R.I.P. San Jose Sharks 2008-09
April 27th, 2009, 9:33 pm
Here lies the body of the San Jose Sharks 2008-09 team. They died on the ice in a disappointing loss to the #8 seed, another early exit to add to their collection of post-season disappointments.
We’re disappointed, naturally as I’m sure all Sharks fans are tonight. So, instead of taking quick, cheap shots and proposing all kinds of wild trades and changes, I’m going to lie low for a few days. This punch to the stomach hurts more than years past. In the end, the Ducks were better. You can’t take that away from them and I think they’ll give Detroit one hell of a series.
To sum it up: This sucks.
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Great season guys, even if it didn’t end the way we wanted to, it was still a lot of fun along the way.
I’ve had a great time reading your blog and listening to your podcasts this season, they’ve gotten me through the good weeks and the bad, one by one. Thank you for your great insight and entertainment value. Keep up the great work dudes!
Here’s to next season
I really thought at the start of the game that things were gonna go in our favour. I am more then disapointed I am angry. The worst part of this is now I am just completly Jaded towards the regular season now its going to be 18 games of I don’t care because unless there are big changes I might as well watch in april when it matters.
We will unfortunatly have plenty of time to talk about were we go from here so all I’m going to let the anger die down and wait so I can talk about it in a rational matter. I think the Ducks will give the Wings some hell but I think the Wings won’t fail on the PP and that will be the ducks undoing.
I have the Wings vs. Hawks for West final.
err that should have been 82 games of I don’t care… like I said, I’m angry lol.
I’ll second Tomi’s sentiments. Thanks guys for keeping me informed and entertained the whole season.
Thanks, everyone. I know I speak for grier when I say our love of hockey doesn’t end when the Sharks are done. The podcast and the blog will continue, and I hope you keep reading and listening.
Yeah guys good Job with everything you did this season, and I hope that you will keep the podcasts coming like you did last summer, stumbling across the podcast like I did last summer really gave me my own little teal hide out and this shark fan is eternaly greatful for that.
The problem with the Sharks is not only that they are bad, and can’t stickhandle, or pass, or create any offense whatsoever that isn’t a lucky rebound goal or a lucky bounce.
The biggest problem is that because of their lack of offensive skill and flair, they are b o r i n g.
These comments like “thanks for keeping me entertained…”
what are you talking about? The reason sharks fans are always whining even when the team is in 1st place in the league is because the team is so boring. When a normal team loses two games in a row the fans aren’t in an outrage. But with the Sharks unless they play their perfect game they are just so boring to watch. They’re always skating at half speed and they can’t do anything but throw the puck on net and hope for a rebound. They need a new GM who knows which players make a cup team and which don’t.
Wow, how disappointing, I am not a Shark’s fan, but I have picked them to go to the finals for the last 4 years and every year they come up short, way short. What do the Sharks do now? Apparently it wasn’t Ron Wilson’s fault. I think Doug Wilson has done a great job as GM, but it seems it may be time to re-evaluate the Shark’s roster, but damn they are great on paper. Tough luck Sharks fans.
What are the positives we can take from this year:
* Doug Murray has continued to improve
* Setoguchi has improved
* Dan Boyle is awesome and we have him locked up for a while
* 1st ever President’s Cup (yeah not really a consolation for going out in the first round, but it’s now part of their history)
* Going out in the first round in the way they did should hopefully light the fire under the people that really need it for next season so that they’re ready from game 1 of the playoffs if they have any type of long term memory
Sadly, the most consistent thing related to the sharks this year has been how funny and informative the dudesonhockey podcast is. Keep up the good work guys.
Max,
The thanks for keeping me entertained was not directed towards the Sharks but rather Mike and Greir who do the blog and podcast and maybe even each other for our coments and what not.
I would hope alot of us at least right now in an angry rage are thanking the Sharks for Nothing lol.
