First Round Exit

[Herschel]

In many of the threads, it is common to read something like... "we are headed for a first-round exit."

I am curious, at roughly the quarter point of the season and looking at the Pacific division, why is it hard to see the Shark's winning their opening series? I understand the doubt in a long playoff run.

Obviously, things can and will change in the standings but let's assume they are able to qualify inside the Pacific division. My take is there are no elite teams inside the division with every team having very real flaws and I think the logjam in the standings shows this so why all of the pessimism?

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[The Great John Scott]

Anaheim is majorly injured and one would have to think they'll be getting healthy at the right time, so they're a tough opponent. Edmonton is slumping in laughably epic proportion, but assuming they make the playoffs (they're not that far out of it), there's no reason to think the same Sharks team from last season would beat them. LA is playing better than the previous two seasons, so they're probably a toss-up.

Vegas is the real wild-card here. I don't think anyone can say one way or the other how a series against them would shake out. Vancouver+others are probably the only teams that San Jose would be the easy favourites, and even then, the Sharks just can't score with enough regularity to be considered a playoff threat.

Edit: forgot to mention Calgary. Sharks haven't played well against them in I don't how long, so there's no reason to believe (for me at least) that the Sharks would pose too great a threat against them in a best-of-seven.

Just my opinion.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

In many of the threads, it is common to read something like... "we are headed for a first-round exit."

I am curious, at roughly the quarter point of the season and looking at the Pacific division, why is it hard to see the Shark's winning their opening series? I understand the doubt in a long playoff run.

Obviously, things can and will change in the standings but let's assume they are able to qualify inside the Pacific division. My take is there are no elite teams inside the division with every team having very real flaws and I think the logjam in the standings shows this so why all of the pessimism?

The simplest answer for me is that they have a hard enough time scoring in the regular season and it generally gets tougher to do so during the playoffs. That generally doesn't bode well. I don't have that view based on potential matchups at this point. They can't score and their PP is mediocre to this point. Things that more often than not don't magically fix itself come playoff time. I don't think this Sharks team as it is can beat Vegas, LA, or a potentially healthy and fresher Anaheim team as a lot of their big guns have been injured and not grinding the early part of this regular season and we saw how Couture being out allowed him to be a lot fresher for a playoff run.

Can they beat those teams? Yeah they can but it's still too early to tell. I just know that I wouldn't invest any of our limited future assets into bolstering this deeply flawed team right now. Offense is hard to come by for them on their own and it's not going to be cheap getting it in the trade market.

 

[Beethovens 10th]

Are we talking about our impending first round exit in the 2017-2018 season, or the grand exit in the 2018-2019 season? The reasons are different; just want to be sure I got my bearings before I tell the future, you know, so I don’t freak y’all out too much. Secretly I’d rather talk about our 2025 cup win - we really came together, everything just clicked, so beautiful. Sucks we have to play all these games in the meantime.

 

[Herschel]

Our 2017-2018 first round exit. Also would like to know if we play either of Calgary or Edmonton so I can make the necessary travel plans.

 

[Beethovens 10th]

Edmonton is NOT making the playoffs.

 

[OffSydes]

There will be no first round exit as one has to qualify for the playoffs in order for them to have a 1st round exit.

 

[stator]

Anaheim is majorly injured and one would have to think they'll be getting healthy at the right time, so they're a tough opponent. Edmonton is slumping in laughably epic proportion, but assuming they make the playoffs (they're not that far out of it), there's no reason to think the same Sharks team from last season would beat them. LA is playing better than the previous two seasons, so they're probably a toss-up.

My take on it as well to answer OP's question. OP probably has to believe that all the pacific teams will continue the same trend in the remaining season.

Vegas is the real wild-card here. I don't think anyone can say one way or the other how a series against them would shake out.

I would have to believe the refs cannot give favorable calls to Vegas in the playoffs like they have been doing in the regular season.

If you have to ask, yes, I am saying the refs are throwing games. Sure would have been nice to get this kind of attention back in the first season at the Cow palace.

 

[Herschel]

My take on it as well to answer OP's question. OP probably has to believe that all the pacific teams will continue the same trend in the remaining season.

I am not certain that they will continue the same trend but it is a possibility. My belief is that all of the teams in the Pacific are flawed.

Vegas - playing above their heads, likely to lose key pieces at the deadline
LA - top heavy, although that may change when Carter comes back
SJ - Can't score goals
Calgary - top heavy and they give up way too many goals
Vancouver - unproven, shaky D, questions in goal
Anaheim - My X factor, when healthy they are the best team on paper.

Looking at potential matchups I just don't see any team being clearly head and shoulders above the Sharks (maybe a health Ducks). So, I don't understand why so many are writing them off as first round fodder.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

I am not certain that they will continue the same trend but it is a possibility. My belief is that all of the teams in the Pacific are flawed.

Vegas - playing above their heads, likely to lose key pieces at the deadline
LA - top heavy, although that may change when Carter comes back
SJ - Can't score goals
Calgary - top heavy and they give up way too many goals
Vancouver - unproven, shaky D, questions in goal
Anaheim - My X factor, when healthy they are the best team on paper.

Looking at potential matchups I just don't see any team being clearly head and shoulders above the Sharks (maybe a health Ducks). So, I don't understand why so many are writing them off as first round fodder.

I would say the first round thing is just based off of how they look in games so far this year. You can't really make a matchup assessment this early in the season because of injuries and trades that are inevitable. I'd say closer to the end of February when we're days away from the deadline is when this picture can be judged clear enough to have a more definitive discussion.

 

[Herschel]

I would say the first round thing is just based off of how they look in games so far this year. You can't really make a matchup assessment this early in the season because of injuries and trades that are inevitable. I'd say closer to the end of February when we're days away from the deadline is when this picture can be judged clear enough to have a more definitive discussion.

100% agree which is why I thought it was weird seeing people post this so often, or at least what looked to me as often