on the road again and looking for an opening act. You should apply.
No, really. You’re that funny.
Posted by O-Joe on 04/29/07 at 06:50 AM ET
Ouch, Paul. Questioning an entire fan base’s sexual preference is one thing, but comparing them to Colorado? That’s just inappropriate, this is still a family board. How am I going to explain that comment to my 3 year old daughter?
Post the message to the Sharks blog she writes.
Posted by HockeyinHD on 04/29/07 at 08:21 PM ET
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BORING. You must be hungover yourself.
Posted by Nemo from outside the 2.5 mile radius on 04/28/07 at 10:55 AM ET