This is one of those posts that hurts to write.

You think about mailing it in at first, alter that original idea and consider doing a breakdown of this magnitude, only to finally decide that just shooting the shit will help ease the painful realization that the Sharks won't be showing up on your television screen for another four months.

You make a joke based off the stereotypes surrounding Philadelphia citizens...

The United Center may be called The Madhouse, but the Wachovia Center likely deserves that nomiker considering Philadelphia's long history of mental issues.

...only to realize its not as funny when you inform the reader a subpar attempt at humor is coming down the tracks. Finally, you decide to begin the next paragraph with a transitional phrase in order to keep the article (which you already botched from the outset) moving along to it's eventual conclusion.

At any rate, the NHL released their final schedule late last night, and here is what we have on the docket for the final playoff series of 2010-- damn near breaks your heart to realize hockey is finally coming to a close:

The convenient storyline of the series, and the one that is probably on point, will be Philadelphia's strength versus the Hawks speed. If Philadelphia can stay strong in the corners and try to wear down Chicago's blueliners, they have a pretty good chance of stealing a few games throughout the series.

Continue reading this post »

Following their fourth straight loss against the Chicago Blackhawks, the Sharks will catch a plane to San Jose tonight and wonder just how it all got away. A season of promise erased in four quick games. A series that was closer than the sweep will indicate, a series with three games decided by a single goal. A couple of bounces that just didn't manage to break their way.

Alas, the history books only smile upon the victors. The farther time travels away from today, the more this will haunt our very dreams. Days will punch and bleed into weeks. Months will trickle by as we sleep.

We're still only halfway home.

Breaking down today's game in one form or another is fruitless-- there are no critiques left that hold any type of value tomorrow, because there will be no tomorrow for the current manifestation of this organization. Certain players will enter free agency and pursue lands across North America where the grass is greener, while others will join the fray to bring the Stanley Cup to San Jose.

As mentioned before the series, Chicago was likely the better team on paper. And after witnessing the immense skill they exhibited during the course of the last four games, it's hard to find anything to really dispute that. The defense was stellar, the forwards were faster, the goaltending was magnificent. They capitalized on their chances, and despite giving up plenty of their own, refused to break.

Hats off to the Hawks-- it's a helluva team, and one helluva fanbase. Second City Hockey and the guys from HockeeNight are prime examples of funny, informed, and classy individuals who handle their business like gentleman.

As for San Jose, the questions will continue to crop up as to whether or not they deserve the choker label or not.

These questions have no merit.

It's going to be a big offseason for Doug Wilson as he attempts to improve the team with a limited amount of salary cap space, but after a solid playoff run the organization put together, there should be no doubt that this team had what it took to win in terms of intangibles. They were a proud and resilent cast, shaking the demons of game three against Colorado to fight back and eventually win the series. They took the fight to their historical nemesis Detroit and dispatched them in five games, cementing their place as one of the Western Conference's elite teams.

Between the ears, this group is fine. The fact is that they just got beat by a better team, top to bottom. There is no real shame in that, especially when one considers that three of those losses were tight affairs that could have gone either way. Maybe if Nabokov makes an extra save, maybe if Dany Heatley isn't playing on one leg, maybe if Joe Pavelski hadn't regressed to his normal level of play, maybe if Niclas Wallin had cleared a couple more pucks, maybe if Dan Boyle had gotten another couple shots through traffic, maybe if a bounce went this way or that, maybe if, maybe if.

The maybe's will ride shotgun through July, take the exit with us through the long summer doldrums of August, chip in for gas money during September. And once October hits, Mr. Maybe will hop into the backseat with all of the other luggage the organization has accrued over the last eighteen seasons, burning a hole in the back of everyone's head.

We will not rest until a Stanley Cup comes home to San Jose. For today, despite this blackened and burned husk of a heart that pumps burning oil through my veins, I am extremely proud to be a Sharks fan. This group of guys gave everything they had out there, and no amount of tears will change the fact that sweat is the only salt which will get them to where they want to be. Congratulations to the Sharks for a successful season, no matter what the pundits may say.

