Still proud of this team

[Alwalys]

Not to pooh-pooh but I think we all knew how much this team was missing Couture when it was down in the standings around mid-season. Or at least we all should have known. I guess making the finals was beyond expectations but at least for me the playoffs were a sure thing with only moderate luck on the performance and injury front.

I honestly have no idea how the team missed last season given their metrics. That was NOT a non-playoff team.

 

[66871]

Congrats to all Sharks fans for a great playoff run. I was glad when it was down to you and the Blues because I felt like if we got by Tampa we would be facing a team I really didn't mind losing to.

I know there's some uncertainty about how your roster is going to change over the next few years, but I hope you manage to make it back to the finals and as long as you aren't playing the pens, I'll be bandwagoning you.

I thought every single game in this series was compelling stuff. Congrats again.

 

[Alwalys]

I know there's some uncertainty about how your roster is going to change over the next few years, but I hope you manage to make it back to the finals and as long as you aren't playing the pens, I'll be bandwagoning you.

There's not actually that much uncertainty. Well certainly not as much as other teams that didn't do as well.

You should bandwagon us regardless, we need the cup more than pitts needs another.

 

[Sleepy]

That was a good run. The Sharks overachieved. Let's not kid ourselves, our D and our 3rd/4th lines were not championship material and frankly not normally SCF material. Vlasic, while amazing defensively, literally shoots worse than beer leaguers. With Burns not getting his shots through, the rest of the defense could be completely ignored in the penguins zone.

The lack of physicality on the 3rd/4th lines compared with already non-physical 1st/2nd lines meant that Letang pretty much got to play shinny out there logging huge, high quality minutes all series. Honestly, if Pitt said this was the softest team they played in the playoffs I couldn't really argue it.

Overall tho, I'm pretty happy with this season. Good playoffs everyone, fun season.

 

[themelkman]

That was a good run. The Sharks overachieved. Let's not kid ourselves, our D and our 3rd/4th lines were not championship material and frankly not normally SCF material. Vlasic, while amazing defensively, literally shoots worse than beer leaguers. With Burns not getting his shots through, the rest of the defense could be completely ignored in the penguins zone.

The lack of physicality on the 3rd/4th lines compared with already non-physical 1st/2nd lines meant that Letang pretty much got to play shinny out there logging huge, high quality minutes all series.

Overall tho, I'm pretty happy with this season. Good playoffs everyone, fun season.

I disagree, we played great an deserved to win up until the finals where we didn't put in the effort

 

[Alwalys]

I'm just overwhelmingly bummed that there was such a stylistic disadvantage, followed by the crushing injury loss. I never felt like we were in this series, and our hopes of turning it around were destroyed when Hertl went out. It's no fault of the Pens -- well technically it IS the fault of the Pens but what I mean is I can't fault them for it -- but it feels like the hockey gods cheated us yet again.

Just when I thought our boys were going to get a chance to show their stuff, playing some of the best hockey I've ever seen them play, ready to banish all the narratives about all our beloved stars ... they ended up in a damn near unwinnable situation and got stomped down by injury for good measure.

It almost feels to me like it didn't happen. Like our season ended after the St. Louis series. I got literally nothing out of watching this final as a Sharks fan, no enjoyment, no banished narratives even in loss, no real hope, not even any future ammo for internet fights (the tiniest victory imaginable). The narratives only got supported, for the same shallow, stupid reasons as always. As much as I can't blame the Pens for that I think I will always harbor a burning coal of hatred for them and their fans because of it... or rather until we finally win one.

They did not need this Cup, San Jose needed this Cup. They do not need to be rewarded yet again for having the good fortune of ending up with the two best players in the game by sucking. Owned by a former best player in the game who ended up on the team because they sucked.

This probably isn't good for my health. Sports is literally pointless fiction. But dammit, just once I want to see the team have a fair shot in all four rounds.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

I disagree, we played great an deserved to win up until the finals where we didn't put in the effort

Not executing at the level they needed to in order to win does not mean they didn't put in the effort. A team sucking does not mean they didn't have determination. This is probably the single most annoying thing that people do when they have conversations like this. These terms aren't interchangeable. Just because the result wasn't to our liking doesn't mean they didn't put in the effort. They played their ass off. They just weren't good enough compared to the one team that was better than them and had been better for quite some time.

You want to point to certain mistakes made in the course of play, that's certainly fair. But it isn't for lack of trying or lack of determination.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

A for effort, D for execution. Definitely was no quit in them.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

I'm just overwhelmingly bummed that there was such a stylistic disadvantage, followed by the crushing injury loss. I never felt like we were in this series, and our hopes of turning it around were destroyed when Hertl went out. It's no fault of the Pens -- well technically it IS the fault of the Pens but what I mean is I can't fault them for it -- but it feels like the hockey gods cheated us yet again.

