Grypho

Oh man, I wish, but even though it's already been made public (so no design patent possible), I couldn't do it for the same reason Matt can't use the Wing's logo on his site. The NHL and the Wings merchandising legal arms would be all over it for trademark infringement. But thanks, I did feel like it was clever, and seriously patted myself hard on the back when I made it! I don't know if I told you all last time or not, but I like the Wings a lot, and consider them my second team. I do WANT them to lose to the Sharks, and want the Sharks to win the Cup this year, no doubting, but I was also solidly on the Wings bandwagon in 2007 after we lost to them, and that loyalty tier hasn't changed.

I do live in China, but I'm back in California for the moment - niece's wedding, and also finishing a book that I'm writing (boring, geophysics related).

I was one of those who defended it, but after taking a much closer look, I've since changed my mind. The ref obviously saw only the trip, which I still think was a legit call, but the stick to Franzen's face happened simultaneously (like the movie Stepbrothers, where they knocked each other out at the same time), which means that the high stick from Seto was not caused by the trip, nor was it a matter of not having control of the stick during a fall, or because of the trip. It was a missed call, plain and simple. Which means the game could have easily gone the other way.

That was fantastic! Nice job! Wish we could get a similar wager going with a Sharks fan, make it a tradition of sorts.

That's the kind of self-contradictory stuff I want the other teams fed with and believing. Nobody "easily" dominates any series, and if I thought the Sharks believed anything of the sort, or that it was going to be easy for them, I would wish a GIANT SPANKING onto them to set their minds right. For example, if the Sharks are going to lose Game 2, what do you think I would prefer -- to lose in overtime by a lucky bounce or bad officiating call, or to be completely humiliated and blown out by superior play in a 9-0 shooting gallery/shutout? I would gladly, happily choose the 9-0 defeat. Make the Sharks feel like cornered, life threatened animals in Game 3.

Oh, I hope so, in the sense of extremely wary, not overconfident, that is. My sister said, "Oh man, I wish the Sharks would have taken game one like 6-0 or something!" I wheeled around on her, "NO! No way would I EVER wish that. Not for game one OR game 7. That's a recipe for Tortoise and Hare syndrome that I don't want the Sharks infected with. It's a recipe for CHOKE, as the opposing team comes to the next game far, far more wary, focused, respectful, and worse yet, loaded for bear." Worst thing for the Sharks, really. I like the fact that it was a one-goal game. No, I would much prefer that the Wings go away from game one feeling good about themselves, thinking, "It was only a few lapses on our parts", or "If it wasn't for bad officiating", or "We were just tired after a long series"...anything that takes credit away from the other team, and says essentially that your own regular game and game play should be enough to do the job. I'm glad that few are favoring the Sharks, thinking of them as chokers, pointing to their past performances, etc., because in the past, whenever the Sharks are called out and held up as the favorite darlings (as Melrose et al are doing TO the Wings now) the Sharks waltz onto the ice for their Superiority coronations, only to get their asses handed to them by a hungrier, more respectful team. By all means, keep Sharks the underdogs. Pay no attention to home ice advantage, or even their seeding, which is regular season and means absolutely nothing. Make the Sharks very, very small in the eyes of the Wings players. Crown Detroit the de facto superior and more deserving winner up front. Tout their superior depth, and puff them way the hell up! Sharks: Paint them like a nobody long shot that really doesn't stand a chance (like, say Rocky Balboa the nobody). Make the Wings the unbeatable and mighty Godzilla, the mother of all unbeatable teams. And never let either team forget it. Only then will the Sharks have a solid chance at dusting the Wings and moving that much closer to the Cup. In other words, scare the f*** out of them -- just like everyone did to a much younger, much less talented Sharks in 1994. Unlike the last couple of playoff seasons, where the Sharks were virtually crowned by many in advance (WHICH MADE ME CRINNNNGE), and made out as THE TEAM to watch and fear (ooh, so much younger, bigger, faster, blah blah blah), they're actually getting the disrespect they need that can actually throw off ego and keep their adrenaline and concentration and focus at consistent winning levels.

