WCQF: (2) Anaheim Ducks vs (3) San Jose Sharks | Sharks Leads Series 3-0

[Duck Off]

This thread is very hate-free. 9 years since the last playoff series is a long time

there's obviously a rivalry there, but I definitely don't hate SJ. If they beat us, they'll be for who I root for in the West. I'm definitely a Big Joe fan. He needs a cup before he hangs them up.

It's weird, I would say that our defense is Lindholm>Fowler>Manson but if I had to trade Fowler or Manson it would be Fowler in a heartbeat.

That's probably because of the contract Fowler has and the fact that he's struggled compared to last year. Also, Manson's skill set is incredibly difficult to find so I get it. No question that Fowler is easily our #2 (arguably our #1) defenseman though.

 

[branmuffin17]

=( Last year Fowler played a decent amount of time with Sami and Manson, both of whom are, I dunno...better?...than Bieksa XD That might be why he "struggled" this year until he was paired with Montour.

In terms of overall, I do give Lindholm the nod, but for offensive dynamism, it goes to Fowler for his superior skating and puck movement. Manson is a great balance and does very, very well with another strong D, but hasn't shown he can carry his own pair. Lindholm>Fowler>Manson agreed.

 

[stator]

Huh? This is absolutely absurd post. Trying to hang on to declining glory? He's a professional hockey player, he can play as long as he competes at the NHL level which by his point totals show he clearly can. He was the Sharks 2nd leading scorer at the time of his injury. Who cares if half of those points were on the PP. At that point in the season it was basically the only time the Sharks were scoring. The only thing I agree with you about is how Jumbo impacts our PP, which is quite obvious. If he can play sheltered minutes and be available for the PP, I'd support putting him in the lineup.

Like that last line of yours. Seems to be saying the same thing I am.

It's also hard to say that Jumbo has not declined. One must be too emotionally tied up with Jumbo and the Sharks otherwise.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

My instincts still lean towards the Ducks. I think the depth between the two teams is pretty much equal but the Ducks are getting better goaltending and with Getzlaf will get better high-end playmaking ability that the Sharks simply don't have. Sharks are going to have to do their best matching up Hertl-Couture-Boedker with Vlasic-Braun against Getzlaf and hope they can shut him down. I'm not expecting the Pavelski line to do much especially if they're matched up against the Kesler line. If both those top lines cancel each other out, I'm more confident in Henrique-Kase doing damage than the Sharks third line which is Meier-Tierney-Labanc. That Sharks 3rd line has talent but the wingers are inexperienced when it comes to the playoffs.

Kane-Pavelski-Donskoi
Couture-Hertl-Boedker
Meier-Tierney-Labanc
Sorensen-Fehr-Karlsson

Vlasic-Braun
Martin-Burns
Dillon-DeMelo

Rakell-Getzlaf-Perry
Cogliano-Kesler-Silfverberg
Ritchie-Henrique-Kase
Vermette-Grant-Brown

Lindholm-Manson
Beauchemin-Montour
Pettersson-Bieksa (I'm guessing here)

I think the Ducks have it better at the top of the lineup right now and that'll be the difference and probably have it better on the 3rd line if the top six cancels each other out right now.

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

My instincts still lean towards the Ducks. I think the depth between the two teams is pretty much equal but the Ducks are getting better goaltending and with Getzlaf will get better high-end playmaking ability that the Sharks simply don't have. Sharks are going to have to do their best matching up Hertl-Couture-Boedker with Vlasic-Braun against Getzlaf and hope they can shut him down. I'm not expecting the Pavelski line to do much especially if they're matched up against the Kesler line. If both those top lines cancel each other out, I'm more confident in Henrique-Kase doing damage than the Sharks third line which is Meier-Tierney-Labanc. That Sharks 3rd line has talent but the wingers are inexperienced when it comes to the playoffs.

