(2) SHARKS vs (7) KINGS

[KillerVee]

she loves this kind of shit.

Also true.

 

[Ties5o11]

The Kings could easily be up 3-0 in this series and instead are trailing 2-1. The Sharks have been very opportunistic with their scoring chances.

Does San Jose go back to Niemi or do they stick with Nitty for game 4?

Disagree pretty strongly. If you take out that one period, teh Sharks have scored something like 4 goals on 100 shots. Game 1 they should have won by more, and game 2 was not a 4-0 game. In game 3, if you total up the scoring chances, the Sharks had a pretty substantial edge in those. It should be 2-1 Sharks right now.

 

[dash]

Disagree pretty strongly. If you take out that one period, teh Sharks have scored something like 4 goals on 100 shots. Game 1 they should have won by more, and game 2 was not a 4-0 game. In game 3, if you total up the scoring chances, the Sharks had a pretty substantial edge in those. It should be 2-1 Sharks right now.

I don't want to get into a semantics war here, but I did say "could", not "should". Maybe I should have left off the word "easily", but here's my take on the games thus far:

Game 1 - Best game of the series from a Sharks perspective, they had a definite edge in play and both starting goalies played very well. Kings had a couple of great chances early in OT, but couldn't convert and Little Joe capitalized on his scoring opportunity.

Game 2 - Total domination by the Kings from start to finish. I agree with you that the game was not a 4-0 game, it could have been 6-0 or 7-0 in favour of the Kings.

Game 3 - Started out quite similar to game 2, Kings dominated period 1 and portions of period 2, Sharks scored goals in bunches in period 2 to tie the game heading into the 3rd period. Pretty defensive 3rd period for both teams and the Sharks again won in OT with Gooch scoring on a pretty play.

 

[Ties5o11]

My point was that the better team has won each game. Although you are right, Kings are a couple bounces away from a 2-1 or even 3-0 lead.

 

[Ho_Brah]

The Kings were lucky to have a 4-0 lead. Two of those goals were completely on Antti Niemi. One was a breakdown. The other was a fluke.

The Sharks have a goaltending problem. Niemi has ranged from not good to terrible in his 2.33 games so far. Who are the Sharks going to play tomorrow night? Either way, that's a glaring weakness.

If you break-down defensively, the Sharks will make you pay. That's what superior firepower gets you. Given the same defensive break-downs, the Sharks will finish more of them than the Kings would. This is why it's important to focus on being tight defensively. This is why a wide-open game benefits San Jose, HUGELY.

Last night's game, from the drop of the puck, was wide open. It was wide open and the Kings were rewarded for it, which unfortunately reinforced the wide-openness.

The Kings have never blown that big a lead before in the playoffs. It's a statistical anomaly. That's good news. Yes, you can look at it as an indicator of how sucky the Kings are, since they "achieved" something no other Kings team has ever achieved. I just look at it as evidence of how strange the game was, and how unlikely we are ever to see that again.

Really, the Kings played it was more like a 5-2 loss. Run-and-gun, and this is what you get.

Jonathan Quick was hung out to dry. I wouldn't blame him on any of the goals. Not even close.

Michal Handzus was terrible in the faceoff circle. One win out of 14.

Rob Scuderi called the Kings' performance "immature", it's the perfect description.

speaking of immaturity, last night it was Drew Doughty, Jack Johnson and Dustin Penner. Two missed assignments, one lazy stick-check, one mindless offensive-zone penalty that led to a goal and one beer-league back-check.

I was kind of pissed at Penner last night, not so much now. That's really the first game I've seen him play for the Kings which I thought he should be embarrassed by. Funny how two glaring mistakes can cancel out a really nice assist on an important goal in an important series.

Doughty and Johnson need to settle down. They need to take yoga or something. If I were the other team, I would spend a lot of energy trying to rile those guys up. It only hurts their game. Or will, until they realize it and grow up.

I'm not down on those guys, either. Live by the sword, etc. They have won us lots of games, and we frequently benefit from their extremely high "compete" level. But until they learn to temper it, there will be break-downs.

After the first period Justin Williams, Jarret Stoll and Ryan Smyth were more or less invisible last night. Smyths goal was nice.

Since I seem to be singling out "out-of-control enthusiasm" as an Achilles' Heel for the Kings, I wonder about Dustin Brown's "leadership" abilities. He is the Kings patron saint of "bang-crash-energy guy". Brown plays the way he plays, and I wouldn't want him to change it. At least, I wouldn't want him to switch it off. But maybe, like Doughty and Johnson, he needs another knob in his control panel, so he can dial certain things down when needed.

Kyle Clifford, Brad Richardson, Trevor Lewis, Alec Martinez, Oscar Moller (game two) and Wayne Simmonds are all playing their asses off, if you ask me. Besides Clifford, every one of those guys is due a new contract (all RFAs) in July.

I believe the Kings will win tomorrow night. But if they lose, I hope they recall Brayden Schenn for game five. He can play one game without triggering his deal.

