Game Thread: Game #6 - Beat LA - 7PM

[sjrules99]

LA are champions for a reason. Sutter has them well coached and most importantly, just like chicago, detroit and boston, their best players are also their hardest working players. Kopitar and brown work their tails off and give it their all consistently. Zetts and datsyuk too. They are old now, but the heart and work ethic is unquestionable. Bergeron, Chara, and the entire boston roster works extremely hard. Toews is a super hard worker and kane too even if he has some off ice issues, his work ethic and effort on the ice is awesome. These are the kind of players that elevate their game in the PO's and really prove themselves and really lead by example.

Now show joe and patricia are the opposite. They do not work hard every game. They dont lay it all out there. They do not lead by example. They do not elevate their game when it matters. They do not have passion, pure and simple. They dont make the key blocked shot, the massive backcheck, the sellout play. Remember when patty jumped out of the way of the GW shot in OT a few years back? That's these two. They are the opposite of the players i mentioned above, pure and simple.

They will never overcome this because it is not who they are. They are skilled guys who lacked the will and ethic to bring it every game. Until they are gone, the sharks will continue their current streak and etablish themselves further as the greatest chokers in the NHL and arguably in NHL history.

 

[MrChangoT97]

R all you guys giving up on this year? Is it over yet? Game #7 is in San Jose and thats the reason you want home advantage.

Bitching and complaining about Sharks wont make a difference, but just make yourself upset and angry all over again.

Positive Thoughts Boys

Think POSITIVE! Think SCORE! Think WIN!

 

[MrFlyingV]

R all you guys giving up on this year? Is it over yet? Game #7 is in San Jose and thats the reason you want home advantage.

Bitching and complaining about Sharks wont make a difference, but just make yourself upset and angry all over again.

Positive Thoughts Boys

Think POSITIVE! Think SCORE! Think WIN!

We have a right to bitch. 10 years of this shit. Tomorrow is going to be the biggest game in franchise history. Remember Dougie/Randy or whoever said wait til we have the entire roster, then you are going to see the real Sharks. Yeah we are seeing them alright just like late in the season getting gutted by the likes of Winnipeg, Florida, Washington. Now completely healthy (until Vlasic got hurt), but flopping around like a fish out of water gasping for breath...again. Losing Game 7 after being up 3 - 0 along with the 10 years of futility/history behind that. Contemplate that. Tomorrow could be the ultimate glorious low, the final chapter of the never ending Thornton/Marleau playoff choke saga. Nothing more they could add really that I could think of. Couldn't tm have happened back in 2006, earlier in the tragedy, then it wouldn't be so bad...no history behind it. But that history + this potential history, well this ingrains the pessimism in this team. Just once, surprise us, and step out of yourself, be something different and not so predictable and succumb so easily. Are we going to see it finally?

 

[sjrules99]

R all you guys giving up on this year? Is it over yet? Game #7 is in San Jose and thats the reason you want home advantage.

Bitching and complaining about Sharks wont make a difference, but just make yourself upset and angry all over again.

Positive Thoughts Boys

Think POSITIVE! Think SCORE! Think WIN!

Its a defense mechanism chango, and as V said accurately, it's the compounded decade of annual disappointment that gets you. Last year vs. LA may be the only time I can remember where the sharks ended the year fighting hard and really playing well only to lose a tough game 7. That LA series was tight, tough and the top players for the sharks actually did play well even though they couldnt finish. Still, it was devastating, but at least they tried.

BUT, how many years in the last decade have they exited ignomiously? Win the pres. trophy, then get manhandled by getzlaf and perry. Make it to the conf finals beating detroit (who was obviously in decline) twice only to get crushed by chicago and then take the 4 straight 5 on 3 penalties to lose vs. vancouver. They get their butts kicked by STL, or choke hard against subpar edmonton and calgary teams earlier.

For every playoff glory like JR's game 7 performance against calgary, there are a ton of disappearing acts, panics, and choking.

Could they win tomorrow? Sure. And if it was a lesser team against them, then I'd say theres a good chance. But, against LA, with their coaching, leadership, heart and physicality, I just cant see the sharks big boys suddenly breaking a decade of tradition and actually playing well. Not to mention, its the first round and chicago awaits to kick their ass down the line anyways, so this game 7 really only staves off one the greatest chokes in NHL history.

There is no reason for optimism or faith. Getting hopes up and believing just leads to pain, so I prefer to expect nothing and look at this game 7 as a win-win:

If they win, great they move on and avoid history. If they lose, they make history! And, perhaps the final straw is delivered.

right now: Boyle, Marleau, pavelski, thronton, and couture have fewer goals as torres, sheppard, nieto, hertl, and brown. That's roughly 33 million in salary that has produced less than roughly 6 million. throw in niemi outplayed by stalock and it's about 37M badly outplayed by 7M.

Even worse, excluding the PP's which have been death, the sharks 6M guys have 9 goals at even strength. add in burns to the aforementioned 5 guys and you have nearly 40M in salary with 7 EV goals. In other words, the bottom 6 forwards have outscored dramatically the top 6 forwards despite the top 6 paid nearly 7x as much. In other words, the top 6 cost 5.5M per goal, while the bottom six cost .67M per goal.

