WCF: St. Louis Blues vs San Jose Sharks | Sharks lead series 2-1

[MB1]

There are some teams and fanbases that I could not root for after they had beaten my team, but the Blues aren't one of them.

As others have said, this series is far from over and everyone should expect the Blues best game in game 4. If the Sharks win game 4, THEN it's over, assuming no crazy injury to a key Sharks player.

Longsuffering Blues fan here (I go back to the Plager/Unger days) and I agree with this sentiment. Sharks fans are awesome. This series is over (barring a major injury or a total Sharks meltdown) so I hope the Sharks go all the way.

An aside: I haven't seen a D man play as well as Brent Burns has played in these first three games since Bobby Orr. When he is on the ice, he completely dominates both ends of the ice.

 

[occy30]

Longsuffering Blues fan here (I go back to the Plager/Unger days) and I agree with this sentiment. Sharks fans are awesome. This series is over (barring a major injury or a total Sharks meltdown) so I hope the Sharks go all the way.

An aside: I haven't seen a D man play as well as Brent Burns has played in these first three games since Bobby Orr. When he is on the ice, he completely dominates both ends of the ice.

I am really trying to hate Burns but after seeing him on the All Star Game and watching his play in this series he really is fun to watch. Jumbo Joe has also impressed me, real solid play and the beards on these two are epic

 

[SJGoalie32]

This series is over (barring a major injury or a total Sharks meltdown)

Which is like saying "Barring a major injury.....or Don Cherry saying something controversial." Meltdowns are kind of their thing. It's what they do

So barring the Sharks doing the same thing they have done in pretty much every postseason for the past decade...it should be totally fine!


Barring a muddy patch of grass or Lucy pulling the football away from us at the last moment, I'm 100% confident we're going to make this kick! Because, honestly, what are the chances Lucy would do something like that to us....we've so got this!

 

[Dubi Doo]

Thankfully he Blues players don't have the same mindset as a lot of their fans do. They wouldn't have made it out of the Chicago series if they had. I understand why the Blues fans feel the way they do, but they're only down 2-1 for Christ sakes!

 

[troyerlaw]

Anybody else find it odd that Polak takes off his glove to pick up his stick when it falls to the ice? That's twice I've seen him do it this season. I've never seen anyone else do that, in the NHL or any other league.

 

[CrypTic]

Thankfully he Blues players don't have the same mindset as a lot of their fans do. They wouldn't have made it out of the Chicago series if they had. I understand why the Blues fans feel the way they do, but they're only down 2-1 for Christ sakes!

As a Sharks' fan, I agree. I know it's disheartening to have your team play badly, esp in the WCF. If the Blues and Sharks continue to play like they have been in the last two games, it's over for the Blues. But there's no guarantee that will happen. The Blues can play better, like they did against Chicago or game 7 vs Dallas. The Sharks can sit back and not push, letting the other team steal a win when the Sharks should have had the game, like happened against the Preds in a couple of games and LA in the overtime win. (I've seen the Blues do that too in these playoffs so I know Blues' fans know that feeling as well.) I don't want injuries to either team but that can also turn a series, like it did for SJ against LA in 2014. I hope that the Sharks keep pushing but I'm still not confident that they'll win this series. I'm more hopeful than usual but it's not over yet.

 

[BlueOil]

Anybody else find it odd that Polak takes off his glove to pick up his stick when it falls to the ice? That's twice I've seen him do it this season. I've never seen anyone else do that, in the NHL or any other league.

Pretty sure I've seen him pick up the puck like that too several times. Just a butterfingers I guess.

 

[swift]

This Donskoi guy is really impressive.

 

[CrypTic]

This Donskoi guy is really impressive.

He's great for a freebie. Doug Wilson did very well this past summer, which was a surprise to many of us since he hadn't in a while. Many of us were frustrated by the lack of depth, especially in the d-corps, and lack of puck movement there as well. But he did great this year. I don't think that many ppl in the Sharks' FO or coaches thought Donskoi would be playing regularly in the NHL this year but he earned his spot and works very well with Couture.

