28 April 2008
My Dear San Jose Sweetie,
I feel so bad for you. I just can't imagine it. And on top of all this, how can I be so up while you are so down.
Your San Jose Sharks are down two games to nothing, losing two in the Shark Tank, no less, while my Detroit Red Wings are mowing down the Avalanche from Colorado. It's so hard to say sorry to you.
Would you feel better if Detroit lost one of their remaining games? I would feel better yet if the Sharks would win the rest of theirs.
While I watched them play the Dallas Stars, it seemed to me like they were chasing the Stars around the ice. Almost as if they couldn't keep up with them. That's the difference between the Wings and every other NHL team.
In Saturday's 5-1 Red Wing victory, even late in the third period, they were skating circles around the Avs. They sort of remind me of the 1980 USA Olympic Hockey Team that defeated the Russians 4-3. I know I use them a lot but, to me, they are the greatest hockey team ever assembled by a coach, Herb Brooks.
Even the commentators mentioned the conditioning that the US team had and how they were managing to out-skate the USSR. Detroit is the same way. I would love to sit in on one of their practices to see how much it resembles a Brooks' practice.
Sad to say that Coach Brooks is no longer with us. I just happened by his obit the other day and it sadden me as you must be heart-sick by the Sharks.
They just need to step back and refocus their efforts. Concentrate on playing their own game and stop chasing the Stars. I also noticed that Dallas controlled the puck a lot more than SJ.
They need to clear into the neutral zone more and keep the puck out of their own zone better. Listen to me. I sound like I know what I'm doing. I'm just another "old tiger" whose game days are long gone and can only dream that God has a frozen pond for me when I get there.
My heart truly does goes out to you. And if I could, I would be in SJ in a heartbeat to give you a shoulder to cry on.
Like I said earlier, I am both happy for my Wings and saddened for your Sharks. I still am pulling for them and pray that they make a dramatic comeback to beat the Stars. Remember, whether in a game or series, a 2-0 lead is the most dangerous lead in hockey.
My love goes out to you and yours,
Brian-The Biggest Wings Fan in ALL of Okieland!!!
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3 months ago
what a lack of memory yes it was a miracle but they were out shot 39-16 by the Soviets,so are you saying the red wings are like the Soviets, they will win by outskating and out playing the other team and still lose.hopefully they will be like the Soviets in the pre olympics games where the Soviets out skated out played and outscored the u.s. team 10-3
yes that was the best team brooks ever assembled (craig played his best game in net that game)
the best part of memories they get better with age (at least the endings get better)
these sharks do not look like the team that finished second overall barely got by the Flames and look terrible this round again
did you see that call last night the Ranger goal thru the 5 hole wissle went before puck could cross goal line would have tied game.puck was never stopped for a second just passed right thru
we can tell who league wants to win this year can you say the KIDS team
3 months ago
I have to agree with a comment that I hear today on NHL live. Everyone may just be making the sharks out to be a better team than they really are. I mean of course they have Joe Thorton who is a great player and Evgeni Nabakov is a fantastic goaltender, but who else really?
I know alot of people will probably claim that Cheechoo is a good player. But to the contrary he had that great 50+ goal season two years ago and since then really hasn't played like the same player. Although I wouldnt count the Sharks out of the series, but they need to find a way to get some fire back into thier game or they WILL lose this series.
3 months ago
Okay, as one who knows hockey and actually follows the Sharks, let me clear a few things up.
1. Randy is right. There NEVER was a better team assembled than that Soviet team--they beat the NHL ALL-STARS 6-0! If we had been better, they would have called it the EXPECTATION on ice.
2. And like that team, we are the better team in this series. Unfortunately, Dallas is the grittier team, just like our beloved Miracle team was. We were not chasing the Stars in regulation on Friday nor in the first two periods last night. Then we lost focus, because our coach doesn't do his job.
3. Cheechoo played the first half of this year less than fully healthy. He is the top goal scorer in the league after the All Star Break post-lockout, and has been fine this series (four goals, three assists). Is he an All Star? No, but he is a solid first-line player who is good defensively, as well.
4. Remember Detroit is only playing the Avs, and no disrespect, but they aren't one of the top four teams in the league like both teams in the Sharks series. Talk about your team's greatness when they beat somebody good--they needed as many games to dispatch the worst play-off team in the league as Dallas needed to dispatch the same defending champs (who actually added Schneider to last year's roster) that beat y'all in Detroit without Pronger last year.
I like the Wings and dismiss the notion that they cannot win in the post-season, but they are not markedly better than the Sharks, if at all. Because of their weak division and favourable early-round match-ups, I did pick them to get past San Jose in the next round, and now I don't even think they will have to play the Sharks. But all things being equal and if this were the regular season (when we're not choking!), I don't even think you're better.
from 3 months ago
Oops--meant to say Cheechoo has been fine this POST-SEASON with 4G, 3A--he obviously doesn't have seven points against Dallas when we have only scored four! And in referencing the Wings weak division as a reason I thought they'd beat us I meant to mention the home ice advantage that helped Detroit secure.
from 3 months ago
Detroit is 'only playing the Avs' huh. You mean the Avs that all the supposed knowledgeable commentators were saying was the team playing the best coming out of the first round. Now I don't particularly agree with that but that is what a large number were saying. And also said that both teams in the SJ/Dallas series were top 4 teams in the league. Well Dallas finished 8th in the league and 5th in the west only 2 points ahead of Colorado.
Next of course would be your statement that because of their weak division and favorable early round match-ups, you picked them to get by San Jose in the next round. Meaning the home ice advantage that helped them secure. Well you may follow the sharks but you must not follow hockey. The division the Wings did the worst against was their own 'weak' division. It was against the rest of the west that they built up the lead that even the slump could not erase.
You go on to say 'all things being equal and if this were the regular season (when we're not choking!), I don't even think you're better.' Well in the regular season the Wings were 3-1 over the Sharks by a total of 17 to 9 goals. The only 1 goal win was the one the sharks won at the end of the Wings long skid with all 4 top d-men out of the lineup.
All of that said, this is the play-offs and the only thing that can be counted on from the regular season is where you are seeded since it doesn't change. Everything else is up for grabs to which ever team puts together the best run.
from 3 months ago
Just to clarify, in the first half of the season Detroit went 30-8-3. Only 2 of those losses, 1 in regulation and one in the shoot out were to teams outside of the central division. In fact Detroit did not have there 2nd regulation loss to a team outside of the central until game 46 and that was an Eastern team, the second regulation loss against a non-central western conference team wasn't until game 56.
And I apologize if I seemed to be attacking you, I am just very tired of hearing that whole weak division tag. From my perspective every team brings their 'A' game when they play Detroit especially the central division rivals. so while the rest of the central may be soft against other divisions they don't play the Wings that way.
from 3 months ago
Please don't assume I don't follow hockey. I actually knew the Wings did better against the Northwest than the Central, although I did not know they also did better against the Pacific. But take the Wings out and it is the weakest division. The Wings also beat the Sharks the three times before we had upgraded our roster and lost to the Sharks the only time we were in our current incarnation, but yes, I remember y'all were missing four D, and I can't remember if you had even traded for Stuart yet to replace some of that loss...but I shouldn't even know about that 'cause I don't follow hockey.
Bottom line is that regardless of records, the best four teams at the end of the regular season were the Sharks, Wings, Ducks, and Stars; an argument could certainly be made that the Pens should be considered equals, too.
3 months ago
I can understand that--I feel the same way about the NFC North getting dissed.
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