 

[davnlaguna]

The Kings won't call up Schenn. If they do it burns a year off his contract and I don't think they will do that for one playoff game. Kings have had their chances. They have outscored the Sharks over the three games and we all thought that scoring would be the issue. They got caught thinking they are as talented as the Sharks yesterday and paid for it. Kings need to play more of a slow the game down and counter punch type of game to beat this team. Heck we were all thinking sweep and the Kings have shown that they could have been the sweepers. (with a little more luck)

 

[KillerVee]

My new favorite commercial.

 

[Ho_Brah]

my new favorite commercial.
[YOUTUBE]aAv-sV6y_Rs[/YOUTUBE]

 

[KillerVee]

Mmmmmm.

Mine's better.

 

[Destroydacre]

I'd have taken the cup while the guy was talking on the phone.

 

[Winged_Wheel88]

I'd have taken the cup while the guy was talking on the phone.

As has happened numerous times during the Stanley Cup's history.

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

From a Sharks standpoint I still like the Jamie Baker OT winner better. That Red Wings team was expected to win the Cup.

It's one of the reasons I always thought Bowman was an overrated coach. He won a lot of Cups because he had more talent than the other teams.

 

[Destroydacre]

From a Sharks standpoint I still like the Jamie Baker OT winner better. That Red Wings team was expected to win the Cup.

It's one of the reasons I always thought Bowman was an overrated coach. He won a lot of Cups because he had more talent than the other teams.

The only problem there is it wasn't in overtime. Baker scored with 7 or so minutes left in the 3rd IIRC.

 

[Ho_Brah]

dumbass Greene

 

[Ho_Brah]

solid kill by the Kings, Quick with some good saves.

 

[Winged_Wheel88]

Vancouver-Chicago not worth watching right now...anybody got a link for this game?

 

[beantownmaniac]

The Kings were lucky to have a 4-0 lead. Two of those goals were completely on Antti Niemi. One was a breakdown. The other was a fluke.

The Sharks have a goaltending problem. Niemi has ranged from not good to terrible in his 2.33 games so far. Who are the Sharks going to play tomorrow night? Either way, that's a glaring weakness.

If you break-down defensively, the Sharks will make you pay. That's what superior firepower gets you. Given the same defensive break-downs, the Sharks will finish more of them than the Kings would. This is why it's important to focus on being tight defensively. This is why a wide-open game benefits San Jose, HUGELY.

Last night's game, from the drop of the puck, was wide open. It was wide open and the Kings were rewarded for it, which unfortunately reinforced the wide-openness.

The Kings have never blown that big a lead before in the playoffs. It's a statistical anomaly. That's good news. Yes, you can look at it as an indicator of how sucky the Kings are, since they "achieved" something no other Kings team has ever achieved. I just look at it as evidence of how strange the game was, and how unlikely we are ever to see that again.

Really, the Kings played it was more like a 5-2 loss. Run-and-gun, and this is what you get.

Jonathan Quick was hung out to dry. I wouldn't blame him on any of the goals. Not even close.

Michal Handzus was terrible in the faceoff circle. One win out of 14.

Rob Scuderi called the Kings' performance "immature", it's the perfect description.

speaking of immaturity, last night it was Drew Doughty, Jack Johnson and Dustin Penner. Two missed assignments, one lazy stick-check, one mindless offensive-zone penalty that led to a goal and one beer-league back-check.

I was kind of pissed at Penner last night, not so much now. That's really the first game I've seen him play for the Kings which I thought he should be embarrassed by. Funny how two glaring mistakes can cancel out a really nice assist on an important goal in an important series.

Doughty and Johnson need to settle down. They need to take yoga or something. If I were the other team, I would spend a lot of energy trying to rile those guys up. It only hurts their game. Or will, until they realize it and grow up.

I'm not down on those guys, either. Live by the sword, etc. They have won us lots of games, and we frequently benefit from their extremely high "compete" level. But until they learn to temper it, there will be break-downs.

After the first period Justin Williams, Jarret Stoll and Ryan Smyth were more or less invisible last night. Smyths goal was nice.

Since I seem to be singling out "out-of-control enthusiasm" as an Achilles' Heel for the Kings, I wonder about Dustin Brown's "leadership" abilities. He is the Kings patron saint of "bang-crash-energy guy". Brown plays the way he plays, and I wouldn't want him to change it. At least, I wouldn't want him to switch it off. But maybe, like Doughty and Johnson, he needs another knob in his control panel, so he can dial certain things down when needed.

Kyle Clifford, Brad Richardson, Trevor Lewis, Alec Martinez, Oscar Moller (game two) and Wayne Simmonds are all playing their asses off, if you ask me. Besides Clifford, every one of those guys is due a new contract (all RFAs) in July.

I believe the Kings will win tomorrow night. But if they lose, I hope they recall Brayden Schenn for game five. He can play one game without triggering his deal.

What are you writing a book?

 

[Destroydacre]

..::X96::..

 

[Ho_Brah]

What are you writing a book?

This is a good example of the side effects of coffee and a lot of time on your hands.

 

[TheRobotDevil]

This is a good example of the side effects of coffee and a lot of time on your hands.

Hawaian coffee kicks ass