Anaheim or L.A.?

[sr228]

Great, two things the Sharks have never ever had.

If we win round one, we'll have to play the other in round two anyway. Both good teams. I guess I'll take Anaheim first.


Also: I wouldn't be shocked to see Chicago be an early out.

If the Sharks face ANA and they're w/o Perron and/or Vatanen I consider that 'luck' but ya, health has been an issue fairly often in the playoffs.

LA & Anaheim are both easily top 5 teams, both are fantastic defensively, have good goaltending & while Anaheim is fast & skilled LA is just a freaking nightmare to play against.

I figure a series against the Kings is going to take a bigger physical toll than against Anaheim and maybe, just maybe NSH can beat the Kings or at least take the series to 7 games.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

LA is going to whoop Nashville

But so would Anaheim and San Jose. Their #1C is Ryan Johansen, he will get murked by Getzlaf, Kopitar, or Thornton.

I'm gonna say Anaheim but both teams are really tough matchups

I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss Nashville against LA. Rinne has looked really good against them the last two times in the past month. Nashville has been doing very well against playoff teams. Johansen with Neal is no joke and that doesn't even include Forsberg and that blue line.

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

I can't see Chicago going out early.

Washington, on the other hand, is a possibility. Their Corsi close is under 50% last time I checked lmfao

Johansen is no joke but he isn't currently a true elite two-way #1C. Thornton, Getzlaf and Kopitar are all on different levels. You're looking at two centers who are practically PPG and one who is just off in Getzlaf, and comparing them to a guy who is 20 points off. That doesn't even take into account that Kopitar and Thornton are both Selke caliber and Getzlaf is also much better than Johansen defensively.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

I can't see Chicago going out early.

Washington, on the other hand, is a possibility. Their Corsi close is under 50% last time I checked lmfao

Johansen is no joke but he isn't currently a true elite two-way #1C. Thornton, Getzlaf and Kopitar are all on different levels.

The only team that can knock Chicago out early is Dallas.

He doesn't need to be elite with the support and system that Nashville employs. Forsberg, Neal, Josi, Weber, Ribeiro, Ekholm, and Ellis in front of a Rinne that is getting hot at the right time is not a team that is going to be whooped by LA. It'll likely be a tough and long series.

 

[Painful Quandary]

I can't see Chicago going out early.

You never know, this might be the year where to the Blues get lucky. Of course typing that feels like typing, "Maybe the Sharks will get some luck in the playoffs this year."

 

[magic school bus]

Biggest jinx thread ever

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Biggest jinx thread ever

Not really a jinx thread. It's an inevitability that they will play the Kings or Ducks.

 

[Solmors]

Great, two things the Sharks have never ever had.

If we win round one, we'll have to play the other in round two anyway. Both good teams. I guess I'll take Anaheim first.


Also: I wouldn't be shocked to see Chicago be an early out.

The third thing we've never had is good goal tending. Hopefully get get all three and take it to the next round.

 

[209]

The other piece is that the Kings could finish #1 in the West and then play COL or MN which leaves Nashville to #1 in the West. OR!! Chicago bumps down to wild card with Nashville playing so hot and LA could play CHI. Too many unsolved pieces with 10 games to go.

As long as Nieto and Eddie get healthy and no other injuries occur, I like our chances against whoever that team is.

 

[bigwillie]

Don't care. I'm just excited for another chance and a relatively clean slate for this team.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

They will always be Thorton is tin man chokez.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

They will always be Thorton is tin man chokez.

One word...regular season.

 

[bigwillie]

They will always be Thorton is tin man chokez.

I made a post on the main board but then deleted it, because I didn't want to ruin any goodwill between the Sharks and Ducks fans there, but it's crazy to me that the Ducks are considered an elite team and a real threat in the playoffs while the Sharks are still being written off as chockerz.

The Ducks have lost four game sevens in a row, including the last three consecutive seasons. 4 game 7's! All in a row.

Now, I personally don't believe that taking other good teams the distance should be held against them, and I also don't think that the Ducks choked away any of those. But imagine if the Sharks had gone on a run like that.

The Ducks get a pass because they won a Cup, but that was nearly a decade ago, and was an entirely different core. The only two remaining from that squad were Perry and Getzlaf, who granted, are their two best players today. But, since they no longer have the help of two HoF defenseman and the best playoff goalie of their generation not named Patrick Roy, they have done jack **** in the playoffs, except lose a lot of winner take all games.

