View Full Version : San Jose v. Nashville
charlio lemieux
4-16-06, 10:44 PM
Well the sharks made it to the playoffs, and have drawn what is arguably, the team everyone wants to face. After recently losing #1 goalie Vokoun, Nashville appears ripe for the picking. Couple that with San Jose playing some of it's best hockey of the year, and we should see San Jose in the second round. One thing with San Jose that is going to get exposed in these playoffs is their lack of depth up front. As long as the top two lines are healthy and productive they should do just fine. They still have a good young defense corps, even with the loss of Stuart. And the back-up goalie has apparently stolen the starters job. They are three deep in net anyway.
Nashvilles hopes have to ride on the back of Mason. If he plays good, Nashville will have a chance.
Sharks in 6.
Sharks in 4, *maybe* 5 if Nashville can pull a victory at home.
Basically got a first round bye.
charlio lemieux
4-16-06, 10:51 PM
I think Nashville is better than you give them credit for, but Losing Vokoun is huge. I went 6 games based on Mason's good play since taking over. If he can have 2 or 3 above average games, then Nashville might squeeze a couple out of SJ.
Look at the goal differentials. SJ's normalizes with about a -5. I'd ballpark that Nashvilles takes a -15, and that's probably being very generous. Then there's the fact that SJ is actually about a +40 since acquiring Thornton...
This won't even be close. Mark my words :].
charlio lemieux
4-16-06, 11:02 PM
If that is your rationale for why SJ should win, how can you say Edmonton will beat Detroit?
If that is your rationale for why SJ should win, how can you say Edmonton will beat Detroit?
The Preds lost Vokoun, which'll have a huge negative impact on their defense.
On the flip side, Roloson has improved the Oilers by about .7 goals/a per game. Factor that over an extra 40 games and the Oilers would be hitting around a +20-25 right now. The Oilers are a much better team than their record and goal differential indicitate, as is San Jose.
Coincidently, Detroit and Nashville are both much worse than their goal differentials. I'd love to know exactly what Detroit and Nashville would normalize to, but I have a feeling its a silly big #.
The Preds with their #1.. I'd have said 6 games, because he is that good. Without him though, I simply fail to see how this team can win more than a game against the best team in the Western Conference.
Obviously anything can (and will) happen, but SJ right now.. they don't lose. They have the best skater in the NHL, a goalie who's been very competant, a solid d-core, and some awesome secondary scoring.
Anyway... :]
Anything else on Det/Edm just ask me in the Oilers thread.
MadDevil
4-16-06, 11:41 PM
I'm going to say San Jose in 6. I think the Predators have enough to at least be competitive, but without Vokoun it'll be a very big chore beating the Sharks. The one-two punch of Thornton/Marleau is going to cause problems for the Preds defense (and any other team the Sharks play for that matter). Mason will surprise by keeping Nashville in the game, but the Sharks will just wear them down by Game 6. If Mason doesn't play like he has lately, San Jose could sweep...
The other thing that I think will have a huge impact on this series is that the Preds have no one who can physically or skillfully match Joe Thornton. Looking at the game they played against Phoenix (with home ice) it appears that their favourable matchup against Shane Doan were:
Eaton and Markov on D, with a massive mix on forward. Weber and Witt were extremely sheltered, often going out directly after Doan got off of the ice. It looks like Nashville was just rolling forwards for the most part.
Really though.. can Eaton and Markov even come close to being able to contain Joe Thornton? Cause I don't think they can.
MadDevil
4-17-06, 12:09 AM
The other thing that I think will have a huge impact on this series is that the Preds have no one who can physically or skillfully match Joe Thornton...
Any team who plays the Sharks is going to have a hell of a time trying to contain Joe Thornton. And if you put all your focus on him, that opens the door for Patrick Marleau, or any of the other forwards they have. Marleau (and McCauley, Goc, Michalek, Bernier, Scott Thornton, etc.) will be a big factor in how far the Sharks go in the playoffs. You know teams are going to focus defensively on Thornton, which means Marleau and the rest of the Sharks' forwards will have to take advantage of it.
I would not want to play the Sharks at all if I was in the Western Conference. They seem to look like one of those surprise teams that have gone deep in the playoffs in recent years...
