After the Sharks lose game 1, they aren’t quite as down as you might expect.  They got 45 shots on Antti Niemi, which would normally be good enough for the win.  Mike and Doug think that, like the Colorado series, if they keep getting lots of scoring chances, they will win.  But the NHL isn’t only about the Sharks, the Dudes break down the epic collapse of Boston in round 2 vs. Philly, and talk about how the honeymoon may be over for the Cinderella Montreal Canadians, losing 6-0 in game one of the Eastern Conference Finals.  The Dudes also talk about the teams that lost in the second round, and what changes they might make.

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Game 1 is in the books and the Sharks came up just short. It’s exactly the type of game we all probably expected, hard fought and evenly matched. Listen to us break it down tonight from 9-10pm on KDOW 1220AM or online at www.kdow.biz.

Give us a call at 1-800-516-1220 to talk about the Western Conference Finals and all things Sharks. The show is so much better when we hear from you on the air. We’ll be giving away more stuff tonight, including a Versus sweatshirt, so tune in and win!

We’re reaching a truly momentous milestone this coming week on the podcast- our 100th episode.  As promised, we are having it at a public place, so we hope you can all come and hang out with us.  We will be doing it on the Wednesday the 19th, 7pm at Coach’s in Campbell (2240 Winchester Blvd).  It’s a friendly neighborhood bar, great for watching Sharks games.  I actually saw the US-Canada gold medal game there, and it was jumping.  Unfortunately, it’s difficult to stream the thing, but we will be recording everything (and posting the podcast that night, of course).  Come on down, enjoy a beverage or two, schmooze with some fellow Sharks (and DOH) fans, and whittle away a night with no playoff hockey.  Who knows, you might be on the air with us, take home a prize of some sort, or wake up in a ditch somewhere.  It’s all good.

The Dudes collect on their bet they made about the Sharks-Wings series.  They still can’t quite believe it, but it’s time to look ahead to another Sharks nemesis this year- the Chicago Blackhawks.  Time to break down the matchups from the Hawks, and try to identify how the Sharks can continue onto their first Stanley Cup Finals berth in franchise history.

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Via Hockey or Die:

First, San Jose Sharks defenceman Niclas Wallin, who has been limited to two playoff games thanks to an unspecified lower body injury, is apparently going to return to Europe in the near future.  According to a report, Wallin has agreed to a two-year contract with Lulea of the top Swedish league, but it’s unclear if he’ll be going there next season or if he’ll play another year in the NHL first.

I hope this isn’t true.  I say we take up a ‘Hamburgers’ collection- sweeten the pot a little.

Podcast tonight.

The Dudes are celebrating after the Sharks vanquish the mighty Red Wings in the conference semifinals in five games.  Mike and Doug break down how it all happened, and have a conversation with Mark Smith about it.  ‘Smitty’ gives his perspective on this year’s Sharks, and fills in some personal anecdotes about some players he’s faced, and what kind of adversity he and other players have gone through in the postseason.

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The party train to the Conference Finals continues tonight from 9-10pm on 1220AM KDOW as the Dudes take to the airwaves to talk all things San Jose Sharks. We will be joined on the air by former NHL player and San Jose Shark, Mark Smith, as we check in with him and get his take on what could be the most exciting win in San Jose Sharks franchise history to date.

Listen tonight on your radio in the Bay Area on 1220AM, or stream the show live from anywhere at www.kdow.biz. The show is always better with your calls, so pick up the phone and talk to us tonight at 1-800-516-1220. As we said on the podcast, we’ll be giving away a Dudes on Hockey t-shirt to the first caller of the night and to another caller during the show. You know you want one…

Talk to you tonight. It’s going to be a great show.

Go Back to Detroit and tell them San Jose's daughters and her sons are yours no more. Tell them the Sharks are free!

I went the mailbox yesterday afternoon and found an envelope from the San Jose Sharks asking me to renew my season tickets and informing me of raised ticket prices and a four figure deposit due at the end of the month.

Talk about timing.