Kane-Pavelski-Donskoi
Couture-Hertl-Boedker
Meier-Tierney-Labanc
Sorensen-Fehr-Karlsson

Vlasic-Braun
Martin-Burns
Dillon-DeMelo

Rakell-Getzlaf-Perry
Cogliano-Kesler-Silfverberg
Ritchie-Henrique-Kase
Vermette-Grant-Brown

Lindholm-Manson
Beauchemin-Montour
Pettersson-Bieksa (I'm guessing here)

I think the Ducks have it better at the top of the lineup right now and that'll be the difference and probably have it better on the 3rd line if the top six cancels each other out right now.

I'm actually curious to see what line RC wants kesler against... he looked shaky most of the season but the last week or 2 he came into form.

 

[lwvs84]

My instincts still lean towards the Ducks. I think the depth between the two teams is pretty much equal but the Ducks are getting better goaltending and with Getzlaf will get better high-end playmaking ability that the Sharks simply don't have. Sharks are going to have to do their best matching up Hertl-Couture-Boedker with Vlasic-Braun against Getzlaf and hope they can shut him down. I'm not expecting the Pavelski line to do much especially if they're matched up against the Kesler line.

Remember this is post-surgery Kesler. This isn't the same guy for much of last season. He's getting better, but not the elite shutdown guy he was.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

I'm actually curious to see what line RC wants kesler against... he looked shaky most of the season but the last week or 2 he came into form.

Yeah, I'm not sure if he'll try to hard-match or not but DeBoer probably should. lol

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Remember this is post-surgery Kesler. This isn't the same guy for much of last season. He's getting better, but not the elite shutdown guy he was.

Yeah but the playoffs can bring more out of a guy too so we'll see. It's tough to say but even if Kesler isn't what he once was, Cogliano and Silfverberg are solid players in their own right in that spot.

 

[lwvs84]

Yeah but the playoffs can bring more out of a guy too so we'll see. It's tough to say but even if Kesler isn't what he once was, Cogliano and Silfverberg are solid players in their own right in that spot.

This could be the deciding factor in the series. We kind of know what we get from Cogs, he's 100% effort every game. But it might come down to if Kesler can hold up. He is the driving force behind that line. Cogs and Silf looked off this season when Kesler was out/bad. Also, are we going to get playoff Silf? If we get the near ppg Silfverberg, the Ducks are in good position. If we get Kesler from a few weeks ago, it's going to be a rough series for Anaheim.

 

[Sharksrule04]

Like that last line of yours. Seems to be saying the same thing I am.

It's also hard to say that Jumbo has not declined. One must be too emotionally tied up with Jumbo and the Sharks otherwise.

I never said he hasn't declined, he obviously has. Declining is far different than saying someone who is still averaging 60+ points should be "classy and retire". He just had an amazing season 2 years ago (15-16 season), and I'd argue he was playing better this season than he was in the 16-17 season.

I was only agreeing he should play sheltered minutes due to the injury. If he's healthy he should be among the leading minute forwards on the team. Thornton is still a very solid player and solid #1C. If you think otherwise I'd argue you have some sort of emotional disliking for him. Would love to hear the reasoning that someone who can average 15-20 goals and 55-60 points should retire. Is it because he's older? Or is it because he isn't averaging career highs in points?

 

[acrobaticgoalie]

I read that SJ dominated the season series. Was this when the Ducks lineup was depleted with injuries?

 

[lwvs84]

I read that SJ dominated the season series. Was this when the Ducks lineup was depleted with injuries?

Only 1 game was a regulation win. 3 games went to OT (SO?). 2 games were played when everyone was hurt for Anaheim (funny thing is, that was the one Anaheim won). Sharks dominated in the sense they were 3-0-1, but only one game wasn't close. This should be a good series, with every game potentially being close.

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

I read that SJ dominated the season series. Was this when the Ducks lineup was depleted with injuries?

Yes and the Sharks also didn't really dominate in terms of overall regulation wins or goals but they clearly controlled the play for the majority of every game except for the one they won 6-2 and that's to be expected in a blowout. Kind of like the Finals in 2016 where the score was razor thin in almost every game but all you had to do was watch or just check the metrics and you could see that one team was clearly superior.

 

[bsu]

Ducks in 7, if Bieksa plays Sharks in 6.

