Ratbastrd

You don't need to credit the Sharks but please stop blaming the win on the Refs. The Sharks beat the Wings tonight not the Refs.

Problem is we are never going to be able to afford to resign Marleau if Pavs keeps playing like this. I want to see one of those time elapsed dollar counters above his head every time he hits the ice. Don't want to be a homer on your board, but Clowe and Seto deserve a lot of credit too, both are playing way above their previous levels.

I suppose I now is as good a time as any to bring this up. Until your group shuts the Pavelski line down, your going to have a very hard time staying out of the penalty box and ahead in this series. They are outworking every line you have thrown against them and getting the calls as a result.

Your a ref eh? Well I guess this settles it, the Refs out skated, out hit and out scored the Wings.

WOW a voice of reason. Thank you!

The exact same game as you. Both teams got tagged with phantom calls all night long. The Refs could have called several hours worth of interference calls on both teams. Either way, I expect you guy's (who probably have more appreciation for the game then lower half of the league combined) to give credit where it is due. Sharks outplayed the Wings tonight, pretty much across the board. Sorry pal, no one is going to give it to the Wings simply because they have always been good and the Sharks have always choked. The Sharks have taken it to the Wings so far this series. Man up and deal with it.

Dude, give it a break, the calls have been bad all the way around, the game however was won by the Sharks playing a better game then the Wings. Give credit where it is due, please!

I expect a more physical game 2. I will be looking for more push from the Sharks. Would like to see 40 shots on net from the Sharks, which would signal more sustained physical play in the Wings end. If I am right, Babcock is going to have to adjust for little Joe's line. Also looking for a big game from Malhotra, he has yet to establish a presence this postseason, it is only a matter of time. Got to be careful though, we tend to get a little focused on the forecheck sometimes and neglect to pay attention to the back door. If we can contain the odd man rushes and do a better job of cleaning up in our own end, without the frequent turn overs in the neutral zone we should be okay. (Those neutral ice turn overs will be the key to this series. If the Sharks avoid them they win, if they don't Wings win) Sharks 4 Wings 2 Patty nets one!!!

This thread is sort of like fly paper...

The West will win the cup this year, assuming it is not Vancouver representing, which I just can't see. The Pens look very solid right now, but remember they are playing against inferior talent in the East. I watch the games from the east and it makes me laugh sometimes. The games are so slow (generally) and the defense is so porous. Edit: we crushed them 5-0 in November, the Sharks have always played the Pens tough, not sure why. Back to this series, I expect a more physical game 2. I will be looking for more push from the Sharks. After the 3 goals, the team kind of let up on your old timers (sorry for the cliche, but hey if the shoe fits). Expect around 40 shots on net from the Sharks, with more sustained physical play in the Wings end. If I am right, Babcock is going to have to adjust for little Joe's line. Also looking for a big game from Malhotra, he has yet to establish a presence this postseason, it is only a matter of time. Got to be careful though, we tend to get a little focused on the forecheck sometimes and neglect to pay attention to the back door. If we can contain the odd man rushes and do a better job of cleaning up in our own end, without the frequent turn overs in the neutral zone we should be okay. (Those neutral ice turn overs will be the key to this series. If the Sharks avoid them they win, if they don't Wings win) Game 2: Sharks 4 Wings 2 Patty nets one!!!

If the Sharks pull this series out, by some form of miracle, how many of you will root for the Sharks the rest of the way?

Having your own board-mates call you out is about as bad as it gets

Okay message received. This series is going to be chaotic, I hate to see people lose sight of the game and the enjoyment it brings us all. The Refs have been atrocious all year, postseason in particular. At the end of the day if you look beyond it, it just becomes background noise. The winners of these series deserve what they get.

Yep your right, looking at it again it does look like nearly simultaneous contact. Either way the point I was trying to make is, please don't get to the point where games are being decided by Refs. That drives me bat s***. Games are won and lost by players. You should have seen all the whining going on in the last series, it got to the point where Sharks fans couldn't talk to Avs fans, it was really pathetic. FYI: On the primary Sharks board, there is a poster named SJeasy, who is part of a group of people that review refs. Their data is highly statistical, and looks at measurables such as quality of skating, inteference with play, trends around calls (interference, rough stuff, diving etc.). I have found their assessment to be spot on. Prior to each game we get an announcement of who will be reffing the game and what to look for. Check it out. SJeasy ref discussion

Listen there are bad calls every game, I saw several interference calls tonight from both teams, which are in my mind have a far greater impact on the game then random high sticks, few of which were called tonight. Every team has yahoos for fans, the Sharks have more then their share. All I am saying is don't blame this loss on the refs, you guy's are better then that. Really? I think you need to watch the play again.

Yea I agree. The pawns got moved tonight. I expect the horses to be let loose on Sunday. Hope Marleau is okay, heard he had a very high fever. I would be really bummed if the team came down with something.

