Grypho

HoF Booster
  • Content Count

    466
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    2

Everything posted by Grypho

  1. I love it that someone took a "Wings are too rested rusted" joke as a "Wings are too old" joke! It wasn't a joke about age, but too much time off between rounds - i.e., out of playoff intensity mode. That was my biggest concern last year after the Sharks eliminated the Wings in 5, and then had to wait around for all the other series to finish. Chicago took longer, eliminating Vancouver in 6 fairly grueling games. A lot of Sharks fans were happy that the Sharks were "well rested", but I wasn't happy at all with all that time off. I know it only takes a few days for rust to set in, and a team to lose its playoff intensity. The Hawks weren't beat up. They had solid playoff mode momentum going into the WCF, and had no problem sweeping the "well rested" Sharks 4-0. This year they don't get that much time off, and I'm glad!
  2. Well, the Wings were going to face a rival either way. I was hoping this matchup would happen in the WCF, but so be it if it's a repeat, schedule-wise, of last year. Regardless of the outcome, the rivalry just got bigger.
  3. Grypho

    Los Angeles vs. San Jose

    Let me clarify, then. I did not mean the best defensive team "[performance] in the playoffs", but rather the best defensive team, by nature, and when it is playing at its peak, of all the teams that made it into the playoffs. Big difference. No team in the NHL is on its game every game, including the Wings and the Kings, which is why we say things like "didn't show up". "Not showing up" does not change the known nature and capacity of a team when it is its proven best. Furthermore, every team in the NHL, even when it does show up, can be pulled off of its game. Anecdotal evidence of contrary behavior and poor momentary performance does not change the capacity fundamentals. After a bad loss by the Wings, do you think of it as being because your teams sucks, in general, or that it just sucked for that game, or series? Playing at less than capacity is not the same thing as not having the capacity to begin with. When I say that I thought the Kings had the best defense (in the entire NHL, not just the playoffs), I was referring to their ultimate capacity relative to all the other teams -- not their performance in any particular game or series. Statistics are only meaningful when there are many data to trend and average. It's funny to me, therefore, when people will cite statistics of a single game or even a series (like a GAA, or GF), as if it actually meant something, or was an indicator of anything except the isolated performance of a team for that particular time frame, and under those particular circumstances. Otherwise, just go cherry pick your favorite stat from a given two week period for any team in the regular season. Show me the hockey gods, and I will pick a different two week period and produce a goat - using that same team.
  4. Grypho

    Sharks or Preds?

    They are ripe for the plucking - against any defense and netminder that can stop 54 out of 55 shots on net, with many quality, and some even brilliant, attempts! I think that may be one thing the Sharks have going for them going into the next round, should their next opponent discount the role that the Kings' defense played in that series, especially in Game 5, and takes it for granted that their own team's defense is essentially the same, if not better in some regard. If any team saw the Kings as truly inferior in all respects, and a well deserved pushover that should have been easily swept, it will bode well for the Sharks offense.
  5. Grypho

    Los Angeles vs. San Jose

    I agreed with everything you wrote except the last (unqualified) sentence. The Kings were one of the weaker teams in the playoffs...offensively. Defensively, I saw them as El Numero Uno, and by a long shot - stronger defensively, IMO, than any other team in the NHL. It wasn't just their strong suit, it was, to me, sheer poetry at times to watch, especially in their own zone. They had unbelievable, uncanny coordination and defensive responses that I haven't seen in ANY other team this year. That failed only when they tried to match offense-for-offense at the expense of defense, which happened just enough for them to fail. If, however, they had had the wisdom to stay firmly on their amazing defensive game, I thought that they could have eliminated all comers, and plowed their way to the Cup this year.
  6. Grypho

    What Teams Scare Us Right Now?

