Series Talk: (P3) San Jose Sharks vs. (M2) Pittsburgh Penguins

[Juxtaposer]

No, you wouldn't. We know this. You know we know this.

There have been at least a half dozen members of HFSharks that have promised to eat shoes if something or other, and not a single one has followed through.

Am I right in saying that aside from maybe the Kessel line, the Penguins generally have great centermen and not particularly good wingers? I'm scared of Malkin and Crosby, but their wingers... Pavelski, Hertl, Donskoi and Marleau they are not...

Hornqvist is good. Obviously Hagelin and Kessel are good. Rust and Sheary are decent players with some scoring pop. Kunitz is meh. Overall I'd say you're right. In terms of wingers, I'd say: Pavelski > Kessel > Hertl > Donskoi > Hornqvist > Marleau > Ward > Hagelin and then Rust and Sheary a little above Wingels/Karlsson/etc.

A dark horse to keep an eye on is Matt Cullen. He's quietly still a very good player.

 

[slocal]

There have been at least a half dozen members of HFSharks that have promised to eat shoes if something or other, and not a single one has followed through.

Kpop/Levie started this. All others are wannabes.

 

[glasgow26]

Going to be a great series. I have no doubt that the Sharks will be able to produce offensively in this series, as they've done so against three of the best defensive teams in hockey this postseason.

My only concern is neutralizing Pittsburgh's offense, which is far more potent than the other groups San Jose has faced.

I think Thornton and Couture are a solid counter to Crosby and Malkin, but the Hagelin-Bonino-Kessel line could really give the Sharks some trouble. The thought of Dillon and Polak trying to contain that unit is worrisome.

Still think the boys can pull it off, though. This is some of the best hockey I've ever seen this team play. Sharks in 6!

 

[rangerssharks414]

I think you're at 3 shoes and counting.

Haha. I laughed.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

I'll b honest, haven't watched mutch Sharks games, but the Pens are relentless this year, and every forward is very capable of scoring a goal. Crosby and Geno fighting for their legacies. Murray has been a rock.

Also with home ice advantage, if you guys beat us this year you will surely deserve it.

Is that why two of the Pens series went to 7 games?

 

[DonskoiDonscored]

We're Sharks fans. So we should expect a swift exit. The Pens are a really good team. I would literally eat a shoe if the Sharks ended up winning.

Yea ok

People need to talk more crap about players midgame ITT, they always score.

My guess is Dillon is next.

If Dillon scores this game I will eat a shoe.

Dillion!

Dillon!!!!!

Dillone!!!!

 

[Juxtaposer]

Basically, this series is going to come down to the Sharks' bottom-6 and bottom pair.

Hertl-Thornton-Pavelski and Martin-Burns vs. Rust-Malkin-Hornqvist? Love the Sharks' chances.

Marleau-Couture-Donskoi and Vlasic-Braun vs. Sheary-Crosby-Kunitz? Love the Sharks' chances.

Ward-Tierney-Karlsson and Dillon-Polak vs. Hagelin-Bonino-Kessel? Yikes.

The fourth lines favor Pittsburgh as well, although it likely won't matter too much.

Best case scenario: Tierney proves last series wasn't a fluke and manages to tread water. Second best case scenario: Jones and the D smother the Pens' offense for a game or two and Sullivan gets frustrated into moving Kessel into the top-6 to "try and get something going", in which case it's all the better for us because I trust Vlasic and Braun to shut down whoever they're facing. I'd trust Vlasic-Braun + Couture to shut down any line in the league.

 

[Negatively Positive]

Basically, this series is going to come down to the Sharks' bottom-6 and bottom pair.

Hertl-Thornton-Pavelski and Martin-Burns vs. Rust-Malkin-Hornqvist? Love the Sharks' chances.

Marleau-Couture-Donskoi and Vlasic-Braun vs. Sheary-Crosby-Kunitz? Love the Sharks' chances.

Ward-Tierney-Karlsson and Dillon-Polak vs. Hagelin-Bonino-Kessel? Yikes.

