BoC Gameday—The Curious Case of Benjamin "Sharks Home Record" Button
by Earl Sleek on Apr 25, 2009 11:05 AM PDT
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PrintAnaheim Ducks (8th in west) at San Jose Sharks (1st in west)
Ducks lead series 3-1, JavaGeek Odds: ANA 78%
Fear the Fin — now I can vouch that Mr. Plank meets the SBN height requirement
Well, as crazy as it sounds for a team that seemed a lock to miss the postseason just over a month ago, the upstart Ducks could put a finishing blow on the Battle tonight. Certainly it's never an easy feat to win on the road in San Jose -- the Ducks had best bring their "A" game -- but they may have one really warped thing going for them.
It's April.
As fucked up as this is, check this out: the Sharks have more regulation losses in 5 home games this month than they suffered in 38 home games over the prior six months.
click image to enlarge
The Sharks' one home win in April? A scoreless game against the 15th-ranked Avs that was won in a shootout. Yeesh. I don't even want to attempt to explain the phenomenon, or really to assign any "choke" or "heart" labels to weakly describe it -- except for scoreboard, the Sharks certainly have seemed to be in control of the games -- but I sure as hell hope the trend continues for one more night, at least.
Adapted from the cartoon that helped me cope through inexplicably tough times.
I'll be in the comments tonight, but I'll be watching with James O'B (who is not shy about telling me how much he wants a G6 -- shut the fuck up, James) and another Ducks-rooting pal, so we'll play it by ear.
Prediction: Pronger gets booed... like there's no tomorrow.
Go Ducks.
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For some Saturday reading
Plank’s narrative of his trip down to G4, complete with drinking shenanigans and postgame urinary temptation.
Good tragic times.
http://www.battleofcali.com/
wow! that Miss Crisp(from planks post comments) is a dank little nugget.
I’d put my Duck in her swimming hole, even if it were infested with Sharks.
hooked on quack
Haha, she’s an ex girlfriend that I still make the rounds with. Good times.
Fear The Fin: Where The Past Is Overrated
High on my list of unexpected things I might see today was that plug. Thanks Sleek. To repay you I’ll be at the game making sure your Pronger prediction comes true. Right now there is no tomorrow, so we better boo that man good.
Go Sharks
resident cartoonist @couchtarts.blogspot.com
Did you end up using stub hub for tickets, Gray?
When I'm not battling in California:
http://www.cyclelikesedins.com
by jamestobrien on Apr 25, 2009 12:07 PM PDT up reply actions
Sharks ticket trader
Lurker convinced me to look after the game 4 loss because prices had dropped.
resident cartoonist @couchtarts.blogspot.com
So are any of the bloggers actually taller than Chris Pronger? Can you imagine having to look down at a guy like him?
Nobody cares about your opinion.
Couple of extra notes
- The Ducks have scored 12 goals in this series, and Bobby Ryan has been on the ice for 8 of them (vs. 1 goal against).
- For the series, Pronger has been on the ice for 7 goals-for, 0 goals-against.
- Ryan Whitney has an assist in all four playoff games.
- And yet, maybe the two most impressive Ducks in this series have been Hiller and Marchant.
http://www.battleofcali.com/
getting NEAR nervous time?! Please…I’ve been nervous since 11:00pm Thursday night.
GO DUCKS!! DUCKSandPUCKS.com
Yeah, but once there’s an actual puck in play it really begins. That’s nervous time for sure.
http://www.battleofcali.com/
It’s a little less weird every time, but yeah, it’s sigh-inducing still. It helps somewhat that my baby brother — the one who does pay attention to hockey — moved to Chicago last fall. At least the gift of Pahlsson is going to somebody I know.
http://www.battleofcali.com/
Bertuzzi
Is the scum of the fuckin’ Earth
An ounce of confidence can carry you a mile toward winning. Oh, and Red Wings suck.
Ha, well, Ducks fans were glad to see him go, and now I’m doubly glad he’s gone, if it means an Avs fan can support the Ducks in the playoffs.
And sadly, we’re paying more than the Flames are for him this year. Grr, one of the few downsides of Burke’s legacy.
http://www.battleofcali.com/
Not a small downside since we’re paying him next year too.
by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Apr 25, 2009 6:57 PM PDT up reply actions
True, I was really pissed when it happened. If a 2-year deal was a gamble worth taking, a 1-year was even more stomachable. I thought they’d found a decent center in Carter (who does the necessary backchecking-for-two), and I’m convinced that only really wealthy teams should be in the business of buyouts.
