A blog focused mostly on the San Jose Sharks with smatterings of other sports goings-ons for the fan who likes to think between the lines without all the yelling. We like to think out loud, we aren't afraid to be often wrong, and we are convinced of our own genius.
I'm bored on a Friday night so, with the Olympics coming up and the intensity of hockey in the air, I thought I'd relive some of the Sharks organizations greatest playoff moments. Well, at least those that are available on Youtube.
Enjoy the memories!
The 5-on-1.5 penalty kill v. Edmonton:
Who cares that the Oilers scored 15 seconds after this kill. What a kill!
The highlights of the 1994 series are pretty hard to come by so here is a montage of the two:
The 2007 Series against the Preds:
A much forgotten moment in the 1994 Playoffs, the Leafs scoring an own-goal in Game Seven:
2007 Game Seven Victory over the Flames (The Jeremy Roenick Show):
Bryan Marchment's Knee-Hit on Joe Nieuwendyk in the 98 Playoffs:
It's easy to forgot how nasty the Sharks-Stars series were in the late 90's, here's another clip:
This clip is posted below but it's best to include it in both because I can't get enough of this one. Screw you, Eddie!
UPDATE: I just saw a replay of what happened last night and, to be honest, that looked like it really hurt. Teemu is a pretty tough dude but he looked exactly like a player in NHL 94 when their face got bloodied- he even kicked his feet! So, I take it back.
(1) Patrick Marleau- The career leader in almost every offensive category and in games played with the Sharks. Midway through his 13th year as a Shark, he is undoubtedly the face of the 18 year old franchise. His regular season numbers as a Shark are ridiculous: 305 goal, 351 assists, and 58 GWG. His playoff numbers are also franchise best with 62 pts (37-25) in 92 games with 3 playoff hat-tricks in 900+ regular season games as a Shark and 10 GWG. This is a slam dunk choice for number one.
(2) Owen Nolan- Second to Patrick Marleau in most offensive categories, Buster was the charismatic leader through the good and bad times. Sharks fans loved his charisma on the ice and loved it even more when Buster played mad. The numbers: 206 goals, 241 assists, 934 PIM, 568 games played, and 25 GWG.
Highlights:
A moment in every Sharks fan's heart:
Finally:
(3) Evgeni Nabokov- Since this potential hall of famer displaced Steve Shields on his way to win the Calder Trophy, he has climbed his way into the Top 30 in all-time wins and has clearly established himself as the premier goaltender in Sharks history. His career numbers as a Shark (275 wins, GAA 2.38, .912 SV, 49 SO) are so daunting that he has nearly 200 more wins than his next closest competitor.
Highlights:
(4) Joe Thornton: With impressive regular season numbers (107 Goals, 340 assists, in 350+ games played) the Sharks only Hart Trophy and Art Ross Trophy winner has also been given a bad playoff rap for his 35 pts in 41 playoff games. Another potential Hall of Fame member, this Shark was a TSN Player of the Decade for the 2000's. While he spent half of that decade as a Bruin, no Sharks player has established himself at the level of play while a Shark that Joe has. Joe has been one of the Sharks greatest players from the moment of his acquisition, hitting the post on his first shot of his first shift as a Shark. A two-time olympian and three-time All-Star as a Shark, there are few better in the league.
(5) Mike Ricci: Ricci notched 529 games for the Sharks and in that time he scored a surprising 263 points (101-162-263) as a Shark but is more noted for his inspiring play on the ice and his tremendous leadership of the ice. Ricci's leadership and dedication to the organization continue to this day as a member of the Sharks management team.
(6) Jeff Friesen: Another long tenured Shark, Friesen never lived up to his vast potential but he remains an accomplished Shark with 350 points (149g-201a) in 512 games played as a Shark. Friesen is another player who benefits on this list for his fan appeal rather than his overall accomplishments as a Shark but he is seventh in all-time games played, fourth in all-time Sharks goals, fourth in assists, and fifth in GWG.
..
(7) Vincent Damphousse: For a guy supposedly at the end of his line, Vinny played 385 games for the Sharks, the tenth most all-time for the Sharks. He had 289 points (92-197) for the Sharks during the regular season and an impressive 38 pts (15-23) in the 53 playoff games, second all-time behind Patty.
(8) Arturs Irbe: I have to admit that I question myself for putting Irbe up this high because his numbers as a Shark are probably not deserving in comparison to other Sharks. Yet, what Shark fan can forget "Irbe Like Wall" during the 1993-94 playoffs? The impact of those playoffs on the San Jose fanbase alone and Irbe's responsibility for that success earns him a spot up here.
(9) Jonathan Cheechoo: With 291 points (165-126) in 440 games, it's sad that Cheechoo's huge decline merits a spot lower on this list than his potential should have taken him. Cheech had one great season after the lockout but due to a combination of double-hernia surgery and a case of nerves, he was never able to come close to matching his 2005-06 numbers. A fan-favorite and a team-first grinder, Cheech scored many memorable goals before he was dealt to Ottawa.
(10) Marco Sturm: Many Sharks fans likely forget that Marco played for the Sharks for seven seasons prior to his trade to Boston. In that time, Sturm played his way into the top-four games played as a Shark, logging 273 points (128-145). Not much of a playoff performer, Sturm had 15 points in 38 playoff games.
Also Rans: Mike Rathje, Bryan Marchment, Milan Michalek, Scott Thornton.
So, as you have all pointed out directly to me, I had not posted in a long time. There is truth in that argument. I'd like to point out that I had actually taken SharksMeows into a new form of blogging that I am working on, called "direct-source spoken word blogging," or DSSWB. It's very personal but is completely distinct from just having a conversation about the Sharks with Greg and Matt.
Unfortunately, DSSWB didn't work out so well for other people to follow along with all my brilliant thoughts and ramblings. So, I'm back here for more.
To prevent long delays between postings, I will shortly be hiding any personal information on my account settings and will be giving passwords to this blog to my friends Matt Brown and Greg Franks. I'll let them introduce themselves but I will point out that both are inferior to me and they send me weekly emails telling me how great I am.
Quick Hits:
- I am bothered by Seto's lack of production away from Big Joe and I am, frankly, disappointed because I thought he could score on his own. I think a lot of his problems might come from having a right-handed center as opposed to a left-handed center. Seto likes the puck on his forehand on the right side of the high to mid slot, a place Big Joe could easily feed off his forehand but Little Joe struggles to reach of his backhand.
-I am still in love with Scott Nichol but now Manny Malhotra is high on my list of man-crushes. His work on the rink is impressive in its completeness. If only he scored more!
-Joe Thornton is operating too much on the boards for him to be as dangerous as he can be. When he comes out to the center of the rink and keeps his feet moving he is, unbelievably, more likely to open up his linemates or himself for a goal than he would be when he coasts along the boards. Coasting along the boards is a good place for him to go and be comfortable but the problem is that he ends up with his linemates scurrying around defenseman who are able to play pretty good defense while just standing still. Getting the opposing defenseman moving and adding an uptempo to the top line offense will only help the Sharks as they go forward.
I haven't had time to collect my thoughts on the performance at MSG on Monday.
However, I have had the time to pose one of my favorite Sharks trivia questions:
Q: What Sharks trade cost the team a chance at this former Rocket Richard winner, who is still a currently active player. The correct answer will name the trade partner, who the Sharks sent, who they received.
Feel free to leave the answer in the comments section or just email me: pete.shenkin@gmail.com
It pains me to say it but I think the Sharks are going to get beat down on National TV across the United States and Canada.
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'.
