This week, the Dudes manage to track down Mark Purdy, a San Jose Mercury News columnist who is covering the Olympics.  Mark talks about the exciting and stunning U.S.A-Canada game, the Americans’ prospects for the tournament and toughest opponents, and what other fun things he has witnessed in Vancouver.  Just a note- the contest is still on.  Email the show with your best idea(s) for promoting Dudes On Hockey and increasing listenership, and you might win yourself a free DOH t-shirt.

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Three great matchups, three great games.  Maybe the Sweden-Finland game was a shade under “great”, but I’d still say the day lived up to its billing.  And of course the story of the Olympics so far is the U.S. upset of Canada 5-3; it was yet another game where the Canadians vastly outshot their opponent and didn’t win in regulation.  They did the same against the Swiss, but Jonas Hiller had a great performance.  They must be frustrated that the same thing happened last night against Ryan Miller.  Gabe Desjardins had a great post that showed the out-and-out dominance the Canadians had over the Swiss, and here’s a bit of a taste of that about last night’s game.

What to say about last night?  It seems to be a triumph of will vs. skill.  Or maybe it was just superior goaltending giving the U.S. a chance to get some gritty goals and steal it.  Either way, it was incredibly exciting.  I’m still not sure if any of the American players would have made Team Canada if they were all magically transformed into Kraft-dinner eating, Celine Dion-loving Canucks, but somehow they won.  Even if you take out the “Miracle On Ice 2” or whatever they are calling it, it was an extremely pivotal game for the Americans in terms of their medal chances.  Given they won all three games in regulation and have the best goal differential, they have the easiest path through the tournament by far.  Here’s the bracket:

As we can see, Belarus will be our likely opponent in the quarters, with either the Finns or the Czechs a potential semifinal matchup.  The U.S. will avoid the Canadians, Russians, and Swedes until the goal medal game.  That’s what I call a sweet bracket.  While I still can’t say we are the favorites to win gold, now I’d say that I’d be disappointed if the U.S. didn’t medal.  Actually, I’d say the silver is probably more likely than the bronze at this point.  I like our chances vs. the Czechs over any of the Big 3.

Despite the major media coverage, I wouldn’t say this game had any real “national significance”.  Unlikely 1980, there’s no political ideology at stake, and no real underdog status here.  One team made up of NHLers beat another team of NHLers.  And while I’m happy the game was close and exciting, I don’t hold much hope that casual watchers of the game last night will be converted into hockey fans.  We didn’t get an NHL ratings bump after Torino, and we won’t see it this year either.  Frankly, that’s fine by me, because if hockey got popular, that might mean more NBC coverage.  If I hear Ed Olczyk say “active stick” or “puck in the back of the net” one more type, I’m going to start wishing for more Mike Milbury, which will rip open the very fabric of space and time.

With 24 hours to go before the USA/Canada brawl in Vancouver, my thoughts are still on trade deadline day. As I scrolled through the ESPN rumor mill and noticed the reported price for Predators dman Dan Hamhuis (a scoring forward and a late 1st/early 2nd pick) I began to wonder about the Sharks 2010 draft pick situation and what kind of bullets Doug Wilson had left to fire at deadline day. Here’s the skinny, from what I can tell:

1 – 1st round pick

0 – 2nd round picks (we traded our own to Ottawa for Heatley, we traded Buffalo’s to Carolina for Wallin)

1 – 3rd round pick

0 – 4th round picks (we traded our own to Tampa Bay for Dan Boyle)

2- 5th round picks from Carolina (in Wallin trade) and Ottawa (in Heatley trade). Our own was traded to LA in 2008 to draft junior d-man Samuel Groulx (39 points in 58 games in the QJMHL with two teams)

0 – 6th round picks (we traded ours to Dallas in 2009 so get a 7th round pick to select Marek Viedensky, 46 points in 49 games in the WHL with two teams)

0 – 7th round picks (we traded ours to Buffalo in the Craig Rivet deal)