To all FTF readers, thank you for your service during the course of this year. It truly is a remarkable group of individuals we have here on this site, and I speak for all of the writers here when I say that we wouldn't bust our ass for twelve months out of the year without your feedback and discussion. All hands on deck this offseason, because we're going to need it.

A rough offseason plan is coming later this week. It's too early to think rationally about tangible improvements today when the pain is still fresh. I think I may need a sponsor.

Either that or a stiff drink.

God save us all. It's time to say goodbye.

Go Sharks.

@ 12:00 PST

I'm probably not the best person to be writing gameday today. After the Sharks dropped the first two games at home I had a hard time finding any positives in the situation, and despite TCY's excellent post on keeping the faith, had to stay away from the comments-- it was a whole lot of fist-pumping optimism, a whole lot of smiles.

I guess I just couldn't relate.

Then game three happened. Heartbreaking on so many levels. The Sharks played well, as they have for large segments of this series, but were unfortunately unable to capitalize on their chances. Whether that has to do with Chicago's defensive presence in front of the crease, Antti Niemi's general brilliance between the pipes, or a little bit of both, it was frustrating to see Dustin Byfuglien (of all freaking people) put the game on ice in overtime after San Jose had thrown everything they could at the Blackhawks.

It's readily apparent this series has been closer than the 3-0 lead indicates, and I guess on some level the Sharks were due-- it's eerily similar to Detroit beforehand, where a couple big goals and defensive breakdowns ended up tilting the scoreboard one team's way, and maybe in the eyes of the Hockey Gods the bounces had to even out or something. I don't really know. Expecting any sort of in-depth analysis from me today is fruitless.

All I'm really aware of is how proud I am of this team for a relatively solid season. If they manage to dig deep and deliver a win tonight, I fully expect to be headed to the United Center for a game six, and that's a great opportunity for the franchise to put their stamp on something special. You get to that point and now you're looking at a home and home, with both matches definitely winnable.

We'll hear this so many times over the course of the next week, but it really is just one game at a time. If we can assume that the Sharks have a 50-50 shot at winning tonight, all they need is the coin to come up heads at noon, grab a plane, and get back to flipping once again. Each game is an independent event with this approach, so pay no attention to the fact that four in a row is what will be required. It starts tonight, and that is the only thing that should worry our pretty little heads.

The effort has been there for the most part-- of course there are going to be nitpickings and complaints, hell even after wins there are more than enough to go around, but this team has legitimately put their careers on the line out there. Marleau rebounded from a so-so game two (despite notching a pair of goals) and did a lot of great things yesterday with the puck, moving his feet and driving hard to the net. Joe Thornton has played like a bull with his balls roped. Dan Boyle is a guy you never have to worry about, Nabokov looked pretty damn good in game three, and the role players all played their roles.

They haven't folded like a house of cheap cards.

It's just a matter of capitalizing. And even though a lot of things are going to have to break right for San Jose (and, concurrently, break against Chicago), there's always that glimmer of hope waiting down past the echoes of this dark tunnel. Tonight gets us one small step closer to swimming in the bliss that has evaded us during the last three games.

Godspeed San Jose. Burn down the United Center tonight. We're not quite ready to head to the golf course just yet.

Prediction: Sharks win 4-1. Goals by McGinn, Boyle, Pavelski, and Setoguchi. Niemi finally cracks, and The Tank gets ready to rock.

Go Sharks.

Most Sharks fans remember where they were sitting the moment Branden Morrow scored the goal to end the Sharks season in the 4th overtime of Game 6 against the Stars two years ago. In the same way, we may remember where we were when the overtime of Game 3 of this series against the Blackhawks ended. 

Before the the shock of that moment, there was the game, and it really could have ended differently. 

San Jose Sharks arrived to Chicago well aware of the dangerous situation they put themselves in due to the previous two games. "I think it's probably a ‘must win' game for both teams," Joe Thornton said. "They win, they get a stranglehold on the series. We win, we're back in the series."

