Final Score: Rangers 5, Sharks 2.
The Rangers average 4 goals per game and the Sharks are just not ready to play well against a team like the Rangers. For comparison, the Sharks let the Capitals put up big numbers on them and they had lost four straight. Our defensive coverage is weak right now and the Rangers are circling.
Three Stars:
1) Gaborik
2) Callahan
3) Del Zotto
Counter-prediction: Nabby comes up monster-huge, and shuts out the Rangers. Sharks win 2-0.
Counter-prediction:
1) Nabokov
2) Lundqvist
3) Thornton
Either way, win or lose, I think Patty, Seto, and Joe will all play very inspired and well. Yet, with a weak D-core, that just won't be enough for a 'W'.
I'll be the first to admit I agreed with your prediction. Then the exact opposite happened. Perhaps this is why we don't do this professionally (then again I don't really think the professionals' have a much better batting average in terms of predictions).
ReplyDeleteIn any case obviously an incredibly fun game to watch. Really enjoyed seeing all four lines score for the first time in I literally can't remember how long. Also, while there were some great skill goals in there, that win was far more about consistently keeping the feet moving, winning the vast majority of the battles on the boards and in the slot, and FINISHING CHECKS. Have not seen nearly enough of any of the three of those components yet this year. Have not seen the third since mid-season last year.
Despite an obviously highly successful game, a few points of concern (in order of most concerning to least):
1) The Pickles-Blake D pair was -1 in a game we won by 4 goals. They also have the worst plus/minus on the team. Eerily reminiscent of the playoff series of shame that shall not be spoken of. Blake continues to look like he's skating in cement and probably leads the team in shots blocked by the other team. Pickles continues to look confused as to how to play with his aging partner.
2) While Nabby had a respectable game, allow me to register my 2,054,817th complaint about his style (and what I claim is an accompanying groin-related decline in flexibility/agility). On the second Rangers goal he initially made a good kicksave and directed the rebound out to the side. All good so far. Unfortunately rookie D-man hotshot Del Zotto was all the way down below the faceoff dot because we were on the kill, and was in position to throw the rebound back at the net. Here's where things went wrong. Instead of doing the kick-slide with the pad down like every legitimate butterfly goalie would have done, Nabby tried to stand back up, completely taking his right pad off the ice, and then as he realized a rebound bid (not exactly a rocket, btw) was on the way he awkwardly tried to put his leg back down. Of course it was too late.
Like I said he made a lot of good saves, but its plays like that one that make me long for a real butterfly goalie. In a related story, Nabby has gone into the splits exactly zero times so far this season (remember how he used to make ridiculous glove saves that looked that much cooler because he was doing the splits as the caught it?). His concern for his injury-prone groin is painfully obvious.
3) We've come to the point where Ryan Clowe and Jody Shelley are essentially interchangeable, except that Clowe wins more fights whereas Shelley might actually be a little bit faster at this point, and is actually outscoring Clowe nine games into the season. Apparently Clowe is paying a mummy to put on his jersey and play in his place while he's on a golf course somewhere. The guy is a puck black hole at this point, and is playing so badly that even his value as trade bait is rapidly disappearing.