Just before the hockey season started in September, I appeared on a televised “NHL Preview” show and boldly predicted that the Ottawa Senators would meet the San Jose Sharks in the 2006 Stanley Cup Final. Now that we’re a little past the halfway point of the schedule, lets see how I’m doing.
The Senators are in pretty good shape; for most of the year they’ve been the top team in the Eastern Conference. They have the most offensively explosive line in the game—featuring Jason Spezza, Dany Heatly and Daniel Alfredsson—and their 41-year-old goalie, Dominik Hasek, is playing like a man much younger. The Ottawa half of my prediction looks pretty good.
As for the Sharks, well, that’s a more complicated story. After an average October, the Sharks plummeted in November and hit rock bottom when they went winless in ten
straight games. Realizing the season was at stake, GM Doug Wilson pulled off the Joe Thornton trade and things have been different ever since. The Sharks are winning with regularity again and they’ve begun to recapture their identity as a tough team to play against. You have to finish in the top eight in your conference to make the NHL playoffs, and at this point the Sharks are still on the outside looking in, but I’m certain they’ll get in.
I’ll also stick with my original prognostication that they’ll survive three playoff rounds and go to the finals. To do that, they have to keep getting better. Evgeni Nabokov has to return to the form he had in the teams ’04 run—that’s imperative. Without a hot goalie, you just don’t win the Stanley Cup, period. Patrick Marleau has to keep being what he’s been all year—the team’s best overall player. If Joe Thornton keeps setting up Jonathan Cheechoo and Nils Ekman the way he has been the past seven weeks, the Sharks will have more than enough scoring. The defense has been good of late, but the penalty killing needs to get much better, which to a large extent goes back to the goaltending.
The Sharks have the necessary parts to get to the Promised Land. They just need to put all the parts together, have a great second half to the season and awesome playoffs—and I’ll look like a genius!
Can you make any predictions on new head coach Tomey who takes over a State football program that has had one winning season since 1992 and had an average home attendance of 6,468 last year.
Some cities in this nation are ONLY known by the college football team.
Most cities in this nation don’t even know the tenth largest city, San Jose, has a college football team.
Is it because they shut off beer sales?
I hope you’re right in your optimism about the Sharks in the playoffs, though I’m still baffled as to why, pre-trade, some of their core players often appeared to be operating with an urgency and focus better suited for the DMV than the NHL.
Speaking of trades, what kind of package will it take to acquire a top-line camera operator? Blurred action, often from a ridiculous distance, has become the rule this year. Last week’s OLN coverage was top-notch (visually), so the problem is obviously not endemic to the tank. You and Drew are as good a team as I’ve heard—the Kruk and Kuip of hockey, but you need to get someone behind the camera who is at least capable of recognizing the E at the top of the eye chart.
Go Sharks! They will make it all the way and bring it home to SAn Jose.
I’ve heard rumors that the Sharks are looking at another trade deal. Something involving a goaltender trade (toskala?) for a top name defenseman? I even heard ths morning that Owen Nolan might be comming back? Anything about this true?
A solid Defenseman with a wicked shot could send the Sharks over the top. Having Nolan back could round out a third line of unmatched power. The J.Thorton trade proved to be a match made in heaven. Cheechoo and Ekman have just exploded since the acquisition.
Randy: A few weeks ago, you and Drew were discussing the desire to name our top line…
J. Thorton, J. Cheechoo, Niles E. = J.J.E. =
So what, are we letting KNBR hijack this site now?
This topic isn’t about a bond measure for an arena or funding a baseball park or soccer stadium, it’s about who has a shot at the Stanley Cup.
What’s next? A super bowl pool?
No offense aimed at Randy, but discussing grown men throwing or hitting a ball or slapping a puck with a stick isn’t why this blog was created.
Put a political spin on it next time Randy and I’ll keep quiet.
SFN (#5),
What has the Sharks’ success to do with a bond measure for an arena, or funding for a baseball park or soccer stadium? At this luke warm point in time, maybe everything. Should the Sharks make it deep into the playoffs, the excitement and energy created will certainly invigorate the public’s interest in other local sports. Should the team make it to the finals, I have a feeling the sight of the downtown crowded with thousands of fans, sports celebrities of every kind, and TV trucks from far and wide will knock all those sitting-on-the-fence baseball fans right into Baseball San Jose’s ballpark.
