Tuesday, April 15, 2008

 

eep

**A little thought that occurred to me during the second period (the Chuck Norris-y tempo is unintentional): Wayne Primeau doesn't do the little things -- he gets the little things done to him.

**Apart from the times that he is actually on the ice, this is the problem with playing Godard (and Nystrom): you can't put your 4th line out for a lift. You also can't bury Huselius when he's having a horrendous, useless game like he was tonight. And you can't bury Primeau when he goes 2 periods without making a single good play.

**This is basically moot now -- the better team over 60 minutes won -- but the shot clock (again, with these two teams) was a pretty lousy proxy for scoring chances through most of the game. The Sharks were up 6-2 thru the 1st; I think they had one scoring chance (a backhand from the slot whiffed by Ehrhoff), against a handful for the Flames. 12-5 in the 2nd; Sharks had the edge in chances, but not 'more than double'. By the end of the 3rd, 14-3 felt like the margin of chances and play, although the Flames actually had several chances to score the insurance (3-1) goal, including the game's only post/crossbar.

**That last shift, after the icing with 38 seconds left, was the only thing tonight that was really disheartening. I was OK when Cheechoo scored; I thought, hey, they're not having a great game tonight, but they're still having some good shifts, and the D is pretty solid, so it's probably near 50/50 that they win this puppy.

But that last shift wasn't merely like the Sharks were on the PP; it was like a fantastic PP vs. a cruddy PK. I know -- as you should -- that this game ebbs and flows, and looking good today is a rather lousy predictor of tomorrow. But getting pwned that hard at what would quite rightly be called a key time in the game is tough to take.

**Not positive what my G5 preview will be like, but a good guess would probably be a lot like G3. We haven't seen anything we didn't know, these teams are pretty closely matched, and it could go either way.

The Sharks certainly aren't any hotter than they were 10 days ago, and Calgary has beaten them twice since then. Go Flames.

Comments:

I've never spent much time looking over the Flames forwards. I just always assumed the Flames were pretty good, and that there was no real need to confirm it. For starters, they have Iginla, Tanguay, Langkow, Conroy, and hell, even Huselius - they have to be a good, right?!

Then you posted that mid-afternoon report in the game day thread, where they listed the line-up, and it was like a slap in the face. Primeau, Nilson, Nystrom and Godard...

Yuck.
 


Did Godard or Nystrom even play tonight? I swear I didn't hear their names once. I just don't see the logic in dressing either of them over Moss or Timberlake.

Next game is a BIG game.

Oh, and mad props to Mark Lee for dropping "tossed salad" into the broadcast tonight. Highlight of my evening, that was.
 


Joe Thornton is a brilliant playoff clutch hero superman. I've said it all along.
 


well ... that sucked.

but there is always a silver lining. I don't believe these Sharks can win 3 in a row in the playoffs against my team. At the same time, I don't believe my maddeningly inconsistent squad can win 2 in a row in these playoffs.

So, I expect I will be cheering for the home side in game 7 on Tuesday.

Dammit. This was one we could have had. Just like all those other games in the regular season we could have had.

Dammit.
 


Er... you know the home side in Game 7 will be San Jose, right?
 


Perhaps now is the time for Flames fans to reiterate that their team is going to take the series?
 


Maybe I'm just slow on the uptake (probable) or have been too bamboozled by the msm love-in for Dion, but... I'm starting to see him as a major liability. Sure he brings some major offensive upside for a dman, and the intimidating physical presence, but he's also pretty clueless or lackadaisical with defensive play.
I wonder, if he wasn't a "good canadian boy" if he'd get the slack he seems to get right now. basically, for what he brings to the table, he takes just as much off, imo.
 


kish...shhhh...don't let the secret out. i consider dion the most complete goal watcher in the game. you can always count on him to watch it hit the back of the net behind kipper. the best part is that he has an even dumber look on his face when it happens as compared to his normal dumb look.

ps do you think he is dating elisha cuthbert to achieve his ultimate dream...one degree of separation between him and avery's...well you know.
 


Wayne Primeau doesn't do the little things -- he gets the little things done to him.

For the first time in the series, I thought this was also true of Stephane Yelle. After the 1st period, there wasn't a puck battle or race that couldn't lose. He was slack along the boards in his own end and the play died immediately whenever the biscuit came anywhere near him in the offensive zone.
 


Grabia:

I heard Nystrom's name once, when he went in for a hard forecheck.

I was scanning for Godard after Shelley put the lumber to Kipprusoff's backside, but alas nothing came of that. Did not hear Godard's name either.
 


i consider dion the most complete goal watcher in the game.

Phaneuf played 52:41 in the two games in Calgary, and was on the ice for 11 of the 12 goals that were scored. In the series he has been on for 8 of the 10 San Jose goals. The good news he is only -2 in 4 games, much better than his previous career rate (-12 in 13 games).

No doubt Dion makes stuff happen out there, but truly great defencemen are capable of making things stop happening.
 


I saw Godard on the ice at least once last night when he tried to make a play in the Sharks' zone and the d-man just skated past him (I think it was late in the second), but I didn't hear his name at any point (I just saw his number and cursed)...

The only reason he should be in the lineup tomorrow night is to beat the crap out of Shelley. And even then I figure it would make more sense to just use Vandermeer for that and send 17 up to the press box...
 


really good for flames... or really bad?:
http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=234450&lid=headline&lpos=topStory_main
 


Yelle scored two goals in the opening game; I think the Flames are playing with house money when it comes to Any kind of production from that guy.

Phaneuf's petulant and he's overrated but other than that I could like him.
 


No doubt Dion makes stuff happen out there, but truly great defencemen are capable of making things stop happening.

I don't think anyone's saying he's a great defenseman yet. I think people are saying he has the potential to be a great defenseman. Big difference.
 


I don't think anyone's saying he's a great defenseman yet. I think people are saying he has the potential to be a great defenseman. Big difference.

Do you get TSN?
 


I don't think anyone's saying he's a great defenseman yet. I think people are saying he has the potential to be a great defenseman. Big difference.

I'm pretty sure the Flames printed and distributed "Iggy for MVP" and "Dion for Norris" posters around the end of the season (can't find the link, but not the the lack of half assed googlin').

So, just the msm (Double Monster!) and the team he plays for. other than that, no one is saying he's a great defensman.
 


More on the goal watcher in this caption from today's Edmonton Journal:

San Jose Sharks star centre Joe Thornton celebrates his game-winning goal against the Flames as goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff and defenceman Dion Phaneuf look on Tuesday night in Calgary.

Photo here if you can stomach it:

TinyURL.com/4ox5la
 


I don't think anyone's saying he's a great defenseman yet. I think people are saying he has the potential to be a great defenseman. Big difference.

i'm pretty sure the entire eastern media thinks he is the reincarnation of scott stevens already. mind you they watch hockey in a conference where brian campbell was considered good.
 

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