Obviously, you'd know to only throw it during a stoppage in play, but whatever you do, don't throw it out there at a time where it could be interpreted as interfering with the actual game. (like after an icing call, prior to or during a PP, or anything that gives either team the appearance or equivalent of a timeout)

Yes, it's been a tradition there for years, almost from the beginning actually, same as the playing of Gary Glitter's "Rock and Roll Part 2" after each Sharks goal. It's the "chomp", done just before the Sharks begin their PP, while the Jaws theme music is playing. Arms extended outward, fingers on each hand facing up and down toward each other to make the shark's teeth, and you bring them together, up and down, like a jaw chomping down.

(I didn't draw any of this, it was kludged together from stuff I found around the web)

Just to be clear, it wasn't perfectly still, just not an upward motion into Franzen's face. Setoguchi was basically just holding onto his stick after falling. On another note, I don't think very many fans on either side are walking away from this saying, "Wow, what a great, well played game." I'm obviously hoping we steal one from you on Sunday, but it would definitely be nice to see any outcome as the result of 60 minutes of real playoff intensity, highlight reel hockey from both sides. I didn't see that consistently from either team in this game.

I would definitely like to see a vid of that posted here. I've replayed it a dozen times already on the cable box, but haven't yet figured out how to post it here. A player must have control over his stick at all times, but that's not as hard and fast and technical as it sounds, and there are obvious exceptions (as when taking a shot). That particular loss of control, if it could even be called that, was the inadvertent result of a penalty already made against Seto by Franzen. Franzen tripped Seto's right skate with his stick. Clearly. Seto went down as a result, his stick low, blade up, but it was low, parallel to the ice, and not in motion. All of that was Franzen's doing. Franzen then lost his edge in the process and he too went down. Seto's stick did not come UP into Franzen's face; rather Franzen's face went DOWN onto Setoguchi's stick. Franzen could have just as easily fallen and gashed his face on Seto's skate, and there would have been no penalty called for that either. Nor should there have been. A High Sticking penalty was obviously intended to keep players from swinging their sticks HIGH and wildly into other player's faces, and that is what they must have control over. The real loss of control in this instance was on Franzen's part, because that stick was not moving so much as Franzen's face, in a downward falling motion that Franzen had caused in the first place.

I didn't think the Sharks played a great game so much as a great first period that made the Wings scramble afterward. And scramble they did, admirably I thought. Special teams for the Wings weren't that hot, but had it not been for that initial burst by the Sharks the game could very easily have gone the other way.

