Wait, the Sharks on on the road? AGAIN? They've been on the road all season! Seriously! This is game 21 and 8 have been played at home. Travel also sucks for west coast teams. I guess this is balancing out last season's ending on the road madness.
I have no idea how this game is going to go. I don't really know what to expect from STL or Mason. I like to say that every team is dangerous, (and I will say it a lot), so I try not to take teams that aren't hot right out of the gate for granted. I already learned my lesson in how much a team can change during the off season during the season opener against the Avs. I'm not looking to repeat that.
The Sharks are coming in after a disappointing loss, (though if you watch the post game quotes, The Todd was not too upset about the game play overall), to the Stars at home in the SO Thursday, while the Blues are also coming in having just had a home loss. Which basically means both teams will want to win. Only one can. It's like Highlander on ice, but with less lightning and beheading and randomly strewn about newspapers fluttering dramatically in the magic laden winds.
All I know for sure is that I know at least 2 of the Sharks fans who will be at this game. I doubt they have seats on the glass like they did when they went to Atlanta, but they'll be there. You can plays "Where's waldo The Fins" today at 5pm on your very own moving picture box and look for them! CSN-CA and the good folks at KFOX have your broadcasting back.
Party kicks off tonight at 7:30pm. 17, 562 will be in attendance in the main room. The rest of us will be in satellite rooms, otherwise known as our respective domiciles or perhaps a local bar, watching on TV.
You can feel like you're at the game by playing that national anthem before hand and booing the word star. Sure, it's kinda rude, but you're booing the team, not the anthem. And what Sharks fan doesn't love booing Turco?! He may be a funny man, but he has earned our ire. If by some odd twist of hockey fate, you a) also like the Stars and b) like Marty Turco when he plays against the Sharks, then just pretend Avery is still on the team and boo him instead. Or pretend someone is Pronger. You can't go wrong with either of those two options.
If you do plan to play the anthem at home, make sure to yell "Hey Dallas...YOU SUCK!" right before hand. Awkwardly close enough to the start to startle the noobs that are in attendance, but not enough to shake the vets. Timing is everything.
That game was rough. Had a bit of a feeling it would be. After that amazing game against the Pens, I was worried the Sharks would come out ready to sit back on their heels against the Preds. That's pretty much exactly what they did. I've said it before and I'll say it again, EVERY TEAM IS DANERGOUS. Play them with that in mind and you'll have less games like last night's.
Well, we should cover the good points....
Uhm...
Well, Greiss honestly had some killer saves. There was one in the first that was UNREAL from our seats.
His lateral movement is a tad slow, but otherwise he had a decent night. He has a much deeper voice than I expected. That has nothing to do with how he plays, it's just an observation.
Then there was this other unreal save in the second. Right after which Goc scored.I saw it coming too. I don't know what it was, but for some reason, after watching the Sharks fight to keep the puck out of the next and do so with brillance I KNEW the next shift, it would end up behind Greiss. I suppose on gets a sense for these things after watching so many games.
And speaking of Marcel, didn't he only have like, 1 goal FOR us last season? Thanks Marcel. I think he continued his EFF U when he had some words with Heatley towards the end of the game, we presume in German. Probably something about his mother. Doubt it was very kind.
The defense didn't look half bad! They listed Huskin's a +9 sometime on the jumbotron last night. Dude. +9!
The offense on the other hand...they looked awful. Even "Joe Thornton, the best passer the league" couldn't find a way to get the puck to anyone's stick.
I am really not sure why it took 53 minutes and 50 seconds to call a penalty on the Preds. There were chances to call one or two on them earlier.
I respect that you are a group of Habs fans down from Montreal to spend some time exploring the Bay Area, but just like that guy in the Red Wings sweatshirt, you kinda stand out a lot at a Sharks v Preds game. Which makes it a lot easier to tell when you get up and leave to go hang out at the bar mid game. Just saying.
There was a lot of slipping and falling tonight as well. The ghost of Cheechoo's past?
Mina said it best when after Boyle's last minute goal, she said "Yes Dan Boyle, you ARE a great hockey player!" (referencing this commercial)
It's too bad that he doesn't like bean burritos, right Joe?
Nichol looked pretty good last night. We thought he was hurt, but it turns out he just had the wind knocked out of them.
Love McGinn. Love his goals more.
Completely nonsensical words of wisdom: Bark. Like a boss
It was a Tuesday night game agaisnt the Preds. No way it was 17,562. I'm sure brokers bought up enough tickets for it to be a paid sellout, but this was obviously going to be one of those games that doesn't really sell out in terms of folks in attendance. Everyone knew that. Was it close? Yeah. Even non attendance sell outs are pretty full. I have no doubt it will be a paid and attendance sell out come Thursday. Everyone likes to boo the Stars.
