Liveblogging: Sharks/Ducks...make it so!

9:44: Final thoughts...well, I had a ton of fun during my first liveblogging experience. Thanks to all of the people tracking along in the comments. I'm sure PJ and Sleek will have stories and photos to share. They picked a hell of a game to go to. I think the sports mojo has the white jersey working for in-arena viewing and the Bell jersey working for at-home viewing. This is critical to know for the playoffs.

Maybe some day I'll try doing this drunk like Alanah does.

[Quick update]: It looks like we were getting about 100 page views and 30 visitors per hour during the game (if I'm reading the Google Analytics chart right), so a big thank you to all of you who joined in the fun. We should do this again in the Western Conference Finals. Go California!

9:42: Screw you Andy MacDonald and your diving and your goaltender running. Serves you right for flubbing the shootout. We've got a photo finish for the Pacific Division.

9:42: RYAN CLOWE -- I'll stop calling him CLOWN from now on.

9:41: Nice split move by Nabby to take away the low part of the net.

9:41: YES! Cheech, thanks for getting hot during the stretch run.

9:40: God damn it, it's the same old Nabby shootout style on Getzlaf. That is, stand still.

9:37: God damn it, it's going to a shootout. I think Ron Wilson's going to go Michalek, Cheechoo, Bernier.

9:35: Hey, I think I see Sleek's green shirt on TV.

9:33: DAMN YOU NIEDERMAYER AND BRYZGALOV.

9:33: MacDonald runs into Nabby for the millionth time tonight. Why the hell aren't the Sharks using their speed?

9:31: 3 on 3. Pond hockey boys!

9:31: Teemu feels shame. Ron Wilson looks smart. Teemu off the ice in OT.

9:30: Stick measurement for Selanne. Ironic that Randy says "Marty, they're measuring a stick." Interesting strategy in that the Ducks can't get a 2-man advantage.

9:29: OVERTIME. I'm out of breath and I'm just typing. I don't know about you guys, but I am READY for the playoffs. You gotta hope these two teams play each other. I hope this game doesn't end in a shootout (or a Ducks goal).

9:28: Holy fucking shit, Selanne on a breakaway is NOT good. Power plays going into OT (if they make it there)...not good either.

9:26: One minute left...

9:24: I'm right -- Matt Carle hasn't played since midway through the third period.

9:23: I think it's funny that Randy Hahn still refers to Selanne by his first name on TV broadcasts. I know everybody loved Teemu's personality when he was here, but let's remember that we're duck hunting, huh Randy?

9:21: I don't think Matt Carle's been on the ice in a very long time.

9:20: Jesus, does Chris Pronger EVER leave the ice? He's everywhere. Good scoring chances on both sides. This is some entertaining hockey.

9:14: Icing, TV timeout, and SJ Sharkie is on the couch with me.

9:13: Who's going to stand up for Patty? If Pronger fights, he'll be pretty dumb, but that'd really help out to get him in the box for 5 minutes.

9:11: Monster hit by Pronger on Marleau. This is playoff-esque here. It's also one of the loudest Anaheim crowds I've heard on TV.

9:08: Bryzgalov matches Nabokov by stealing one from the Thornton-Cheechoo connection. I think I might need to bust out the Sharkie doll to get some more sports mojo going.

9:04: I find it ironic that Marty McSorely is talking about how you don't want any of the after-the-whistle stuff in the game.

9:01: Holy crap, MacDonald came close. Why the hell did the D decide NOT to pick up MacDonald in the crease? Even my beer league team knows to play better D than that.

8:59: Both teams seem fired up to hit hard at the beginning of the period. The TV broadcast shows their keys to the game, one of them is work the Anaheim D. That means DiPenta has to be out there all the time.

8:56: And we're off for the third period...

8:44: And we've got a call from PJ and Sleek. Sleek's at five drinks right now, but he points out that three of them were "very large Guinesses before the game." PJ says he got lost and hit a ton of traffic. Sleek says his boy Sami is playing Thornton tough, and notice that DiPenta was out there for both goals (as his -2 suggests). I tell Sleek that he's gotta be worried since the Sharks big lines haven't scored yet. It should be a good third period.

My girlfriend also just came home and suggested that I bring down her SJ Sharkie doll to add to the sports mojo. She also just got me a random puck guy penholder from a novelty store. I'll take the puck guy and save Sharkie for emergency mojo purposes.

[update]: I asked PJ and Sleek about the ice conditions and they say that they see puddles all over the ice. So it's not just us TV viewers, it really is shitty out there.

8:38: A furious pace to that final 4-on-4. At the end of 2, we've got a tie game. Since putting on the Bell jersey, the Sharks scored two goals and outshot the Ducks.

8:35: 3-on-1's are bad. Thank you crappy Honda Center ice. Ehrhoff goes crazy-German on Corey Perry.

8:32: STEVE BERNIER TIES THE GAME AS I'M TYPING! A broken play, but a goal is a goal. Oui oui says the French power forward.

8:31: Holy crap, the Sharks have won faceoffs 27-8. Remember last season when the Sharks couldn't win a faceoff against a pee-wee team?

8:28: Mark Bell's feeling inspired by my jersey. Nice give-and-go with Marleau. Momentum is a good thing, boys -- keep it up!

8:24: Marcel Goc fans on an awful Anaheim turnover in the slot. I'm not just being snarky but the ice looks god-awful tonight. When Joe Thornton has trouble stickhandling, you know there's an issue. Sleek and PJ will have to report on the ice conditions from their 2nd-row seats.

