As a Sharks Fan, 10 Things to Consider for the Conference Finals

by Advocate on May 15, 2010 9:52 PM PDT

They say the blackhawks are gonna be tough this series… I say they aren’t gonna be tough enough. Here’s my 10 Things to Consider from a Sharks Advocate's perspective…

1. No-Show Joe is now a Regular Joe: Joe Thornton has been good. Not great, not Jumbo, but definitely better than a No-Show, and that ain’t bad. Thorton and the rest of Team Canada line came up big against Detroit, and if they can keep it up Chicago is in a lot of trouble...

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2. Little Joe is Big: Joe Pavelski has become a GI Joe, a Big Pavelski, and this dude abides… No question that the Sharks making it to the Western Conference is in great part thanks to the big play of Pavelski.

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3. Nabby is staying steady: I’d like to compare Nabokov and the Sharks to Osgood and the Red Wings of old; as long as Nabby is good in net, not necessarily great, then the forwards and defensemen can carry the team the rest of the way. Luckily for the Sharks, Nabokov is, as a matter of fact, good enough to steal games and make huge saves, not sure if Niemi is quite there…

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4. Grit throughout the bench: The Sharks weren’t a very physical or tough team in previous postseasons. They’re not a bunch of bullies or killers now, but they differently are made of tougher stuff, willing to dig hard, fight hard, persist and preserver in front of both nets.

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5. Sharks can come-back for the win: I won’t say previous incarnations of the Sharks didn’t try, but these Sharks are succeeding. They came back 5 times before winning game 2 against the Av’s. They came back from down 3-1 against the Red Wings in game 3. Sharks can win no matter who scores first.

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6. The Faceoff: Plenty of others have already observed that the Sharks can win faceoffs, lots of them, and they’ve been making a habit of doing that. Whether you have the guys that can score or if your guys are having a good night, it definitely helps when you start off with the puck more often than not.

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7. Young guys that can contribute: Couture and Helminen have already come up with some big goals, offering a good example of the depth the Sharks have that they didn’t enjoy as much of in previous years.

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8. The attitude: Among players and fans, this year there has been a higher level of commitment to the simple idea that the, "Sharks can do it." This might not seem like much of a strength or advantage, at least in a practical or measurable sort of way, but in the playoffs it makes a big difference if the team has the heart and the belief that makes them able to show up and play hard every night. This year the Sharks have that, and it isn’t something to take lightly.

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9. The Old Label: Most teams and their fans can’t imagine the Sharks not being chokers, not being under-achievers. If the blackhawks are good enough to win this series, their belief (deep down for the players, more on the surface for their fans) that the Sharks will choke and hand them the series will give the Sharks more than enough opportunity to capitalize when the blackhawks aren’t trying hard enough or working as hard as they could.

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10. Desire: The Sharks really do want it this year, and they know they can get it. They’re not going to quit, they’re not going to give up, and they absolutely will not stop until they’ve won it all.

This item was created by a member of this blog's community and is not necessarily endorsed by Fear The Fin.

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Have some respect

CAPITALIZE the Blackhawk’s name, after all they are an original six team…..

not just another expansion wannabee……

by CAHawksFan on May 16, 2010 4:32 PM PDT reply actions

I don’t see a sense of entitlement at all!

Proud member of the "Don't Trade Marleau" club.
Fear the Fin: Where Sharks Fans Aren't Like Other Sharks Fans.

by SharksFanEst.1994 on May 16, 2010 4:58 PM PDT up reply actions

It’s standard practice amongst religious folks to not capitalize Satan, as a sign of disrespect – think of this as the hockey equivalent.

Also, you left off the capital letter of your second sentence. I’ll give you a free pass since it’s actually a fragment, i.e. an incomplete thought. /snark

Fear The Fin = Man goes into cage... Cage goes into salsa... Shark's in the salsa... Our shark.

by Mr. K. on May 16, 2010 10:23 PM PDT up reply actions

"Original Six" are neither, it's an oxymoron

There were only 3 teams that started the NHL, 2 are gone, and one changed their name. That leaves the other 5 as not being “original” , but rather the result of an early expansion of the league. The six teams that are claimed to be “original six” are really leftovers from when the other teams from that early expansion era collapsed, leaving 6 teams leftover. “Original Six” are neither.
This whole thing about “Original Six” is a complete lie believed by those who can’t think for themselves. There are, currently 30 teams in the NHL, so going on and on about the past is a bullshit tactic, aiming to alienate fans of the other 24 teams. It’s almost as annoying as the obsessive-compulsive NHL/CBS/VS Crosby-worship.
And yes, the blackhawks were an expansion team to the NHL at one point!

"Marleau spanks one off the pipe!" --VS Commentator, game 5 vs Det. 20100508
"Nice Save!" --Nabby, to Blake

by Soloact on May 17, 2010 5:20 AM PDT up reply actions

I think many fans of Original Six teams (the narrow-minded ones) forget that as America expanded, so did the population centers. Chicago used to be the second largest city in the US (hence the nickname Second City), but that distinction now belongs to a city 2,000 miles on the opposite end of Route 66. Accordingly, Chicago received its sports teams much sooner than any city in California or any of the points west of the Mississippi.

Is this any reason to gloat? Sure, history is meaningful and something to be revered and respected. I’ve got absolutely nothing against Chicago fans saying their team has a longer history than the Sharks – it’s true, for one thing.

However, the moment they (or Rangers or Red Wings fans, who are actually more guilty in my book) start using that history as an excuse to denigrade fans of younger sports franchises is the moment any reasonable human being should stop paying attention. Ad hominem attacks, especially on a grand, sweeping scale, are the lowest and most ignorant form of debate, if they even constitute part of a proper debate to begin with.

And yes, I did make a form of an ad hominem attack against Original Six fans – so sue me ;-)

Fear The Fin = Man goes into cage... Cage goes into salsa... Shark's in the salsa... Our shark.

by Mr. K. on May 17, 2010 10:28 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

One one note

Interesting points will be interesting to see how they play out.

As for the “Original Six”, well I still refer DeToilet as SCUM, but I do always Capitalize SCUM/Scum (as well as Satan). You are not wrong in in fact their were “NHL” teams before the Original Six, but it is also recognized that the Original Six finally setup the Professional Hockey structure that evolved into today. Being “An Original” is a big deal, and the whole Franchise takes tremendous pride in that, and the whole Hawk Heritage (many fans would prefer to forget the later Dollar Bill days though).

As for entitlement, well some fans are more vocal than other, but at this stage I would fully expect all fans whose team is still playing to be confident they can do it. You want to talk about more hard core Hawks Fans, no sense of entitlement, dedication and hard work, it will get you what you want, but knowing a lack of it, and it all falls apart. That is not entitlement, that is just confidence.

Get off my Land!
ART.I§8-11; AM I-XXVII
James Madison is my Hero!

by Toews-makes-funny-faces on May 17, 2010 5:15 PM PDT reply actions