If you watched the game tonight, you know these things….

The Sharks should have won this game, but they ran into a goalie playing the hockey of his life. Everything I hoped the Sharks would do, they did (except win). They dictated their style, forcing the Ducks into a run and gun game that normally plays right into the Sharks hands. Coach McLellan made some surprising line adjustments that gave the Sharks three regular lines that created consistent scoring chances. Cheechoo got completely under Pronger’s skin, forcing him into penalties….but the Sharks power play could not cash in.

So, do I feel terrible. Yes. I feel horrible. Everyone is ready to jump off a bridge and throw the season away. The numbers say the Sharks are finished. The experts will call the Sharks “the Chicago Cubs of hockey”. Many fans will throw this team away and give up….and to you I say – Get Out. Give Up. Don’t watch on Tuesday.

In my opinion, if you say the Sharks suck and they were terrible tonight – you didn’t watch the game. I’m not taking away anything from the Ducks, they have earned both of these wins….but they could have NEVER done it without the amazing play of Jonas Hiller. End of story. The Sharks were not an embarrassment tonight, they played hard and ran into a brick wall.

So, will Hiller keep it up and the Ducks roll to a four game sweep? Maybe. It’s possible. I say unlikely.. As Mike pointed out on the podcast, the Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup in 2006 after losing both Game 1 and 2 at home against Montreal. The Boston Red Sox came back against the New York Yankees in the biggest miracle finish of all in the World Series. This is why they play the games. There could be injuries on Tuesday, Pronger could come down with a case of “I’m an ass*$%&-itis”, Selanne could get deported or Brian Burke could return unannounced and mess up the whole team again. Who knows? What I’m saying is….let’s just wait and see what happens Tuesday.

We can talk about being disappointed, talk about ways to improve, curse the terrible draw of the Ducks and the amazing play of Hiller…but if you want to give up – here’s the door. Don’t come back if we win Game 3.

UPDATE: IF YOU’RE INTO NUMBERS, HERE’S A STAT FOR YOU OF RECENT CUP WINNERS.

2002: RED WINGS (Lost Game 1 and 2 at home….Won Cup)
2003: DEVILS
2004: LIGHTNING
2005: Lock-out, No Cup
2006: HURRICANES (Lost Game 1 and 2 at home….Won Cup)
2007: DUCKS
2008: RED WINGS
2009: ??????

Every three years this decade, someone has pulled this off. All is not lost.

UPDATED AGAIN:
We’ve been on the wrong end of this sucker, remember back to the Edmonton series in 2006? Now granted we won Game 1 and 2 at home (both games very close results at 2-1) BUT as we remember – it is definitely possible for the team up against the wall (the Oilers) to catch fire and rattle off four straight….and then run all the way to the Cup.

The Dudes are excited about the playoffs, so excited that they are recording more podcasts!  However, Mike and Doug were not that excited about the Sharks output in game 1, and illustrate what those situations were, and what they can do to improve in game 2.  The other first-round series are also touched on briefly, identifying the surprises so far.

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It is only game 2 tonight, but I have to say it- I think this is a must-win for the Sharks.  It’s very unlikely they could drop the first two games at home, and then play 2 on the road and really expect to be in Game 5 (if there is a game 5) at anything other than in a 3-1 deficit.  Thursday night was a decent performance, but the momentum will be fully and solidly with Anaheim if they win tonight.  Additionally, everybody from bloggers to pundits to casual fans will be trotting out the old “Sharks can’t get it done in the playoffs” canard, which will only add further pressure.  No thanks.  Sharks HAVE to win tonight.

In other news, the ChompTalk radio show will be going on tonight after the game, so make sure to tune into 1220AM from your cars, and give us a call after the game with your take on what just happened.  1-800-516-1220 is the number.

UPDATE:  Just posted a new episode of Dudes On Hockey.  This time of year, we just can’t help ourselves.

