Convince me why I shouldn't be dreading this series....

[Louisville 112]

One thing no one really mentioned..

Babcock will need to out coach Ron Wilson, and I think he can do it.

[Jiggy_12 0]

That's good!

Are you rooting for anyone now?

coughWINGScough.

Wings out of the West and either Ottawa or Buffalo out East.

In the Final, I'd probably root for Ottawa over Detroit. They are just about the only other Canadian team I don't hate.

[Viperar 16]

Wings out of the West and either Ottawa or Buffalo out East.

In the Final, I'd probably root for Ottawa over Detroit. They are just about the only other Canadian team I don't hate.

ah ha! canadian favoritism...i knew it....carry on

[Packer487 3]

A month or so before the regular season ended one of the articles on NHL.com was talking about Huds and they called him Rex Hudler, instead of Jiri Hudler. Everyone liked it and thought it was fitting so we all stuck with it. LOL

Ha! Thanks for the info. I knew it had to be something like that, that I just missed....

I hate playing these west coast teams....I guess it won't be so bad now that I live in the Central Time Zone, but still.

As an aside, Wingfan191 had a great idea for realignment IMO. Have a northern conference and a southern conference. We'd be with all/most of the original six, and all the Canadian teams would be together. You'd have some crazy rivalries due to that. Plus as an added bonus/equalizer, EVERYONE would have to travel. I'm sure there are some negatives (the southern teams wouldn't really be with anyone in a traditional hockey market), but I like the idea of not screwing over the Western Conference teams with travel.

-Tim

[Guest Crymson]

6) The Sharks had more wins than the Wings in the regular and played in a much tougher division to get those wins. The Wings got to feast on the likes of Columbus, Chicago & St. Louis all year long whicle we got to face the Ducks and Stars.

A very even match up. Sharks in 6.

I'm a bit too tired to address the remainder of your post, but I find it immediately laughable that someone whose team played in a division with the two worst teams in the western conference presumes to talk about how his or her team's division was so much harder than ours. Did you deliberately omit the fact that you played LA and Phoenix all year? Give me a break.

P.S.: the Blues are not a bad team, or at least they weren't when they had Guerin and Tkachuk.

Edited April 24, 2007 by Crymson

[eva unit zero 271]

6) The Sharks had more wins than the Wings in the regular and played in a much tougher division to get those wins. The Wings got to feast on the likes of Columbus, Chicago & St. Louis all year long whicle we got to face the Ducks and Stars.

Just for the record:

Detroit went 15-3-5 vs Columbus/Chicago/St. Louis. 35 points in 24 games.

San Jose went 12-4-0 vs LA/Phoenix...gaining 24 points in 16 games against the two worst teams in the conference.

Detroit went 7-1 vs LA/Phoenix, for 14 points in 8 games vs the two worst.

San Jose went 10-2-0 vs Columbus/Chicago/St. Louis to get 20 points in 12 games.

So against five of the six worst teams in the Conference, Detroit went 22-4-5 for 49 points in 31 games, while San Jose went 22-6-0 for 44 points in 28 games.

That means, excluding head-to-head games, Detroit went 27-12-8 for 62 points in 47 games against Playoff clubs, Edmonton, Colorado, and the East, while San Jose went 26-19-5 for 57 points in 50 games against those same opponents.

So in other words...Detroit gained more points and more wins in fewer games against better teams, while San Jose gained points at the same rate against weak teams.

Please never try the 'weak division' argument when it's so easily refuted.

[USAFWingedWheel 4]

eva..... that was by far the best slam i have ever seen on these boards.....

[Viperar 16]

holy crap eva....thats all i have to say

[good morning 10]

that was beautiful eva!

[HockeyCrazy3033 168]

HAHA that was freaking GREAT. Eva always knows what he's talking about.

I too am sick of the weak division crap. Enough of that already.

[BAFGA 0]

Super n00b here with some thoughts:

I don't think the Red Wings need to be worried. I think the addition of a healthy Bertuzzi has added some needed physical play that they could use. As long as the Wings hold serve at home things will be fine. The Shark Tank is a tough place to play. As tough as the Saddlebagdome.

