Los Angeles vs. San Jose

[RedLightGoesOn 81]

Tough loss, Jumbo Joe gets a gift.

[Doc Holliday 1,888]

I want to play this team.

Just so I can watch Detroit beat them.

[R-Dizzle 119]

Saw that one coming. LA blew a 5 min PP...fail.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

now we're going to hear all about how clutch jumbo joe is. he was invisible all series until that one moment

Agreed.

Half the time he floats around and lets his teammates go dig out the puck.

[Guest Howard He Do It?!]

A 5 minute PP and you choke. LA deserved to lose.

[10 Minute Misconduct 104]

Well thats what happens when u get 1 chance on a 5 min PP lol

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

The good news for the Wings if they play them is that Niemi is dogs***.

But San Jose's speed will be tough to deal with. Setoguchi, Marleau, Couture.

[stormboy 47]

nucks win: we face san jose.

hawks win: we face nashville.

go...hawks?

[Doc Holliday 1,888]

The good news for the Wings if they play them is that Niemi is dogs***.

But San Jose's speed will be tough to deal with. Setoguchi, Marleau, Couture.

San Jose didn't do jack with that last season until they were on the powerplay.

I like the Wings chances this year.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

San Jose didn't do jack with that last season until they were on the powerplay.

I like the Wings chances this year.

Yeah, unless the Sharks "flipped the switch" I like the Wings chances too.

The Kings could've been ahead in this series, or at least even but blew a 4 goal lead. And they were a young team without much offense and missing their best player in Kopitar. And the Sharks still looked beatable a lot of the time against them.

Edited April 26, 2011 by haroldsnepsts

[Octopus's Garden 147]

nucks win: we face san jose.

hawks win: we face nashville.

go...hawks?

Looks that way ... as much as Detroit struggled with Nashville in the regular season, going Phoenix-Nashville-Chicago/San Jose feels a lot more doable than going Phoenix-San Jose-Vancouver. That 2nd route would be absolutely brutal, both on the ice and in travel.

[Majsheppard 203]

The Sharks are a better team than last year no doubt. Yet the Kings pushed them around, and the Wings are better still. I have to bet that if Chicago wins tomorrow, the Sharks will lose to them.

I don't know what I want.

[R-Dizzle 119]

nucks win: we face san jose.

hawks win: we face nashville.

go...hawks?

I'll never root for the hawks

[McAwesome 754]

nucks win: we face san jose.

hawks win: we face nashville.

go...hawks?

I second that, as much as it turns my stomach I am pulling for the Hawks, mainly because they are exposing Vancouver for what they really are, an overrated team with an overrated goalie and no heart. Nashville will be a tough series, as would San Jose, but we control our own destiny and if we keep playing like we did in the first round, no reason we can't beat anyone remaining in the West, especially with a rested lineup and getting Zetterberg back.

[Octopus's Garden 147]

The Sharks are a better team than last year no doubt. Yet the Kings pushed them around, and the Wings are better still. I have to bet that if Chicago wins tomorrow, the Sharks will lose to them.

I don't know what I want.

I beg to differ on that point, I think the Sharks look more vulnerable than last year ... I'm certainly not afraid that Niemi's going to steal any games and San Jose looked downright mediocre on both ends of the ice in stretches during this L.A. series.

[Trapt1307 81]

I beg to differ on that point, I think the Sharks look more vulnerable than last year ... I'm certainly not afraid that Niemi's going to steal any games and San Jose looked downright mediocre on both ends of the ice in stretches during this L.A. series.

I don't know about more vulnerable, but I don't think they're any better than last year. I would say they're about the same. To me Niemi vs. Nabokov is a wash. The Wings are better though.

It's definitely in the Wings best interest to play Nashville though IMO. I want revenge from last year, but it can wait another round (if both make it).

Nashville is no slouch by any means, but home ice and travel definitely make it more favorable.

Edited April 26, 2011 by Trapt1307

[stormboy 47]

I'll never root for the hawks

i would have said that, too. but the enemy of my enemy is my...well, not friend, but i guess...less hated enemy?

although it would be satisfying to beat san jose. it would also suck dick to lose to them.

[dragonballgtz 273]

I know they say to never pick your poison but I would rather Detroit play Nashville. Rinne hasn't been great and the short travel will be better IMO. The only downside will be TooToo running around out there.

[Grypho 195]

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.

[legaleaglewingsfan 75]

Congrats to the San Jose Diving Team sharks for qualifying to the second round

[Doc Holliday 1,888]

The Sharks are a better team than last year no doubt. Yet the Kings pushed them around, and the Wings are better still. I have to bet that if Chicago wins tomorrow, the Sharks will lose to them.

I don't know what I want.

The Sharks defense is an utter sham.

While the Wings may still have issues on the PK, the Sharks have nothing to stop guys like Datsyuk from putting on a clinic. And Niemi hasn't looked solid at all.

[HankthaTank 1,100]

I shall never root for the Hawks either. We play who we play. Taking the safe route, I know, but really just start the 2nd round already.

[VM1138 1,921]

nucks win: we face san jose.

hawks win: we face nashville.

go...hawks?

At this point I don't care. It'd be cool to see Vancouver lose, but honestly let's not pick our poison. Too many people are thinking Nashville will be a pushover. Either team will be hard for different reasons. So I'll just wait to see who we play and hope the Wings aren't too rusty.

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

OP updated

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

F*** the LA Kings.

If those idiots won, we'd have at least one more day of rest, with game 7 being tomorrow. Also, San Jose would be a tired team if they advanced to the next round to play us.

Now, I just hope Chicago can win, so that they and SJ kill each other. We'd get Nashville, a team with less talent and less travel for us.