(2) SHARKS vs (7) KINGS

[li0lsh]

KILLER! SO JEALOUS!!!

 

[SLY]

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

My, that was fun.

James Hetfield was there! He was a really good sport everytime they put him on the JumboTron.

Must've been great, OT win in the playoffs is awesome to see live. Especially when Pavelski nets it, I like him a lot. And fuck Hetfield and Metallica, douchebags.

 

[Ho_Brah]

Let's see. Where to begin?

Sharks won.

In overtime.

They dominated early.

Then the Kings dominated about half of the second and third periods.

Jonathan Quick gave them one juicy rebound and let in a soft one.

Then he played like a Vezina winner
.
Antti Niemi looked not great most of the game.

Then he made that save on Clifford.

And on the wrap-around by Ryan Smyth.

Alexei Ponikarovsky played about the heaviest game I've seen him play as a King.

Kyle Clifford and/or Trevor Lewis are going to score a GWG or two in this series, I think.

Drew Doughty is trying to do too much. The missed hip-check was unnecessary.

And the interference penalty could have been fatal.

The Kings were nervous in the first period.

Then the Sharks were nervous.

I guess they still are, because Todd McLellan is on "the podium" right now talking about how the non-call on Stoll changed the momentum of the game and allowed the Kings to dominate, the theory being that Stoll takes a lot of face-offs (unfair, he should have been kicked out!) and the Sharks were down to five D.
I take the fact that they're making excuses in a win to be a good sign.


The Sharks are a different team, they say. They're physical now.

I wouldn't be surprised if Stoll gets a game for that.
And if that happens, I predict there will be hits in this series that are worse and go unpunished.

Back to McLellan: his press conference seemed like they had lost. He spent a lot of time explaining, essentially, why they didn't dominate 3/4 of that game.
They didn't dominate because they were contained. They were contained because the Kings got back to the system.

Yes, if the Kings had any power-play at all, they would have been leading after the 1st.

But they don't. So they weren't.

Will the power-play wake up? Maybe if Oscar Moller is dressed.

The problem is, Kevin Westgarth had a great game and almost scored the game-winning goal.

Justin Williams played better than I dared hope he would. And that's a huge upgrade over Williams last year's playoffs.

Jon Quick this year is an upgrade over tired Quick last year.

Poni, Clifford and Lewis are a huge upgrade over Fredrik Modin and Jeff Halpern. (I loved Modin, but still.)

The Kings played 3/4 of an excellent, playoff-style game. They gave Dany Heatley a freebie, and Joe Pavelski what must be his dream ideal scoring chance.

Great, great shot by Pavelski.

Note to everyone: please get the puck in deep.

The announcers on NHL on the Fly just said, "the Kings have their work cut out for them." They're sticking to their narrative.

I thought the Sharks looked freaked out, and (ultimately) relieved.

Hey, if Jarret Stoll is suspended, does Lombardi bring up Brayden Schenn?

The Kings now know (or just remembered) that they can not only play with these guys, but out-play them.

And the meme about the Sharks having the easiest of all of the first round series...is dead.

Dead.

Like everyone else, the Sharks will need some luck to win this series.

Luck favors the prepared.

I'll stick to my prediction. Kings in seven.

have a nice day.

 

[Ties5o11]

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

My, that was fun.

James Hetfield was there! He was a really good sport everytime they put him on the JumboTron.

Chicks.... you take em to a great hockey game and all they can talk about is James Hetfield

 

[Toolrulzz]

Great breakdown and I agree with most of it. However, I don't think the Sharks are freaked out at all. It took them a few games last year to find their footing against the Avs but once they did, the Sharks proved to be the far better team. I'm not saying the Sharks are the far better team of the two in this series, but I do believe they're better and that will shake out in the long run. Game 1's are always a feeling out process and can be a bit sloppy at times as last night's was. I think we'll see better performances out of the 2 teams tomorrow night.

 

[KillerVee]

Chicks.... you take em to a great hockey game and all they can talk about is James Hetfield

Who took me? I bought those tickets myself! And I took my little brother because he's leaving on Saturday to work in Germany!