If I remember correctly, you guys started the blog in the offseason, so at least some fans seem to be interested in your stuff when the Sharks aren’t playing. Keep it comin.
I thought the Ducks played well. Overall, I don’t think they played better, but the object of hockey is to score more than the other team, and the Ducks did that 4 out of 6 times, so what do I know. I agree with Ian, there is going to be a lot of difficulty for the team in stirring up interest in the regular season next year. Here’s hoping Logan Couture makes like Bobby Ryan next year.
I am pissed at this team, but I am still a fan. I’ll still follow them next season… but with much, much less confidence in them. I am DEFINITELY NOT spending the same kind of money on tickets, merchandise, events, etc. next season. I have a feeling many others are with me on that one. So will the team raise ticket prices?
For the first time in their history, I am embarrassed to be a Sharks fan. Now I know how Raiders fans must feel. The brown bag days are upon us.
But blowing up this team isn’t necessarily the answer. I think there are guys that may be a little comfortable, but the fact is we need Patty, Joe, Vlasic etc. to get us through the regular season. But obviously we can’t rely on them in the playoffs. We need emotional leadership. Here are my suggestions:
1) Bye bye Grier. Sign sign Clowe and Mitchell (hopefully at a discount!)
2) Bye bye Nabby… I don’t know who else to get, but too many soft goals this season… I think he’s peaked.
3) Ask Patty to peacefully pass the C to Boyle. If not, strip him of it. Give Patty Joe’s A and give the other to JR (if he’s back) or Mitchell or Pavs. Speaking of JR:
4) If he doesn’t want to play, make him the bench coach. He knows how to push buttons.
5) Call the team out! In the locker room, on the bench, in the media… I think we, as a region, failed to make it clear that we expect them to win. We’re too forgiving. These guys are tough, most of them are from parts of the world where they are tough on underperforming hockey clubs… they can take the criticism. I think the Sharks organization, and we as fans, and our local media are enablers for this mediocrity.
Lots of discussions to come, I’m sure. For now, I’m going to go take a rape shower.
Would you like Toskala back?
Yes.
Wow…I’m almost at a loss for words. I’ve been a fan since the beginning. Yeah they were terrible then but we have come a long way. Still expectations have been high for several years and each year we prove why the hockey world doesn’t believe in the Sharks.
I can bet that a lot of us will be very bitter going into next season. Winning cures all but I think we will all hold our breath until they start winning some playoff games.
I’m sure fans can expect to see ticket price increases which will be like pouring salt on an open wound.
This hurts. It hurts a lot and frankly I’m angry at the team for not having the drive or determination. You can’t figure skate to the finals but it’s obvious we need change.
Trade Nabby and maybe pick up a Ty Conklin, Antero Niittymaki, or maybe a vet like Manny Fernandez, and re-sign Boucher who looks like a very solid backup.
Thornton’s value takes a hit due to his poor playoff performance(s). It might be best to keep him (even though he’s dead to me) but maybe bring in a nasty veteran to teach him a thing or two about being a tough hockey player.
Patty, Patty, Patty…sad to see him continue to wear the “C.” If you can trade him I’d pull the trigger and bring in someone who can fill the void that is Marleau and his captaincy.
It will be long offseason and hopefully change will happen. Yes We Can!
Call me nieve, but I don’t see stripping Patty of the C as the solution. Nor do I think his leadership style is the problem. I feel like this team came into this season and proved they can have the passion and the fire that is needed for a playoff run. They came out with something to prove, but when the president’s trophy was practically locked up in February they called it a season. They forgot that proving themselves was really all about the playoffs and coasted into (and promptly straight out of) the playoffs.
I’m almost in favor of giving this group another shot. But more than anything I really hope that DW isn’t a casualty of the situation, he’s an absolutely fantastic GM and it would be a shame to lose him over our frustration with the guys on the ice.
agree with bcyde….
the dudes were the best part of this shit hole season… thanks guys !!!