One down, five more to go. I say that because I did predict this series to go six games, so after some deep thought and reflection – the Sharks had to lose twice to make that sucker come true….so why not Game One? They got one heartbreak out of the way. I actually thought (and still do) that the series is going to go 2-2 before the Sharks take over and take Game 5 and 6 to move forward.

Mike pointed out in his last post much of the “strategery” we think needs to be changed for Game Deuce. The Sharks need to play like the number one seed, don’t adjust your game to fit the Ducks, make the Ducks adjust to you. If Anaheim is going to try and stand you up at the blueline, go around them with two of the best mobile D-men in the league in Boyle and Ehrhoff. They proved near the end of the game, when the checking should have been at its tightest, that they could gain the zone nearly every time and create chances. In an interview on NHL Live on Friday, Versus analyst Dave Strader recounted a conversation with Penguins head coach, Dan Bylsma, about matching up strategy against the Flyers and Bylsma responding by saying (and I’m paraphrasing) “We don’t match up or change styles against anyone. We’re going to play our way”. I expect this attitude to be on display in the Deuce.

I pondered why Jamie McGinn was here watching and I think we might find out tomorrow. Clearly, I was wrong about dressing Jody Shelley. Love the guy, but having a battle trophy on the bench for two minutes of ice time is a total waste. Dress McGinn or give Stanley Cup champion Lemiuex a chance to add some emotion.

Anyone else for getting Cheechoo off that 3rd line? Solid D has never been Cheech’s thing and it takes him out of the most important aspect of his game, which is attacking the net. Cheech and J.R. could cause the Ducks 4th line the crazies, they could be a hand full. Grier needs to return to that group and I hope we’ll see more of Goc/Moen/Grier on the ice vs. the Ducks top line and that frees up Joe/Marleau/Seto to do their thing. Does this mean the Ducks might score more? Sure. It also means we’re gonna score, and in a 5-4 gunfight, I’d take the Sharks every single time. BANG!

I feel like we’re all kind of waiting for the playoff ceiling to cave in. Like we expect the Sharks to make an early exit. I admit it, I felt that way almost all day Friday – but as J.R. said after the game, this is a long series and we’ve only just begun. And, after all, not many of us thought this was gonna be a sweep – right?

OTHER PLAYOFF STUFF
Oops. Picking St. Louis isn’t looking so hot for me right now, but there was a ton of emotion at the end of Game Two on the Blues bench over some rough stuff at the buzzer – we’ll see if that is the wake up call the Blues need in front of their home fans in Game Three.

Philadelphia just can’t help themselves. They have to take dumb/dumb penalties and they totally blew the game against the Penguins. If you’re gonna give them a 5 on 3 in overtime, you deserve to lose, especially on a stupid slash by rookie Giroux and an interference by Knuble on their own PP. Smooth move, Ex-Lax….couldn’t resist.

So let the naysayers start that well-worn tune again, about how the Sharks are chokers.  We’re one game into the playoffs, and we have a lot further to go.  I have to say, most of the ideas for this post were conceived as grier and I walked home from the game, so it’s not going to be the most positive thing you ever read.  But as I was driving home, listening to NHL Home Ice immediately after Dan Rusanowsky wrapped up his broadcast, the first thing out of the first guy’s mouth was, “Where was the captain?  Where was Joe Thornton?”  And I suppose that’s one way of looking at it.  But I lay a large share of the blame at a guy we haven’t written much about this season.

Todd McLellan.

The way I see it, the Sharks made three pretty big strategic errors in the way they approached the game tonight.

