Maybe Holmstrom Won't Be As Effective?

To be sure the NHL and, more importantly, the on-ice officials will be
watching him.

http://m.tsn.ca/site?t=sXxXWAvmarqzUDASWBMJiA&sid=tsn

It's about time! Go Yotes!!

Sent from my iPhone

Pete's First Round Round-Up!

First off, I just want to revisit last week's big post and my predictions for the playoff shakedown:
"My projected final week results:

Nsh v: @Phx (L)  STL (w)  (+2 pts)

Det v:  CLS (w)  @ CLS (w)  @ CHI (w) (+6 pts)

LA v: @Anh (w) PHO (L) EDM (w) @Col (L) (+4 pts)

Col v: @ Van (L) @ Edm (w) CHI (w) LA (w)  (+6 pts)

which leaves us with these standings in the bottom half:

(5) Detroit  102 pts

(6) Nashville 100 pts

(7) Los Angeles 99 pts

(8) Colorado 97 pts "

The games I got wrong were:

(1) Nashville's second game, which they lost to STL in a shootout

(2) LA's loss to Edmonton and victory over Colorado (still got the right record)

(3) Colorado went 1-3, winning every game I said they'd lose and losing the game I'd said they'd win.  Stayed in 8th place.

In all, the only noticeable difference is that the current seedings have LA and Nashville flopped in the six and seven slots, whereas I had them in opposites.  No biggie.  But, I called it, the Sharks are facing the Avs.  I leave my prediction at a four game sweep. 

Why the four game sweep?  The Sharks have a roster front to back and are playing better hockey than the Avs are.  The Sharks are not going to be pushed around or outscored by the Avalanche, period.  The Avs D is not talented or experienced enough to keep the Shark's treasure trove of offensive depth off the board for very long, and the early season heroics of Craig Anderson have given way to the late season exhaustion of a fatigued and very tired goaltender.  The Avs pretty much played their best game of the season (in terms of playoff hockey, not offensive output) against the Sharks last week and even when the Avs were at their most desperate and dangerous the Sharks still tied them at 4-4 with very few shots on goal. There is just no way they lose to the Avs.  So, why four games? I think the Sharks are going to win both games at home against the Avs, and that once the Avs bend they will snap, breaking off and losing it all.  Most pundits have the Sharks in five games.  I say nay!  The Sharks have been playing close to playoff hockey for a couple weeks now and this is the series where they find their feet and play real playoff hockey.  Why lose one when you can close them out in four games.  The Sharks will.

Predictions (my favorite part)

Most Goals: Dany Heatley, 4.

Most Assists: Joe Thornton, 4.

Most Points: Dany Heatley, 6.

Most Outstanding Open Ice Hit:  Scott Nichol, in Game 2, second period.

Most Surprising Sharks: Torrey Mitchell. I bet two goals in a four game series and outstanding forechecking.

Biggest Goat:  Devin Setoguchi, where are you?

Nabby Plays...?: Pretty well.  No easy five hole goals this time around.  Maybe even gets a shutout on the road.

Guy Who Will Need to Step It Up in the Next Round:  We're all looking at you, Patty.  Time to shine, superstar.

Demers, 7th D or Rob Davison's spot in the box?:  Seventh D.  Look for the Sharks to keep Stauby in the press box rather than the penalty box as they use the extra minutes to get Demers some skating time and keep him fresh for the power play.

More later, as I think of them.

Greg's Game One Prediction

Before I write my preview of the Avs series, I wanted to take a second to post Greg's game one prediction. Because he is too busy to write it all out, the perfectionist that he is, here is our chat transcript of it:
BEGIN:

Greg: busy day, but i'll see what i can do

10:55 AM important question: do the sharks have their standard sleepy 1-2 periods after a multi-day break and thus donk off game 1

 me: no, i think they come out flying

10:56 AM and put up 2 goals in the first period

 Greg: thereby magnifying all of the critics' volumes 10-fold

 me: one on the power play

 Greg: i disagree

  i predict they go down 2-0

  wake up halfway through the second

  get one before the second intermission

  then get 2 in the third and hold on for a 3-2 victory

10:57 AM they tie it like 5 minutes into the third

  take the lead with about 7minutes left

10:58 AM then make us all shit our pants as they try to play prevent against a fast team for 7 minutes

  nabby comes up big

  avs hit a post with like 3 min left

  there are more terrifying plays around our net in the waning moments

  but we hold on

11:00 AM me: I am posting that as your game one prediction.

11:01 AM Greg: yeah i guess i just did it right there

Go Sharks!!