Takes and trash talk from both ALL sides of the NHL's most obscure PATHETIC* rivalry

* Thanks, Kevin Lowe!

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

This is not gloating (except to Cory Sarich)

I'll put up a Sharks/Stars preview in the coming days, and my only real analysis for what happened in Game 7 is that the Sharks actually came to play. What I mean by that is:

-Evgeni Nabokov was huge when he needed to be.
-In general, the defense contained Calgary well.
-Joe Thornton looked more like his usual self, controlling the boards and the puck with his usual confidence.
-Patrick Marleau, though scoreless, worked harder than I think I've ever seen him, causing a few great scoring chances with his speed, killing penalties, and killing time off the clock with work down in Calgary's zone that frankly I never thought I'd see from the guy. One Calgary reporter said that Patty only had one good game, but I disagree; other than Game 6, which was awful in every facet, I couldn't question Patty's effort or intensity the entire series. Had he had some bounces go his way (see below for more on bounces), he could have easily had another 3 or 4 points this series.
-Brian Campbell, while still not looking great, had one awesome shift where he guarded Jarome Iginla almost like a basketball play. For that play, Iginla's back was mostly to Campbell as Soupy basically boxed him out and forced Iginla to back up.
-Jeremy Roenick. 'Nuff said from this JR fanboy.
-Great efforts by young guys like Joe Pavelski and Devin Setoguchi, both creating plays and working hard on the forecheck.
-Hell, even Milan Michalek looked like he woke up and actually used his speed.

I don't know if it was mentioned on the TV broadcast, but from where I was sitting, it looked like Jonathan Cheechoo wasn't on the bench for the last 10 minutes of the period. I'm guessing that he might have gone in for some minor repairs and Ron Wilson was playing it safe since his team was rolling by that time. Hopefully, he'll be 100% come Friday.

Cheechew told me he thinks the problem with Brian Campbell may be a wrist injury. He suggests this only after noticing that Campbell protected one arm during a goal celebration. If that's true, that explains a ton.

As for the Flames, I am absolutely relieved that I won't have to see Dion Phaneuf or Jarome Iginla until next season. With those two guys going apeshit every shift, I can't imagine how scary Calgary would be if their defense and secondary scoring actually woke up.

Now, I know when you lose an emotional series, there's usually some denial and whining going on. Here's a great stupid quote from one Cory Sarich:

"The third one goes right to Roenick, where no one even has a chance to put a stick on him. It's frustrating when you think you're doing a good job and you end up with a couple going in your net on, I won't say . . . yes, I will say it -- questionable bounces."

Ok, now I've heard of questionable calls by the officials and questionable plays made by players who weren't thinking straight, but I've never heard of anyone complaining about questionable bounces. I mean, isn't the whole idea behind a bounce in sports is that they're unpredictable and can go other way? Like if a puck goes in off Jarome Iginla's leg (as it has during this series) or if the puck lands by Jeremy Roenick? That's just sports. It's not affected by anyone's judgment, be it the official or someone on the ice -- it's just the puck hitting something and landing in a certain place, whether good or bad for your team.

Mr. Sarich, I leave you with a little nugget of wisdom from Carl Jung: There's no such thing as luck, only what you make. I suggest you think about that while you're checking out the golf course.

16 comments:

Kent W. said...

Well, it was a fun series (up until that last putrid game). Sharks looked like the superior team last night for sure. Good luck going forward.

Cheechew said...

I love how Sarich is whining about bounces when almost every Calgary goal was off a Flames' ass, stick shaft or skate (I mean you Nolan)

Anonymous said...

Thanks, metrognome. That's all class.

It was a tough series, no doubt. Your team just doesn't quit. The Flames are a 1st/2nd line scorer away from scaring the hell out of the rest of the West.

Anonymous said...

I give credit to Nolan for that crafty move. He knows he can't kick it, yet if he slides his body towards the post, any rebound will might go off Nolan's body and into the net. How else would you explain his feet entering the net?

Anonymous said...

re: Nolan I'm actually surprised the it was called a goal, since he pretty clearly moved his foot toward the goal post. I guess it wasn't distinct enough.

Nolan came to play this series, yeah? The Flames should hire somebody to just constantly piss him off before games.

RudyKelly said...

Re: The Nolan goal

What the fuck is wrong with you people? He didn't kick that in at all.

Re: The series win

Congratulations, guys. I think you have a very good chance against the Stars; unlike another California team, you match up well against them.

Earl Sleek said...

What the fuck is wrong with you people? He didn't kick that in at all.

Agreed. It was just a hard charge to the net with a lot of purpose, but I thought it was a fantastic G7 goal.

I think you have a very good chance against the Stars; unlike another California team, you match up well against them.

Plus I think the Ducks knocked Phillipe Boucher out of the series; unlike Anaheim, I think the Sharks can exploit that.

Anonymous said...

Agreed. It was just a hard charge to the net with a lot of purpose, but I thought it was a fantastic G7 goal.

No doubt. That was all will and follow-through (Milan! You paying attention here?). He didn't do a soccer kick or anything, but in the replays you can see him move his leg out to redirect the puck toward the net. Usually players don't stick their leg out to hit the goal post and potentially blow out a knee.

I don't have a problem with the refs calling that a goal, btw. I was just surprised it wasn't reviewed longer.

RudyKelly said...

...but in the replays you can see him move his leg out to redirect the puck toward the net.

Or he was trying to stop.

I was disappointed he didn't call his shot.

Unknown said...

It wasn't a kick, but it was a definite "steering" of the puck with his skate. Nolan's eyes were locked into his skate to hit the puck. Gotta give him credit though, aside from Iginla, the most dangerous forward on the Flames bench.

I was going to make the same point that Cheechew made. I still didn't get a look at Primeau's goal, but it seemed to have just "questionably" bounced off him.

But turning to truly questionable subject matter: How bad was the reffing last night? Rismiller was whistled for high sticking from a mile away.

Earl Sleek said...

But turning to truly questionable subject matter: How bad was the reffing last night?

Probably could have been better, but I think today this complaint is better voiced by Capital fans.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sqb. said...

It didn't even go off his skate. It went off his leg.

Direct the criticism where it belongs--the Sharks gave up another breakaway, Nabby directed the rebound right back to Nolan, and a total geezer player just about owned the Sharks this series.

"He kicked it in"....give me a break.

walkinvisible said...

though (admittedly) fairly quiet in G7, i have to say i'm thoroughly impressed with ryane clowe (aside from the fact that he misspells his own name), and wanted to point out his absence from your list of notables.

best of luck against the stars.
boo ribeiro till his ears bleed, then make him wiggle around on the ice in actual pain for a change (not just wussy pretend pain).

Unknown said...

"He kicked it in"....give me a break.

If he didn't kick it in, can you explain why he didn't just skate away from the net safely instead of letting his foot drag into the edge of the net?

I suspect that Nolan probably said something to this effect to Nabby during their extended handshake, "Hey, I know that goal was bs, but it's Game 7. Gotta take it anyway you can get it. blah blah blah. Get Dallas for me. blah blah blah."

Britannia Arms after the game.
http://photos-a.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v236/182/114/3611415/n3611415_37724920_9439.jpg

Ang said...

At the end of the day, kicked in or not, Sharks still won. And really, isn't that what matters?