Uhhhhh you guy's are starting to sound like Avs fans. Watch the replay on the Franzen penalty. Franzens face was nicked after he tripped Seto. Seto was falling, his stick was waist high, Franzen caught it on his way down. Wings will win or lose as a result of their play. Same for the Sharks.

Wow, that was quite a game tonight. Wings looked a little tired, not really on their game. The Pavelski line is on fire, gonna have to account for them Sunday. This is likely to free up the Thornton line a little. Ball is in the Wings court, lets see how they return on Sunday. Wings are wicked on offense, the Sharks are so slow on D. The Sharks are a bear on offense the Wings look old. Which ever team can sustain play in the others end is going to win. This series is going to go the distance in my opinion.

Hey thanks, the merc links to the other teams newspaper, but that can be a complete waste of time. Last series we were blessed with Adrian Dater of the Denver Post. Arguably the biggest f'ing idiot ever to secure an income as a sports reporter.

Sharks fan here, I like to read the opposing media coverage of series. Can someone post a link to the best newspaper or news columnist covering the wings locally, also any blogs that are popular? FYI San Jose News coverage of the Sharks: Mercury News The best Sharks blog (this guys is one of the best in the biz): Working the Corners - David Pollak Thanks Wings Fans, always enjoy engaging with guy's.

Sharks fans are their own worst enemy, kind of like the team. The media, most hockey fans, most sharks fans etc., don't give the team much chance of winning. On paper the Wings have virtually every advantage. I hope the Wings come to play like they did in game 7 of the last series. I also hope the Sharks (all of em) come to play. If so this might be one of the best playoff series in history. And if by chance the Sharks do win, that confidence is going to make them very tough to beat. PS: I have always found this to be a great site to visit.

I posted this on the Sharks board, figured I would throw it out here too. My assessment, for what it is worth. No one gives the Sharks a chance. The Wings are simply too good. The Sharks play the same system at a lesser level. Line for line the Wings match up better. The Wings are faster and play better special teams. Their coach is better, their goalie is younger and in the zone. On top of all of that, we all know the Sharks history of playoff failures. The outcome is all but certain, there is no way the Sharks will win this series. Funny thing is, we suffered arguably the worst set of circumstance and bad bounces I have ever seen this team endure time and again in the last series. The Avs had our number early in the last series and the team could/should have folded in game 2 which would have been the end of the year. I know the Sharks were the better team and they were supposed to win, but lets face it, the Sharks were playing against their demons, who have a perfect record against us in the playoffs. I have always been a contrarian, when everyone is selling, I have found that it is often a good time to buy. So I think I am going to buy here. I don't like the way our top line has played, but (following coaches slogan for the year) I saw something last week that I have never seen with the current iteration of our team, calm confidence and an unwavering desire/ability to overcome adversity. Something has changed on this team, perhaps there are a few holdouts, but there is a new attitude in that locker room. I think that attitude is going to be the difference in this series. Don't know how many games it will take, but I think the Sharks are going to beat the Wings, and if they do, I think this team has a very good chance of winning the cup.

There was a bit of news the other day that he is injured. I don't think it is serious. I would say his absence has more to do with his propensity to take bad penalties. Clowe is probably tougher and is a better player.

Not sure of the exact number, but the Sharks were one of the best faceoff teams in the league. That is one clear advantage to the Sharks. "About the only thing to like about the Sharks’ chances is their work in the face-off circle, where Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski and Scott Nichol all ranked in the top 20 in draws in the regular season and Manny Malhotra is now second among playoff face-off men, with a sparkling 65.7 success rate (presumably because Malhotra played a lot against Colorado rookie Matt Duchene, who had the lowest percentage among the 45 centres tracked by the NHL in the first round at 36.2). [...] Given that the series features two teams, both trying to play a puck possession game, if the Sharks are demonstrably better in the circle and start with the puck more often, that represents one lukewarm positive to put on their side of the ledger. Reasons to like the Wings

Good f'ing luck with that argument in any bar filled with hockey fans. Everyone expected you guy's to be here, hell if your group had stayed healthy early, your group would likely have won the division, if for nothing else then your record against the Sharks. Seeding has little to do with this matchup. The Wings are the favorite. That being said, I will go out on a big limb right now and say this series will come down to goal tending (you can tell I am risk taker eh). Seriously though, your top line trumps our top line, our 2nd line probably carries the day against yours, 3-4 lines hard to say, haven't watched enough Wings games to get a feel. I will say I really like how our 3 & 4th lines have developed recently, they are a match for any other 3/4 lines as far as I can see. D matchups, who knows, neither team is stellar on D. Which leaves the goalies. Whoever stands on their respective heads for more games is likely to be the decider. Gotta give the Wings the mental advantage. Advantage Wings My prediction (two options) Sharks win a short series Wings win a long series Wings in 7