1. They dumped the puck in every chance they got, so much so I thought I was watching the Sharks in 1996.  With speedy guys like Marleau, Michalek, Seto, Ehrhoff, hell, even Marcel Goc, this strategy is playing against the Sharks’ strength.  Actually, it plays almost directly into the Ducks’ strength, which, if you heard the podcast, is their defense.   Do you really want to get into a skating contest with Scott Niedermayer, maybe the best skating defenseman in the NHL?  Do you really want to try and go around Chris Pronger, who goes right up to the line of interference EVERY SINGLE TIME?  Sorry to get off on a rant, but how you can take four steps to your left and put your stick in a guy’s ribs when he  dumps the puck in directly in front of you and not get a penalty, I’ll never know.
2. Matching up their top offensive line with Anaheim’s.  If you look at the neato graphical shift chart, you’ll see Joe’s line went up against Getzlaf’s almost exclusively even strength.  Two of the guys on that line never kill penalties- Joe and Seto.  So if you are in a matchup against a better line (make no mistake, the Ducks have the better top line right now), you’re going to spend a lot of time defending.  Having the Sharks’ top line, the line that scored 222 regular season points, about 150 feet away from the goal the entire game is, frankly, a dumb matchup.  Why not Moen, Grier, and Goc (all penalty killers) against those guys?  So what if they don’t score?
3. Not playing 12 forwards.  Jody Shelley got 2:02 in ice time tonight, painfully reminiscent of a game in last year’s playoffs, where, like tonight, he only got three first period shifts.  What, are we trying to do a Calgary impression and play with a short bench?  We know from the last couple of months this team has depth, and we now know this could be a long and arduous series.  Dress guys, and play ’em.  Start with McGinn.

Although this certainly is the biggest (really the only) blast I’ve ever done against TMac, I do have faith in the guy.  The entire coaching staff is resourceful and smart, and I have confidence they will make the necessary adjustments going forward.  It just would have been nice to see those adjustments made after first or second period when the game could have still been won.

In another special playoff edition episode, the Dudes talk to Adam Brady, who despite being a blogger for the Anaheim Ducks organization, is a pretty nice guy.  Mike and Doug try to get some insight and perspective from the other side of the first Battle of California series in 40 years.  Listener emails are read, and the first-round picks are given.

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With the playoffs getting geared up today, we are adopting a special playoff schedule this week with two new episodes appearing Thursday and Sunday. Tomorrow join us when we have Anaheim Ducks Director of Publications and New Media and NHL Team blogger, Adam Brady, on for a series preview.

This week, we are doing a special two episode playoff schedule for our podcast, Dudes on Hockey, on Thursday and Sunday. Beginning tomorrow, we talk to Adam Brady, the Anaheim Ducks Director of Publications and New Media and official team blogger. His work can be found right here. Should be a fun show and we have another special guest lined up for Sunday…..more on that later.

Watching and reading the abundance of coverage and hype the last two days, it’s clear that NHL people around the league believe that the West Coast match up of Sharks/Ducks could very well be the best first round series this year. There’s no shortage of stories to cover, between the Sharks playoff implosions, the penalty filled final meeting, Perry vs. Nabby, Parros vs. Shelley, Man vs. Food. All of these subplots make for good conversation, which we hope to continue on tomorrow’s podcast with special guest, Adam Brady.

I’m going on the record with my first round picks. Here goes nothin’.

West: Sharks in six, Wings in five, Blues in seven, Blackhawks in five.
East: Bruins in four, Capitals in six, Devils in six, Penguins in seven

This would make for the following 2nd round match-ups:
(6) Blues vs. (1) Sharks
(4) Blackhawks vs. (2) Red Wings
(4) Penguins vs. (1) Bruins
(3) Devils vs. (2) Capitals

Here are a few thoughts going into tomorrow’s game.

-Who is going to play on the 4th line for the Sharks? It looks like, from all reports, that the 3rd line now consists of Cheechoo, Goc and Moen, so the 4th line is Grier, Roenick and TBA. I believe that TBA is Jody Shelley in this series because we know how physical it is going to be. We can’t ask Clowe Moen and Murray to do all the heavy lifting – so Jody will be need for this series, and possibly this series only. This gets to my next point….

– Why is Jamie McGinn here? Shouldn’t he be playing on the top line for the Worcester Sharks playoff run against the NY Rangers AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolfpack? Well, my thought is that McLellan prefers McGinn to his other Shelley options (Plihal, Lemieux) and if the Sharks draw a more up-tempo team in Round Two like St. Louis or Chicago, then McGinn might get the call and he needs to be around the team to make a full impact when he’s needed in two weeks….just a hunch.