I think we should keep this whole team together and let them grow into a team instead of just cutting and adding players… our team is fine.
Hockey season ends a week earlier than last year thanks to a late start to playoffs, and will probably start earlier in September due to the Olympics (which I am now officially more excited about next year than the Stanley Cup), but the sad truth remains – we have long four months ahead of us.
Dudes – thanks for the podcast – I always looked forward to it, even though I hated your constant undeserved mockery of Semenov (possibly the only Shark to make a progress, thanks to his non-participation in playoffs). Please keep it up in the off season, although no need to publish it as often. If you need a KHL/IIHF correspondent/contributor, I’m volunteering none other than myself. There will be plenty of material to cover going into the Olympics.
But our day will come. Whether it will be with this core of players, or this GM, or this GK, I highly doubt. But the day will come.
I still believe.
I agree that Doug Wilson is FAR from the problem. Firing him would be a huge mistake. I think Todd McClellan is a real find, as well.
I actually think that giving this team another shot is not that bad an idea. From the Detroit Red Wings’ wiki page:
“In 1989, Yzerman scored a career-best 65 goals, but Detroit was upset in the first round by the Chicago Blackhawks. The following season Yzerman scored 62 goals, but the team missed the playoffs for what turned out to be the last time to date. Rumors spread that maybe ‘Stevie Wonder’ should be traded.”
I think, if you look at nearly every sport, the only constant is that talent usually wins. Ive been preaching it a lot lately, but “heart” and “grit” and “clutch” are not quantifiable. Even Steve Yzerman couldn’t will his team even just TO THE PLAYOFFS on his own. He needed Sergei Federov and Nick Lidstrom, etc. This series was just as much about the Pavelskis and the Vlasics as it was about Patty and Joe.
PS You know how long it took Steve Yzerman to win his first cup? 13 YEARS! And he had a good deal more talent than this team had. I truly think trading Marleau (or Joe) would be a HUGE mistake.
I still can’t really put into words how I am feeling about our early exit from the playoffs, again. I’m disappointed more than anything. I don’t know what the answer is. It sucked to stay up to 2am the past few months watching a whole game where some of them were a 1-0 SO win (in Col), or a flat loss 4-1 and 3-1. I am happy about the beginning of the season, I just wish it would go from September-June like that.
It was great to get to see Torrey Mitchell play and Clowe was the best player the last six games. I wished that the Sharks hadn’t stopped playing with passion in February. You need momentum going into the playoffs.
If you need another reason to love JR, here you go (from Pollack’s Blog):
Not surprisingly, Jeremy Roenick was the most outspoken about what’s likely to be in store for the Sharks:
“I don’t see how there can’t be big changes,” Roenick said. “When you underachieve like we did in the playoffs, there has to be major change. I don’t know what that it is. I’m sure there’s going to be a lot of closed-door meetings. I don’t think anybody should feel safe.”
What are his plans as far as returning or retirement?
“I’m just going to sit back, relax and spend some time with my family. I’m going to talk to Doug and Todd in the next couple of weeks. I’m totally up in the air. I could go either way. I’m not going to make any rash decisions. I don’t want to pull a Brett Favre and say something when your emotions are running high.”
Might some guys decide they want to be elsewhere?
“When you’re in one place for a long time, it really does get stale. It’s hard to stay in one place for a long, long time, especially when you haven’t won. If you don’t win, there’s change. It’s inevitable.”
On letting the fans down:
“This whole town is so hockey oriented. You wouldn’t think it, but it’s one of the best hockey towns that I’ve ever seen,” Roenick said. “It’s frustrating to me as a player to know that fans put all of their heart and their hope into us. And when we fall short, they hurt so bad. It’s almost like they bleed with us. It’s hard not to feel their passion. That’s why it’s so frustrating, knowing that we’re not bringing more for them. When you go to the arena at 4 in the afternoon, there’s already people waiting there. You just don’t see that in other places.”
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