    When I wrestled in high school and college, I didn't worry so much about opponents who were at or near my skill level. I worried about extreme mismatches in either direction. It was the novice underdogs that concerned me most. My coaches taught me to play them much more cautiously and conservatively, because while their wilder moves can get them in big trouble very quickly, they can also get lucky, and their wilder moves can also lead to unnecessary injuries - of which I saw plenty of examples. Just my gut - the team that I worry about most in the playoffs is the one that LEAST like my own team - which can throw my team off its own game. This year that was the Kings. SO different from the Sharks. They have a formidable defense (team and netminder combined), and very little offensive depth. They were facing their polar opposite in the Sharks: a team with a formidable offense, and a much weaker defense. Something always has to give, and momentum swings can be wild, in either direction, favoring whichever team can take the other one off of its game. If the Kings had stayed solidly on their defensive game, they could have outwaited and outworked the Sharks, trapping and grinding them down defensively, while capitalizing on all the errors and penalties. That happened every time the Kings beat us, or forced a game into overtime. It was only when the Kings got cocky offensively, and let up on their defense, that the Sharks had a perfect opening to shift the momentum back in the other direction and turn it all around. For Vancouver, there is no bigger mismatch than Chicago - the Paris to Achilles, once they figured out that Luongo could stop rapid-fire BB's through the five hole, but allows slow beach balls to his top shelf, there was nothing the Nucks could do except pull Luongo. Now they're putting Luongo back in net for game 7. Think ANYONE will try to shoot low on Luongo? We'll see tonight soon enough how that works out. I expected the Wings would take the Yotes in 5 or 6, but I didn't see the sweep coming. That was also two very different teams coming together - not necessarily in style of play, but definitely in terms of depth and energy. Phoenix tried consistently to match offenses with Detroit, and I thought that was their mistake and their complete undoing. I thought they would have been better served to play MUCH more defensively against the Wings, and wait to capitalize on penalties and turnover chances.
  7. Grypho

    What Teams Scare Us Right Now?

    I'll weigh in as both a Wings and a Sharks fan. By way of preface, I get it that by "afraid" the question was only intended ask who you think of as your team's most formidable opponent - not which team causes you to shake, tremble, turtle, and want to crawl like a sniveling coward under a rock, and not even which team you think can beat yours. Speaking only in terms of the Western Conference: Matchup chemistry between teams is something I see as very important. Just because A can beat B, and B can beat C, that does not automatically mean that A can beat C. The weaknesses of a team exploited in a given series don't automatically transfer to all other opponents, or even from series to series. A proverbial David can slay a Goliath in the playoffs, beating a team that might otherwise be able to soundly beat all the other teams. I think that is what may be happening with Vancouver now. I don't personally think that Vancouver is over-rated. Like the Sharks they have chinks in their armor, but they didn't get to the number one seed (and by a country mile) easily, or by being over-rated - any more than our teams did. I think Vancouver really is the all-around better team this year, but their nemesis was the Hawks this year. Alone. The Hawks do have the Nucks' number, and the Nucks will need a lot of luck and determination to get past them. Otherwise, I think the Nucks stood a very good chance of beating any of the other teams, including the Sharks - which is why I want the Nucks eliminated early. If they make it past tomorrow, and all the way to the WCF, I think their chances of taking the Cup are pretty solid. For the Wings, my gut tells me that Nashville may be their most formidable opponent this year, chemistry-wise. More, possibly even, than the Sharks. Solid goal-tending, and tons of grit. I also think that Nashville has San Jose's number, which is why I am glad we won't face them at all. If I was only a Wings fan, I would want the Sharks over the Preds. Not because I think the Preds are "a better team" overall, but because they match up well against the playing styles of both our teams (i.e., they could be the David to our respective Goliaths). The Wings and Sharks are extremely well-matched, in my opinion. Flip a coin for the outcome. The Sharks' game strategy has always been designed around beating Detroit, and we have a bona fide ongoing playoff rivalry, with either team capable of tipping the ice in their opponent's direction. I think that Chicago is far less formidable than Detroit for both the Sharks and the Wings, despite the Sharks' loss to them last year. New year, slightly different teams, and a score I think the Sharks would like very much to settle. Not that they can't win a series against any team...any of the remaining teams can. Only that I don't see them as so formidable to OUR teams. I see the most formidable opponents for the Wings: 1) Nucks 2) Preds 3) Sharks 4) Hawks I see the most formidable opponents for the Sharks as: 1) Preds 2) Nucks 3) Wings 4) Hawks
  8. Grypho

    Los Angeles vs. San Jose

    Well, my dream all along has been to see a Wings/Sharks WCF, and that can't happen if we do a repeat of last year's second round schedule. The Sharks face either the team they eliminated, or the team that eliminated them, and I'd rather it be the latter. For that reason, I want Vancouver out, and for the Hawks to advance - right into the Shark tank. There is one more thing: Unlike a lot of my fellow Sharks fans last year, I HATED the fact that the Sharks were "too well rested" after our series with the Wings. I don't buy into the idea that "staying warmed up" by practicing while resting is anything at all like the momentum of staying in tip-top playoff mode. I think that seriously hurt us. The Hawks were not tired at all last year, and came out of the starting gate with all guns blazing, while the Sharks worked out their rusty kinks, too little too late. If the Hawks do manage to pull off an upset, the Sharks will face them again, and they'll be plenty warmed up. But so will the Sharks this time, with only one extra day of rest. I can live with that. If the Nucks eliminate the Hawks, then the Sharks will face a "well rested" Wings team. It will be interesting to see whether that much time off for the Wings translates to an advantage or a disadvantage. No predictions here, I just think it will be interesting.
  9. Grypho