This mindset translated into how the Sharks started the game. There was no waiting to get chances on a counter attack, there was no trying to put up any storms. The Sharks began the game with as much urgency as we have ever seen in this post season and they did earn the first power play of the night as a result of the interference on the goalie penalty taken by David Bolland, as he ran into Nabokov while driving the net. 

Power play has been one of the brighter spots for the Sharks in this series, and it seemed to have worked early on again, as Pavelski put the puck past Niemi. But the referees decided to review the goal, and after watching the replays concluded that the puck went into the net off Pavelski's skate and he did not touch it with his stick before it went in. The video replay confirmed the call on the ice. 

Both teams traded chances for the remainder of the first period, but both goaltenders were playing at their best and the score remained tied at 0-0 going into the second.  

The next period started in the similar fashion - the Sharks coming right out of the gate and keeping the puck in the Blackhawks' zone for the first couple of minutes of the game. While the Blackhawks again withstood the pressure, they could not keep themselves out of the penalty box, and this time the Sharks earned a 90-second 5-on-3 power play opportunity, as Bolland and Hossa were sent to the penalty box. The Sharks had two faceoffs during that period, and won both, keeping the puck in the zone and passing the puck to open shooters. Just when it started to seem like the Sharks were making too many passes and taking too few shots, Patrick Marleau emerged in front of the net, and put the puck in the top corner above Niemi's glove. 

Chicago decided to take over the game before San Jose put another goal on the board, and this time it was Logan Couture with a slashing penalty in the offensive zone that put them on a power play. A minute later, it was another brilliant moment for emerging super-star Jonathan Toews, as he passed the puck past several players in front of Nabokov and created an open net opportunity for Patrick Sharp, who didn't waste it. That play made me wonder how the history of hockey might have been different today, had St Louis Blues not taken Erik Johnson or Pittsburgh Penguins not selected Jordan Staal in front of Toews in the 2006 NHL Draft. But the history is what it is, and the Sharks no longer had the lead. 

Continue reading this post »

@ 5:00 PST

Working in Downtown San Jose, I'm subject to a lot of casual Sharks fans.

You know the kind. The people who think Tim Kawakami and Mark Purdy write about the Sharks all year long. The people who are quick to jump on the bandwagon, but even quicker to leap off. The people who throw around words like heartless, gutless, and chokers. 

Makes me sick.

It's tough being around those people, because they're the people who jumped off the train when Dan Boyle chipped one past Nabokov, only to climb back on as the team beat Colorado in six and then Detroit in five. 

In my opinion, that's why it's tough to be a Sharks fan. Because everywhere you look, there's someone turning their back to the team, writing them off after a two game losing streak against one of the best teams in the league.

Hell, I'm as disappointed as the next guy (or girl). Falling down 2-0 in the series at home isn't the way I wanted this to happen, but it's the reality we're faced with. But instead of joining the pack of calloused Sharks fans, I find myself in the minority: one which believes that the Sharks can recover from a two game deficit to rally and defeat the Blackhawks. Call it faith.

My prophet? Dan Boyle. A man who many believed should have been captain showed once again that he is the heart and soul of this team, leading a closed door meeting after a game two loss and throwing some pretty heavy quotes at the media this week. For everyone who claims that this team "doesn't care" or "doesn't have the heart", look no further than number 22.

Now, words aren't going to win any games, and I think the Sharks understand that. There are a laundry list of things that went wrong in game two: stupid penalties, shoddy defense, sub par goaltending, lack of physicality, facing a hot goaltender and little to no flow in the offensive zone. Those are all problems, though, that the Sharks have been able to overcome during the season and the playoffs. And looking at how well they played in game one, there is no reason that the Sharks can't right their game and steal two in Chicago. 

That's where it starts, though. If the Sharks drop game three, there is little to no chance of coming back (unless you expect another Philadelphia type miracle). 

I think the Sharks know that. But even if they don't win game three, I won't count them out until all opportunities have expired. Maybe that puts me in the minority, but I really don't care. I just spent the majority of the night getting sloshed with my grandma. 

Prediction: Sharks win 5-2. Goals by Boyle (x2) and one each from the HTML. 

Go Sharks.

