GDT: Ducks at Sharks 03/20/2014, 7:30pm.

[Alaskanice]

I really don't care how we won, just that we won. So Good job..

Boyle is a total trainwreck out there. I agree he should probably spend a few days in the press box, get his head together, get some rest. He's getting worse, not better.

Sheppard was once again excellent. While Pavelski is certainly a better player, in some ways I like Sheppard better as a 3rd line center. Better forecheck, more tenacious, better skater. Put Torres and Wingels around him and I bet that 3rd line would give teams fits.

Havlat had another pretty good game. He has these momentary brain lapses still, but for the most part he's been solid. Hopefully he keeps that up and stays healthy.

If everyone were healthy I'm not sure what I'd ice right now...

Hertl - Thornton - Burns
Marleau - Couture - Havlat/Nieto
Torres - Pavelski - Wingels
Desjardins- Sheppard - Kennedy

Eh, I dunno, its a tough one

I can't agree more.
Appreciating the win is seemingly lacking on here. This was the Game of the Year so far. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Our boys played hard, made mistakes but they still won. I only wish that I was at the Shark Tank.

 

[sr228]

I can't agree more.
Appreciating the win is seemingly lacking on here. This was the Game of the Year so far. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Our boys played hard, made mistakes but they still won. I only wish that I was at the Shark Tank.

It was a really fun game to be at! The Tank was playoff loud after the Burns' goal and for the last 30 seconds of the game.

The Sharks, even though it wasn't their best game, absolutely dominated the Ducks and it was a huge two points that they earned.

 

[one2gamble]

Boyle is a total trainwreck out there. I agree he should probably spend a few days in the press box, get his head together, get some rest. He's getting worse, not better.
.

He should have been traded

 

[Gilligans Island]

He should have been traded

Agree but nothing we can do.

Before July 1st deal his rights for a 7th.

Now we just need to hope he gets his game back well enough so he's not a liability out there. It's really sad to see how slow his reactions are. Or maybe the Sharks game has changed so much that his slow decision making gets exposed. Either way, sad.

 

[FSS]

Boyle is playing horribly right now, both physically and mentally...and it does seem to be getting worse as the season goes on. I know this would never, ever happen, but he needs a break, and the trip to Canada with back to back games is a perfect oppotunity for it. Wouldn't play from Sat night until Thu night, no travel, and a great time to recoup & heal. But it won't happen, he would never stand for it, and the coaches would never ask him to do it anyways.

Havlat on the other hand, he really looked bad his first games back, to the point where the majority of us thought he should be benched. The last 7 or so games, and I don't even care about his point production, he seems to have turned a corner and is skating & playing much better...way better in fact.

Just praying Torres didn't rush things back to fast, and he'll be 100% for the playoffs...he's a critical cog for this team, especially in the playoffs.

 

[TealTownUSA]

great effin' game last night. shep did play well, but against a pacific team, he's gotta have a stronger stick and not get pushed around so easily. boyle looks like semenov out there.

 

[AstroDan]

It is the biggest game of the season. And every subsequent game going forward is going to be the most important game yet as long as we're neck and neck with the Ducks.

And it's not just home ice, it's avoiding the Kings.

I, for one, am very tired of hearing this. (Not picking on you, per se)
There was a time we needed to avoid the Red Wings and Canucks, too.
I say, whatever, SJ playing their game can beat anyone. LA should be glad that now, potentially, they'll meet Anaheim instead of SJ in 1st round.
Maybe Phoenix keeps rolling and LA ends up in the WC spot that plays Pacific Div leader... Who cares.

 

[hohosaregood]

Boyle is playing horribly right now, both physically and mentally...and it does seem to be getting worse as the season goes on. I know this would never, ever happen, but he needs a break, and the trip to Canada with back to back games is a perfect oppotunity for it. Wouldn't play from Sat night until Thu night, no travel, and a great time to recoup & heal. But it won't happen, he would never stand for it, and the coaches would never ask him to do it anyways.

Havlat on the other hand, he really looked bad his first games back, to the point where the majority of us thought he should be benched. The last 7 or so games, and I don't even care about his point production, he seems to have turned a corner and is skating & playing much better...way better in fact.

Just praying Torres didn't rush things back to fast, and he'll be 100% for the playoffs...he's a critical cog for this team, especially in the playoffs.

Stalockrox posted a piece about Torres where it says he's about ~80% there right now. He's holding back and everything so he can guarantee that he can go 100% in the playoffs because everybody--as in the fans, the media, the coaches, and the other players-- knows that Torres at his best is a Torres to be reckoned with.

 

[hockfan1991]

I've been putting it off but I think it's time now. Boyle is officially known as dump truck dan until proven otherwise

 

[hockeyball]

I, for one, am very tired of hearing this. (Not picking on you, per se)
There was a time we needed to avoid the Red Wings and Canucks, too.
I say, whatever, SJ playing their game can beat anyone. LA should be glad that now, potentially, they'll meet Anaheim instead of SJ in 1st round.
Maybe Phoenix keeps rolling and LA ends up in the WC spot that plays Pacific Div leader... Who cares.

It's not about beating them, its about being int he best shape possible come the 2nd round. LA is a brutal team physically, and a good team to boot, so the odds are more likely we end up in the 2nd round after a rough 7 games and multiple injuries compared to say Phoenix or whatever. Anaheim is the same issue.

It's about getting the easiest path to the cup possible. Sure you can make the 'to be the best you have to beat the best!' argument, but **** that. At this point I want a cup, i don't care how we get it.

 

[hohosaregood]

DW better not make the same mistake he did with Blake and sign prioritize signing Boyle over Demers.

