All Playoff talk all the time.

If this series starts Thursday, the Sharks will have had plenty of rest, plus they didn't have to travel as much as the Wings had to in the opening round.

One team that should never be questioned is Detroit. Until someone in The West beats them, they are the favorites. They are a better team then SJ and if people think Thornton had trouble in the 1st round, well, he's in a lot of trouble.

Also, SJ 2nd line wont be running rough shot like they did on The Avs, Detroit is 4 lines deep, has a better blueline, and the goaltending is probably a wash.

Wow, SJ is in real tough here. This was a tough series for Detroit, but in the end their big guns got fully engaged. Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Lidstrom were awesome and Fillpula is becoming one heck of a player.

Howard's looked like a rookie a little lately though, that won't work vs SJ, but Thornton, Marleau, Heatley, Pavelsi, Clowe, Seto - they're all in real tough vs Detroit.

Don't like it for SJ - and that makes me mildly pleased.

Here's all you need to know about Dany Heatley's athletic prowess:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYLGbeIA3DM

^ I ended up making a thread about it because it's so amusing.

For all their struggles, Detroit was 3-0-1 against San Jose this season. And Datsyuk, Franzen and Zetterberg play on a whole other level in the post-season.

I predict a takeaway record for Datsyuk against Thornton.

marakh wrote:I predict a takeaway record for Datsyuk against Thornton.

The league's #1 take-away artist (and it's not even close) versus the league's #2 give-away man. Yeah, that doesn't seem like a good combination for the Sharks.

Zetterberg will probably be matched up against him, though, unless the Wings decide Pavelski is the more important offensive threat.

Franzen wasn't very good against the Coyotes, and Zetterberg and Datsyuk were not very good in their 3 losses.

I'll say an early prediction of Sharks in 7.

dennycrane wrote:Here's all you need to know about Dany Heatley's athletic prowess:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYLGbeIA3DM

He should have one timed it with a slap-shot right into the mitt.

Habs vs Caps tonight... final game of Round 1... who will advance? Will the road team continue to clinch the series? Only time will tell...

dennycrane wrote:Here's all you need to know about Dany Heatley's athletic prowess:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYLGbeIA3DM

I've never understood how throwing a pitch could be so hard.. Especially for a pro athlete.. You would think he could throw it without skipping it half way to the plate... Never understood that..

smash88 wrote:

dennycrane wrote:Here's all you need to know about Dany Heatley's athletic prowess:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYLGbeIA3DM

I've never understood how throwing a pitch could be so hard.. Especially for a pro athlete.. You would think he could throw it without skipping it half way to the plate... Never understood that..

Well, it's a 46' distance... nothing to sneeze at... especially if you've never tried it before.

Big Ev wrote:Franzen wasn't very good against the Coyotes, and Zetterberg and Datsyuk were not very good in their 3 losses.

I'll say an early prediction of Sharks in 7.

The problem with this prediction is that it requires the Sharks to step up in a pressure situation (Game 7), which they've never really shown they can do. If it does go to Game 7, Detroit will have forced it, because if the Sharks face an elimination game against a team like the Wings....it's over.

I don't give a damn what the seedings are, or the fact that certain Wings are aging, or the fact that they are getting by on rookie goaltending. A team that is that battle tested should never, ever be counted out. Especially against a regular season dynamo like the Sharks. They just simply aren't built for playoff success.

The first 2 lines in Detroit are better then the first 2 lines in SJ. That will be the difference both offensivly and defensivly. If SJ took The Wings to game 7 I would be shocked because frankly, The Sharks are not hard to play against and tallent only gets you so far. When tallent on both sides is pretty close to equal, hard work and grit takes over... he difference in the two teams isnt even close.

I'm saying Detroit in 5.

I'll give SJ the obligatory 2 games. Detroit in 6.

Heh.

What I want: Wings in 4.
What I think will happen: Wings in 6.

That Wings are going to destroy the Sharks. This Dung isn't even gonna be close unless Howard self-destructs out of the blue.