OK, let me take a serious crack at it. I'll do it by way of an unnecessarily long screed because typing is cheap and I can type fast, and by comparison, because I don't think it's as simple as jealousy (although that's a factor with some for sure). I won five poker tournaments in a row in Wuxi, China, and you could cut the air of resentment with a knife it was so thick! So past success and a childish sense of "hey, no fair you win so much!" is a valid complaint (worthy of dismissal). But there can be more to it than that. Let's compare the Wings (and the other teams) with America (and the other countries). Living in China, I constantly deal with the question about why some of my fellow foreigners, mostly Europeans, have such a low generalized opinion of Americans (not America the government, which is a separate issue, but Americans, and their attitudes and culture in general). Is that because they are "just jealous"? Hardly. I wouldn't be so daft as to think that. I know that I'm also dealing with prejudices, and stereotypes, most of which wouldn't exist for any country/nationality/whatever without some thread of reality, however distorted or magnified, to go on. Also, I don't take any prejudices personally, and I am more than aware that the perception dynamic changes completely whenever things are one-on-one. Even so, one undesirable mark of a stereotypical American is rooted in positive self-perceptions that-are-by-comparison-or-at-the-expense-of-others. 1) Spouting "We're number one!" - or some other mantra that suggests the same thing. (we did invent foam fingers, among other things) 2) A general belief (by some individuals) that we really are number one, in everything, even if we aren't. 3) Isolation and Centrism - little knowledge or genuine interest in what others are all about, or have to offer. Little "other" awareness. 4) Laurels, and the resting thereupon - "We invented democracy."..."If it wasn't for us, you'd be speaking German/Japanese."..."Everything good that happens in the world is because of us." I could make a long laundry list, but I won't. I can't stand blind America bashing, from within or without, any more than I can stand blind self-promotion. It all looks silly to me. Furthermore, it doesn't matter whether anyone is right or wrong about their perceptions, because we are talking about PERCEPTIONS - self and other - which are too often highly subjective. So what about the Wings? Let's start with the fact that Detroit affectionately refers to itself as "Hockeytown". I personally like that. When I hear that I take it positively, as it just means that the sport enjoys broad, passionate community spirit and support in Detroit. From my experience, I LOVE sitting and watching a hockey game with a Wings fan, because THEY...LOVE...THE SPORT, generally speaking, of course. Likewise, sitting at a baseball game with my Cubs fan friends, and a hot dog, a beer and pretzel in hand, is a treat and a half for me. Feels like Americana to me. I can eat the atmosphere with a fork and spoon, it's so good. Incidentally, why do you think I haunt the LGW site? Same reason, MATT...LOVES...HOCKEY. And he draws in kindred fans by the THOUSANDS. Who wouldn't want to be part of that? I would, enough to be a supporter even. Now despite the Hockeytown nickname, which is loaded with implications that can be taken negatively, the reality is that hockey in Detroit (just like every major city that has more than one pro team) takes a firm back seat to other sports, like football, baseball, and basketball. Hockey is not the number one sport in "Hockeytown". The best you might do is compare it to "per capita support/spirit" -- in which case every Canadian hockey town might step in to rival Detroit with some very real claims of their own. And I'm sure New York, which has two hockey teams, might have some claims of its own to make as well. But what about the past wins, past Cups, being part of the Original Six, the dynastic history, especially with the Bowman/Yserman/et al years? You all really do have a city that can stand proud, right? Sure. But sometimes pride, over what you think might set you apart in a good way, can EASILY be delivered in an in-your-face elitist way that is not just fallacious, but can win you some richly deserved enemies and repels good people. For example, hailing from San Jose, I've always been dismissive of any fan that makes a comment about hockey teams in places "where it doesn't even snow" -- as if that somehow makes a team any less worthy. But that is akin to the kind of attitude that some are treated to by some Original Six team fans. There's always the "eww, you're a newbie" kind of nonsense (and it is childish nonsense) that comes with any self-assessment, anything that might set you, or yours, "apart from the rest". Do any of you see hockey as a "Canadian Sport"? Well, originally, even before the Original Six, it was. But Detroit was right there in its infancy. Doesn't that make it at least part American? Ask the average Canadian hockey fan, and see what they say. And then ask yourself if the question even matters to anyone except the one taking exception. Because to me it doesn't. I don't have a problem with a Jamaican Bobsled Team. The more the merrier, especially in a sport that needs all the support it can get. BUT...just as Europeans sometimes point to their older cultures as a point of implied superiority over, say, North and South Americans, Australians, etc., it is not uncommon to hear hockey fans from Canadian and Original Six teams especially, who will allude to a sense of superiority of their own on a similar (and equally fallacious) basis. Big deal. It's silly, but it's also human nature. Old rich snubs its nose at new rich. Freshmen are hazed by Juniors and Seniors. Newbies in many internet forums are often treated to house/bridge trolls that lie in wait to put the newbie in their places. The Yankees, like the Red Wings, are often hated for what is seen (especially in the past, when there was far more truth to it), as The Team That Can Best Afford To Buy A Pennant/Cup. Follow the money, and it really is/was, to many, no longer about who is the most talented, but rather who could afford to stack the field deck with the best/most expensive talent. At that point, the reasoning goes, why not cut out the middle man (the sport itself) and cut to the core question that is being determined, which is which city (or owner) has the most money? Fast forward to today, and there are many who see the past accomplishments as bought-and-paid-for-deck-stackings. Which is to say, no respect for the past laurels upon which some might want to rest. The Hockeytown/Big Dynasty syndrome, if taken (or dished out) negatively, can sound presumptuous -- like there's a feeling of entitlement, or "more-worthiness" that goes along with it. For example, I remember well when the Sharks eliminated Detroit in '94. That didn't just upset Detroit. It seemed to upset the entire hockey world. Young upstarts, and who the hell are they to fluke their way past mighty and far more proven Detroit? NHL.com covered it...then stopped covering the Sharks pretty much altogether. Very, very strange, but its just a small portion of what happens even today with Eastern Conference coverage versus Western Conference. East is elite, older, more established, while the West is rough, and new (pronounced n-ewwwww). And poor not-so-western-after-all Detroit and Chicago (once the upstart) ended up divided from the East and thrown in with the newbie western upstarts. What does that have to do with some people hating the Red Wings? I don't know, I was rambling and got lost along the way. [/unnecessarily_long_screed]

