2016 NHL Playoffs, Rite of Spring: "You thought God was an architect"

[Alex Houston]

11 hours ago, SabresRule7361 said:

I don't think the Sharks will choke this 2-0 lead.

 

Nashville doesn't exactly strike me as a Cup Cinderella team like the one's we've seen in the past.

 

If you've followed hockey pretty closely, you'd know that their team is MORE than capable of that.

Now granted I think they take it in 6, but yesterday's game was as even as I've seen in a while. Corsi was neck and neck the whole game.

[Crabcake]

I hate the Penguins with a burning passion. 

 

The universe seems determined to ensure the Capitals will never make it past the second round again. 

[Unocal]

At some point, the Matt Murray magic has to run out.... right?

[Crabcake]

17 minutes ago, SabresRule7361 said:

At some point, the Matt Murray magic has to run out.... right?

That's what they said about Jaro Halak. 

 

And Michal Neuvirth. 

[Unocal]

1 hour ago, Crabcake47 said:

That's what they said about Jaro Halak. 

 

And Michal Neuvirth. 

 

Neuvirth lost game 6. And Halak got blitzed by the Flyers.

 

I just don't think Murray is gonna go full JS Giguere.

[Crabcake]

12 minutes ago, SabresRule7361 said:

 

Neuvirth lost game 6. And Halak got blitzed by the Flyers.

 

I just don't think Murray is gonna go full JS Giguere.

The Caps only beat Neuvirth on an absolutely perfect shot on an odd man rush, a shot he had no chance of stopping. 

 

And Halak may have gotten blitzed by the Flyers, but he halted what was p, until this season, the greatest Caps team of all time in their tracks. I'm seeing shades of Halak in Murray, and it's scaring the crap out of me. 

[Dynasty]

You would think all is right in the world with most of the multiple titled teams out. You would think that the fairly large amount of teams left without any titles is a positive sign. But watch, it'll be the same multiple titled team (like Pittsburgh, for example) winning the whole thing.

[Unocal]

Hey, Pittsburgh has won only once in the last 20-ish years. This isn't like the Devils in 2012.

 

And would anyone REALLY object if Tampa, the Islanders, or Dallas won?

[The Six]

I hope the Sharks win it all this year. They have some of the best fans in hockey and their win would complete a California trifecta of Cup winners. It's all about growing the sport.

[FiddySicks]

4 hours ago, Dolphins Dynasty said:

You would think all is right in the world with most of the multiple titled teams out. You would think that the fairly large amount of teams left without any titles is a positive sign. But watch, it'll be the same multiple titled team (like Pittsburgh, for example) winning the whole thing.

 

Move been thinking Pittsburgh over Dallas in 4 for quite some time now. 

[Cujo]

8 hours ago, The Six said:

the Sharks...They have some of the best fans in hockey

 

Perhaps you've missed their playoff attendance numbers...

 

[FiddySicks]

From the sounds of it (they were discussing this on CSN tonight) 2014 was kind of the final straw for quite a few people (So it wasn't just me). This surprises me some, because they had a HUGE following there for awhile, but the lack of success combined with the success of other Bay Area sports teams (Giants three World Series titles, Warriors current run, Niners NFC title in 2013) was a bit of a worst case scenario for the Sharks. There are just better options (not to mention cheaper options, as Sharks tickets are still unreasonably expensive IMO) for Bay Area folk at this point. Winning the Cup this year would probably go a long way to restoring some of that, but not getting to at least one SCF with some of the rosters they had while other teams were winning titles/appearing in championships put them squarely on the back burner for more people than I ever expected.

 

EDIT: I did a bit of digging, and it also sounds like Sharks management has kinda pulled some crap recently that's really pissed off a lot of old time season ticket holders, including going full blown retard and upping season tickets by as much as 10% despite missing the playoffs. 

[Crabcake]

The Penguins had no business winning that game. Allowing 49 shots on goal, getting outhit by a lot, and scoring - without a doubt - the flukiest, luckiest goal I've ever seen in my life. 

 

Oh and if Kris Letang gets suspended for less than two games I'm going to lose my mind. 

 

But other than that I'm handling yesterday's loss pretty well

[chcarlson23]

3 hours ago, Crabcake47 said:

The Penguins had no business winning that game. Allowing 49 shots on goal, getting outhit by a lot, and scoring - without a doubt - the flukiest, luckiest goal I've ever seen in my life. 