Just when I thought our boys were going to get a chance to show their stuff, playing some of the best hockey I've ever seen them play, ready to banish all the narratives about all our beloved stars ... they ended up in a damn near unwinnable situation and got stomped down by injury for good measure.

It almost feels to me like it didn't happen. Like our season ended after the St. Louis series. I got literally nothing out of watching this final as a Sharks fan, no enjoyment, no banished narratives even in loss, no real hope, not even any future ammo for internet fights (the tiniest victory imaginable). The narratives only got supported, for the same shallow, stupid reasons as always. As much as I can't blame the Pens for that I think I will always harbor a burning coal of hatred for them and their fans because of it... or rather until we finally win one.

They did not need this Cup, San Jose needed this Cup. They do not need to be rewarded yet again for having the good fortune of ending up with the two best players in the game by sucking. Owned by a former best player in the game who ended up on the team because they sucked.

This probably isn't good for my health. Sports is literally pointless fiction. But dammit, just once I want to see the team have a fair shot in all four rounds.

It happens man. Part of being a sports fan as you pointed out. I think we did the best we could. It was just not good enough.

 

[Improvise]

If this is the most disappointing loss/season you've experienced as a Sharks fan then you probably haven't been a fan for all that long and I envy you. I don't even want to think about some of the losses this organization has experienced in the past.

Yes, they fell short of the ultimate goal and I don't believe in moral victories but somebody has to lose and the better team won. Such is life.

And we got to be a part of playoff hockey until June 12. Won't happen many times. Hope you all enjoyed it and don't take it for granted.

 

[Eighth Fret]

DeBoer cost us the Finals. I'll never be convinced otherwise. Just watching games 6 and 7 of the ECF, it was clear just how fast the Pens were, and how much pressure they pour on in all three zones.

It's bad enough he played Polak/Dillon as much as he did, but at home, with last change, the fact that Polak was on the ice with Crosby for as long as he was is inexcusable. All games in the Finals were essentially one goal games, and Polak/Dillon were directly responsible for three or four goals. That's the series.

 

[Improvise]

DeBoer cost us the Finals. I'll never be convinced otherwise. Just watching games 6 and 7 of the ECF, it was clear just how fast the Pens were, and how much pressure they pour on in all three zones.

It's bad enough he played Polak/Dillon as much as he did, but at home, with last change, the fact that Polak was on the ice with Crosby for as long as he was is inexcusable. All games in the Finals were essentially one goal games, and Polak/Dillon were directly responsible for three or four goals. That's the series.

3rd period. Down by 1 goal. 2 shots on goal.

Wouldn't have mattered if Scotty Bowman was coaching them. Never gonna win like that and you can't blame coaching for that.

 

[Gilligans Island]

If this is the most disappointing loss/season you've experienced as a Sharks fan then you probably haven't been a fan for all that long and I envy you. I don't even want to think about some of the losses this organization has experienced in the past.

Yes, they fell short of the ultimate goal and I don't believe in moral victories but somebody has to lose and the better team won. Such is life.

And we got to be a part of playoff hockey until June 12. Won't happen many times. Hope you all enjoyed it and don't take it for granted.

This sums up how I feel. I'm proud of the team for showing such resiliency. Moreso than any other past Sharks team. I think next season looks promising with the potential of Goldobin, Meier, Sorenson, Heed and Demelo. There may be other rookies who look promising.

I think those fwd prospects can help offset a likely further decline by Patty and that's OK.

After 2014, I was one of many calling for an abrupt change to the team. Glad I was wrong. I think the org is in pretty good shape going forward.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

3rd period. Down by 1 goal. 2 shots on goal.

Wouldn't have mattered if Scotty Bowman was coaching them. Never gonna win like that and you can't blame coaching for that.

You can if you play guys that consistently get hemmed into their zone and can't breakout anywhere remotely close to effectively. That stuff impacts momentum that carries over to the next guy's shift. Playing from behind is not an easy task.

 

[SabresSharks]

DeBoer cost us the Finals. I'll never be convinced otherwise. Just watching games 6 and 7 of the ECF, it was clear just how fast the Pens were, and how much pressure they pour on in all three zones.

It's bad enough he played Polak/Dillon as much as he did, but at home, with last change, the fact that Polak was on the ice with Crosby for as long as he was is inexcusable. All games in the Finals were essentially one goal games, and Polak/Dillon were directly responsible for three or four goals. That's the series.

No ECF playoff opponent had an answer for this. Why would you expect DeBoer to be able to provide one?

The clearly better team in the series won. Why dump on a guy who played a significant part in getting the Sharks to their first Cup final?

 

[Eighth Fret]

No ECF playoff opponent had an answer for this. Why would you expect DeBoer to be able to provide one?