– This series could come down to who’s penalty kill is better. The Ducks have been on fire on the PP in the final weeks and the Sharks PK has been one of the worst in the league at 71.4% (consider that the Toronto Maple Leafs had the worst for the year at 74.7%). Luckily, the Ducks were worse, only slightly, at 70.8%. We know how potent both PP’s can be….so the winner in this battle will literally “kill” the others Cup hopes.

– Game 1 for San Jose is more important than ever. If the Sharks drop the first one, they have three days to sit around and think about it. I would rather have the Ducks staggering out of the Ultra Lounge, smelling of Goldschlager and corn-nuts on Santa Clara Street when Chris Pronger stops Francois Beauchemin and says. “I don’t think we’re gonna win this one (hiccup) Franny……Where the hell is this Pink Poodle place?”

This special extra podcast features the dudes on the ChompTalk radio program with Chetan Chaudari. Lots of discussion about the first round matchup against the Ducks, how the 3rd and 4th lines will come together, and picks for all 8 of the first round playoff series.

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I love the NHL playoffs. I call it Hockey Christmas. It is the best time of year and the reason why God invented the NHL Center Ice package. I thought I’d offer a few of my thoughts on who I think are the big winners going into the first playoff games on Wednesday.

WINNERS:
BOSTON BRUINS
These guys have to be thrilled with their first round playoff draw. While there is significant history between these two original teams, including last year when the Bruins took Montreal to the brink – the roles have been reversed and this Canadiens team is certainly not up to the task. They are a team in limbo with no identity or constant motor. I had my doubts about Boston’s ability to make a deep run to the Cup, but this is the perfect way for them to start against a Canadiens team that is without Markov, a real head coach and the ability to keep teams from scoring (they allowed 247 goals, 2nd most of any playoff team to Calgary). The Canadiens will be off the see The Wizard in four games to get a heart and Boston will be chillin’ at home waiting for Round Two.

DETROIT RED WINGS
They avoided what could have been a death bullet for them in the Ducks or the Blues. What sort of deal has Ken Holland made with the Devil for them to get this draw? They get easy travel (200 miles each way), the 2nd most offensively challenged team in the playoffs with 226 goals (worst is the NY Rangers), and the BJ’s have the worst power play in the league at 12%. 12% – are you frickin’ kidding me? Columbus doesn’t have the fire power to expose how bad the Wings goaltending is which means Detroit is a big winner and could dispose of the BJ’s in five….or dare I say four. DAMN IT!

PATRICK MARLEAU
On the NHL Radio Network this afternoon on the Phil Esposito show (which can be difficult to listen to at times….oh man, he’s brutal – it took him 30 seconds to say Milan Lucic) they were giving out their own version of post season awards and recognized Patrick Marleau as the Comeback Player of the Year over players like Simon Gange, Patrick Elias and Patrice Bergeron. It was great to here Marleau get the recognition he deserves for turning his career around this season and being the poster boy for the success of the McLellan system in San Jose. Nice stuff. Marleau is a winner.

I had a great time last night as a special guest on Chomp Talk, the San Jose Sharks radio call in show in the Bay Area hosted by Chetan Chaudhari and our very own blogger, Mike. One hot topic that was discussed is who should be on the 4th line along side Roenick and Cheechoo? We bounced back and forth and I think Chetan and I settled on Jody Shelley while Mike took Plihal. My reasoning is that while George Parros only logged six games in the playoffs during the Ducks cup run in 2006, three of them came in Round One against the Minnesota Wild, and they suited up Derek Boogard. Parros was active, collecting 6 PIM’s in that series – and with less depth this year we have to expect he will be out there again against the Sharks. Jody Shelley must play to keep things honest in this round – beyond that, he will likely take a seat depending on the match up.

If you didn’t get to hear the radio show, here is a link to our Dudes on Hockey website to hear it as a podcast. What are your thoughts on the playoff winners and who should be on the fourth line?