The Sharks dropped to 0-5 all-time in HP Pavilion during the Western Conference Finals tonight, succumbing to a quick Blackhawks team that managed to capitalize on their opportunities throughout the course of the sixty minute affair.

The tale of the tape was similar to game one-- the Sharks came out strong and put the pressure on Antti Niemi during the first period, but the Finnish goaltender once again proved his critics wrong and managed to make eleven stops in the period to stonewall San Jose. After that the Blackhawks carried the play for the majority of the game, with brief pockets of Sharks chances falling to the wayside under a steady Chicago defensive presence in front of the net.

Patrick Marleau had a pair of goals for the Sharks. Andrew Ladd, Dustin Byfuglien, Jonathan Toews, and Troy Brouwer chipped in for the Blackhawks during the 4-2 victory.

Goaltender Evgeni Nabokov, who was victimized on at least two bad goals, made 18 saves in the affair; his counterpart across the ice slammed the door shut with 25 of his own.

The first period began with a 2 on 1 for Chicago, as an errant dump-in was gobbled up by Patrick Kane. Kane sprung Toews and Byfuglien on a two on one into the Sharks zone as Dan Boyle made an ill-advised line change with the puck headed up the ice. Douglas Murray was able to make a strong play on Toews due to Byfuglien's lack of skating ability, and the chance was averted.

San Jose's first great opportunity of the game came six minutes in, after the fourth line (who looked great tonight in their increased minutes) threw their body around in the offensive zone and allowed the second line to come in for a quick change to capitalize on a tired group of Hawks. Ryane Clowe sent a centering pass to the front of the net where Devin Setoguchi, who had leveled Chicago defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson seconds beforehand, was stymied by a magnificient kick save in tight to keep the score knotted at zero.

Continue reading this post »

@ 7:00 PST

Following a game one loss, the gut reaction of a fanbase is to seek out certain aspects of a team's play and focus on the negatives when discussing what went wrong. That wasn't the case in the Sharks locker room however, as the team focused on the majority of things that went correctly, while citing a couple areas in which they could improve.

We've covered the dangerous Chicago transition game pretty heavily over the last week, and Todd McLellan mentioned that the Sharks may have been helping to fuel it during game one. What he was referencing of course was the giveaway count-- 20 to 9 in favor of the Blackhawks, with twelve of those coming in San Jose's defensive zone. While this isn't an area of the ice that "fuels the transition game", I think we can all agree that turning the puck over in your own end is the one that is fraught with the most peril in terms of giving up an offensive opportunity.

The positive in these numbers is that the Sharks managed to control their self imposed damage for the most part-- Chicago generated eight shots on net immediately following a giveaway, with only four of them requiring a Nabokov save. Of the remaining bids, three were blocked by San Jose and one was sent wide.

Todd McLellan also responded to a question from Drew Remenda asking about Dany Heatley who, with two goals in his last eighteen games, is going to be counted on to begin scoring. McLellan admitted as much by stating, "He does have to find a way to put the puck in the net, especially on the power play. That's what he's here for. That's what we believe he can do."

As we mentioned during the Detroit series, expecting Joe Pavelski to continue (what was) a goal per game scoring pace was probably unreasonable considering his 23.3% shooting percentage at the time, especially when compared to his career percentage of 10.2%. Pavelski of course has gone goalless in his last four games.

On a side note, "goalless" is a weird looking word that I have no intention of using ever again.

However, the same goes for Heatley-- he's currently at 5.6% this postseason compared to a 15.7% career mark, and saw some excellent chances yesterday to bang the twine. Whether or not he finally lights the lamp is purely guesswork considering the small sample we have to work with going forward, but I don't think it's out of line to think that a shooter such as Heatley will begin to score as we get deeper into this series.

As long as the top line can stop the bleeding in their own end however. As expected, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook saw a heavy amount of time against HTML Sunday afternoon, and while the top line got their chances at even strength, they were outshot fairly heavily in their own end overall. It's nothing new during this postseason, as all four players who have played large minutes on the top line (HTML & Mitchell) are floating near or in the minus category of goals and shots against. It is an area that needs to be improved if the Sharks expect to rebound and tie this series, because as good as they can be in the offensive zone, games are going to be tight enough where defensive responsibility is going to play just as big of a role.

