Overheard At The Game, 4/7/09

inspired by this picture taken by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images North America

After 2.5 periods of no goal action, Mina was inspired to exclaim this after Budaj made a save.

What's on Tap

We're going to have an "Overheard at the Game" coming at you, hopefully today.

Tomorrow's game is the last home game of the season. How the heck did we get here? Anyway, I'd like to do something different for that one. Ideas for cartoons are greatly appreciated.

Reader Daniel, I still owe you a comic. I haven't forgotten. I'll try to get that to you before the post season ends.

We're going technicolor for the playoffs!
I'm going to do my best to have every team in both conferences represented for each round. We don't plan to recap all those games, but we will try to get all the scores up for you in a relatively timely fashion. Note the use of the word "relatively."

Sharks V Avs, It's Way Too Early To Be Creative Edition

Tonight @ 7:30. Radio, Versus, Tank

The Avs blow into town on a day that's expected to be stormy. I have never been bothered by walking to and from games in the rain, unless it's that crazy sideways drench you rain that you can't stave off with an umbrella and sheer will. Wet jeans aren't fun.

It may be the Avs we face tonight, but the Sharks still need to come out hard. We have run into a few iffy moments with this team, (remember that goal go around early on in the season?), and I'm not one who buys the whole "easy" team thing. Well, maybe a little bit, but I'm convinced all 30 teams are dangerous at all times. Mostly because they are.

I don't care much about the Presidents' Trophy. That's a bonus end to a long regular season. The Sharks needs to go into the post season hot, or at least luke warm, if they want to advance. That's may concern right now and I'm hoping it's theirs as well.

Whoo, Go Sharks!

Post Game Recap:

That.took.way.too.long.

1st: Shots on goal say it all. 2 Shots? 2?! As Mina said at the game "the first was worse than I remember it being." No kidding.

2nd: I have no idea what happened in this period. It was a 20 minute blur of not much happening.

3rd: You've been BUDAJ'D!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*
*art for that tomorrow!

OT period: Did anyone tell the Sharks we had two power plays? Two chances with MORE MEN ON THE ICE?! Because it was hard to tell!

Shoot out: WHOO! SAVE! POO! SAVE. POO!! SAVE!!!!!!!!!!! WIN!

The gentleman next to us commented on the momentum shifting to the Avs after the two PPs in OT failed to do much of anything. My response was "What momentum?!" Most of the game was a strangling balance of no real momentum for either side. really it was 60minutes of nothing happening. Sure, there were a few good saves on both ends, some nice hits, and few penalties for both sides, and a lot of shots going 12 feet above the goalies and into the netting.

End result is two points which I would like to say is all that matters, but it would be nice to roll into the playoffs with a bit of a spark, no?

Your Mina Magic Number update for the evening:

For the West: 1

For the Presidents' Trophy: 2

This has been your Mina Magic Number update for the evening.

Opening Day 2009 (baseball)

It's 6 innings into the first game of the season and already my hatred for all teams Anaheim is renewed.

Go A's (and Giants, unless the A's are playing you)

Happy Baseball Christmas!

(Unless you're a Giants fan. You (and I) have to wait until tomorrow.)

Even though we don't talk about it very much, Gray and I spend our summer being equally passionate and depressed baseball fans. Despite being supportive of each others' team, we are on opposite sides of a cross-town (cross-bay?) rivalry. My dad raised me as a faithful Giants fan who bleeds orange and black. Slightly misguidedly, Gray grew up an A's fan like most of the kids in our town. We've always had an unspoken competition as to which team does better and this season I have forced Gray to put some kind of wager on our little bet. There are no terms yet, but there are two separate bets: which team gets the most wins and which teams gets the most head-to-head wins. We're having a little trouble with coming up with what we should wager. A dinner? Tickets to a Sharks game? First born children? What do you think dear readers? What should we put on the line?

Sharks V Ducks, Do Over! Edition

Tonight at 5pm. Radio, TV, Pond

Traffic on Katella will suck tonight, fo'sho.