The fourth lines favor Pittsburgh as well, although it likely won't matter too much.

Best case scenario: Tierney proves last series wasn't a fluke and manages to tread water. Second best case scenario: Jones and the D smother the Pens' offense for a game or two and Sullivan gets frustrated into moving Kessel into the top-6 to "try and get something going", in which case it's all the better for us because I trust Vlasic and Braun to shut down whoever they're facing. I'd trust Vlasic-Braun + Couture to shut down any line in the league.

What about putting Tierney line with Vlasic and Braun against the Crosby line and hope for the best. Then Couture vs. Malkin. Then hide Dillon-Polak behind the Thornton line and hope the Thornton line can dominate possession against the HBK line.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

The Penguins are a good team but once again the chicken little nature of Sharks fans rears its head. They aren't ****ing unbeatable. If a team on fumes without its best player push them to 7 then I give the Sharks more than a punchers chance to win. I'm pumped. **** your nerves and worries, just nut up and enjoy your team playing June hockey.

 

[Dying Alive]

Is that why two of the Pens series went to 7 games?

They didn't. Rangers series was 5, Caps was 6, TB was 7.

Looking forward to this series, I actually kinda like the Sharks. If it wasn't vs. the Pens I'd be rooting for them just for the Paul Martin factor.

 

[Volodya Krutov]

May I jump on the Sharks bandwagon ? It's so easy to root for you guys. Hertl and Jumbo Joe are two of my fave players outside of Tampa, I love Deboer's coaching and I still proudly wear that 20 years old Sharks Starter jersey. And I hate Crosby and the Pens.

Sharks in 6.

 

[hockeyfan55]

What about putting Tierney line with Vlasic and Braun against the Crosby line and hope for the best. Then Couture vs. Malkin. Then hide Dillon-Polak behind the Thornton line and hope the Thornton line can dominate possession against the HBK line.

Thornton line does well with Burns shots though. Pavs lives off the tips

 

[USF Shark]

Pittsburgh is a 4 hour drive. Going to really try to get a ticket for this series. Tickets go on sale at 10am EST tomorrow for all us East Coast and Mid-West SJ Sharks fans! Tickets start at $188.00. Not bad!

 

[Juxtaposer]

What about putting Tierney line with Vlasic and Braun against the Crosby line and hope for the best. Then Couture vs. Malkin. Then hide Dillon-Polak behind the Thornton line and hope the Thornton line can dominate possession against the HBK line.

IMO that's a really bad idea. The best plan is simply to give the top-4 a TON of ice time... I'm talking 24-25 minutes each for Vlasic-Braun and Martin-Burns.

The Penguins are a good team but once again the chicken little nature of Sharks fans rears its head. They aren't ****ing unbeatable. If a team on fumes without its best player push them to 7 then I give the Sharks more than a punchers chance to win. I'm pumped. **** your nerves and worries, just nut up and enjoy your team playing June hockey.

I don't see a single person here suggesting the Sharks should roll over.

 

[Anomie2029]

Think Pens in 6.

Feel like Polack & Dillon pairing gets worked over.

Hopefully I'm wrong.

 

[coremiller]

Basically, this series is going to come down to the Sharks' bottom-6 and bottom pair.

Hertl-Thornton-Pavelski and Martin-Burns vs. Rust-Malkin-Hornqvist? Love the Sharks' chances.

Marleau-Couture-Donskoi and Vlasic-Braun vs. Sheary-Crosby-Kunitz? Love the Sharks' chances.

Ward-Tierney-Karlsson and Dillon-Polak vs. Hagelin-Bonino-Kessel? Yikes.

The fourth lines favor Pittsburgh as well, although it likely won't matter too much.

Best case scenario: Tierney proves last series wasn't a fluke and manages to tread water. Second best case scenario: Jones and the D smother the Pens' offense for a game or two and Sullivan gets frustrated into moving Kessel into the top-6 to "try and get something going", in which case it's all the better for us because I trust Vlasic and Braun to shut down whoever they're facing. I'd trust Vlasic-Braun + Couture to shut down any line in the league.