 

[Sleepy]

there's obviously a rivalry there, but I definitely don't hate SJ.

I have enough hate to make up for both fanbases. But don't take it personally. At this point in my hockey fandom, I'm pretty much just a giant pillar of salt.

 

[Lyons71]

This all hinges on Bieksa for the Ducks. He can easily lose games on his own. Will he play? If not, I like the Ducks chances.
Ultimately, if the Sharks can keep their feet moving, go down easy, and get powerplays, they will win. If the Ducks can get away with being slow and not getting called, they have a better chance. Both teams (throughout this season) would look great one game, and terrible the next. We don't know who will show up. If Kesler were healthier (he's not), his line could be really effective. From the Ducks perspective, they will be relying on the top line and the Henrique line to win games. This one a toss up for me.

Let's hope for no injuries all around.

I really like some of Sharks players Thornton/Pavs/Burns, so I don't mind them. As for the fans...? We shall see.

 

[caliamad]

The Shark fans on this board our way too nice tame/I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. Classy really and mutual respect... in fact, I think the ducks posters have been more asinine.

At the arenas, Sharks have been some of the most obnoxious visiting fans I've ever seen though, however I was rooting for the Sharks in the SCF last year.

While I hope you guys lose to us, if you make it past us, I would be rooting for you again. I hope Jumbo Joe can get 1 last crack at the cup before calling it a carear.

 

[ImTheDuke]

2009.Was that the year Hiller single-handedly beat the Sharks? He stole that series.

 

[Not So Mighty]

2009.Was that the year Hiller single-handedly beat the Sharks? He stole that series.

Yeah that's the year that the Ducks made history and won a series without scoring a single goal. Record still stands today.

 

[ZzZz]

This all hinges on Bieksa for the Ducks. He can easily lose games on his own. Will he play? If not, I like the Ducks chances.
Ultimately, if the Sharks can keep their feet moving, go down easy, and get powerplays, they will win. If the Ducks can get away with being slow and not getting called, they have a better chance. Both teams (throughout this season) would look great one game, and terrible the next. We don't know who will show up. If Kesler were healthier (he's not), his line could be really effective. From the Ducks perspective, they will be relying on the top line and the Henrique line to win games. This one a toss up for me.

Let's hope for no injuries all around.

I really like some of Sharks players Thornton/Pavs/Burns, so I don't mind them. As for the fans...? We shall see.

That can be an effective way to play against the Ducks, but the only problem with that is without Thornton, SJ's power play doesn't look as dangerous as it usually does. On the other hand the Ducks PP doesn't look as good without Fowler, and both teams are top 5 in PK. (SJ is 2nd, ANA is 5th) I have a feeling the refs will get bored of PP's and put their whistles away in this series.

 

[The Midnight Burrito]

Yeah that's the year that the Ducks made history and won a series without scoring a single goal. Record still stands today.

Yeah, lame comment. Ducks D was deep that year, still had Nieds and Pronger, and the good versions of Whitney/Wiz/Beauch. We were a one line team up front, with Selanne dragging a couple anchors around on the second line. Hiller did what he had to do but it wasn't like every second was in the Ducks zone or something.

 

[jax00]

Yeah, lame comment. Ducks D was deep that year, still had Nieds and Pronger, and the good versions of Whitney/Wiz/Beauch. We were a one line team up front, with Selanne dragging a couple anchors around on the second line. Hiller did what he had to do but it wasn't like every second was in the Ducks zone or something.

Getlzaf and Perry were f***ing monsters in those playoffs.

 

[PrototypeX85]

To everyone commenting on how "nice" the fanbases are acting toward one another: I give it until one minute after puck drop before that changes, and that's generous.

 

[tiburon12]

Yeah that's the year that the Ducks made history and won a series without scoring a single goal. Record still stands today.

Hiller scored every goal, how could you forget that!

 

[Kalv]

2009.Was that the year Hiller single-handedly beat the Sharks? He stole that series.

Getzy had 18 p in 13 games those playoffs. He was above average, you can say. Pronger, Niedermayer also had more pros than cons on the backend