Speaking of which, San Jose is facing a near must-win on home ice heading into tonight, similar to game two against Colorado a month ago. No matter how average Chicago has been at home during the postseason, it's imperative the Sharks figure out how to generate results tonight. There were a lot of positives in game one as we mentioned in our recap, but this time of year is when putting pucks in the back of the net is the only thing that matters. Continuing to pound the net with 40+ shots is a great start, but capitalizing on those power play chances when the differential is so high will go a long way when even strength play is going to be tight.

Keys to the game are similar to Sunday-- San Jose did a lot of things right during the first period yesterday and parts of the remaining forty minutes. It's just taking those things and adding a bit more jam (whether it be elevating shots, getting bodies to the net, or simply getting a fortuitous bounce during a scoring chance) into the equation in order to get where they want to go.

Prediction: Sharks win 4-3. Goals by Heatley, Clowe (x2), and Boyle. Joel Quenneville and the HP Pavilion penalty box attendant compare their killer mustaches, and come to the conclusion that neither compares to what we'll be seeing in Red Dead Redemption this week. Or Amstel Light commercials for that matter.

Go Sharks.

Antti Niemi had one of the best games of his career, and prevented San Jose from capturing the first game of the Western Conference finals at home. 

The Sharks retreated back to the style of play seen in the first few games against the Colorado Avalanche, having issues with the opposition's speed and giving up on the relentless forecheck that equaled a series win against the Detroit Red Wings. However, San Jose was able to pepper Antti Niemi with shots, putting 45 pucks at the Chicago netminder. Where many thought that Niemi would have trouble with the skill of the San Jose forwards, he played admirably and made some sparkling saves throughout the game. Surprisingly, it was the defense in front of Niemi that was porous, as many of the shots allowed were from good scoring areas. They were, though, able to clear second opportunities from the crease. The play of Niemi, and the lack of second opportunities, spelled disaster in game one for the Sharks.

On the other side of the ice, Evgeni Nabokov played a good game himself, but allowed a goal to Patrick Sharp in the second period on a tipped shot from the point that he would probably like to have back. The goal scored by Dustin Byfuglien was not Nabokov's fault, but instead the result of broken coverage off a face off. The Sharks defense had some issues with the speed of Chicago (like they did against Colorado), but more with Chicago's proficiency on the cycle. The Blackhawks showed why they're so dangerous on offense, but credit to the forwards for assisting in the defensive responsibilities. 

On the positive side, the Sharks did play well against one of the best defensive units in the game; the 45 shots taken is an impressive total, as it's the most allowed by the Blackhawks in these playoffs by 10. Yes, the Sharks gave up a good amount of shots as well, but Nabokov didn't have to make as many difficult saves as Niemi, and most of those shots were during yet another second period where the Sharks fell victim to a lull. The Sharks dominated play in the first and for much of the third; you have to believe that they will be able to solve Niemi going forward in the series.

Another plus: the Sharks were able to continue drawing penalties. San Jose grabbed five man advantage opportunities during the game and didn't take a single penalty in 60 minutes. As the trend continues, you have to think that San Jose's advantage in this department is more a factor of their play and discipline than anything else. The 20% success rate is troubling, but the special teams unit looked good and dealt with the speed of Chicago's killers throughout the game. It would have been nice if Bolland served the penalty he took against Setoguchi, but that's nitpicking. The Sharks have to capitalize.

There's not much more to be said about the game, it was a solid match by both teams and Sharks fans can take many positives out of the game, even though they ultimately lost. The Sharks can build upon the effort put forth in game one, but have some adjustments to make. First, they have to step up the physical game against Chicago, punishing their smallish defense in the same fashion that they did against Detroit. Second, they have to be more aware defensively in all situations, as Chicago showed they can score from any part of the zone. Third, they need to capitalize. 

Even with the loss, the Sharks should have a good amount of confidence from this game. They'll come out a bit more desperate and hopefully that translates into a few more pucks getting behind Niemi.