I don't think the bottom pair is going to play very much. They can easily ride the top two pairs for 25 minutes each and give the third pair a sheltered 10 minutes in favorable matchups/zone starts. The biggest advantage the Sharks have in this series is that they have two legit top pairs and they need to ride that advantage hard.

 

[Stammertime91]

Please beat the ever living **** out of them. Exploit their defense like we chose not to do.

Best of luck.

 

[Evincar]

The Penguins are a good team but once again the chicken little nature of Sharks fans rears its head. They aren't ****ing unbeatable. If a team on fumes without its best player push them to 7 then I give the Sharks more than a punchers chance to win. I'm pumped. **** your nerves and worries, just nut up and enjoy your team playing June hockey.

Its definitely encouraging that a depleted Tampa team managed to take a 3-2 lead on them.

Its still going to be tough either way.

I think Daley was a huge loss for them and I hope the Sharks get Nieto back.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

I think the key against the Pens is going to be much of the same that worked against the Blues. Get the puck out of your zone quick with stick to stick passes and dont give them enough time to forecheck. Do not give up the middle to the Pens forwards. The Bolts left it wide open for the Pens to skate into their zone.

I think if we play our own game we have a decent chance. The Pens have the most skilled group of forwards we have seen in the playoffs. Their D core is not as good as either the Blues or the Preds though.

 

[Juxtaposer]

I don't think the bottom pair is going to play very much. They can easily ride the top two pairs for 25 minutes each and give the third pair a sheltered 10 minutes in favorable matchups/zone starts. The biggest advantage the Sharks have in this series is that they have two legit top pairs and they need to ride that advantage hard.

The problem is, Dillon and Polak are already playing insanely sheltered minutes, and they still barely managed to tread water. They were getting insane offensive zonestarts (~65%, compared to Vlasic/Braun's ~35%) and playing wicked soft competition (Dustin Brown and... god, I still can't even think about who was in Nashville's bottom-six, that's how garbage it was). Asking Vlasic and Braun to shut down the best hockey player in the world and take on even tougher deployment and quantity of minutes? That's pushing it IMO.

It is true, however, that the Sharks are uniquely poised to match up elite top pairings on BOTH Crosby and Malkin. I don't think there's a single other team in the league that can say that.

 

[hockeyfan55]

The biggest threat will be the speed of their forecheck, we saw what happened vs the Blues when our dmen were sloppy. As for Dillion - Polak. They aren't good but they are a 3rd Pair. Can't name 3 teams with a better pair. The problem will be them + our 3rd line vs HBK.

 

[OffSydes]

The key is to score than them for a total of 4 games

 

[Swervin81]

I see some things never change

Come on, guys. It's the ****ing finals, it's awesome. Now go ****ing win it. I know we can do it.

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

Thornton line does well with Burns shots though. Pavs lives off the tips

That's going to be mostly a PP thing they'll feature at ES if they're down later in the game.

 

[coremiller]

The problem is, Dillon and Polak are already playing insanely sheltered minutes, and they still barely managed to tread water. They were getting insane offensive zonestarts (~65%, compared to Vlasic/Braun's ~35%) and playing wicked soft competition (Dustin Brown and... god, I still can't even think about who was in Nashville's bottom-six, that's how garbage it was). Asking Vlasic and Braun to shut down the best hockey player in the world and take on even tougher deployment and quantity of minutes? That's pushing it IMO.

It is true, however, that the Sharks are uniquely poised to match up elite top pairings on BOTH Crosby and Malkin. I don't think there's a single other team in the league that can say that.

If Vlasic/Braun are fully loaded already, they can give some of those shifts to Burns/Martin. Dillon/Polak averaged about 14 minutes against the Blues and I think it should be more like 10 against Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh's forwards are just more dangerous.

I was really impressed with Nashville's top 4 in the series against them. Weber is overrated but the other 3 guys were really good. Nashville just lacked the depth of high-end forward talent to keep up with the Sharks.