Still, Burke doesn’t have that many clouds hanging over his head — we can be grateful for that. Bob Murray’s in pretty darn good shape, it seems.
http://www.battleofcali.com/
Yeah, I don’t blame Burke TOO much for it. I mean, who knew Bertuzzi had no front-of-the-net awareness? And that he would stop making power moves to the net? Plus, Burke and Murray scouted Bert, Nas, and Morrison before putting that line together in Vancouver. You gotta stand by your scouting report, I guess. I just hate giving him 1.3M this year, which kept Bobby in Iowa. And 1.3M next year which will do god knows what.
by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Apr 25, 2009 7:06 PM PDT up reply actions
Hey Chen
I know you were doing comparisons to Carolina early on. Dennis LaRue’s on the ice tonight. If you want to take Bobby Ryan out or blatantly spear him in the eye (since it’s Anaheim and all), now’s the time to do it.
by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Apr 25, 2009 5:38 PM PDT up reply actions
PJ texted in.
He’s in a scrub press box, but will be taking some photos later on. Solid.
http://www.battleofcali.com/
Nothing sends a message like a bottle of G
by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Apr 25, 2009 7:08 PM PDT up reply actions
LOL, he’d be the only one right now. The Ducks are being very outplayed right now
GO DUCKS!! DUCKSandPUCKS.com
He should’ve let it go over the net. He’s been guessing high a lot in this series.
by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Apr 25, 2009 7:26 PM PDT up reply actions
OK, c’mon, make-up call. Power plays are supposed to go 2-to-1 in San Jose, and they got their two.
http://www.battleofcali.com/
ok, lets not worry too much. Sharks obviously had to come out flying, they face elimnation. We whethered a heck of a storm, so far, and only down 1-0. Anaheim will have at least 4 or 5 real quality chances, one of those and its tied up. plus getzlaf is spearing thornton off the faceoffs and i love it. I think ducks are still in this, tie it up before end of 2nd and we are golden baby, golden.
by Victorian Duck - 8 on Apr 25, 2009 7:40 PM PDT reply actions
please, the way that period was, we need all the positivity we can get. i hope carlyle let them know that this is just not gonna cut it.
by Victorian Duck - 8 on Apr 25, 2009 8:04 PM PDT up reply actions
Wiz has looked noticably bad compared to the other 5 D all series long.
http://redwingsvbluejackets.blogspot.com/
Well he did score that goal in game 3. But he’s off-d with questionable decision making. He’s gonna be boneheaded any chance you give him.
by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Apr 25, 2009 8:24 PM PDT up reply actions
Pavelski undressed the shit out of him in G1, I’ve seen him make several unforced giveaways, he just looks like an obvious weak spot.
http://redwingsvbluejackets.blogspot.com/
By those standards, Whitney is a similar weak spot. Carlyle likes the puck moved along the boards, it’s always turned over when the new guys put it in the middle, which is what Whitney did in Pittsburgh, and how Wiz played transition in Chicago. Wisniewski’s problem is how often he gets caught up ice, and how often he thinks he can keep pucks in the zone. Coaching will never fix that.
by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Apr 25, 2009 8:33 PM PDT up reply actions
I haven’t seen Whitney make as many mistakes as Wiz. Watching this series, every clean giveaway in the ANA end seems to be from Wiz.
http://redwingsvbluejackets.blogspot.com/
Well, he’s on the ice with Pronger talking to him most of the time. When he’s left out there with someone else, he makes some questionable passes. Point is, with Wiz, you can call it gap control or positioning, but at the end of the day he’s an overconfident offensive-defenseman, who isn’t as fast or smart as he thinks he is.
I mean, I’m not pleased with him. I want him off the team, but bad plays and getting caught up ice come with the territory with off-d. Look at Schneider. As good and old as he is, he still makes idiotic plays.
by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Apr 25, 2009 8:53 PM PDT up reply actions
Oddly, I’ve been going on for the last couple years now about the number of terrible plays Chris Chelios makes. I swear, over the last 3 years or so, no one makes more cross-crease passes in the NHL than Chelios. I always figured it was an old-guy thing, remembering that you aren’t young enough and good enough to get away with the same things you used to, or good enough to know when its ok to make certain stupid plays. Maybe I was onto something.
http://redwingsvbluejackets.blogspot.com/
was that one five-hole again, or off to the edge of the net?
