But Sharks fans are worried about the regular season now in light of the playoff standings – we want first seed at all cost, if possible. Swisher mentioned yesterday that the Sharks need to go 9-4 in their last 13 to have a 50% chance of getting the #1 spot (currently held by Detroit, of course). This might be a big part of the 180 shift you’re seeing.

It could also be that the phrase “the regular season doesn’t matter” is meant to refer to the part of the year not immediately preceeding the postseason. The level of play we’re seeing now is a decent barometer of our focus – i.e. it’s not there. We have less than a month before the quarterfinals begin, which is enough time to turn things around on the ice. Hopefully we’ll finally see the return of Torrey Mitchell, along with our other injured vets.

Still, it IS the playoffs that truly matter. But that doesn’t mean we’re fine with the last games of the regular season being a suck-fest.

I try to stay away from the AMGPOSTSEASONFAIL talk because we’re not there yet. I do think every one of the 82 regular season games matter, as they set you up for a position (or lack thereof) in the post season. The top seed is sort of a mental success for the Sharks and their fans. We could then say with confidence we were the best in the regular season. Bragging rights. It might matter a little too much, but that’s how it is. We’re a sensitive lot after all.

I think it’s mostly a reaction to a) the Sharks hard fall back to earth or b)the fears of the coming post season taunts. Perhaps a bit of both. The fact of the matter is, you can get the President’s Trophy and bow out in round 1. I think we’re all just a little terrified that that could happen. (or round 2 or round 3…Face it Sharks fans, unless they get the Cup, those taunts will still come. Honestly, they’ll be there even when we do with a Cup. It’s how it is)

a guy here at work and I were sorta talking bout this earlier today … we were talking bout how the Sharks were playing lately and how annoyed we were … and I mentioned that really, it doesn’t matter, but what does matter is that we get the Cup. But I added, it would be cool if we could also have home advantage all the way thru.

Then there is the whole mental health the players have going into the playoffs. If they are in a slump going into the playoffs, will that influence their playoff game? I think that is a concern for the fans.

GO SHARKS!

I agree with you that fans at the beginning of the season only stated that the playoffs were important, but now that we’re struggling that goes out the window. It’s stupid and its a downhill spiral basically. What matters is that we clinched our division and that we’re guaranteed a spot.

NO INJURIES PLEAAAAAAAASE! – and I hope we beat the Preds tonight and face them in the playoffs and kick their you know whats!

As much as I hate to see another forward go down, especially one as good as Clowe has been this year, I think the lines Mac had them practicing with today could be very beneficial to getting the Sharks moving again. I expect to Cheech on the top-line will motivate Joe and Patty to start working a bit harder when they see Cheech (hopefully) seizing this opportunity to regain form with hard work and plenty of net-crashing.

Seto with Pavs and Milan has plenty of skill to be productive but not enough pure ability (at their current developmental levels) to allow for any complacency. Seto needs to see that playing with good players helps you be great, but it still takes the work and drive and desire to ‘productive’ (for him this is goals, goals, goals).

Moen, Goc and McGinn looks like a 3rd line that we’ve desperately needed lately. None of them are gonna go out and score a hat trick or anything, but these three have been arguably our three hardest workers lately and they do possess the skill to pot goals. Goc’s work around the net and in the corners has been excellent as of late and both McGinn and Moen will crash the net and grind it out themselves.

The 4th line (or extra pieces really) still lacks structure, but both Shelley and Staubitz have tried hard to be effective however they can and Vesce knows that he isn’t getting any younger, is coming off as strong a season as a non-drafted free agent could hope for in the AHL. I wouldn’t mind seeing him get a chance to play with some offensive players (double-shift one of our centers with Vesce as a roving wing and Shelley parked in front).

Plenty of incentive and opportunity tonight for all 4 forward lines tonight. If we can keep the game simple, drive the net and be responsible with the fore and back-checking, I don’t see why we can’t start finding success again.

We all want the fins to have the best record, have home ice for the playoffs but I think the thing that is disturbing to the fanbase is that right now we are doing stuff that we have avoided all year (giving up 3rd period leads, lack of pp production, lackadaisical passing (reminds me of last year) et al.

Speaking for myself, I could live with the Sharks giving up home ice in the playoffs if I saw that the momentum that they skate in to the playoffs with showed that they had their EDGE back….the edge that made them so exciting and potent during the regular season.

As is stands currently, the effort and results that I am seeing of late reminds me (and obviously others on this board) all too much of past seasons where we fell short in the playoffs.

If that happens again this year, this season was like a date with a hot chick…you think you’re gonna get lucky, but all you get is a bad case of blueballs

Now who are you people? ;-)

because once the playoffs start, it doen’t matter how well you did, what matters is what you do in the game your playing.

but when your team is playing like a pile of shit when the playoffs are about to begin, then we start to worry.

sharksfanshumbledbecauseofearlyplayoffexitsophobia

@ Mr. K and the rest….

GeeEssDub is my handle – mostly hang out on GSOM, but have a long history of Shark love. My pops sprung for season tix for the innaugural season at the Cow Palace back in the day and the love affair has grown steadily since.

Link Gaetz, I cheered him on and I remember when he got his first DUI in San Mateo.

I was watching when the Sharks upset the Wings in round 1 in 93-94, I was a fan when we seemed to always get beat down by those tough Avs teams with Roy and friends. I laughed out loud when Nolan made the half court shot against the blues in the playoffs, etc, etc, etc….

Not that I need y’alls acceptance but I earned my Shark lovers card early on. Just a little late to the party here at FTF.

Looking forward to yukkin it up with all you fine Hockey fans.

ps- ang6666 sorry for the coarse language, it seemed to be a vivid way to describe our collective want for something greater than our history has provided with this hockey club

Peace,
GeeEssDub