    Los Angeles vs. San Jose

    Oof. Well. Yeah. Um, s***. Yeah. Sure, I'll have a beer. Thanks, why not.
  10. Grypho

    Los Angeles vs. San Jose

    3-0 - EXCELLENT. The Sharks have the Kings right where they want them. Now to pull the rug... MOOHOOHAHAHAHA!!!
  11. Grypho

    Los Angeles vs. San Jose

    Absolutely. I would go the opposite direction and say that Quick's play has been stellar, despite the number of pucks in net, which I do blame on the team, and not the netminder. It's no secret that the Kings are a defensive team, and that is their primary strength. They don't have the offensive depth or firepower power to play loose and fast with higher scoring game chances in the offensive zone. That's the Sharks' primary strength (and part of the reason why I think our penalty kill sucks so badly). The Kings beat the Sharks 4-0, and stole one on the road because they never let up on their defensive game, and were able to create offensive breakout chances (and draw needed penalties from frustrated Sharks) as a result. It looked to me that the resulting success infused their forwards with an illusion of power and confidence, as if it was all their doing. That in turn gave them the courage in the following games to play much faster and looser offensively - albeit at the expense of defense, their number one strength! Big mistake, because that took them completely off of their game, away from a formula that had already worked so well (in both opening games, the first of which the Sharks could EASILY have also lost). Listening to Murray, though, it is obvious to me that he sees it differently. He just called up Parse for Game 5, and is trying desperately to "shake things up", and specifically to beef up the Kings' offense! Not one of his reactions seemed to address a Kings' return to what had already worked so well in game 2, and had effectively shut the Sharks down - despite the Kings' lack of matching offensive power. I'm not in Murray's shoes, but my armchair coach instincts tell me this is a sure recipe for quick elimination (unless the Kings players regroup themselves, and get back into their original game, despite Murray's "shake up" changes). On the flip side, I'm wondering also which Sharks team is going to show up tonight. Too schizoid lately for my comfort. Should be interesting!
  12. Grypho

    Los Angeles vs. San Jose

    I wonder the same thing, and wish they did have Kopitar, and a healthy, uninjured Williams. No room for excuses, I like it when two teams battle it out with their healthiest roster intact. There have been too many times in Sharks history where we lost a key performing player, only to have the team rally as a result, and otherwise nonperforming players step up their play. It happened in the RS with Nichol. He is a great player, but one of the Sharks' biggest late season rallies, especially defensively, happened while he was out. I think that might have happened with the Kings to an extent. They looked like a completely different team when Kopitar and Williams were both out, but not in a bad way. It was like they all suddenly realized that they couldn't rely on them for performance, and each had to contribute more as a result. So yeah, who knows.
  13. Grypho

    Los Angeles vs. San Jose

    No, not THAT YouTube. The other YouTube, the one that shows all the Wings players diving. You probably just typed it wrong, it might be case-by-case sensitive or something. Yeah, the Osgood dive (which also made me laugh) was all I saw too, at least on the first page. Come on, HankthaTank, you were not supposed to actually check. I thought we were friends. You were supposed to just take my word for it, and assume that it is true because I did a fast and lazy search, found one example, and posted it as if it was the rule. Gosh, the nerve of some people. Really. Stop oppressing me and my people! It's my potty and I'll dive if I want to, dive if I want to!
  14. Grypho

    Ruutu suspended for clean hit on Erat

    While I don't personally like Ruutu, I don't even see a penalty, let alone a suspension. Not even borderline, despite the fact that I can see clearly where this hit could have seriously rattled Erat's cage. That hit was NOT blindside. It was normal hit on a player who should know better than to keep his head down (or maybe not, now that the rule is being enforced to such a ridiculous level). Erat is bent forward, his face and head way down below the level of most players' shoulders to begin with. How is it possible to make a clean hit on him? Does this mean that all a player has to do to shield himself from a legal hit, or to draw a penalty or cause a suspension as a result, is to lead with his stupid mug, down and forward at all times? Because that's the unintended consequence that Campbell may be CAUSING as a result of this decision. It's an age-old rule in hockey - keep your head up, idiot.
  15. Grypho