Speaking of sucking, last night's game was bad. While it wasn't the worst performance this season has seen, it wasn't pretty. And yet, after a good night's sleep, I am ready to put it into perspective. It was only the Sharks 4th home loss in regulation this season. It was a stinker of a game, but the Sharks have a chance to come out and right the many wrongs of last night tonight.

Just in case last night's loss wasn't enough to spurn the Sharks into action, I'm willing to make them an offer they shouldn't refuse.



That is some serious foot and shin pain Sharks. I'm just saying.

Go Sharks.

Post Game Recap:

I get back from dinner and the purchasing of foods, look over the list of penalties assessed at the end of the game tonight and loudly start shouting at anyone who will listen, "How does Corey Perry NOT have a misconduct?!"

Because seriously HOW DOES HE NOT HAVE ONE?! He walked on Boosh. Like he was a rug. He didn't accidentally run into to him, that was all on purpose. That is BS. Also, he was smacking Pickles in the head with his stick. He wasn't trying to get the puck, he aimed for Vlasic's head and whacked at it hard enough to flex his stick. WTF. Why does he only have 2 minutes?

Hell yes, Boosh is going to leave his designated goalie area to smack Perry after that nonsense. Don't give him two minutes, give that man a medal. Perry didn't even stand and fight, he ran away. What BS that whole mess was. It was all I could think about for a large portion of dinner.

The last 30 seconds probably saw about 100 different penalties, on both sides, go uncalled. The refs let is get way out of control.

Ok, enough of that. The Sharks listened and I will wear those shoes this week.

Anyway, a summary of this game now that the brawl at the end and too much food too fast has blurred it. Sharks played better, but it really took them to the second to do so. It wasn't a great game, but it was a better game.

JR got a goal. Whoo!

There was an early SJ goal but it was disallowed on an offside call. Not that anyone heard the whistle. but hey, it's when you intend to blow the whistle, not when you actually do it, as Drew says.

All I can think about it the laundry list of penalties at the end and what's missing from it so I'll leave the game wrap there. Sharks are back in the Tank Tuesday for a game against the Avs. Be there!

Sharks v Ducks, Potential Round 1 Edition

Tonight @ 7pm. Radio, TV, Tank.

Ah, our ever present and ever annoying foes from the south have rolled in for a home and home this weekend. Those jitters I had about facing the Ducks in the first game of the season are back, but now they are tempered by nearly a season's worth of ups and downs. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad one.

Personally I'd rather not see the Sharks drop either game. While a BOC match up in round 1 would be good for hockey in the great state of California, I'm not really keen on losing our way into that match up. To be honest I'm not sure there is an easy first round match up this season. Everyone is dangerous. I'm not sure I'd want to roll into those first post season games knowing we dropped the home and home.

Fate will speak tonight in a loud and raucous Tank. It will be a playoff atmosphere. Don't expect anything less.

Do expect to boo Pronger. (and maybe Corey Perry)

Post Game In Game:
1st:
One of our friends, Shiromori, over at FTF said it best when he said, "Sharks played like those Musical Chairs on Ice participants in the first period."

My summary was, "Not much happened; then the Ducks scored."

Both are fairly accurate.

Joe got the one goal of the period for the Sharks. Go Joe!

2nd:
Glorious moment when Milan gets a PP goal. Whoo

Some moments of good pressure, some moments of ZOMGGETOUTOFYOURZONE! Too many of the latter, too few of the former.

Turnover city. Ducks score two to make it 4-2 Ducks going into the third. I seriously debate going to bed and dreaming up a Sharks win.

3rd:
Well, the third line has looked good. That's a plus.

Frakkity frak frak, ducks score again 5-2. Man, maybe I should have gone to bed, eh?

I think it's very safe to say that this was not the best game the Sharks have played this season. If it was, it would have been a very depressing season.

Milan was awesome. The rest of the game? eh, not so much. Nothing working, nothing connecting, just one of those bad nights. Not for want of chances either. The Sharks swarmed and had a flurry of shots several times, but nothing doing.

Hiller was a beast.

Randy and Drew we on tonight, even if the Sharks were off.

What a bummer. Sharks lose 5-2. The game moved mercifully fast for such a poor performance. See you in Anaheim.