Any other NHL fans on the site?

[amat]

I'm a big Sharks fan, unbelievable game the other day an absolute heart breaker. They've been having trouble with the double teams on Thornton and because of that that whole line has been shut down but right now Marleau, and Clowe are carrying the team, hopefully that changes a bit in game 4.

[CFH]

I'm a big Sharks fan, unbelievable game the other day an absolute heart breaker. They've been having trouble with the double teams on Thornton and because of that that whole line has been shut down but right now Marleau, and Clowe are carrying the team, hopefully that changes a bit in game 4.

I'm by no means a fan of the Sharks, considering they kick the shit out of the Canucks on a regular basis, but I cannot belive that Thornton is a playoff no-show again. At least Marleau is answering questions about his ability to perform in the post season.
I've been hoping the Sharks would choke because I hoped it would give the Canucks a shot at trading for Marleau, but with his play it looks like that was just a pipe-dream.
As long as the Sharks can match the physical play of the Flames they should be able to bounce back and take the series. They looked almost scared of the Flames last game, especially after Marleau got smoked twice. I still think the Sharks will win the series, they've been my pick to win the cup since Oct.

[Mikkel_K]

Just out of curiosity what do you guys (CFH) think of Jannik Hansen? He is about as good as it gets coming from Denmark, but is he good enough for a future at the Canucks?

Based on his stats he has been doing very fine the last few months for Manitoba (who btw will hopefully be knocked out of the AHL playoff soon, so Hansen can join the Danish team for the WC in May), and I was a bit surprised he didnt get a call-up. Especially since he has been called up before, when he was playing worse.

Also, I went to my only 2nd ever live ice hockey game the other week -the 6th (out of 7) semifinal in the Finnish SM-Liiga - and one of the 'stars' was Tommi Santala. If I remember correctly, he was playing in Vancouver as well? He wasnt good enough, I suppose?

[CFH]

Just out of curiosity what do you guys (CFH) think of Jannik Hansen? He is about as good as it gets coming from Denmark, but is he good enough for a future at the Canucks?

Based on his stats he has been doing very fine the last few months for Manitoba (who btw will hopefully be knocked out of the AHL playoff soon, so Hansen can join the Danish team for the WC in May), and I was a bit surprised he didnt get a call-up. Especially since he has been called up before, when he was playing worse.

Also, I went to my only 2nd ever live ice hockey game the other week -the 6th (out of 7) semifinal in the Finnish SM-Liiga - and one of the 'stars' was Tommi Santala. If I remember correctly, he was playing in Vancouver as well? He wasnt good enough, I suppose?

Santala was terrible. Just awful. Hansen on the other hand was great last year in the play-offs and seems to be improving offensively this year. Many people wanted him called up during the latter part of the year, but by the time there was a spot for him the team was at the point in the season where the league only 4 emergency call-ups before the play-offs. Many people think Hansen will make the team next year in a 3rd-4th line capacity, but with the new GM coming in who knows. Mikkel Boedker (a Dane) is most likely going to be a top-ten pick in the upcoming draft, the Canucks should take him if he's available at the #10 spot, though that is unlikely. The Canucks are also notorious for going off the board with their draft picks though.

[Cortez The Killer]

I have been following the Penguins in the playoffs. I dont follow the NHL in the regular season, but am a Pens fan in the playoffs (i think that is the DEFINITION of a fair weather fan lol). Crosby and Malkin are great to watch, they always pull of some amazing things that leave me scratching my head wondering how

I am about to go have some smoke, lay in my recliner, and watch the game right now, and see if the Pens can get the Senators out in 4

[CFH]

I have been following the Penguins in the playoffs. I dont follow the NHL in the regular season, but am a Pens fan in the playoffs (i think that is the DEFINITION of a fair weather fan lol). Crosby and Malkin are great to watch, they always pull of some amazing things that leave me scratching my head wondering how

I am about to go have some smoke, lay in my recliner, and watch the game right now, and see if the Pens can get the Senators out in 4

I'm not a fan of the Pens, but I cannot stand the Senators and watching you guys kick the living shit outta them has been quite enjoyable so far. The Penguins have undeniably the best young talent in the game, as long as they can resign most/some of their talent to decent contracts they are going to be a force for a long time.

[CutMeMick]

[CutMeMick]

Hopefully we can turn it out.

[Mikkel_K]

Just out of curiosity what do you guys (CFH) think of Jannik Hansen? He is about as good as it gets coming from Denmark, but is he good enough for a future at the Canucks?