 

Oh and if Kris Letang gets suspended for less than two games I'm going to lose my mind. 

 

But other than that I'm handling yesterday's loss pretty well

There have been a thousand worse goals scored against the Minnesota Wild... See Game 6 in 2016, and 2014...

 

23 hours ago, the admiral said:

Why? He wasn't on the team when they made it last year. The Jets missed the playoffs because they were 6th in penalties and 25th in killing them off. Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.

Meh... Thought he was on the Jets last year. Oh well...

[tigerslionspistonshabs]

I'm pulling for:

 

1. Washington

2. San Jose

3. NY Islanders

4. St. Louis

5. Dallas- I don't hate the Stars, I actually like the team they've put together, but I have a distinct distaste for all things Dallas- Cowboys and Rangers especially. But I'd rather they win over Tampa, Nashville or Pittsburgh,

 

My gut feeling? Pittsburgh. 

 

 

[Alex Houston]

8 hours ago, Bucfan56 said:

From the sounds of it (they were discussing this on CSN tonight) 2014 was kind of the final straw for quite a few people (So it wasn't just me). This surprises me some, because they had a HUGE following there for awhile, but the lack of success combined with the success of other Bay Area sports teams (Giants three World Series titles, Warriors current run, Niners NFC title in 2013) was a bit of a worst case scenario for the Sharks. There are just better options (not to mention cheaper options, as Sharks tickets are still unreasonably expensive IMO) for Bay Area folk at this point. Winning the Cup this year would probably go a long way to restoring some of that, but not getting to at least one SCF with some of the rosters they had while other teams were winning titles/appearing in championships put them squarely on the back burner for more people than I ever expected.

 

EDIT: I did a bit of digging, and it also sounds like Sharks management has kinda pulled some crap recently that's really pissed off a lot of old time season ticket holders, including going full blown retard and upping season tickets by as much as 10% despite missing the playoffs. 

 

The whole "best fans" narrative is so stale over here I wouldn't even use it for making breadcrumbs at this point. Every PR team from every sports team is going to say their fans are classy and the best and yada yada yada. That's their job, it's what they do.

That being said, I did notice the bowl start to fill up by the third period for the game, so I'm thinking that this season, combined with the past successes Bucfan pointed out has promptly knocked this team way down on the zeitgeist-o-meter for the Bay Area. A trip to the Finals may help alleviate some of that, but I think anything short of a title or some better management policies from DW and company will keep the Sharks as a second or third option in NorCal for the next few years. Which kind of is a shame since I'd argue the Sharks are in the top half of all fanbase sizes and have been one of the few warm-weather success stories for the league. 

[ninersdd]

9 hours ago, Cujo said:

 

Perhaps you've missed their playoff attendance numbers...

 

The flippin Coyotes sold out the playoff games against the Preds in 2012 and the Sharks didn't in Game 1. As I have said before if the opponent was the Blackhawks then the crowd would be dangerously close to 50-50.

[HedleyLamarr]

3 hours ago, Bucfan56 said:

EDIT: I did a bit of digging, and it also sounds like Sharks management has kinda pulled some crap recently that's really pissed off a lot of old time season ticket holders, including going full blown retard and upping season tickets by as much as 10% despite missing the playoffs. 

Ticket prices aren't dictated by the results of the games.

[Crabcake]

1 game for Letang. 

 

In the context of Orpik's hit, 1 game feels a little light but not too much. Orpik's hit was a full second after Maata had gotten rid of the puck, and Maata was injured. Letang's hit wasn't as late and Johansson wasn't injured. 

 

Still, he 1) left his feet, and 2) made significant contact with the head. 

 

The hit wasn't as bad as Orpik's, so three games would've been a little too much IMO. But one game feels light. I feel like if it wasn't Letang, and instead someone on the Pens like Trevor Daley, they would've gotten two games. 

[RedRenesis]

8 hours ago, Crabcake47 said:

The Penguins had no business winning that game. Allowing 49 shots on goal, getting outhit by a lot, and scoring - without a doubt - the flukiest, luckiest goal I've ever seen in my life. 

 

Oh and if Kris Letang gets suspended for less than two games I'm going to lose my mind. 

 

But other than that I'm handling yesterday's loss pretty well

 

Cue losing of mind in 3... 2...