So, if I’ve done my math right – and that’s a major question mark – the Sharks only have four draft picks currently in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Not good news for a team that’s been criticized for having a lack of quality prospects in their system. So if you’re Doug Wilson, are you willing to trade that 1st round pick to get a Dan Hamhuis or a Tomas Kaberle? It’s got to give one pause…

Like I said yesterday, I’m willing to take the gamble, especially since it’s likely Setoguchi could fetch you that 1st rounder in the offseason if that’s the road you decide to go, but it’s always good to take a hard look at what Doug Wilson has to play with here. He’ll likely balk severely at parting with this first round pick, and it’s entirely possible we could see him sell off someone like Torrey Mitchell for a 2nd rounder if he thinks Jamie McGinn can do the same job – which he probably could.

Major props to Dmitry, our Dudes on Hockey Olympic advocate, proudly wearing his Dudes on Hockey t-shirt around the Vancouver games. We feel the love and Dudes madness is now wilder than Cross Country Skiing.

International hockey flavor. A Russian Dude in Canada wearing an American t-shirt.

When the NHL clock thaws, will Doug Wilson have a Spring surprise for us?

As we wait with baited breath during this roster freeze, Sharks fans are on pins and needles over whether or not Doug Wilson has another big splash up his sleeve come March 3rd. There’s been much debate on the podcast and the blog over whether the Sharks window of opportunity in the Western Conference is currently cracked open, but could be shutting. With a new powerhouse in town in Chicago and a budding threat in Los Angeles, is it possible Doug Wilson should pull out all the stops and pay whatever price is necessary to get Dan Boyle a suitable sidekick for the playoffs?

Is it time to pony up and get Tomas Kaberle?

The price has been fairly public. A top six forward, a prospect and a 1st rounder. The Sharks can meet this price with an offer of Ryane Clowe, Jamie McGinn and Mike Moore (instead of the 1st rounder). Is that a high price to pay for one player? Hellz yes – but should they pay it? That’s the question.

Kaberle gives the Sharks a 2nd top notch puck moving blueliner that activates the attack and makes the Teal powerplay just crazy dangerous. Like Tara Reid dangerous. The good news is, Kaberle isn’t a rental – he would be a Shark for another season at a reasonable 4.25M for a player with his kind of output, currently with 46 points on a fairly dreadful Leafs team. In the process, the Sharks dump Clowe’s overpriced deal, give up a guy who you hate to part with in McGinn, and an AHL d-man whose NHL future is an unknown.

With the uncertain status of Marleau and Nabby and the virtual certainty that this is this current rosters last hurrah at lifting the Cup – I have made up my mind. We need to Respect the Window. Make the final bold move and pay the high price. Give the Leafs a top six forward, a very strong prospect in McGinn and go get Tomas Kaberle and try and win it all this year. Couldn’t Couture (if healthy) fill in for Clowe on the 2nd line and provide the same production? I say absolutely. The Sharks have never been shy about plugging in their best young talent for a playoff run – and letting the talented and maturing Couture loose on the 2nd line with Seto and Pavs could be energetic and dynamic. And I understand getting Kaberle and adding that salary would mean a 2nd side deal of shipping Kent Huskins to another playoff team looking for depth on the blueline, but I would have to think someone would be interested – perhaps Buffalo, Boston or New Jersey would part with a draft pick.

Is it possible by standing pat, the Sharks risk another 2nd round disappointment and then being lapped by younger teams like LA next season? It’s all a gamble. He’ll be criticized if he makes the move and criticized if he doesn’t – but I don’t want to wait anymore. When July rolls around and the Sharks have lost again in the early rounds and Nabby has signed with Philly and the Sharks are debating whether to keep Marleau, trade Jumbo Joe or trade Seto or Pavs because you can’t afford to keep them both – it will be too late. Let’s give this roster the best chance to win a Cup and use our forward depth to get it done.

What do you say? Respect the Window or Stay the Course?

Here’s another take on the possibility of Kaberle with a slightly different offer at Fear the Fin.