8:18: Rob Niedermayer gets up slowly. That's the wrong Niedermayer to get injured. Come on, Sharks power play!

8:17: Marty McSorely says that the Ducks almost had Matty Norstrom at the deadline. I didn't know that. That'd be a nice way to kick the Kings fans when they're down.

8:16: FINALLY...a lucky bounce makes its way to Scott Hannan and a shot from the point. Nice feed from Marcel Goc. Nice traffic from Grier and Bernier in front of Bryzgalov. The Bell jersey is now +1.

8:12: Mark Bell's back. Randy Hahn rips the Anaheim ice. Matt Carle makes a bad turnover. Nice dive by Andy MacDonald.

8:09: Ryane Clowe vs. Shawn "Don't Call Me Joe" Thornton. Close's hat pops off, then Thornton's. A lot of misses and jersey grabbing. These guys look tired. Thornton misses with some slow-motion punches, and both guys mutually give up. No Mortal Kombat-esque fatality. No shot of Sleek/PJ either from the camera angle by the penalty box.

8:06: Mark Bell heads into the locker room. The jersey curse lives on!

8:04: I have a simple strategy for success. Don't shoot wide or high and play defense in front of Nabby. This, however, is not happening yet.

8:01: YES! The Warriors game is over. We're switching over to Sharks hockey!

7:54: No word from Sleek or PJ. I hope they're not too drunk! I've tried to change the sports mojo by changing into the cursed Mark Bell jersey (hoping the reverse watching-at-tv anti curse is in effect) and giving my dogs cookies.

7:50: God I hate how long the last two minutes of basketball games take.

7:44: End of the 1st. 4 minutes left in the Warriors game. Hopefully I should get the start of the 2nd here. We'll see if Sleek or PJ have any intermission thoughts via text.

7:43: Jamie Baker says "Sami Paulson is getting more chances than Joe Thornton. That's not good."

7:39: Mark Bell shoots high. What else is new?

7:36: The Sharks are on the Barracuda Networks penalty kill. Has anyone else noticed that the Barracuda logo (prominent on the HP ice) is very phallic?

7:33: God damn it. Scott Niedermayer makes it 2-0. I can't see it, but it sounds like Scott Hannan got pulled down. Jamie Baker's saying that Hannan's non-call doesn't matter because the Sharks aren't playing the PK right. Two points for Andy MacDonald so far. That's one point each for Pronger and Niedermayer. God I hate those two. Now Joe Thornton's going in the box after Patty Marleau just came out. Not good. I sense a jersey change coming at intermission.

7:29: From the radio broadcast (10 minutes left in the stupid Warriors game), it sounds like the Marleau/Guerin/Bell line is creating good chances. I might switch to the cursed Mark Bell jersey in the second period if the Sharks are still losing to try and switch around the sports mojo. The Bell jersey curses the team when worn live, but perhaps it's reversed for away games.

7:24: Here's an interesting stat. According to Yahoo, the Sharks are up on faceoffs 9-1. Not sure who it is, but it's the usual Thornton/Marleau/Goc/Brown lineup up the middle.

7:18: Fuck, Andy MacDonald makes it 1-0. Between Nabby's legs as it bounced around...They showed the clip in between the Warrior's game. I love how Nabby falls over like a sniper took him out after the puck went in.

7:15: Christian Ehrhoff's taking on the Selanne line? He must have gotten out of Ron's doghouse really fast over the past few games.

7:13: Dan Rusonowsky rolls his R's over Ilya Bryzgalov like he's saying Ruffles Chips. Somehow, I don't think it's pronounced with such a Spaish flair.

7:08: DAMN YOU FOX SPORTS! They split-screened for 10 seconds, then went back to the stupid Warriors game. 5 minutes left in the 3rd quarter in that.

7:05: Puck's dropping after the commercial break. Anyone want to bet how many drinks Sleek and PJ will consume tonight at the Honda Center? Leave your prediction in the comments and we'll get a post-game report from our dynamic duo.

7:02: Ron Wilson's on Coach's Chaulkboard right now with Dan Rusonowsky. Lots of noise in the background. It sounds like a frat party with all sorts of random "OHHHHHHHHHH!" by enthusiastic loud guys. I bet that's Joe Thornton.

7:00: Bill Guerin's back after a groin injury. Joe Pavelski's out. J-S Giguere's riding the pine because his wife gave birth to Maxim Olivier Giguere. Last time I remember seeing Ilya Bryzgalov, he was leaking in goals. With no Giguere and Todd Marchant out, things are off to a good start.

6:57: For those who care, Tracy McGrady won't return to the Warriors game. I think that means they should just cancel it and show the Sharks game.

6:53: Jesus, my radio won't come in. It's live streaming for me. John Schrader just popped in to say they will have live goal updates. Please Center Ice, please be nice to me!

6:47: The fucking Warriors game just went into halftime a few minutes ago. So it looks like I'll be listening to the first period on the radio and blogging using that unless Center Ice is miraculously unblocked.

For luck, I am wearing my white Sharks jersey. For luck, I am sure Earl Sleek is wearing a margarita at this point. Not sure how much of a drinker PJ is, but I'm sure our BoC all-stars are having plenty of fun down at the Honda Center. I'm leaving the cursed Mark Bell jersey in the closet for now and the rest of the playoffs.