[EasyMark 8]

fabhcky, just a warning before the mods brutally cut your sig out, its too big, cut it down to about my sig's size, it should be good

Sharks fans are divided over Nabakov vs. Toskala, as well. They were fairly even during the regular season. Adding Rivet solidified the defense considerably. At that point, Nabakov went on a tear and has been very good ever since. He was excellent in the Predneck series starting in the OT of Game 1. If he maintains that level of play in this series, he won't be the reason the Sharks lose.

What is different from the Sharks you last saw in January:

Good- The defense is much improved. Turnovers are more likely to come from forwards like Rissmiller or Guerin than the defense. Note that the Sharks and Wings both had 199 goals against in the regular season. On offense, the Sharks will probably play rookie Joe Pavelski and scratch Mark Bell. Bill Guerin is new. He has been streaky on offense, at best, and inconsistent defensively.

Bad - The PP that lit up the Wings and has been so good most of the season struggled big time in the last series. When the Sharks played the Wings the PP was red hot. It isn't as good as you probably remember.

Intangibles - The Wings are very good at JLA. The Sharks are a very good road team. The Sharks have to get at least one win on the road to beat the Wings.

Key Player for Sharks - Patrick Marleau. Teams that focus on the Thornton line can shut it down. When that happens the ice opens up for Marleau. Sometimes he is a force, other times he is invisible. How he goes is generally how the Sharks go.

This series should be outstanding. This is the first time the Sharks have had a team that could compete with the Wings in the playoffs. They still need to pull an upset to get past the Wings, though. Lke 1994, Sharks in 7.

[HockeyCrazy3033 168]

Sharks fans are divided over Nabakov vs. Toskala, as well. They were fairly even during the regular season. Adding Rivet solidified the defense considerably. At that point, Nabakov went on a tear and has been very good ever since. He was excellent in the Predneck series starting in the OT of Game 1. If he maintains that level of play in this series, he won't be the reason the Sharks lose.

What is different from the Sharks you last saw in January:

Good- The defense is much improved. Turnovers are more likely to come from forwards like Rissmiller or Guerin than the defense. Note that the Sharks and Wings both had 199 goals against in the regular season. On offense, the Sharks will probably play rookie Joe Pavelski and scratch Mark Bell. Bill Guerin is new. He has been streaky on offense, at best, and inconsistent defensively.

Bad - The PP that lit up the Wings and has been so good most of the season struggled big time in the last series. When the Sharks played the Wings the PP was red hot. It isn't as good as you probably remember.

Intangibles - The Wings are very good at JLA. The Sharks are a very good road team. The Sharks have to get at least one win on the road to beat the Wings.

Key Player for Sharks - Patrick Marleau. Teams that focus on the Thornton line can shut it down. When that happens the ice opens up for Marleau. Sometimes he is a force, other times he is invisible. How he goes is generally how the Sharks go.

This series should be outstanding. This is the first time the Sharks have had a team that could compete with the Wings in the playoffs. They still need to pull an upset to get past the Wings, though. Lke 1994, Sharks in 7.

Welcome to the boards!

[Dabura 12,207]

I guess I'll offer a serious response.

Why Wings Fans Shouldn't Be Dreading The Sharks

Yes, we know.

"The Red Wings are old, soft and one-dimensional. Team X's superior speed, size and strength will make short work of them."

It's become quite the trendy opinion, and not without good reason: In past seasons, the Wings have been old and soft, proving themselves incapable of countering the kind of threats this current San Jose squad offers.

That's why the Flames were so openly confident heading into this past series. They believed -- again, with good reason -- that the ever-brittle Wings would crumble under the pressure of Calgary's physical game, would not be able to skate with Calgary's speedy forwards, and would not be able to get anything past Kiprusoff (undoubtedly the best young goalie in the NHL). They made a good argument.

The Wings made a better one.