But most fans don't actually put any thought into the **** they spout.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

The Blues haven't won a series in 3 years and twice blew a 2-0 series lead but get a pass. **** every fanbase honestly. They can piss up a rope.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

The Blues haven't won a series in 3 years and twice blew a 2-0 series lead but get a pass. **** every fanbase honestly. They can piss up a rope.

The only team they've beaten after the 2002 playoffs was what is likely the worst Sharks team to make the playoffs in the DW era. And that team just happened to get the team that was their worst matchup.

 

[Painful Quandary]

The only team they've beaten after the 2002 playoffs was what is likely the worst Sharks team to make the playoffs in the DW era. And that team just happened to get the team that was their worst matchup.

The PK that years Sharks team had was so bad, they were going to lose to any team that year. But you are right, the Blues were the worst match up, IIRC, they swept us in the regular season series.

The Blues lack of success does make me feel a little better about some of the heartbreaks the Sharks have had in the playoffs.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

The only team they've beaten after the 2002 playoffs was what is likely the worst Sharks team to make the playoffs in the DW era. And that team just happened to get the team that was their worst matchup.

Yeah that team sucked.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

The PK that years Sharks team had was so bad, they were going to lose to any team that year. But you are right, the Blues were the worst match up, IIRC, they swept us in the regular season series.

The Blues lack of success does make me feel a little better about some of the heartbreaks the Sharks have had in the playoffs.

The Blues are given a pass because most posters weren't fans pre-2005. They forget the loaded Blues teams that won absolutely nothing.

 

[Painful Quandary]

The Blues are given a pass because most posters weren't fans pre-2005. They forget the loaded Blues teams that won absolutely nothing.

True, but at least the 90s Blues teams have running into the Red Wings as an excuse. Although that President's Trophy team though, running into the lowly Sharks

 

[rangerssharks414]

Biggest jinx thread ever

Unfortunately, this.

The Sharks will most likely have to beat both to move on, so the order really doesn't matter to me.

 

[DG93]

Anaheim or L-A, we're f'd either way...

In all seriousness, both teams are insanely good, so it'd be nearly impossible to beat either unless Jones plays out of his mind. I would say Anaheim though because LA just plays such a physical game that the Sharks would be cooked after the 1st round if they played the Kings. However, if they're playing Anaheim (who is still super skilled/fast), Nashville might beat LA up a little too in (hopefully) a long 1st round matchup.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

There is no easy matchup this year.

 

[Sharksrule04]

Yeah, there won't be any easy outs in the West this year.

There never is, except that 1 year when Phoenix advanced to the conference final. The toughness of the west over the east has been going since early 2000's at this point. Honestly there isn't a single team in the East that scares me in a playoff series from the Sharks point of view. There are about 3-4 in the West that do.

 

[polmaniac932]

I hate the Pacific.

I really don't want to disrespect either of those teams by picking one above the other...but I'm all in for this year, baby. For that reason, I want to see us trounce the Kings in the opening round. I'd love for us to end their season.

 

[Sharksrule04]

I made a post on the main board but then deleted it, because I didn't want to ruin any goodwill between the Sharks and Ducks fans there, but it's crazy to me that the Ducks are considered an elite team and a real threat in the playoffs while the Sharks are still being written off as chockerz.

The Ducks have lost four game sevens in a row, including the last three consecutive seasons. 4 game 7's! All in a row.

Now, I personally don't believe that taking other good teams the distance should be held against them, and I also don't think that the Ducks choked away any of those. But imagine if the Sharks had gone on a run like that.

The Ducks get a pass because they won a Cup, but that was nearly a decade ago, and was an entirely different core. The only two remaining from that squad were Perry and Getzlaf, who granted, are their two best players today. But, since they no longer have the help of two HoF defenseman and the best playoff goalie of their generation not named Patrick Roy, they have done jack **** in the playoffs, except lose a lot of winner take all games.

But most fans don't actually put any thought into the **** they spout.

Amen! I have thought for years that the Ducks are the most overrated team. They are in no way dominant and are top heavy. Once Nieds and Pronger were gone that team was no longer the Cup Champs they once were. I am not looking forward to playing them and they could definitely beat the Sharks but I'm tired of writers blowing the Ducks like they're some amazing team. They have accomplished nothing for a while now.