Every year, the bottom six is the excuse for losing, that teams key in on thronton-marleau and the rest of the team doesnt help. Well, this year is the first year I can remember where the bottom six has nothing short of dominated, and the failure of the top 6 is so powerfully glaring that there is just nowhere to hide.

Sadly, we are stuck with 3 more years of this and they can tweak goalies, or D, or whatever, but nothing will change for 3 more years.

Hey, at least we arent cubs fans

 

[Ties5o11]

One thing I liked last night was Couture gong after anybody when the game was finally out of hand. He legitimately looked pissed off and was on edge about it. I've never really seen Marleau or Thornton do that. You just never really see them go balls to the wall.

 

[MrChangoT97]

@ SJ & Mr V

I understand completely what you are feeling and YES I am upset too. I can't imagine how frustrated a lot of fans and Shark personal feel right now, but the positives are that this series isn't over and game #7 is in San Jose. The way this series has made it to game 7 isn't what I wanted, but its that great old saying......

.......ITS NOT HOW YOU START BUT HOW YOU FINISH!

Try and stay positive Boys

 

[caliraftdude]

right now: Boyle, Marleau, pavelski, thronton, and couture have fewer goals as torres, sheppard, nieto, hertl, and brown. That's roughly 33 million in salary that has produced less than roughly 6 million. throw in niemi outplayed by stalock and it's about 37M badly outplayed by 7M.

THIS!

I go to work everyday (not as glorious as playing hockey but I make more than most people do), and everyday I EXPECT there to be a reason to be fired, let go, or laid off. There is no reason for this, I am always in the top 5% of my reviews, I get the highest raises, I get complimented for my work here and abroad. The reason I feel that way is I ALWAYS FEEL I CAN DO MORE. My 'best' is not good enough - I need to be better than people half my age with far less on their plate. "The only easy day was yesterday" type of stuff. Its a professional thing I guess.

When I said I cant understand how these guys look at their paycheck and sleep at night I meant it. It is inconceivable how players can cash the checks they are getting and actually feel 'good' about what they did to earn it.

I get that they all probably dont give a fuck and probably sleep fine... and that 29 teams dont make it and all that. However - that doesn't mean that I need to waste my time deluding myself and paying good money to see them.

Its disappointing - I want to see these guys win, I just fear its more than the effort they want to put forth to do so.

 

[bdave]

@ SJ & Mr V

I understand completely what you are feeling and YES I am upset too. I can't imagine how frustrated a lot of fans and Shark personal feel right now, but the positives are that this series isn't over and game #7 is in San Jose. The way this series has made it to game 7 isn't what I wanted, but its that great old saying......

.......ITS NOT HOW YOU START BUT HOW YOU FINISH!

Try and stay positive Boys

You are right Chango, it's not over till its over. But there is one thing... The Kings murdered us in the Tank game 5. That was in all honesty the worst sharks game I've ever watched.

I just hope for a Miracle to go our way. I pray Stalock steals the series

 

[MrChangoT97]

You are right Chango, it's not over till its over. But there is one thing... The Kings murdered us in the Tank game 5. That was in all honesty the worst sharks game I've ever watched.

I just hope for a Miracle to go our way. I pray Stalock steals the series

....but, The Sharks were not ready once the puck dropped and they fucking stunk to high heaven. The Kings played a normal game nothing special, and the Sharks lost that game because of themselves not what the Kings did.

 

[bdave]

....but, The Sharks were not ready once the puck dropped and they fucking stunk to high heaven. The Kings played a normal game nothing special, and the Sharks lost that game because of themselves not what the Kings did.

They need to get back to speed. Their success has been to be physical and make lightning fast decisions with the puck to get it on net for a rebound. Words cannot begin to describe how they forget such basic information. They then start over thinking everything it's ridiculous. They must have made 15 passes before a shot on net on that 5 on 3. When did they do that in the first few games? They had an urgency to just shoot and crash the net. How and why do you all the sudden stop doing that? You are simply hurting your play holding onto the puck too long.

I guarantee if they rediscover their game they will torch the kings and blow them out ... but that is one big IF right now.

 

[caliraftdude]

They need to get back to speed. Their success has been to be physical and make lightning fast decisions with the puck to get it on net for a rebound. Words cannot begin to describe how they forget such basic information. They then start over thinking everything it's ridiculous. They must have made 15 passes before a shot on net on that 5 on 3. When did they do that in the first few games? They had an urgency to just shoot and crash the net. How and why do you all the sudden stop doing that? You are simply hurting your play holding onto the puck too long.

I guarantee if they rediscover their game they will torch the kings and blow them out ... but that is one big IF right now.

Yes - its infuriating. It even happens once or twice during the course of a game. There was one spot in the second period in game 6 where they started skating hard, checking everyone, and passed the puck effectively. They generated some nice chances and were not running around in desperation in their own zone... then they just stop. Why? You would think there would be that 'ah!' moment there where the light comes on but its more like they are telling the coach they will work for 3 minutes if he will just shut the fuck up and stop bothering them.

I dont get it.