Old? You wouldn't have known it watching this series. Lidstrom, though shaky here and there, was generally his quietly dominating self, rendering Iginla's line impotent and frustrated for most of the series. Even when he's off his game (which, by the way, is almost never the case), Lidstrom is still the best defenseman in the NHL. Chelios, beyond ancient by this league's standards, never looked out of place with those oh-so-young and oh-so-aggressive Flames forwards. And Hasek, though overshadowed by Kiprusoff's otherworldly play, was fantastic when he needed to be.

Soft? Anything but. The Wings not only responded to the Flames' physical play: They threw it right back in their collective face, hitting everything that moved and never once backing down from a post-whistle scrum. Best of all, this wasn't a two or three-person effort; the whole team was dishing it out, from Bertuzzi to Pavel frickin' Datsyuk of all people. If Sharks fans don't know Daniel Cleary and Johan Franzen now, they certainly will by the time this series is over, whether the Wings win or lose.

Finally, one-dimensional? This Wings team's greatest asset is arguably its versatility. As they demonstrated in this past series, they can compete on every front and in any flavor of play.

This, of course, is not to say the Sharks are mere Flames clones -- far from it. Where the Flames relied on their goalie to keep them in what would have otherwise been a tremendously lopsided sweep, the Sharks can hurt you in many more ways and to a much greater extent. That is to say, this is a much more well-rounded and dangerous club than the one Calgary put on the ice.

And it's going to show.

The second the puck drops on Thursday night at the Joe, the Sharks are going to come hard and fast, and it's not going to let up until the series is over. Ron Wilson is sharp as nails and experienced, and he openly stated almost a week ago that he expected his team to face the Wings in the next round -- so don't expect his troops to ever look as unprepared as Playfair's men did in games 1, 2 and 5. They have an identity and a fundamental approach to their game, and they're going to stick to it. Because it works.

Then again, the Wings have such a strategy of their own. As the Flames will tell you, a big component of it is the element of surprise.

As in the rude awakening kind of surprise.

Edited April 24, 2007 by Dabura

[Echolalia 2,961]

I guess I'll offer a serious response.

Why Wings Fans Shouldn't Be Dreading The Sharks

Yes, we know.

"The Red Wings are old, soft and one-dimensional. Team X's superior speed, size and strength will make short work of them."

It's become quite the trendy opinion, and not without good reason: In past seasons, the Wings have been old and soft, proving themselves incapable of countering the kind of threats this current San Jose squad offers.

That's why the Flames were so openly confident heading into this past series. They believed -- again, with good reason -- that the ever-brittle Wings would crumble under the pressure of Calgary's physical game, would not be able to skate with Calgary's speedy forwards, and would not be able to get anything past Kiprusoff (undoubtedly the best young goalie in the NHL). They made a good argument.

The Wings made a better one.

Old? You wouldn't have known it watching this series. Lidstrom, though shaky here and there, was generally his quietly dominating self, rendering Iginla's line impotent and frustrated for most of the series. Even when he's off his game (which, by the way, is almost never the case), Lidstrom is still the best defenseman in the NHL. Chelios, beyond ancient by this league's standards, never looked out of place with those oh-so-young and oh-so-aggressive Flames forwards. And Hasek, though overshadowed by Kiprusoff's otherworldly play, was fantastic when he needed to be.

Soft? Anything but. The Wings not only responded to the Flames' physical play: They threw it right back in their collective face, hitting everything that moved and never once backing down from a post-whistle scrum. Best of all, this wasn't a two or three-person effort; the whole team was dishing it out, from Bertuzzi to Pavel frickin' Datsyuk of all people. If Sharks fans don't know Daniel Cleary and Johan Franzen now, they certainly will by the time this series is over, whether the Wings win or lose.

Finally, one-dimensional? This Wings team's greatest asset is arguably its versatility. As they demonstrated in this past series, they can compete on every front and in any flavor of play.

This, of course, is not to say the Sharks are mere Flames clones -- far from it. Where the Flames relied on their goalie to keep them in what would have otherwise been a tremendously lopsided sweep, the Sharks can hurt you in many more ways and to a much greater extent. That is to say, this is a much more well-rounded and dangerous club than the one Calgary put on the ice.

And it's going to show.