Doug and Mike are joined this week by Mike Chen, blogger extraordinaire at fromtherink.com.  Mike, though he blogs about all of hockey, is a local boy and Sharks fan.  The Dudes grill him about his new gig, the state of the Sharks and their trade prospects, and his take on the Olympic blowouts.  Mike and Doug then discuss the departure of Jody Shelley, other trades that have gone down in the NHL, and random hockey business.

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If the regular season were to end today at the Olympic break and 62 game mark, the San Jose Sharks would once again be the #1 seed in the Western Conference, but not the President’s Trophy winner – that dubious distinction would go to the Washington Capitals. Capping off a 4-2 road trip that ended on with a particularly lame effort last night in Buffalo, here’s what else we’re left to ponder for two weeks.

If the season ended today:

The Sharks would likely field a 4th line of skilled players in the playoffs who will play the body, create actual scoring chances and threaten their opponents 3rd pairing with speed, unlike last years combo of Cheechoo, Grier and Shelley. This is good news and should help the Sharks get past their postseason blues.

Doug Wilson would be left with unfinished business. He still needs to address the lack of quality blueline depth and hopefully seeing Rob Blake’s dismal final three games of the road trip (-2 and two horrible penalties vs. Detroit that should have cost the Sharks the game, especially the one in OT), Doug Wilson must add another d-man who can play 20+ minutes and lessen the burden on the 40 year old Blake, who is really showing his immobility and age down the stretch. Trading Shelley helps and created a 750k cushion for either the permanent stay of Jamie McGinn or for Wilson to add someone of significance. I’m sure if something happens it will come out of nowhere, in typical Doug Wilson fashion – but watching Blake this last week confirmed my opinion – something MUST happen for the Sharks to beat Detroit or Chicago in May, or we’ll see more of Blake skating in cement as Kane and Datsyuk glide right around him.

The Sharks would draw Calgary in the first round, as the standings sit today. Could be worse (Detroit), could be better (Nashville). Calgary is a team in turmoil and they still haven’t found any rhythm since making major roster changes two weeks ago, losing three of their last four. The Flames are never an easy draw, but Brent Sutter has been a lousy playoff coach – with both his Devils teams losing in the first round his two years there. I feel confident we could beat Calgary in 5 or 6 max.

Some people say it’s to the Sharks advantage to finish 2nd and avoid the pressure of #1, but I say – Hell’s No. There is enough separation right now between Colorado at #6 with 76 points and the group clogged up for the final two spots (Detroit, Nashville, Dallas, Calgary, Anaheim and St. Louis) that the probability that Detroit will end up #7 is pretty damn high. Avoid the 2nd seed at all costs, or a date with Detroit awaits. I’ve championed the Curse of the Blackhawks all season, their dealings with Martin Havlat and RFA madness in the offseason created bad hockey karma and it will all come crumbling down around them when they draw Detroit in Round One. MAKE IT SO HOCKEY GODS! This is why San Jose must stay #1. It’s critical to our postseason success. All roads must go through Detroit – and it wouldn’t be a Cup run within having to beat the best – but let’s not have it be in the first round. We all know the ending to that fairy tale.

I'm a #7 seed waiting to happen. I can smell Huet from here!

Donald who?

True to Doug Wilson form, a move has been made that I think will surprise almost everybody, yet make sense when you hear it.  Jody Shelley has been traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for “a draft pick”, according to TSN.  This, coming after the Rangers drop Donald Brashear like a bad habit.  Given that the Sharks only gave up a 6th round to get Shelley in the first place, it’s likely only a seventh rounder changed hands, but this is primarily a cap-clearing move.  Shelley’s $700k, while not onerous, gives the Sharks a little bit more room now that Nic “Nic, the Nickname” Wallin is now in town.  While I know the feelings about Shelley’s efficacy on the ice have been all over the map, I personally will miss him a little bit.  Sure, he’s not the best hockey player I’ve ever seen, but he seemed like a really good and generous person, and was someone Randy Hahn picked to possibly move into the broadcaster’s booth some day.   He could surprise you sometimes, like just this week when he beat Colton Orr into next:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2Qtef3DECI[/youtube]

I’m also reminded of the Jumbotron interview when players were asked three things to bring to a desert island.  One of Shelley’s choices was “a can of beans”.

