Playoff prediction

[RaiderZar]

So, the trade deadline has come & gone. With our inability to land a Top 3 D-man, the near disappearance of the Big 3 & questions re a backup goalie, I do not believe we will make it out of the 2nd round. It actually depends on who will get in the 1st round. The West is absolutely going to be stacked this year & the teams that trail us in talent, far surpass us in grit & heart. I think DWil failed & its time to say 'buh bye'

 

[filosofy29]

What top 3 defenseman changed hands though? I actually like it, I think next year will be the Sharks best shot at a cup.....especially if Lidstrom retires.

 

[MrChangoT97]

Well I wasn't a big fan of how the sharks played early in the season, but they have impressed me a lot. Sure I would have loved a top 4 dman, but with our current cap it just wasn't going to happen. The Sharks are playing like a team that is fearless, and that's how a team should play going into the playoffs.

Remember this, a team that is playing well together, will always have a chance at WINNING.

After the Giants won the World Series, anything is possible, if you just BELIEVE!!!!!!

 

[SJVP408]

Well I wasn't a big fan of how the sharks played early in the season, but they have impressed me a lot. Sure I would have loved a top 4 dman, but with our current cap it just wasn't going to happen. The Sharks are playing like a team that is fearless, and that's how a team should play going into the playoffs.

Remember this, a team that is playing well together, will always have a chance at WINNING.

After the Giants won the World Series, anything is possible, if you just BELIEVE!!!!!!

Your enthusiasm is always refreshing. In the middle of January, I had zero hopes of these Sharks doing anything, but now I don't know what to think. As long as Niemi plays well and the Sharks continue to push the play, they can come out of the West imo.

 

[sjrules99]

I think alot can happen between now and the PO's. Detroit's goaltending is not good enough as I think very little of howard. he was terrible against us last year and has been pretty bad this year too behind a very good team. Vancouver is obviously scary, but I think their future depends largely on their injury situation. if their D is anywhere near as banged up at the end of the year as it is now, they will be beatable (otherwise, they are pretty darn good).

The only two other teams that I fear are LA and Chicago. LA with penner is a pretty big and strong team and will challenge the sharks D big time and since they are already pretty good defensively, they will be tough. Chicago is the cup championship team and even without ladd, byfuglien, and versteeg, they still have lots of firepower and one of the best top 4 D in the league with keith, seabrook, campbell, and hjalmarsson.

Frankly, I dont think there is a clear frontrunner in the west. Philly is the top dog by far IMHO in the east, but anyone in the west has a legit chance. I just hope the sharks dont draw LA or Chicago in that 1st round. I'd love it if the 1st round either doesnt have those two at all or at least has the Chi-Van and LA-Det matchups with the sharks starting off with any of minny, ana, phx, cgy, or nash. I think that may determine how far they go.

 

[Destroydacre]

No predicitions for me. Just a couple months ago, we were watching a team sitting in 10th place after losing home games to the likes of Edmonton and Toronto. The playoffs seemed out of the picture. This resurgence has been fun to watch. The playoffs still are not a guarantee, a stretch of losses would put the Sharks out just as quickly as they rose to 3rd. But the prospect of making the playoffs seems much more likely now than it did in December.

Marleau and Thornton do seem to be rediscovering their games. Heatley is still an anchor. Getting White has pushed Huskins out of the lineup and hell I'll say it, although I still don't like Wallin, he hasn't completely sucked the last month. Don't know if that will last, but it's good to see now. Wellwood and Eager have added depth that was sorely missing at the start of the year. And Niemi has been amazing.

I'm not expecting a Stanley Cup this year. Or even for the Sharks to make it to the conference finals. However there really aren't any dominant teams in the West like there have been in the past. Detroit and Vancouver both have goalie issues. Everyone else is in the jumble. If the Sharks can peak during the playoffs, this year may offer them the best chance to make it to the SCF since the 2005-06 season. But I'm just going to enjoy the ride for as long as it lasts.

 

[Ties5o11]

So, the trade deadline has come & gone. With our inability to land a Top 3 D-man, the near disappearance of the Big 3 & questions re a backup goalie, I do not believe we will make it out of the 2nd round. It actually depends on who will get in the 1st round. The West is absolutely going to be stacked this year & the teams that trail us in talent, far surpass us in grit & heart. I think DWil failed & its time to say 'buh bye'

Man I really hope you are not this depressing in real life...

 

[Ray_Dogg]

We are going to win the cup this season.

 

[Cbrower91]

Why even bother, they still aren't in the playoffs yet. all it would take to be out again is another 8 game skid

 

[RaiderZar]

Man I really hope you are not this depressing in real life...

Not trying to be depressing, just realistic. I know anything can happen, but I thought we were in pretty good position to win it all last year. This year, not so much. :p

 

[snowsurfer13sss]

for once i have a good feeling about the playoffs.. I really like our bottom 2 lines. If Team Canada wakes up in the playoffs we could go deep

 

[snowsurfer13sss]

hah IF

 

[Slimpikins]

Ultimately, dissapontment and inebriation. Just like every other year.

 

[sjrules99]

the PO's are actually shaping up beautifully...

Chicago is hot as hell, as I expected. They are a waaay better team than they played earlier in the year with a still very formidable D and 2 of the top 5 or 10 forwards in the league in kane and toews to go along with studs like sharp and hossa. However, barring them catching detroit, they look like they are targeted for the #4 hole. The sharks seem like the #3 hole to be (as they are now 4 pts and a game up on phoenix and 6 pts minus a game on dallas and LA). LA also seems hot and should likely find themselves in the 5 hole. That sets up so well for SJ...

1. Van - minny/nash/cgy/ana/clb/dal
2. Detroit - minny/nash/cgy/ana/clb/dal
3. SJ - minny/nash/cgy/ana/clb/dal
4. Chi-LA

That sets up a det-sj and Van-Chi/LA 2nd round. This would be absolutely ideal as the sharks would likely avoid all of Van, Chi, and LA until the WCF and frankly, with Howard, I'm not AS afraid of Detroit as any of those others (aging lidstrom and rafalski + injury prone holmstrom and others + Pourus goalie + past success = very beatable).

 

[Nimesis23]

I wouldn't say we're gonna win the cup... but I am glad that for once the team seems like its ascending going into the playoffs instead of coasting at the top of the conference/division and running into an ascending team that ends up outworking/out-hustling the Sharks and kicks them out of the first round. I kind of hope they have more adversity in this last 15-20 games so that they actually have to work for their spot instead of having it handed to them via a division win. Joe, Patty, and Heater need to fucking get their heads out of their asses because this civil war between the hard workers (Boyle, Couture, Clowe, Pavelski, etc.) and the lazy pieces of shit (mainly the Big 3) is not a good look for a playoff team.

 

[SJVP408]

I wouldn't say we're gonna win the cup... but I am glad that for once the team seems like its ascending going into the playoffs instead of coasting at the top of the conference/division and running into an ascending team that ends up outworking/out-hustling the Sharks and kicks them out of the first round. I kind of hope they have more adversity in this last 15-20 games so that they actually have to work for their spot instead of having it handed to them via a division win. Joe, Patty, and Heater need to fucking get their heads out of their asses because this civil war between the hard workers (Boyle, Couture, Clowe, Pavelski, etc.) and the lazy pieces of shit (mainly the Big 3) is not a good look for a playoff team.

Yes. I wouldn't even mind if they didn't win the division and opened on the road. They have been playing well on the road and it wouldn't hurt to be underdogs for once.