One thing that many Sharks' fans didn't like in 2014 was trading down to pick Goldobin when Fabbri was still on the board. He's very impressive too.

 

[DonskoiDonscored]

He's great for a freebie. Doug Wilson did very well this past summer, which was a surprise to many of us since he hadn't in a while. Many of us were frustrated by the lack of depth, especially in the d-corps, and lack of puck movement there as well. But he did great this year. I don't think that many ppl in the Sharks' FO or coaches thought Donskoi would be playing regularly in the NHL this year but he earned his spot and works very well with Couture.

Oh I can safely say that the org thought he would start right away in the NHL. Myself and a few others called it in his prospect thread

 

[CrypTic]

Oh I can safely say that the org thought he would start right away in the NHL. Myself and a few others called it in his prospect thread

I was one of the fans pumping Donskoi's tires but did it on the main board. I didn't need any convincing; I thought he was great before I saw him play on the Sharks. I'm going by a couple of PDB interviews where he said that they'd assumed that he'd be playing in the AHL this year (sounded like most of the season at least) but that Donskoi played so well that he had to keep him in the NHL. I read that early in the year and also fairly recently.

 

[JeremyTB]

I think where the Sharks really kill the Blues is up the middle. The Argument can be made that the Sharks have 4 centermen that are better than the Blues #1 center. Thornton,Couture, and Pavs for sure. Marleau debatable.

 

[Barrie22]

I think where the Sharks really kill the Blues is up the middle. The Argument can be made that the Sharks have 4 centermen that are better than the Blues #1 center. Thornton,Couture, and Pavs for sure. Marleau debatable.

Marleau and pavs are not centers.

 

[Limekiller]

This Donskoi guy is really impressive.

Sports Illustrated did an article on him back at the end of April. Was a good read.

http://www.si.com/nhl/2016/04/28/joonas-donskoi-san-jose-sharks-nhl-stanley-cup-playoffs


But yes, we've been incredibly happy with him. If this was a more normal year for rookies, I think he'd have gotten serious Calder buzz. He's probably the 2nd best passer on the team, and has been a legitimate top-6 forward right now in his rookie NHL year. Give him a few more years, and he could easily be a legit #1 RW. A lot of Sharks fans have been salivating of a future line of Goldobin - Hertl - Donskoi once Thornton retires.

 

[RainbowDash]

One thing that many Sharks' fans didn't like in 2014 was trading down to pick Goldobin when Fabbri was still on the board. He's very impressive too.

Fabbri was a safer pick then Goldobin. Taking the risk is well worth it.

Goldobin making the NHL is pretty much like getting a Russian version of Patrick Kane.
If the kid simply works on his skating, becomes responsible in his own zone, and learns how to play the game at the NHL pace then he will be a surely be a star.

 

[Barrie22]

Fabbri was a safer pick then Goldobin. Taking the risk is well worth it.

Goldobin making the NHL is pretty much like getting a Russian version of Patrick Kane.
If the kid simply works on his skating, becomes responsible in his own zone, and learns how to play the game at the NHL pace then he will be a surely be a star.

He is definately a star or a bust. I see no inbetween with him. And that is the type of player that the sharks needed to pick.

The one good thing with him though is that he knows he has to work at aspects of his game and he has a good hard working head on his shoulders.

 

[Bizz]

Fabbri was a safer pick then Goldobin. Taking the risk is well worth it.

Goldobin making the NHL is pretty much like getting a Russian version of Patrick Kane.
If the kid simply works on his skating, becomes responsible in his own zone, and learns how to play the game at the NHL pace then he will be a surely be a star.

I was more upset they passed on Pastrnak. Guy's a beast.

 

[Pandaman11]

I'm wondering if anyone is surprised by this. I'll tell you who definitely isn't: those who have closely watched the Kings-Sharks series.

 

[slocal]

Part II is up: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=2080493