The clearly better team in the series won. Why dump on a guy who played a significant part in getting the Sharks to their first Cup final?

We were relatively healthy coming into the SCF, so with that in mind, he should have avoided putting our third pairing on the ice as much as possible. It wasn't difficult to see that against a team as fast and aggressive as the Pens, Polak/Dillon were both going to get hemmed in consistently and pressured into terrible decisions.

Polak/Dillon were not only responsible for goals against, they effectively neutralized our top line by requiring their sheltering.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

The top line did a good job of taking themselves out of the series. Anyone blaming coaching for the series loss didn't watch the games. Someone was going to lose. It was San Jose. They were outplayed. I

 

[hohosaregood]

Our team was overtly reliant on the top line scoring and two of them disappeared at any given time during the finals.

 

[DG93]

DeBoer and the players are both to blame. DeBoer played some players (Dillon, Polak, Spaling) way more than he should have, and the top players (Pavs, Burns, Thornton) got beaten by the Pens' players.

 

[LeeIFBB]

Neither the coaches nor the players (outside Marleau) have had a decade+ to get it right. Maybe it's time for the **** to roll uphill for a change.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

The team that played best won. Are they a better team? I am not sure, but nobody can deny the Pens were better those 6 games.

If the Sharks play Demelo and if Hertl is healthy?

If the Pens have Daley, do they win in 5?

I didn't expect a run to the finals. I am happy they did so well and glad that there is hope.

I won't rip DeBoer.....his presence had a lot to do with how well the team did. But I do admit I wish he changed things up a little when it was apparent the Pens were playing much better.

 

[Mayo8898]

To be totally honest, I was more dissapointed/sad about losing games 1 and 2 then I was in losing the clincher yesterday. People hyped up the Sharks so much on the main board that I came into the series with high expectations. Then game 1 came around and the Sharks got dominated and I was out of words. I thought it might have been an anomaly and I thought the Sharks would go back to normal in game 2. Low and behold the Sharks got destroyed again. The games were both 1 goal losses, but they were outplayed. That is when I realized that this team was outmatched and outclassed. It's not like the Sharks played well and still lost, they just were not that good. To me as a fan, getting clearly bested by a better team was more 'satisfying' than say actually playing well in some of those games and losing.

As for this Sharks team, I'm excited to see how they tackle the offseason. Doug has proven he can add good players and on top of that attract free agents in general. Jones was the biggest and most pleasant surprise, can't hel but wonder how far we would've gone on those past runs if we had him instead of Niemi (not taking his age into account). Donskoi proved to be a stud, and he's probably going to make a big leap next season. Meier, Goldobin and Mueller waiting in the wings to show their stuff. The Cudas will be stacked with actual drafted and signed prospects that we hope can make an impact in the NHL level. Draft is also creeping up. It's been a great season, but really excited to see what the future holds.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

3rd period. Down by 1 goal. 2 shots on goal.

Wouldn't have mattered if Scotty Bowman was coaching them. Never gonna win like that and you can't blame coaching for that.

19 shot attempts. 12 blocked. 5 mssed the net.

People want to act like the Sharks no-showed, but they didn't.

 

[Blades of Teal]

Hi everybody!

Very proud of what the Sharks accomplished!

The expectations were at an all-time low after the 2014 Playoffs and the terrible 2014/2015 season. At least two out of three "experts" predicted that they won't make the Playoffs. After the smart additions during the past off-season I was slightly more optimistic but never did it occur to me that they would still play hockey in June!

As an overseas Sharks fan since 1993 I very well remember a lot of their previous success' and "failures". This was the best season they have ever had. Media folks and countless of trolls act like after 25 years you should at least have won a cup. The Kings for example needed 26 years until they reached their first finals and another 19 until they finally won it. Trolls ain't worth the attention.

I had to pleasure to watch the following three games during this Playoffs (where I live the games started at 2 or 3 am):

- Game 5 against Nashville - a nearly perfect performance by the Sharks
- Game 6 against the Blues - another clutch performance. Maybe the best moment ever for me as a Sharks fan.
- Game 3 against Pittsburgh - far from a perfect game but they still found ways to execute and what a way to finish it.

These are just three of many examples where the team played great/brought joy/executed when it matters most against excellent opponents.
I know it's tough to get so close and ultimately still fall short.. after all it was hard to not already picture Thornton lifting the cup. I feel especially for the veteran Sharks players and some of you fans who have the privilege to follow the team even closer than I do and who regularly attend the games. But the Pens were also one hell of an opponent and not all that good of a match for us.

There might still be good times a head for us. I'm curious to see what Meier can bring to the table for example. There for sure will be a few changes. Will be an interesting off-season.. and not an as long one as we are used to.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

Sharks aren't losing anyone significant to this team in free agency, either. They're set to be a contender next season. Window ain't closed yet.