This idea just came to me the other day. Are the San Jose Sharks the Phoenix Suns of the NHL? There are many similarities between the two teams.
Both have been expected to win a championship for many years. Sharks fans have said "this is our year" for the last 5 years. Suns fans have expected a championship for the last 3 or 4 years. Experts pick both these teams to win it all every season, but both teams fall short and let down their fans.
Neither of these teams has gotten over the hump in the playoffs. Both teams are extremely talented, but manage to "choke" in the playoffs to lesser talented teams.
Both teams have all the talent in the world, but lack intangibles like toughness, heart, and clutchness. Both teams don't play good defense. The Sharks don't have a great defenseman, while Amare Stoudamire isn't a good defender for the Suns.
Both the Sharks and Suns have one great superstar passer/ "assist man". Steve Nash's passing and distributing makes the Suns go where they need to go. Joe Thorton does the same for the Sharks.
Both teams have a coach on the hot seat because of the playoff failures, Ron Wilson for the Sharks, Mike D'Antoni for the Suns.
Both teams have an arch nemesis. The Spurs are the Suns nemesis, while the Anaheim Ducks are the Sharks nemesis.
Both teams are extremely flawed. The Sharks can't play physical style hockey, while the Suns struggle in a half court defensive game.
All in all, both the Sharks and Suns are extremely fun, talented, and interesting teams, but neither will ever win anything significant.
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from 5 days ago
I read this because I think you are on to something. There may be other similarities, such as an inability to adapt, or to respond to opponents crossing the line. (We should be able to handle physical play, but you are right that we cannot.) Both teams also posses a lot of skill and are fun to watch. And I think we play great team defense because of our forwards, but you are correct about weaknesses on our blue line.
However, other similarities miss the mark. Everyone has an arch-nemisis, but the Ducks can hardly be called one since we are not losing to them in the playoffs like the Suns have the Spurs. Also, I was not in the Bay Area five years ago, but if fans were saying this is our year then I would be surprised. The team had just dumped the old guard and was rebuilding--most people were surprised when they took the division before the lockout. Most experts also were not picking the Sharks before this year, but that actually makes them like the Suns--I do not think I have heard one expert pick the Suns, ever.
from 4 days ago
the sharks are the sd chargers, change the coach and the talent will shine. the suns were flawed from the get go and are the victim of poor front office decisions (rajon rondo should be a sun) the sharks are a victim of not maximizing their talent.
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