On the other hand, it could have been a stroke of genius if the Sharks had won Game Four and swept the hated Red Wings on our way to the Conference Finals. People would have sent in their season ticket deposits, panties and first born children in madcap celebration. Instead, I have a season ticket renewal packet sitting on my dining room table, lonely and waiting for an answer.

I’ll certainly feel more compelled to write a check with a win tonight – and I’m sure I won’t be alone.

We all know the status of the Blackhawks/Canucks series with the Chicago leading 3-1 and looking to close out tomorrow night at home. They have rolled over the Canucks in three straight and it isn’t looking like much of a matchup at the moment, with the Hawks outscoring Vancouvers 16-8 in the last three games. Vancouver’s defense has been porous and they’ve been unable to match Chicago in a high octane run and gun style. If the Sharks win tonight, let’s hope Vancouver can steal one more before they bow out, which I fully expect they will.

The most important thing tonight will be the crowd at the Tank. I really believe that. We have to remain positive, no matter if the boys fall behind, and help them topple the Goliath. I have full confidence they can and will win tonight. Every challenge has been met in the postseason, every mountain climbed. No reason to believe they won’t make it happen again.

Sharks faced a 2-0 hole at home in Game Two vs. Colorado and overcame a terrible performance by Nabby to win on Seto’s OT goal. They toppled what would have become the most embarrassing moment in franchise history with a huge win against Colorado in Game Four. They recognized the urgency to finish off the upstart Avs and hammered them in Game Five and Six. The Sharks played with the emotion, heart and grit to gain a three game advantage in this series and that’s not going to disappear just because of one bad game.

The Sharks got embarrassed eight times this season – losing by three or more goals. Here is how they responded each time.

Oct 1st: 5-2 loss @ Colorado – Next game: 4-1 win @ Anaheim

Oct 15th: 4-1 loss @ Washington – Next game: 4-1 win @ NY Islanders

Oct 22nd: 5-2 loss @ Tampa Bay – Next game: 4-3 win @ Atlanta

Nov 25th: 7-2 loss vs. Chicago – Next game: 5-4 win @ Edmonton

Jan 9th: 4-1 loss vs. Detroit – Next game: 2-1 win vs. LA

Feb 10th: 3-0 loss @ Columbus – Next game: 3-2 win @ Detroit

March 16th: 8-2 loss @ Dallas – Next game: 3-2 loss @ Vancouver

March 31st: 5-1 loss @ Dallas – Next game: 3-2 win @ Minnesota

That’s a 7-1 record, which tells you a lot about how this group of guys respond to taking a night off. They get mad and they get even. How about this? Detroit’s record in the regular season and the playoffs in the game after winning by three or more goals is 6-8. That’s not great, and we’ve seen this on full display recently with them losing Game One to us after a big win in Phoenix and losing Game Six to the Yotes after beating them 5-2 in Game Five.

Take it or leave it, but I feel confident going into the Tank tonight that the fans will make the difference and we’ll be toasting the first team to advance to the Conference Finals tonight somewhere in Downtown San Jose.

The Sharks are good enough, they're smart enough, and gosh darn it - people like them.

Everyone open your Dudes on Hockey daily affirmation book to page 5 and repeat after me.

I am a good and loyal Sharks fan. Before I panic and start contemplating ways to end my fandom, I will remember the things that give me hope today. I remember that the Sharks overcame a terrible performance by Nabby to win Game 2. I remember Dan Boyle and company refusing to give in to past demons and winning Game 4 in OT. I remember this Sharks team doing the improbable and leaping out to a devastating 3-0 lead on the hated Red Wings. Most of all, I remember this is not the same team that has let us down before.

And for all these things and many more, I know the Sharks can and will win Game Five on Saturday night. This is not the past. This is the present, and in this present – the Sharks overcome all obstacles and end up on top.

Amen. Let’s eat.

Mike and Doug couldn’t me more thrilled about the Sharks 3-0 lead on Detroit, but they know it’s not over yet.  They break it all down, and take some listeners emails too.

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