 

[Gilligans Island]

It's not about beating them, its about being int he best shape possible come the 2nd round. LA is a brutal team physically, and a good team to boot, so the odds are more likely we end up in the 2nd round after a rough 7 games and multiple injuries compared to say Phoenix or whatever. Anaheim is the same issue.

It's about getting the easiest path to the cup possible. Sure you can make the 'to be the best you have to beat the best!' argument, but **** that. At this point I want a cup, i don't care how we get it.

This.

AstroDan, not picking on you but I think most of us think we can beat the Kings (especially with home ice). It's just better to take the easiest route possible and the Kings definitely play teams harder than the Wild.

 

[Leidi J]

Duck fans still arguing that was a goal when Niemi swiped it after the whistle was blown and he barley but his glove across the red line. Play was already dead ya NOOBS!

Ducks reporters:

Lance Pugmire ‏@latimespugmire 11h
The NHL could not review the Ducks' disallowed top-of-the-net goal because the official blew his whistle for a Perry high stick he disputes.

“He thought I hit it with it the high stick and obviously I didn't, you can see the replay,†Perry said. “He sees the puck on top of the net, he thinks guys are going to hit at it. Obviously, I wasn't. But that's what he said.â€

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-...#ixzz2wcQq83Rp

End of mystery.

 

[hohosaregood]

It's not about beating them, its about being int he best shape possible come the 2nd round. LA is a brutal team physically, and a good team to boot, so the odds are more likely we end up in the 2nd round after a rough 7 games and multiple injuries compared to say Phoenix or whatever. Anaheim is the same issue.

It's about getting the easiest path to the cup possible. Sure you can make the 'to be the best you have to beat the best!' argument, but **** that. At this point I want a cup, i don't care how we get it.

I want the Sharks to win it in the most controversial way possible. Every disallowable goal allowed, and every allowable goal disallowed. Bring on the hate.

 

[Nighthock]

And my hatred of Corey Perry continues ...

 

[AstroDan]

This.

AstroDan, not picking on you but I think most of us think we can beat the Kings (especially with home ice). It's just better to take the easiest route possible and the Kings definitely play teams harder than the Wild.

I see the thinking behind this, but sweep them out and put em in the rear-view-mirror, like we did the Wings. I'm tired of being afraid of LA. After sweeping St L this year, are we afraid of playing them, even though they lumped us up the last time we met in the PO's?

This is a mental thing with these Professional athletes, on both teams, and I want it to end!

rant over

 

[Barrie22]

I see the thinking behind this, but sweep them out and put em in the rear-view-mirror, like we did the Wings. I'm tired of being afraid of LA. After sweeping St L this year, are we afraid of playing them, even though they lumped us up the last time we met in the PO's?

This is a mental thing with these Professional athletes, on both teams, and I want it to end!

rant over

it is not about being scared of losing, it is scared about being the walking wounded after beating the kings in round 1.

do we really want to beat the kings only to lose to the ducks in the 2nd round because all of the depth we did have is now walking around with broken feet, dislocated shoulders and any other types of injuries that can be had from a hard hitting series?

again it is not a fear of losing to the kings, it is a fear of becoming an ahl team for the 2nd round and on.

 

[SJSharks42]

I see the thinking behind this, but sweep them out and put em in the rear-view-mirror, like we did the Wings. I'm tired of being afraid of LA. After sweeping St L this year, are we afraid of playing them, even though they lumped us up the last time we met in the PO's?

This is a mental thing with these Professional athletes, on both teams, and I want it to end!

rant over

It's just one of those matchups I'd rather not see. The Kings are our toughest matchup for sure and I'm totally fine with letting another team deal with them in the first round.

 

[hockeyball]

I want the Sharks to win it in the most controversial way possible. Every disallowable goal allowed, and every allowable goal disallowed. Bring on the hate.

Goal disallowed on an empty net because of goalie interference.

 

[Leidi J]

It's just one of those matchups I'd rather not see. The Kings are our toughest matchup for sure and I'm totally fine with letting another team deal with them in the first round.

Still rooting for Minnesota and Phoenix to pass LA and stick them in the Central playoff bracket

 

[hockfan1991]

Still rooting for Minnesota and Phoenix to pass LA and stick them in the Central playoff bracket

This would be awesome

 

[Solmors]

I see the thinking behind this, but sweep them out and put em in the rear-view-mirror, like we did the Wings. I'm tired of being afraid of LA. After sweeping St L this year, are we afraid of playing them, even though they lumped us up the last time we met in the PO's?

This is a mental thing with these Professional athletes, on both teams, and I want it to end!

rant over

I like to think of it this way, not only do we get a more favorable matchup, but it also forces two very good teams to play against each other in a hard series. I'm all for Anaheim and LA killing each other, and one limping along to play us in the 2nd round

 

[209]

I watched game from the comfort of my couch last night so i had replays available. On the Burnzie butt check, that hurt Perry. On the bench, you could see him talking to someone and his response was "my back". So Burns must've hit him kind of like when a football player gets a hip pointer. Its a quick shock/pain to a spot and then it goes away. But you could clearly see his lips move and say that.

 

[Juxtaposer]

LA is simply a better team than us. I'm sorry that most don't want to hear that, but it's true. They got even better with Gaborik and Sutter is finally playing his kids.

If we play LA, particularly without Hertl, I just don't think we can win. With any other team, I feel confident we can win or make it a series. Avoiding LA is important. All this macho "you gotta beat the best to be the best" crap is just dumb. LA faced Vancouver without Daniel Sedin and St. Louis without Pietrangelo but their Stanley Cup isn't less meaningful. To win the Cup, you have to get lucky, and avoiding LA for as long as possible would be the best form of luck we could get.

 

[Coily]

Ducks reporters:


End of mystery.

So it was a high touch not puck on top of the net. Good to know.


Not a bad call either. Missed high sticks happen no ref is perfect.