Any team who plays the Sharks is going to have a hell of a time trying to contain Joe Thornton. And if you put all your focus on him, that opens the door for Patrick Marleau, or any of the other forwards they have. Marleau (and McCauley, Goc, Michalek, Bernier, Scott Thornton, etc.) will be a big factor in how far the Sharks go in the playoffs. You know teams are going to focus defensively on Thornton, which means Marleau and the rest of the Sharks' forwards will have to take advantage of it.
I would not want to play the Sharks at all if I was in the Western Conference. They seem to look like one of those surprise teams that have gone deep in the playoffs in recent years...
There's a few teams who can do it.
Dallas can pull it off with a Zubov/Lehtinen combo. Calgary's matched up very well against SJ this season, I believe going 3-1, and the same goes for the Oilers.
Personally, I think Calgary and Edmonton are the only teams capable of beating SJ in a best of 7 series in the Western Conference, and looking at the expected seedings.. it's very possible that neither of those matchups ever occur. Calgary and Edmonton both have excellent defensive depth and a lot of size on the blueline.. something no other team in the WC has. Thornton'll be too strong and too talented for the Nashville d-core, and a quick series while everyone else beats up on each other is making things look very positive for SJ.
Sharks in 4, *maybe* 5 if Nashville can pull a victory at home.
Basically got a first round bye.I agree.
The Sharks are going to rip apart Nashville in the Preds' sophomore playoff appearance.
San Jose in five.
TimmyTabasco
4-17-06, 3:29 AM
San Jose in 6 games
Mason has been playing VERY well..and Trotz is an excellent coach
But at the end of the day, Thornton will be too much to handle
Its a shame Vokoun is out, otherwise the Preds would take this series
Savior 61
4-17-06, 1:39 PM
Sharks in 4, *maybe* 5 if Nashville can pull a victory at home.
Basically got a first round bye.
Are you kidding me?
Nashville could win the Cup if they tried their hardest. Not just an ordinary team can go back to back INTO the Je Louis Arena and win both times.
Mason will be just fine, he is a very reliable back-up goalie.
Are you kidding me?
Nashville could win the Cup if they tried their hardest. Not just an ordinary team can go back to back INTO the Je Louis Arena and win both times.
Mason will be just fine, he is a very reliable back-up goalie.
That right there is the reason the Preds will not win this series. Having a reliable back-up goalie is great during the regular season, but in the playoffs, against a team like San Jose, it'll cost them. The way the Sharks are playing, it would have taken a very good series by Vokoun to beat them.
Are you kidding me?
Nashville could win the Cup if they tried their hardest. Not just an ordinary team can go back to back INTO the Je Louis Arena and win both times.
Mason will be just fine, he is a very reliable back-up goalie.
They can win the cup based on 2 games, eh?
Oilers won a game in JLA being down 3-1 heading into the third.
Clearly we can win the cup.
Any team who plays the Sharks is going to have a hell of a time trying to contain Joe Thornton. And if you put all your focus on him, that opens the door for Patrick Marleau, or any of the other forwards they have. Marleau (and McCauley, Goc, Michalek, Bernier, Scott Thornton, etc.) will be a big factor in how far the Sharks go in the playoffs. You know teams are going to focus defensively on Thornton, which means Marleau and the rest of the Sharks' forwards will have to take advantage of it.
I would not want to play the Sharks at all if I was in the Western Conference. They seem to look like one of those surprise teams that have gone deep in the playoffs in recent years...
Just about sums up game 3. Well done.
KB in Kelowna
4-18-07, 12:03 AM
Wow deja vu, but this was from last year. We really need some traffic in this section.
charlio lemieux
4-18-07, 7:48 AM
I think I am the only regular who gives a rat's putootie about the Sharks it seems. And other than this thread, which had some action, I got tired of posting to myself long ago.
From what I have seen it has been a good series. Radulov should have been done for atleast the series but ohwell. I hope Guerin puts him through the boards. Hartnell, a fave of mine, should have been gone aswell for his knee on the Cheechoo train. So basically Nashville is a bunch of dirty ***** that should be strung up. haha just kidding. Kariya is a nice guy. :D
Nabby is having some good games after losing his mentor at the start of the series. I hope the Sharks take this one in 5.
Well it has been a great series still despite all that has just been mentioned. This series should go down to the wire and it should be very interesting along the way.
HockeyStationGuy
10-03-07, 12:57 AM
Nashville seems good this year, even though they havent played yet they seem good with good players.With the Sharks new logo I hope this gives them a extra boost.Lets go SJ !
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