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

* Thanks, Kevin Lowe!

Thursday, May 01, 2008

Jekyll and Hyde or is it Heckle and Jeckle?


I have given up trying to figure out this team. Before game 4 I didn't have any grand illusions of any miraculous comeback. All I asked for was a good effort and play for PRIDE. If you were going to go down, go down fighting...or at least competing in the corners. Through the first half of the game it looked like more of the previous 3 games, losing battles in the corner, can't get the puck out of our own zone, stupid passes. The worst had to be Seto's great centering pass to Lehtinen for the 1st goal. At that point I was done. Ron Wilson was going to be fired, there would be massive player movement, the Sharks would be known as a great regular season but chokers in the playoffs. Then something happened, don't ask me what it was, it just did. Zubov made like a Sharks D-man and coughed up the puck and Patty scored. Then I thought "great, now you guys are getting my hopes up again just to come crashing down in the 3rd." Then once again something happened to start the 3rd period. A different team came out.. and played like.. well the Sharks. The puck was leaving the zone, players were fighting for possession in the corners, Ribeiro and Morrow were being pressured, Grier looked like well..Mike F'ing Grier.

Now believe me, I am not thinking this has changed everything and we are going to steamroll Dallas 3 straight. This all could go for naught if we come out and lay another egg tomorrow, but as Sharks radio guy Jamie Baker said, "all you want to do is plant a tiny seed of doubt in Dallas' mind. Winning game 5 would plant another and put all the pressure back on them for game 6. Ron Wilson lives for another day.

Sleek/Rudy: Feel free to update the picture. I felt like adding player's heads but could not figure out who would be Heckle and who would be Jeckle.

[Sleek Edit: I'm not touching that cartoon; I think it's best left to the reader to fill in. However, the Sharks' win was the subject of today's PuckToon at Fanhouse. Enjoy!]

15 comments:

Earl Sleek said...

Zubov made like a Sharks D-man and coughed up the puck and Patty scored.

Heh, I like how the Stars aren't making mistakes; they're just having Shark moments.

Well played last night, though I'm still worried about the Sharks. The Stars won't be held to one goal most nights; somehow the SJ offense needs a revival, and soon.

Anonymous said...

Last night was the first night the enigmatic Zubov didn't "ying-yang" himself by balancing out his mistake.

Game 2 - hooking penalty which leads to SJ goal. Later comes back and makes THE pass of the playoffs to Modano for the GW goal.

Game 3 - flub causes the shorty for Patty. Zubie then scores on PP to open the 3rd period.

Game 4 - flub for Patty shorty, then....nothing.

No redemption. So it is therefore my prediction he will play a role in the next big goal for the Stars - the goal that may be the icing.

Mike said...

Well played last night, though I'm still worried about the Sharks.

Your good will towards the Sharks is astounding. I'm certain I couldn't muster up such feelings of charity if the Ducks were still in and the Sharks out.

Whether that makes you a better man than I or a hopeless wuss, I haven't yet decided.

Earl Sleek said...

Your good will towards the Sharks is astounding.

I think this is one of the main distinctions between me and the generic Ducks fan. I'll root Ducks until they're done, but beyond that, I'm still all for a CA cup.

This blog has definitely softened me, but those were pretty much my feelings even before being a BoCer.

Whether that makes you a better man than I or a hopeless wuss, I haven't yet decided.

Well, it's definitely not the former. Hopeless wuss it is!

brokeyard said...

My motto is: if it's in California, it's because the Ducks won. Ducks can't have it? Neither can anyone else in the state.

Cheechew said...

I agree with Brokeyard, if my team doesn't win, I don't want my rival to win it. Ilso never understood the feeling of rooting for the team that beat you since you want them to go all the way and be able to say that the team that won it all beat us. As much as I hate to say it, I am rooting for the Wings versus Dallas. Screw rooting for a team that beat my team. Did I really say I'm rooting for the Wings? Just shoot me now.

Anonymous said...

Where's the pacific love, YA'LL?????

:)

Ted said...

Zubov has looked pretty good at times, but you could really see the effects of the long layoff when he was trying to chase down Marleau. I mean Patty is fast, but clearly Zubov doesn't have his top end speed yet.

Mr. Plank said...

Three more to go. Hell if we can pull off that streak in March why wouldn't we be able to do it in the playoffs.

What's that you say? The competition is infinitely more intense during the playoffs?

Oh. Damn.

Oh and Ted, is that your dog? I have a boxer of my own, they are absolutely amazing.

As for rooting for a rival, I don't know how you do it Earl. If the Ducks were still in it I would be pulling for them to lose 7-1 every night. You've got some real cajones sir.

Earl Sleek said...

Maybe it's really just that I identify better with a Kings fan or a Sharks fan (who have similar struggles as a CA-based hockey fan) than say some east-coaster.

Mike in OC said...

I am with Earl on this one. Keep in mind Both San Jose and Dallas are kind of rivals, but I would rather keep the cup in Cali. I also would like to see Dallas get beat by anybody at this point, so just like Cheechew I would be for Detroit.

Now that I said that, I am going to take a boiling hot shower to try and wash the stink off.

Mr. Plank said...

@ mike in oc & earl: Just a hypothetical question. If the Ducks had not won a Cup last year would you still feel the same way? I know that you (Earl) mentioned you had the same feelings even before you became a BOC'er, but just throwing that out there.

Regardless, it's good to have you guys on board. We need all the positive brain waves we can get right now.

RudyKelly said...

I don't cheer for anyone after the Kings are out. I don't even cheer for teams on the East Coast. I will have a team I cheer against and I want to lose more, but that's the best I can do.

Screw you, Montreal!

Mike in OC said...

I would. I watched in 93-94 and was pulling for you guys when you upset Detroit and almost made the conference finals.

Hell, I even rooted for the Kings in 93. I guess I like the local teams when my Ducks are out of it. My dream is still a Ducks vs. Kings playoff series. I don't even care if the Ducks lose, I just want to see it allready.

Earl Sleek said...

@ mike in oc & earl: Just a hypothetical question. If the Ducks had not won a Cup last year would you still feel the same way? I know that you (Earl) mentioned you had the same feelings even before you became a BOC'er, but just throwing that out there.

Yeah, I felt this way before the cup win. Basically, if the Ducks are out, I root for the Kings next, the Sharks next, the west next, and then the east.

I know I'm an oddball for doing so, but it probably comes from my hockey upbringing. I'm an NHL 94 convert who played as the L.A. Kings but grew up in Orange County, and one of my best roommates ever was a Kings fan.

Sure we hated each other when it came to head-to-head matchups, but other than that, we were supportive of the other guy's team beating anyone else.

My dream is still a Ducks vs. Kings playoff series. I don't even care if the Ducks lose, I just want to see it already.

Exactly. Same goes for the Sharks (although the Ducks were the one to blow that one this year). There's been way too much history without a playoff matchup (hell, ANA and LAK have never qualified for the same postseasons, let alone a head-to-head series), and I am itching to see it.