Based on his stats he has been doing very fine the last few months for Manitoba (who btw will hopefully be knocked out of the AHL playoff soon, so Hansen can join the Danish team for the WC in May), and I was a bit surprised he didnt get a call-up. Especially since he has been called up before, when he was playing worse.

Also, I went to my only 2nd ever live ice hockey game the other week -the 6th (out of 7) semifinal in the Finnish SM-Liiga - and one of the 'stars' was Tommi Santala. If I remember correctly, he was playing in Vancouver as well? He wasnt good enough, I suppose?

Santala was terrible. Just awful. Hansen on the other hand was great last year in the play-offs and seems to be improving offensively this year. Many people wanted him called up during the latter part of the year, but by the time there was a spot for him the team was at the point in the season where the league only 4 emergency call-ups before the play-offs. Many people think Hansen will make the team next year in a 3rd-4th line capacity, but with the new GM coming in who knows. Mikkel Boedker (a Dane) is most likely going to be a top-ten pick in the upcoming draft, the Canucks should take him if he's available at the #10 spot, though that is unlikely. The Canucks are also notorious for going off the board with their draft picks though.

Yeah, Bødker is (or will become) The Man. Lars Eller - his former teammate in Swedish junior hockey and through many years on various youth national teams - went as no. 13 in last years draft (St. Louis Blues), which is easily the best ever for a Dane. Bødker could (should?) do better than that. Also, expect Philip Larsen, Sebastian Dahm and Niclas Hardt to be drafted in what is surely the best ever Danish draft year.

I find it quite amazing to witness the development of Danish hockey during the last 10-15 years. I mean, when I was a kid having NHL Danish players was a weird dream, and so was the mere idea that the Danish national team could even get to _play_ the best countries in the world! Now Denmark has survived 5 years in the IIHC, 2 Danes are playing in or around NHL (Frans Nielsen, New York Islanders, became the first ever last January, Hansen was the second), while at least 4 or 5 players seem destined to go there some day. Hell, we might even qualify for the next Olympics (in Vancouver!) and field entire lines of NHL players there! Hopefully Hansen will be there as well.

This development have sparked quite some interest in hockey in DK, also for me. Added to that is that I've been dating a Finnish girl for 18 months now - and has lived in Finland for the last six months or so - and as the general sports freak I am, I have tried to follow 'the local sports'. And, obviously, Ice Hockey is the big one in this regard! (CutMeMick should be happy btw - Anaheim seem to be the team of choice in this country, if judged from the number of team jerseys seen around at least. The Selänne effect, I suppose).

[amat]

Sharks are up 4-1, Thornton has asserted himself this game and Cheechoo subsequently has 2 goals. The offense revolves around Thornton and when he's on, Marleau is on (a goal and an assist tonight) then the Sharks are hard to beat. Finally showing why they were everybody's pic and the HP is off the chains.

Power play goal for the Flames damn. Penalty kill has been terrible this series.

[CFH]

Boooooo!

Good to see another hockey fan.
Do you think Bertuzzi is as overpaid as most Ducks fans do? Also, what do you think about Brian Burke as a GM?
Just curious because they used to be part of the Canucks and quite frankly I'm glad they're both gone.

[CFH]

Sharks are up 4-1, Thornton has asserted himself this game and Cheechoo subsequently has 2 goals. The offense revolves around Thornton and when he's on, Marleau is on (a goal and an assist tonight) then the Sharks are hard to beat. Finally showing why they were everybody's pic and the HP is off the chains.

Power play goal for the Flames damn. Penalty kill has been terrible this series.

The Sharks are deadly when they're on, when the Canucks looked like a lock to make the playoffs they were the team I wanted them to face the least.
The Sharks in some ways remind be of the old Canucks team; all kinds of talent when they are on their game, but somehow they are surprisingly inconsistant.
Of course, the big difference is you guys don't have Dan Cloutier playing goal for you. I always wonder what that Canucks team could've done if Burke had got them a decent goalie. All those years of a great team wasted because Cloutier, as great a guy as he apparently is, counldn't get things done in the post-season. Though to be fair to Cloutier, most of the team has proven that they couldn't, and still can't, get things done in the playoffs.

[CFH]

Hey Doot, or anyone else, what do you think of the Canucks firing Nonis? I think it's a idiotic, knee-jerk move by the now questionable ownership.

[amat]

Sharks are up 4-1, Thornton has asserted himself this game and Cheechoo subsequently has 2 goals. The offense revolves around Thornton and when he's on, Marleau is on (a goal and an assist tonight) then the Sharks are hard to beat. Finally showing why they were everybody's pic and the HP is off the chains.

Power play goal for the Flames damn. Penalty kill has been terrible this series.