Can I help it if I'm excited that James was there? My brother and I both screamed like little girls when we say him! Then for the next 15 minutes we communicated with each other only using our best James Hetfield impressions. I'm sure the people around us were thrilled. I especially hope that the teenage girl in front of me enjoyed as she leaned forward 95 % of the game.

 

[KillerVee]

I will say one more thing. The officials were infuriating last night.

 

[Ho_Brah]

I will say one more thing. The officials were infuriating last night.

They were.. calls/non calls were in favor of the Kings.. I admit that.

 

[Ties5o11]

I thought the Kings caught a few small breaks by the reffs... but I didn't like the call on Doughty. Late in the 3rd or OT I think it should be a blatant penalty to warrant a call. I certainly wouldn't want to see that called against me late in a tie game.

 

[li0lsh]

I thought the Kings caught a few small breaks by the reffs... but I didn't like the call on Doughty. Late in the 3rd or OT I think it should be a blatant penalty to warrant a call. I certainly wouldn't want to see that called against me late in a tie game.

a 5 minute major is a small break?

 

[SLY]

Who took me? I bought those tickets myself! And I took my little brother because he's leaving on Saturday to work in Germany!

Can I help it if I'm excited that James was there? My brother and I both screamed like little girls when we say him! Then for the next 15 minutes we communicated with each other only using our best James Hetfield impressions. I'm sure the people around us were thrilled. I especially hope that the teenage girl in front of me enjoyed as she leaned forward 95 % of the game.

Thats when you kick them in the back of the head. Initiation to hockey live... They gotta get knocked forward like 3 rows. I hate when people are constantly jumping up.

 

[Ties5o11]

a 5 minute major is a small break?

Not sure I follow...

 

[Ties5o11]

Good anaylsis Hawaii. I agree with a lot of it, but I dont agree the Sharks got nervous. They didnt play well for about a 20 minute stretch there, but then were the better team the last 5 minutes of the game and most of OT. They didn't play their best game, but I think they picked it up when they had to, and still had quite a few more scoring chances than the Kings throughout the game.

Good game though, should be a good series.

 

[puckhead]

Who took me? I bought those tickets myself! And I took my little brother because he's leaving on Saturday to work in Germany!

Can I help it if I'm excited that James was there? My brother and I both screamed like little girls when we say him! Then for the next 15 minutes we communicated with each other only using our best James Hetfield impressions. I'm sure the people around us were thrilled. I especially hope that the teenage girl in front of me enjoyed as she leaned forward 95 % of the game.

FIRE BAD!!

also, John Zeiler recalled for LA, so I guess that closes the book on Schenn.

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

That was the best game I've seen so far in these playoffs. Back & forth action. Lots of hits & both teams actually SCORED.

I hope for more of the same the rest of the series.

 

[Ho_Brah]

That was the best game I've seen so far in these playoffs. Back & forth action. Lots of hits & both teams actually SCORED.

I hope for more of the same the rest of the series.

It seemed like it was 4 on 4 OT with all the open ice and chances!!

THAT'S the way you play OT!!!

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

It seemed like it was 4 on 4 OT with all the open ice and chances!!

THAT'S the way you play OT!!!

It would be nice if the rest of the teams in the playoffs followed suit. Fast paced end to end action is the hockey is supposed to be played in my opinion.

I guess we don't have to worry about Williams. He played great last night.

 

[li0lsh]

Not sure I follow...

Sharks should have had a 5 min powerplay in the first period.

That's not a small break.

 

[Ties5o11]

Sharks should have had a 5 min powerplay in the first period.

That's not a small break.

Oh, I see. Yeah they blew that call pretty badly. Overall Ive seen much worse officiated games though. Lets hope the refs can get into playoff form too by game 2.

 

[davnlaguna]

Kings coaches are complaining that this should warrant a game as well. I don't think there was a penalty on this either.

refs aside the game was played all out.
Losing Stoll is a big deal in the faceoff department.