So, strong tough man with two women’s names, we wish you the very best.  And hope to hear you in the booth some day.  Now, we have to think there’s more to come, don’t we?

The Sharks gut out a win against Detroit in their building, and the surprisingly good road trip continues.  Mike and Doug try to put it all in perspective, break down the newest Shark: Niclas Wallin, and take a ton of listener email.  Also, listen to get the contest details to win your very own limited edition DOH t-shirt!

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Move over Vlasic, here comes the Sniffle Monster

I’m fighting an upper body injury (code for the common cold) and the current plan is for us to record this week’s episode Thursday after the Red Wings game. We figured since we were running late, we might as well wait until after the Detroit game, right? So there’s still plenty of time to send in more questions for this week. We’ve got a ton to discuss, including the Sharks trade for Wallin, other moves around the league and the Sharks pre-Olympic road trip.

As for tonight, the Sharks have posted an impressive 7-0-2 record against the Blue Jackets in their last nine, so there’s no reason to believe that anything is going to change in that regard. The Sharks have been finding ways to win on this road trip and should be able to overpower the Blue Jackets. The interesting sidestory to tonight’s game might be for Sharks fans to pay some attention to two Blue Jackets defensemen, Jan Hejda and Fedor Tyutin. If you’re looking for two potential guys who might be moved at the deadline to get some new blood into Columbus, it could be one of these gentlemen. Both would look good in Teal, with Hejda being more of a shutdown defender and Tyutin being more a puck mover. The emergence of young Anton Stralman might make Tyutin expendable,  and Tyutin would be my preference.  To snag either of these two guys, it would require Doug Wilson trade someone from his current roster, which according to interviews this week he seems unwilling to do.   We all know Doug Wilson isn’t willing to tip his hand, yet Dudes on Hockey and our friend at ESPN E.J Hradek have been pointing to the Sharks need for an upgrade in the top four that the acquisition of Wallin doesn’t seem to address. Could DW still use his depth up front on the current roster to land a player like Tyutin or Hejda (ed. note: Fear the Fin just posted about a trade for Hejda)?

Take it or leave it, just a little something extra to watch for in tonight’s game. Talk to you tomorrow after I have endured treatment from the Dudes on Hockey training staff, and by that I mean Mike in a little nurse’s outfit and a sponge bath.

On second thought, I’d just rather be sick.

I hardly watched any of the Super Bowl yesterday.  Football is marginally interesting to me, but I had other things to do.  Besides, the game always seems to take way too long, with extended commercial breaks and the long halftime show.  Being a big Who fan, I did watch that, but not because I specifically planned for it.  I turned on the TV, and there they were.  Slightly less embarrassing that I thought they would be.  Given they’re all in their late sixties, I guess that’s a victory of sorts.

Now that all that football crap is out of the way, I’m looking ahead in the hockey schedule, to the Sharks’ last four games of the month, and of course, the Olympics.  The first two hockey games for the USA are at noon on work days, so that kind of sucks.  I’ll end of TiVo’ing those, and trying to avoid TSN, which is tough for me.  However, looking ahead to February 21, I see a true sports Super Sunday:

• 12:00 pm – Russia v. Czech Republic.  Nabokov and Ovechkin vs. Vokoun and Jagr.  And that might be the weakest matchup of the day.
• 4:45pm – USA v. Canada.  There’s nothing I can say here that would hype this more than it already is.
• 9:00pm – Sweden v. Finland.  A recap of the 2006 gold medal match.

There should be plenty of motivation to watch all of these games, besides the fact that each will contain current (and sometimes former) Sharks.  This will be the best hockey the world has to offer.  Like hardcore basketball fans love the first round of March Madness, this great day of international hockey may be better than the medal round matches, because they’re all in one day.  I’ll get a dozen bags of chips, a gallon of dip, and a couple of cases of Molson for this one.  The wife won’t be pleased.  Note to self: fill out a vacation request for 2/22.