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Philly @ NJ
* I attended this game, and though I saw and worked several games in the Meadowlands, this was my first time working or even being in "The Rock." It's a great building with top notch press facilities. Very impressed.
* The Devils organist plays the most hilarious medley of songs as the people are piling in...Next game I am writing them down...
* As for the game itself...
* Not sure the Flyers or Devils knew they were in the playoffs tonight. The game lacked so much intensity that Brian Boucher told the press "It was good to get the two points, I mean the win."
* The Devils Ilya Kovalchuk showed more heart and determination than I have ever seen out of him. Jacques Lemaire even alluded to the fact Kovalchuk may had been trying "too hard." (in other words trying to do too much)
* The Devils will eventually figure out to dump and chase the puck against the Flyers.
* The Flyers will be more physical than they were tonight, because the few hits they threw were impactful.
* Peter Laviolette apparently went nuts on his team after the first period. Pronger actually told the press we should ask him what was said, but Peter played it way down.
* Laviolette said in his press conference the Flyers won, "and that's what the playoffs are about...winning," but also said he felt his team didn't play well.
* Jacques Lemaire was obviously listening to Peter and said, "the Flyers won and they didn't think they played well. We lost, but I thought we played pretty well."
* I could listen to Jacques Lemaire talk hockey all night long. The guy exudes class and when you are listening to him you feel like you are listening to a famous hockey guy. A Montreal Canadien legend. And yet he treats the press with respect.
* This game could have easily gone either way, and I don't think anything was determined here tonight. This will be, as I said, a long series.
Ottawa @ Pittsburgh
* Exciting hockey. The Senators caught the Penguins tonight as I sort of suspected they would. They held on as the Penguins slowly kept shifting that gear up.
* The Penguins' Malkin made a statement tonight.
* The Sens got to Fleury and need to continue to throw the sink at him. He was not good tonight, but I would not be concerned.
* The Sens and Pens play a similar game and the speed of this game versus the game I attended in NJ was noticeably greater.
* Give the Pens credit for making a game of it.
* The Sens, like the Flyers merely won a battle tonight. Not mush more can be taken from it.
Detroit @ Phoenix
* Love the whiteout! Memories of Hawerchuk and Steen...
* This was a must win statement game for the upstart Yotes.
* The way the Yotes won this game...coming from behind three times, is as important as how they won this game.
* Jimmy Howard looked a little nervous. As wide open and as much time as Morris had on the winning goal, Howard has to beat him from there.
* This will be a loooong series though. These Red Wings have much pride.
Colorado @ San Jose
* Craig Anderson is back and what a gamer.
* The Avs played the perfect road game and stole one. No doubt about it.
* The Sharks....Ugh, Sharks!
* The Sharks can not do ANY of the following things and expect to survive this series... (yes the Sharks won't win this series, they will attempt to survive it)
* The Sharks can NOT be passive and play like a Swedish Elite league team. The Avalanche watched tape from Anaheim (as Ryan Garner said) and the Avalanche has learned if you don't get physical with the Sharks they only play at half intensity. (see the Canucks games recently where the Sharks got pissed and got results.
* The Sharks can NOT play "not to lose" anymore. The must play to win or simply go home. The game is out there. GO TAKE IT.
* The Sharks can NOT complain about officiating.
* The Sharks can NOT take Joe Thornton's lead.
* The Sharks can't stop skating. The must keep moving at all times. They must believe they are better than Colorado. They must be relentless. Remember, a shark is an animal that will die if it stops moving!
* Finally, a message to Sharks fans. You are an amazing fanbase. You have supported this franchise from Day 1. You have endured much heartache and many other fanbases would have cracked years ago. But now, you aren't helping. It is your right to be pissed. It is your right to boo. But it is also highly possible that the season will be over this time next week and I really believe that Sharks fans CAN play in part in that not happening.
I have never said this before to a fanbase, but the Sharks fans MUST give their team a break here. I know they don't deserve it, but if you want them to turn this around you have to help them. This team is feeding off of the negativity. It is obvious. They brought this on themselves, they are professionals, they need to play better, yada yada...all true, but again...what is reminding them of their failures going to get you?
Right now the Sharks are skating on egg shells at home and the collective fear/groans of nearly 20 thousand people is a serious albatross to these players.
You have all summer to complain and if they fail you will get changes. But for right now, this is still YOUR team. Remember, YOUR team is strong enough to beat anyone. YOUR Sharks are better than this mental mind bleep they are trapped in.
If there is ANY hope here it is not in booing them when they give up a goal or struggle on a power play. It is in encouraging them to keep fighting through this. Hey, I know it is hard to do, but love isn't always fair, and right now the environment in what is usually the loudest building in hockey is a detriment. Your team needs you. What do you have to lose? Give them some support. Cut back on the angst. Make sense?
In the end, I firmly believe the ONLY way this team breaks out of this is either by believing their fans AREN'T waiting for them to fail.....that or winning on the road. But the reverse home ice advantage means the Sharks can win this series but they are going to somehow HAVE to steal one in San Jose...
That is how bad this has gotten.
Hey, what do you have to lose? Either your team breaks through and then possibly fights on to a Stanley Cup, or they lose and you see a whole new Sharks team next season...completely re-assembled...from the top down.
See you all in the morning ( in a few short hours) ...feel free to add your "Last Shots of the Night."
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