    Los Angeles vs. San Jose

    Think about something for a second: When was the last game you can think of that the Wings won as a direct result of their own players embellishing or outright diving, or bad officiating, or both, and not on the Wings' own merits (or despite a lack thereof in that particular game)? It happens in the NHL for sure, including in the playoffs, but I have come to the conclusion that it is a rare fan who can not only discern when it adversely affects the outcome of their own team's game, but also when it happens the reverse. Most fans tend to be quite myopic about it, having what I think of as a persecution complex for their own team. Bad calls (but especially non-calls) encourage players to do whatever it takes to draw attention to the officials. Likewise, all players on ALL teams in the league are encouraged to draw penalties by their coaches, and to do whatever they can to make sure that THEIR teams "remains disciplined" while the other team gets more penalties. That is part of the game, of course, and I'm not talking about diving, either. No, you'll hear coaches openly denounce diving as a cardinal sin, one that they simply will not tolerate from their own players. Yeah. Right. I don't just see players from other teams (read=ALL TEAMS) embellish, and even dive at times, trying to draw penalties, as well as bad calls and non-calls that go in the other team's favor (including ::: gasp ::: the Wings). But I see when the Sharks do it too. At least the ones that any unbiased, disinterested fan without a horse in the race would be able to confirm as such. When I do mention it (bad calls, non-calls, or diving/embellishing that benefits our team), I see some Sharks fans get all dismissive about it, while others just nod their heads, or stare neutrally, as if it didn't happen. Can you see that same thing with your team? Does it just not happen, or does it happen so infrequently as to make it a non-issue in your mind? Also, I don't ask myself or a fellow Sharks fan if Sharks players have dived. That would be kind of stupid, with answers that are predictable. No, to know if that's true, or whether a team has a reputation for it, ask the fans of the other teams. Better yet, go to Youtube and enter "my_team_name dive" (without the quotes). Or, if you'd like, I could provide specific examples of absolutely disgustingly egregious diving (by Sharks, Wings or any other team) gladly upon request.
  16. Grypho

    NEW Custom Wings Fan Shirts now on sale!

    BTW, Matt, I noticed that the Wings logo is not on any of the shirts, and I understand why. If you bought genuine NHL/Wings logo patches there is any law that would prevent you from putting them on a shirt for sale?
  17. Grypho

    Los Angeles vs. San Jose

    Sure, assuming that by 'interesting' you mean different, unexpected, or unlikely - an unlikely series victory for an underdog and its future match with other statistically superior teams is interesting. However, strictly in that same vein, it only continues to be interesting if they then eliminated the Wings and went on to pull two more series upsets to finally win the Cup. And while I would find that interesting, I am quite sure you are not pulling for them to that end. BUT, you have to admit, that would be interesting! What would not have been so interesting, to me, is if the Kings found a way to advance, only to be easily eliminated in the very next round. Desirable to you, I'm absolutely sure, but not so interesting (and by your criteria). That happens all the time. Run of the mill stuff, in fact, playoff-wise. That's kind of what happened last year, as the Sharks eliminated the Wings, but went on to be defeated by the eventual Stanley Cup champions. I'm sure there had to be a sting in that, and I can also see where that would be not-so-interesting. The fact that a Sharks advance means a repeat Sharks/Wings Semifinals is something I DO find interesting! It would not have been all that interesting to me if the Coyotes had found a way to eliminate the Wings, which is one of the reasons I did not pull for them. The Coyotes would have been an easier match for the Sharks than the Wings, for sure, but an easier skate to the Cup tends to hollow out the victory, as I alluded before. I find the old rivalries and battles of the Titans far more interesting, save for one exception, and that is when a true underdog finds a way to go the entire distance, and leaves all the classic Titans in the dust. That leaves me with a quandary, because if the Coyotes had advanced, and then went on to eliminate the Sharks and eventually win the Cup, I would have to find that interesting! Strange thing for me, as both a Sharks and a Wings fan: I don't want the Kings to beat the Sharks, of course, and I normally wouldn't want them to beat the Wings. If they do beat the Sharks, however, I would still pull for the Wings, but I would find it beyond interesting if they found a way to beat everyone else in their path. So my question to you, and to clarify what you meant by 'interesting': could you pull for the Kings if they found a way to beat the Sharks and then on to beat the Wings? I could.
  18. Grypho