The second the puck drops on Thursday night at the Joe, the Sharks are going to come hard and fast, and it's not going to let up until the series is over. Ron Wilson is sharp as nails and experienced, and he openly stated almost a week ago that he expected his team to face the Wings in the next round -- so don't expect his troops to ever look as unprepared as Playfair's men did in games 1, 2 and 5. They have an identity and a fundamental approach to their game, and they're going to stick to it. Because it works.

Then again, the Wings have such a strategy of their own. As the Flames will tell you, a big component of it is the element of surprise.

As in the rude awakening kind of surprise.

Very nice argument. Kudos all around

[krudmonk v2.0 0]

I half expect the Sharks to fold up and blow away in a minute, just as they seemingly always do.

[HockeyCrazy3033 168]

I guess I'll offer a serious response.

Why Wings Fans Shouldn't Be Dreading The Sharks

Yes, we know.

"The Red Wings are old, soft and one-dimensional. Team X's superior speed, size and strength will make short work of them."

It's become quite the trendy opinion, and not without good reason: In past seasons, the Wings have been old and soft, proving themselves incapable of countering the kind of threats this current San Jose squad offers.

That's why the Flames were so openly confident heading into this past series. They believed -- again, with good reason -- that the ever-brittle Wings would crumble under the pressure of Calgary's physical game, would not be able to skate with Calgary's speedy forwards, and would not be able to get anything past Kiprusoff (undoubtedly the best young goalie in the NHL). They made a good argument.

The Wings made a better one.

Old? You wouldn't have known it watching this series. Lidstrom, though shaky here and there, was generally his quietly dominating self, rendering Iginla's line impotent and frustrated for most of the series. Even when he's off his game (which, by the way, is almost never the case), Lidstrom is still the best defenseman in the NHL. Chelios, beyond ancient by this league's standards, never looked out of place with those oh-so-young and oh-so-aggressive Flames forwards. And Hasek, though overshadowed by Kiprusoff's otherworldly play, was fantastic when he needed to be.

Soft? Anything but. The Wings not only responded to the Flames' physical play: They threw it right back in their collective face, hitting everything that moved and never once backing down from a post-whistle scrum. Best of all, this wasn't a two or three-person effort; the whole team was dishing it out, from Bertuzzi to Pavel frickin' Datsyuk of all people. If Sharks fans don't know Daniel Cleary and Johan Franzen now, they certainly will by the time this series is over, whether the Wings win or lose.

Finally, one-dimensional? This Wings team's greatest asset is arguably its versatility. As they demonstrated in this past series, they can compete on every front and in any flavor of play.

This, of course, is not to say the Sharks are mere Flames clones -- far from it. Where the Flames relied on their goalie to keep them in what would have otherwise been a tremendously lopsided sweep, the Sharks can hurt you in many more ways and to a much greater extent. That is to say, this is a much more well-rounded and dangerous club than the one Calgary put on the ice.

And it's going to show.

The second the puck drops on Thursday night at the Joe, the Sharks are going to come hard and fast, and it's not going to let up until the series is over. Ron Wilson is sharp as nails and experienced, and he openly stated almost a week ago that he expected his team to face the Wings in the next round -- so don't expect his troops to ever look as unprepared as Playfair's men did in games 1, 2 and 5. They have an identity and a fundamental approach to their game, and they're going to stick to it. Because it works.

Then again, the Wings have such a strategy of their own. As the Flames will tell you, a big component of it is the element of surprise.

As in the rude awakening kind of surprise.

Fantastic post! Well said.

[DetroitNativePride 0]

Why you shouldn't be dredding this series:

No more Kiprusoff. With all due respect to Sharks fans but Evegni Nabokov is no Mikka Kiprusoff. Thaaaaank God.

Is there irony in the fact that Kipper used to be Nabby's BACKUP!?

[two-four 0]

They've been sitting a while and we're fresh from the fight! Rest can be good, but not always.

[clutchngrab 12]

Sharks fans are divided over Nabakov vs. Toskala, as well. They were fairly even during the regular season. Adding Rivet solidified the defense considerably. At that point, Nabakov went on a tear and has been very good ever since. He was excellent in the Predneck series starting in the OT of Game 1. If he maintains that level of play in this series, he won't be the reason the Sharks lose.