Nabby needs to do something about that five hole. If everyone is gunning for it, its a big weakness. and it should NEVER be a weakness for a goalie in the NHL.
http://redwingsvbluejackets.blogspot.com/
Nabby plays hybrid that’s more toward stand-up on the style sliding scale. I mean, he’s not Bill Ranford, but he’s gonna give that up. There was a time when he was talented enough to let his reflexes do the job, but maybe he’s getting old.
by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Apr 25, 2009 9:10 PM PDT up reply actions
Brodeur defines the standup style, but he doesn’t give nearly as much on the five-hole. If its an age issue, then he needs to adapt his style, cause I’ve been noticing the five-hole on him for the last 2-3 playoffs, it seems.
http://redwingsvbluejackets.blogspot.com/
Well, Brodeur’s not pure standup. Last pure standup was Ranford. But no one denies that Brodeur’s saves are based on talent, not method. Brodeur is willing to stack and really use his reflexes to control the down low. Nabby still depends on a lot of aggressive positioning, but his reflexes are often better than they have been lately.
by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Apr 25, 2009 9:17 PM PDT up reply actions
Oh, shit.
I meant that Brodeur defines the hybrid style, not standup. Wow, thats a big difference.
http://redwingsvbluejackets.blogspot.com/
Don’t worry. I know what you meant. Last goalie to define the standup position was Ranford, so much that Bowman thought signing him in 99 was the key to a Red Wings dynasty, and the answer to questions about Osgood.
by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Apr 25, 2009 9:25 PM PDT up reply actions
He was right about Chelios and Wendel Clark. If Colorado doesn’t decide to go into a “we won’t fight you” shell, Detroit probably has 3. As far as I’m concerned, no cup was awarded that year.
by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Apr 25, 2009 9:31 PM PDT up reply actions
Oh, I loved having Wendel Clark, and Chelios has certainly been a worthwhile addition, it just drives me crazy the way he tends to ALWAYS come around from behind the net and pass it across the crease. That’s something you learn not to do as soon as you put on skates. It has almost never bitten him in the ass, but it still drives me crazy.
http://redwingsvbluejackets.blogspot.com/
They were both career captains, and Ranford had a Conn Smythe. Bowman was like a hockey Jedi, mind-tricking everyone but Fedorov.
In Chicago, I remember Chelios used to make that pass so he could level whoever might be trying to pressure him when he came out from behind the net. He used to be so tough. I remember when he fought Pronger when Prongs first joined the blues. Now he just lives off that one facewash move. Sad.
by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Apr 25, 2009 9:43 PM PDT up reply actions
Not when Setoguchi reads the scouting report and sneaks it past your left-side blocker when you lift the paddle off the ice.
by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Apr 25, 2009 9:18 PM PDT up reply actions
/holds breath
Sleek, on the other hand, is probably in full cardiac arrest with James trying to revive him.
Good times.
An ounce of confidence can carry you a mile toward winning. Oh, and Red Wings suck.
Burritos
Laced with arsenic, I know I know. You think you would be doing hockey fans everywhere a favor by poisoning me with a burrito. :)
An ounce of confidence can carry you a mile toward winning. Oh, and Red Wings suck.
This ice should not be overtime eligible. Someone motion for a change of venue. I’d take the Cow Palace at this point.
by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Apr 25, 2009 9:50 PM PDT reply actions
Awwww
No loling tonight. Lame.
An ounce of confidence can carry you a mile toward winning. Oh, and Red Wings suck.
WOOOOT!
Go Sharks!
Sleek, too funny, “Shut the fuck up James!” I think that was Plank’s battle cry towards the end of the (drunken) night on Thursday.
Sharks live to fight another day. Game 6 should be fun. Good luck Ducks fans.
Actually I distinctly remember the last thing Plank said was “James, shut the fuck up.” I get that a lot.
When I'm not battling in California:
http://www.cyclelikesedins.com
by jamestobrien on Apr 25, 2009 10:14 PM PDT up reply actions
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