Go Sharks! Welcome A’s!
Sports Fan NOT-
Very interesting comments.
I thought that this site was started to talk about ALL things San Jose, to encourage debate about issues important to the people in this Valley – and since I was one of the people that started this site, I was pretty confidant that I was right – but since you know the actual reason, I am curious to hear it.
As far as the Sharks are concerned, they are a big part of San Jose, maybe not the most important, but certainly worth a blog every other week. And I am very pleased that we have someone blogging about the Sharks that is as close to them as Randy.
OK Johnny Boy, I stand corrected.
So in that case, please be sure and get a post on here when something like a world cup jax tournament sweeps into town as it would be a vital topic in this the 10th largest city.
Cheers everybody (pun not intended but there for the taking)
Unfortunately, I know for a fact that the Sharks are not going to make it to a playoff series, and if they did, they would be knocked off in the first round. That’s for sure. They tend to lose to mediocre teams like the Canadians and the Mighty Ducks out of the blue. That’s very fortelling how things will turn out for them. Keep dreaming.
Randy, it is still mathematically possible for the Sharks to make the playoffs. However, it is highly doubtful that they will. You will have to consider that their 35 remaining games are all against western conference teams with whom they have a losing 14-17-6 record. Tell me how much different the rest of the season will be.
Realist – It’s called Joe Thorton…
Joseph, the arrival of Joe Thornton only offsets the loss of Brad Stuart (lightning, thunder…). The Sharks blue line ain’t pretty.
Please don’t tell me Owen Nolan is going to come back and implode this team!
Why do the opposing goalies have one fantastic game whenever they play the Sharks? Or do the Sharks just suck so much they make their opponents look so good?
Doug Wilson should really be working on his 150 word essay on “Why I Should Not be Fired for Sitting Back while Other Teams Got Free Agents Last August to Improve Their Teams.”
By the way, congratulations to Joe Thornton for his quick adjustment to the team. In less than two months, he is now playing like any other Shark. McCauley probably appreciates the fact he doesn’t look as bad now. He and Joe have been sharing the same stats the last few games, 0 goals, 0 assists, +/-0.
Well, the biggest news on the Sharks’ website over the weekend gives me hope for the playoffs – recalling Bernier from Cleveland…
When will the Sharks recall Jamie Baker? Dave Maley makes my ears bleed.
Doug Wilson’s essay would sound like something out of the movie “Summer School:”
“In August, I tried very very very very very very very very very very very…very very hard to improve the team.”
I love wathcing the Sharks on the tube and also going to games when I have the money to do so. I have to say though that it is very tough to watch when it comes to shoot outs. Only going 1-6 has cost them 6 points in the standing. If they at least had won 4 out of the 6 they would be right where they need to be, breathing down Edmonton and Colorado’s throats. It is going to be interesting if they get Owen Nolan and seeing what might transpire down the stretch. I still believe they can squeak in!
BOSTON BRUINS, MADE THE BIGGEST
DUMB ASS MOVE GETTING RID OF “JOE
THORTON” I REALLY DON’T UNDERSTAND
BOS. AND THE MOVES THEY’ MAKE!
” OH WERE THINKING DOWN THE RODE”.
‘REALLY’ ?????? AND WHAT ROAD IS THAT ?
GO “SHARKS”
10 Great Reasons Why Everyone in San Jose Should Root for the Sharks
10. Watching the game at Jake’s in Willow Glen.
9. Cheers on southbound Caltrains on game nights at the Tank.
8. Calling it ‘The Tank’ instead of ‘HP Pavilion’.
7. Because teal can be fashionable
6. Because Downtown Datsun was an eyesore.
5. The crowded kids playground b4 games at Arena Green
4. Dinner b4hand at Poor House Bistro
3. Because the Thorntons are cousins.
2. The San Jose Athletic Hall of Fame inside the Tank.
1. Because the Sharks are not a baseball team we paid too much money for.