What is different from the Sharks you last saw in January:

Good- The defense is much improved. Turnovers are more likely to come from forwards like Rissmiller or Guerin than the defense. Note that the Sharks and Wings both had 199 goals against in the regular season. On offense, the Sharks will probably play rookie Joe Pavelski and scratch Mark Bell. Bill Guerin is new. He has been streaky on offense, at best, and inconsistent defensively.

Bad - The PP that lit up the Wings and has been so good most of the season struggled big time in the last series. When the Sharks played the Wings the PP was red hot. It isn't as good as you probably remember.

Intangibles - The Wings are very good at JLA. The Sharks are a very good road team. The Sharks have to get at least one win on the road to beat the Wings.

Key Player for Sharks - Patrick Marleau. Teams that focus on the Thornton line can shut it down. When that happens the ice opens up for Marleau. Sometimes he is a force, other times he is invisible. How he goes is generally how the Sharks go.

This series should be outstanding. This is the first time the Sharks have had a team that could compete with the Wings in the playoffs. They still need to pull an upset to get past the Wings, though. Lke 1994, Sharks in 7.

My have our own Guerin and his name is Robert Lang.

[FabHckyBbe 2]

They've been sitting a while and we're fresh from the fight! Rest can be good, but not always.

Meh, I dunno. Sure, your guys are fresh from the fight, but they might also be a bit bumped and briused as well -- a little rest right now could have done them a world of good. Our guys might be "rusty" from the layoff, but then again, the Preds series was very physical and I think the rest can only do them good, especially Cheechoo, who almost had his knee blown out courtesy of a filthy knee-on-knee hit by Hartnell in game 1. Cheech was definately skating much slower and worse than usual in games 2-5. I'm hoping the time off will have given him time to heal somewhat so that he can get back to his usual skating prowess (she said, tongue in cheek).

I don't see the layoff for the Sharks as being anything but a positive for them. I expect them to come out raring to go in game one versus the Wings.

Yeah, some of the Sharks fans might be taking the Wings too lightly for Wings fans' tastes, but I guarantee that the Sharks themselves won't be doing this. They know they have a tough row to hoe ahead. I have confidence in my boys.

[clutchngrab 12]

Here is why we shouldn't worry:

The Wings have been getting contributions from everyone. I expect Dats, Zets and Bert to only get better as the playoffs go on.

We are forechecking, hitting, backchecking and swarming better than since '97.

Goaltending is at least a wash if not in favor of Hasek. his will be an even series, but I expect we will win because our best players will be better than theirs.

[Echolalia 2,961]

Interesting tidbit of information:

Besides Hasek's off night, every loss was with Mcdonald or Osgood playing in net. The win came with Hasek.

[teal zebra 0]

The Sharks looked past the Oilers last year. They won't do the same with the Wings this year.

They'll be ready.

[skull 0]

Just for the record, I think that the Sharks let the wrong goalie go. It's something not many Shark fans like to admit, especially after Kippy sent us packing in 2005.

But, at the time, Kipper really gave the Sharks no reason to keep him. He wasn't the best of the three at the time. Regardless, trading him to his former coach should have raised some flags. it didn't.

But, don't discount how well Nabby can play when he is hot. And, he was pretty hot to close out the series.

Both goalies should play well, but I don't really expect either to steal this series.

Also, I don't think most Shark fans are taking the Red Wings lightly. Sure, some are saying it will be an easy series, but I think it's more a sigh of relief of not having to play the Ducks.

Do the Sharks matrch up better with the Wings than the Duck? Maybe not, but we are still shell shocked over a Pronger led team knocking us out of the playoffs in 2006, and we had much more succes against the Wings during the regular season than we did against the Ducks.

But, of course, we should realize as well as anyone that that means squat. The Sharks were only 1-2-1 against the Preds in the regular season.

This should be a great series. Here's to a great match-up.

Go Sharks.

Edited April 24, 2007 by skull