Chick in front of us was crazy. Yes, the ballad was inspired by true events. If she went into a game ruining melt down over guys in our section telling her to sit back, she should never ever consider sitting 209. Ever.
Attention all 21 year olds: While it's amazingly fantastic for you that you can now drink legally, sit your butts DOWN when the puck is in play.There's a reason we're all yelling at you. It should be quite obvious because were giving you directions. "SIT DOWN!" should be pretty easy to understand, but there you are, standing, sipping your over priced beers.
I had NO IDEA it was a food drive night last night! I would have brought stuff! I always feel like an ass when I get there and discover everyone has bags of boxed and canned goods and I have nothing.
I keep hearing the players saying that Nashville worked HARD last night. Really? Were we watching the same game 'cos it looked like both teams were playing poorly. Hard? Not so much. But hey, they won. Not going to argue the outcome.
Ellis' face when Seto scored=crushed. No one thought that was in. No one.
The party gets started tonight at 7:30pm Sharks time.
Ah, Nashville. My how things have changed. You have Goc and we have Nichol. You now have two goalies that annoy us instead of just one. (but pekka rinne is on my fantasy team! Whatever shall I do if he starts?! Oh yeah! I'm in no danger of winning in that league, so, I'll still be rooting for him to not win)
It's not the playoffs and yet, were playing you. It's been a few season since we couldn't just reuse our first round shirts from the previous season. And while we won't have "no more dirty hockey" signs with us, it will still feel playoff like. I don't know if other fans around the league are aware of this rivalry, but it exists.
Some things don't change, though. Sharks fans still don't like Erat, Arnott, and Tootoo (also known as "dumbdumb" thanks to JR).
What we DO like is seeing Tootoo get Staubitz'd!
That fight made me realize I had to rethink my stance on boxing. How could I love this fight and yet abhor a sport which is essentially, all about punching other dudes? It's still not a sport I chose to watch or pay for, but that fight made me realize why it is that people watch boxing. But enough about boxing, this is a hockey blog. CSNCA and KFOX have you covered tonight. Looks like NHLN-CA has it too.
You best be tuning in. Why? Because Vesce AND Seto are back, that's why!
5 goals, 5 different scorers, goalie chased, shut out awarded.
The Sharks dominated the defending Stanley Cup Champ Penguins. It was a thing of beauty. Best home game all season, by far. Which, I suppose, isn't that surprising considering that was only home game # 6 this season.
Four Pens to get the puck away from one Patrick Marleau. No, seriously. FOUR PENS.
The first shift was a little shaky, but the the Sharks took over and controlled the game for the rest of the night. McGinn scored first, nudging the puck past MAF to bring the game to 1-0 just 3:27 in.
After some stagnant power play work, the recently (as in tonight) returned JOE PA! pots on at 16:27 for the second goal of the game.
The Sharks take that lead into the second.
I think this was when we started to smell something awesome cooking. But wariness was still there, cautioning us not to celebrate too soon.
1:41 into the second Dan Boyle says "You know what would be good? A goal by me. BLAMO!" He was right. It was good and it brought the Sharks up 3-0. he also did a ton of fancy edge work to stay in the zone and upright, just to make that shot. In Boyle we trust.
At this point MAF skated to the bench and Johnson came in. Can't say it was all on MAF, the Pens were falling apart by this point.
The goalie change didn't do much to help prevent the scoring as Heatley decides to tip someone shot in, though I'm not entirely sure whose it was. I know if they had 3 assists, Boyle would have had one) The box score tells me it was JOE PA and Joe Thornton who got the assists, so must have been one of theirs. That sounds right.
The Sharks take the 4 (PIZZA!) - 0 lead into the 3rd.
At this point the idea of a shut out crossed my mind, but much like commenting on traffic, I knew better and quickly shoved that thought to some dark corner and left it.
In the third, Manny decided to be Manny and puts on past Johnson, who looks deflated about midway through the attempted save. It was like he put his glove up to stop it, realize halfway there he wasn't going to get it and just said "oh, eff it!" and dropped his hand. He threw his head back and slumped into that "you have got to be kidding me" pose goalies have when the night isn't going their way.
Bill Guerin, btw, doesn't count as a former Shark. He didn't show up for enough games to count. I only mention this because Nabby robbed him at least once, maybe twice. Always enjoyable.
There was some serious pressure towards then end and I kept expecting the shut out to be lost to that one lone goal you knew the Pens probably had in them. Thankfully, Nabby had his force field up, and nothing went in, ensuring the Sharks a clean victory, unspoiled by goals against in the last, desperate seconds. It's happened before and it's slightly deflating.
This game was awesome, amazing, fantastic. Super good. Boo yah.
