EJ Hradek plus I’m making excuses
March 18th, 2009, 9:18 am
Check out our latest podcast featuring ESPN’s very own, E.J. Hradek, as our guest..
I don’t usually do this – play the blame game for why the Sharks lost a game. Sure, injuries have been a factor, but even their current roster should be able to the handle borderline playoff teams that have been on the schedule the past two weeks. So what makes last nights loss to Phoenix any different.
Those $%&*-ing REFS!!! That’s what.
The Sharks laid a giant steamer in the first period. They got jumped by a team that I was surprised had any life in them at all. The game began to turn after Daniel Winnik slammed Dan Boyle’s head into the glass. Even though it was more of a stripping than a fight, I love that Rob Blake attempted to confront Winnik for what should have been a boarding call. Two more fighting majors later, plus what looked like what might be a fighting major between Michalek and Upshall that went uncalled, the Sharks dominated and outshot the Coyotes 26-11 the rest of the way. Joe Thornton looked emotional and determined. Michalek was everywhere. I have no doubt that the Sharks would have won the game if those #$*%-ing REFS hadn’t decided to take away what would have been an extremely emotional come back from the Pacific Division champs.
Drew Remenda was right. The refs let everything go in the 3rd period. For a game that had 42 penalty minutes in the first two periods, there were ZERO in the 3rd period until that extremely lame interference call on Cheech. That’s the call you’re gonna make? With the game on the line? UNREAL. (Insert profanity here). AND!!! The worst part was when Rob Blake was holding Shane Doen like his Prom date and there was no call on that.
So am I upset about last night? Hell yes, I am – but not for the same reasons that many other Sharks fans appear to be. I liked that they battled back. The Sharks are not dead in the water. They just got screwed on what would have been a great comeback that we’d all be talking about today – and if the Sharks finish behind the Red Wings by one point…..we can look back at this game.
Okay. I’m done.
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Fuck that. Bernie Madoff’s taken less of an ass drilling over the last few weeks than the Sharks have, and that guy’s in jail. If they’d stop the circle jerk, wipe their mouths, and play a full 60, they wouldn’t have to battle back, hope the refs call the game right, let the apologists blame injuries, or any of that other horse shit.
Their shit play since the break has been their fault alone. Stop making excuses.
The problem is, this is what Sharks will have to play through all the way through playoffs. Do you think the league wants another Californian team win the Cup over a big market team or worse, a Canadian team? This is exactly how every series will be reffed when Sharks play Chicago, Detroit or any Canadian team (and looks like at least couple of them will make playoffs in the West).
We’ve seen this against Calgary last year, and from the way all refs have been treating the Sharks in the past few weeks, we will sure as hell will see this in playoffs.
If we are letting the refs decide our games, we’re not ready for the Big Prize.
GHF: I guess Nurse Ratched was running low on your tourettes meds this morning…..
Calm down, big guy. You’ll be the first in line for high-fives and beers if the Sharks go to the Stanley Cup. If you’re jumping off the bus, consider this your stop and get off.
It’s your blog, man. Delete the comment if you don’t like the language. All I’m doing is placing blame where blame is due. I’m not willing to point to outside influences as an excuse for a post-break sub-0.500 record. Their job is to take whatever is thrown at them and play their best hockey… and hopefully get a win. The fact is, they *aren’t* playing their best hockey. They’re average and inconsistent hockey.
If you want to call me a bandwagonner for criticizing the Sharks, then fine. I doubt I’ll change your opinion. But you’ve got to admit that there’s a huge difference between being (justifiably) pissed about how the Sharks are playing and writing them off.
I’m of the philosophy that sometimes you have to be pissed at your beloved team in order for them to play better. We can’t be pampering them anymore like we did in the old days. Been a fan since 93-94.
“The buck stops here.” should be pasted on the Sharks locker room wall.
Man, now that you guys have started pulling EJ Hradek, you’ve started attracting the crazy posters who make comments like they are the next Lewis Black! Welcome boys, you guys have arrived!
Honestly, I don’t care if the Sharks lose every game until the playoffs start. We’ve seen that it means absolutely NOTHING to be on a hot streak heading in, and the reverse applies as well. The Sharks are not playing as well as they did at the beginning of the season, that’s obvious. But I still don’t think any team in the west not named the Red Wings can beat the Sharks more than 50% of the time in a 7 game series. Can the Blues, Canucks, Oilers, et. al., play with us for spurts? Sure, but I like our odds, and unfortunately, there are no guarantees in sports, so good odds are the best one can hope for.
I don’t like how they have been playing, either. But their game depends on high effort, high energy hockey, and its tough to manufacture that. If they don’t show up for game 1 of the playoffs, though, all bets are off.