    Los Angeles vs. San Jose

    That is what I think of the Wings, Sharks, Nucks, Preds, Caps and Pens. Every one of those teams can be terrifyingly formidable against any other team in the NHL... IF they actually show up, play for 60 minutes and consistently stick to their game. In addition to weaknesses which can be exploited, every one of those teams has the proven ability not to show up, not to play for 60 full minutes, to be taken off their game - and to not have the luck factor working in their favor. The way the LA/SJ series has gone so far, I consider the Sharks very lucky not to be climbing back from a 3-0 deficit to what is arguably, generally speaking, a statistically inferior team. I do think that the Sharks subconsciously underestimated LA (all expressed sentiments to the contrary notwithstanding), and LA's ability to pull out all the stops, NOT underestimate their opponent, and step up their game in a way that clearly took the Sharks off theirs. I'm not worried about that, any more than I would feel overly confident had the Sharks simply mowed the Kings over as so many predicted when their match up was set. ALL teams are beatable. Every last stinking one of them, regardless of their stats, depth, grit, or whatever. Furthermore, I believe that "underdog" status (not fan sentiment, but true underdog status, as it is actually felt by players on both teams) can be a serious motivator for the proverbial tortoise in the race, and a subconscious under-pacing mechanism (demotivator) for the proverbial hare. The Sharks have been lucky so far, but I recognize that luck is a factor in every game, every series, and its a knife that cuts in every direction. And it can run in streaks, good or bad. You can "be superior" and outplay a team by nearly every metric and still lose to cruel, blind, bumbling luck, as a dozen good pucks are miraculously stopped, while a few luckies and softies find their way into the back of the net. A team that shows up and stays consistent only cuts down the luck factor, but NO team can eliminate it entirely. I recognize that luck was involved in San Jose's first upset over Detroit in the playoffs so many years ago. Detroit was not only favored, but was clearly the better team at that time. But the balance of luck was in San Jose's favor, just as it could as easily have been seen in the Kings' win column favor in all three of the last games. They don't call them heart-breakers for nothing! In the end, a team has to win four games per series, and I see that luck can factor heavily into that. That has to be done four times straight to win a Cup, of course, which certainly cuts heavily into luck's role. But it never eliminates luck entirely (as we've seen from so many game 7's of the SCF that could have just as easily gone the other way). One thing is for sure: the LA/SJ series hasn't just been "wonky", as was stated earlier - it's been quite something to witness, and the last one was one for the books for sure! THAT kind of excitement is what I want and expect out of the playoffs, and what I hope for more than anything, should the Sharks advance to face the Wings. I don't hope that my team shows up and the other doesn't. That's as mindless and stupid as those who (secretly or openly) hope for injuries to the other team. What a cowardly hope that is. Not for me. Hollow out some other victory, for some other team, because that isn't what I want at all. Otherwise, why not just hope that someone shoots tranquilizer darts in the opposing team, so that we can just slaughter them easily and move on? Ooh. Yah. Yeay team. It is no secret that McClellan patterned the Sharks' game play strategies to match well against the Wings. Specifically. If and when we face the Wings, and I can't wait for that, I want both teams to show up, and for BOTH to stay on their VERY BEST GAME. I want both teams to play for a full 60 minutes, each and every game. In such games, I can't predict the victor, or the outcome of the series, or even what the balance of luck will be, but I could not ask for better than that. That would be hockey at its finest, where even the so-called "luck" will be an exciting part of the game, win or lose.
  19. Grypho

    Los Angeles vs. San Jose

    I'm looking forward to, wanting, and predicting a Sharks/Wings series. The Sharks definitely got off their game, especially in the second. They dodged so many bullets in the third and OT that I thought they were truly lucky to take this one. My family was surprised when I said, "If the Sharks are going to get their boat rocked, I want it to be in game 1." If they just mowed over the Kings, the Kings would go away and adjust, while the Sharks wouldn't be so inclined. That won't happen now. The Sharks got a definite wake up call tonight, and know they have to do something about it, and as a Sharks fan, I'm happy about that. Side Note: I'm looking forward to Stoll's suspension. Firstly, because he hurt White in a nasty way that was picked up by everyone except the officials, and secondly, because the King's can't afford to lose Stoll. Bye bye, moron.
  20. Grypho

    Playoff Prediction Simulator

    Recreate the past four or five playoff years and see how well it fares. If it's even somewhat accurate (and it won't be) I'll eat my shorts.
  21. Grypho

    Great Job Dallas!

    I make it a rule not to even mention something said elsewhere (other forums), but this is too funny to pass up. There's a thread entitled "glad det. decided not to give a s***" in a place-the-name-of-which-shall-not-be-mentioned. First post: "Nice going, s*** wings..." lol blaming the Wings (when it was 3-0) for nearly costing them a spot in the playoffs. Sorry, bubbas, I was pulling for Dallas, but when all was said and done, the right team lucked in, and by the hair of their chinny-chin-chin.