It was good to see the Sharks get spanked early on. They started game 1 on an early power play, which put the Avs on the defense. Somehow that gave the Sharks a misplaced illusion of power and momentum, one that fed them tons of intimidation chutzpah, and not nearly enough respect for the Avs, I thought. Once the power play was over, the spanking began, one that would lead to a lot of badly needed humility. What an amazing thing that was to watch. The Avs were schooling us in the neutral zone, owning it like a swarm of hornets, playing twice as fast, and constantly stealing candy from a bunch of big lumbering Shark babies. I was completely astonished. I wasn't even angry with the Sharks, I just watched in stunned amazement. That early spanking was very, very good for San Jose. Later, the coach and players came out publicly, stating with a confidence that surprised me, that they had solved it: speed in the neutral zone, they claimed, was all that they needed. And when they played, especially starting with game four, it definitely showed, as they executed the game exactly as they had described in various pre-game interviews. So what was different about that? I found it remarkable that they made no pretense of keeping their strategy any kind of veiled secret. It wasn't generalized at all, couched in the usual cliched platitudes. The plan was very focused, very specific, and it seemed as if the entire team was on the same page, confident that there was absolutely nothing the Avs could do about it, even if they had all sat in on the strategy meeting. That's something I've never seen before, and it will be interesting to see how all the strategy talk/execution shapes up in this series. By the way, I can't even call this series. I have no prediction whatsoever, it's so up in the air in my mind. There's no chance in my mind for a sweep for either team, I seriously doubt that's in the cards, but I could just as easily see game 4 ending with EITHER of the two teams holding a 3-1 series lead. That's pretty scary. And exciting.

As always, thank you Matt. Excellent work, look forward to it every time.

It's the color. Every time I see the Wings, I just see red. No, I don't hate the Wings. I hate the Stars. With a passion. But that's only because they are notorious (first hand experience here) for treating opposing teams' fans like absolute crap -- like, threateningly. Hockeytown fans aren't like that at all.

I do see Howard as a rising star, a formidable goalie to go up against, one who should not be underestimated by any means, but as a former Nabokov basher, I can safely say that his stats speak otherwise, and that he's not on any decline that I can see. And, unless you're going on gut feeling alone, a quick comparison glance at the Howard and Nabokov stats, both regular season and playoff, shows Nabokov on top pretty much across the board, with only Brodeur ahead of him (I'll post stats upon request, not that this means anything, as the Devils are now out). On a fun side note, here's some breaking news my sister just pointed out to me: Detroit just landed, and is already in the penalty box! Heard that and laughed, but really, all I could think was, THEY'RE HERE! WE PLAY YOU TOMORROW! YESSSSSSS!!!!

Ah, once again, it's good to be back on LGW, good to see a lot of the regular faces and names I remember from before, and I'm looking forward to what will no doubt be a great series! This is a definitely a good chance for the Sharks to finally get out of the ABCD (Anybody But Club Detroit) mode. Losing the choker moniker would be nice. Strange, but I'm really, really glad we're not going into this as a team that is favored to win the Cup. The NHL poll had us second to last. COOL. The current poll shows us as the least intriguing matchup in the Western Conference. COOL!. I just watched the Habs eliminate the Caps, so that's two President's Trophy winners dusted by the 8th seed in two years. What an upset, and what a heartbreak for Caps fans, watching a 3-1 series lead slip through to the bitter losing end! And that ties into why I'm feeling cautiously optimistic. The Sharks are by no means an underdog, but it definitely feels that way, given past performances, and especially going up against our past nemesis/rival Detroit, and I LIKE THAT. It was good see Colorado school the Sharks with their speedy performance from the start -- way to keep the team humble, I hope that humility carries forward in this series. Likewise, as a Detroit Respecter/Hockeytown Lover, but make-no-mistake-a-San-Jose-Homer, I'm hoping the Wings are seeing the Sharks as easy pickings. Best thing for the Sharks, really! I guess I'm saying that after all these years, I see overconfidence on any team's part as a big, big killer. It killed the Caps this year, it killed the Sharks early last year, and I'm hoping that the Sharks, and Sharks fans in general, don't get infected with it. GO SHARKS!!