The Sharks are deadly when they're on, when the Canucks looked like a lock to make the playoffs they were the team I wanted them to face the least.
The Sharks in some ways remind be of the old Canucks team; all kinds of talent when they are on their game, but somehow they are surprisingly inconsistant.
Of course, the big difference is you guys don't have Dan Cloutier playing goal for you. I always wonder what that Canucks team could've done if Burke had got them a decent goalie. All those years of a great team wasted because Cloutier, as great a guy as he apparently is, counldn't get things done in the post-season. Though to be fair to Cloutier, most of the team has proven that they couldn't, and still can't, get things done in the playoffs.

That's the thing it is strangely inconsistant stuff. Tonight it came on a failure to clear pucks from the zone. Not one time all year did I see the Sharks struggle this much at clearing the puck. It was a struggle each and every time and their inability to clear directly triggered all 3 goals tonight. It's like they figure out a new way every night to not play half as good as they are. We see it in spots, Cheechoo, Thornton and Marleau all registering multiple points, but in between that brilliance is a bunch of dumb mistakes that teams expected to win the Cup don't make.

Hopefully they can pull together and close this out in Calgary because I don't like this team's chances in 1 game to be perfectly honest. Well I do because they have home ice but it's shaky.

That being said I think they do close it in Calgary. It's an elimination game they know what to expect, the Flames to come out and hit them in the mouth but the Sharks pretty much have weathered that effectively the last two games. The Flames did the same thing in Game 3 and the Sharks rode it out and then completely shut the Flames down for the rest of the game. The entire game was played in the Calgary zone on Calgary ice and I expect about the same thing tonight. There is no reason that Jerome Iginla and Owen Nolan should be giving the Sharks this many problems. Phanuef wasn't a factor tonight, they played Marleau on the 1st line and Phanuef couldn't stop him. Thornton was freed a bit and played the led a lot of breaks. Primeau hasn't really done much it's been Iginla, Nolan and Sarich. Sorry but those 3 shouldn't be giving the Sharks this many problems, I think the Sharks are due for that 60 minutes of great hockey.

[CFH]

Sharks are up 4-1, Thornton has asserted himself this game and Cheechoo subsequently has 2 goals. The offense revolves around Thornton and when he's on, Marleau is on (a goal and an assist tonight) then the Sharks are hard to beat. Finally showing why they were everybody's pic and the HP is off the chains.

Power play goal for the Flames damn. Penalty kill has been terrible this series.

The Sharks are deadly when they're on, when the Canucks looked like a lock to make the playoffs they were the team I wanted them to face the least.
The Sharks in some ways remind be of the old Canucks team; all kinds of talent when they are on their game, but somehow they are surprisingly inconsistant.
Of course, the big difference is you guys don't have Dan Cloutier playing goal for you. I always wonder what that Canucks team could've done if Burke had got them a decent goalie. All those years of a great team wasted because Cloutier, as great a guy as he apparently is, counldn't get things done in the post-season. Though to be fair to Cloutier, most of the team has proven that they couldn't, and still can't, get things done in the playoffs.

That's the thing it is strangely inconsistant stuff. Tonight it came on a failure to clear pucks from the zone. Not one time all year did I see the Sharks struggle this much at clearing the puck. It was a struggle each and every time and their inability to clear directly triggered all 3 goals tonight. It's like they figure out a new way every night to not play half as good as they are. We see it in spots, Cheechoo, Thornton and Marleau all registering multiple points, but in between that brilliance is a bunch of dumb mistakes that teams expected to win the Cup don't make.

Hopefully they can pull together and close this out in Calgary because I don't like this team's chances in 1 game to be perfectly honest. Well I do because they have home ice but it's shaky.

That being said I think they do close it in Calgary. It's an elimination game they know what to expect, the Flames to come out and hit them in the mouth but the Sharks pretty much have weathered that effectively the last two games. The Flames did the same thing in Game 3 and the Sharks rode it out and then completely shut the Flames down for the rest of the game. The entire game was played in the Calgary zone on Calgary ice and I expect about the same thing tonight. There is no reason that Jerome Iginla and Owen Nolan should be giving the Sharks this many problems. Phanuef wasn't a factor tonight, they played Marleau on the 1st line and Phanuef couldn't stop him. Thornton was freed a bit and played the led a lot of breaks. Primeau hasn't really done much it's been Iginla, Nolan and Sarich. Sorry but those 3 shouldn't be giving the Sharks this many problems, I think the Sharks are due for that 60 minutes of great hockey.

The Sharks got smoked tonight, think they'll be able to bounce back for game 7?