Ryan Wilson: Stanley Cup Final Preview Stanley Cup Final Preview

Malkin will be a beast in this series

Lets go pens

Pshhhh, thats a whale shark, which is about the lamest shark in the ocean. Show him swimming next to a tiger shark or something then i'll be impressed. Really though, thats pretty cool.

The series is going to be entertaining and is exactly what I wanted to happen. ( Well I wanted Washington, but Pittsburgh has been playing so good I can't be mad). I really think San Jose's D will put them over the edge here. Sharks in a hard fought 7.

Oh the NHL.com and facebook comment sections are beyond hilarious the last couple days. So many "Shark" hockey experts by their fans.

When I see them talking about Burns being a top forward, I know they need to stick to baseball.

Poor breakdown of the Sharks forward lines. DeBoer's reforming of the lines has actually made them almost stronger after they lost Nieto.

Marleau moving up to the 2nd line has actually made them less top heavy. The third line with Ward, Tierney and Karlsson has been amazing since it was formed. Tierney especially was elevated from the 4th line with his incredible play in the first round and has only gotten better with more ice time. Ward is what truly spreads around the talent by being on the 3rd. He has a many goals as Crosby, most coming as a 3rd liner.

^
The difference is that now Wards line has to be an offensive threat against the Crosby or malkin or hbk line.... there is literally no where to hide a line against Pittsburgh and that has been the difference when Pittsburgh is on home ice especially

I get the sense that everyone in the country is rooting for the sharks.

I get the sense that everyone in the country is rooting for the sharks.
- pensfan024

They're the team of destiny. We are the bad guys. Let's go out there and ruin some people's days

I get the sense that everyone in the country is rooting for the sharks.
- pensfan024

Good I think we always feel like the underdogs even when we are favorites in this city.

It's gonna be tough but we'll be ok. Eyes on Pavelski, Couture and Marleau. Make Thornton shoot instead of passing.

Pens In 6!

I get the sense that everyone in the country is rooting for the sharks.
- pensfan024

I get the sense that everyone is out on summer vacation and could care less about hockey...the ratings seem to show it.

Pens vs Sharks =

^ how is the golf going?

^ how is the golf going?
- martox

Was going to ask if Kane is back in Buffalo for the summer and if he has stayed out of jail.

I get the sense that everyone is out on summer vacation and could care less about hockey...the ratings seem to show it.

Pens vs Sharks =
- bogiedoc

So many flavors, why do you pick salty?

If my theory about scoring D is anywhere close, let's hope the Sharks D finds a drought!! As I've asked previously, why is everyone saying the Sharks are this so very deep team?? Gunner has just put it out & their top 4 D is the best thing they have that is so much better than ours. If Knuckles, Culldog & Fehr can get it together the Pens are rolling 4 legitimate scoring lines!!

Photo of Geno in is home looks like he just grabbed 'my' Hilfiger t-shirt out of the cupboard. Geno has the same t-shirt as moi!!!

^
The difference is that now Wards line has to be an offensive threat against the Crosby or malkin or hbk line.... there is literally no where to hide a line against Pittsburgh and that has been the difference when Pittsburgh is on home ice especially
- Yonk1216

They will be able to hang with whatever line Pittsburgh has out there. Sharks offensively overpowered the 3rd & 4th best defenses in the league, and stifled and outplayed the team that beat the best defense.

Sharks offense > Pens offense. 3.5 goals per game.

I get the sense that everyone is out on summer vacation and could care less about hockey...the ratings seem to show it.

Pens vs Sharks =
- bogiedoc

Are you the one that thinks the Hawks should play for the cup just because they are the Hawks (even though you lost in the very 1st round!!!), or was that another joker Hawks fan??

They're the team of destiny. We are the bad guys. Let's go out there and ruin some people's days
- Victoro311

Are we the Baddies?

https://youtu.be/hn1VxaMEjRU

They will be able to hang with whatever line Pittsburgh has out there. Sharks offensively overpowered the 3rd & 4th best defenses in the league, and stifled and outplayed the team that beat the best defense.

Sharks offense > Pens offense. 3.5 goals per game.
- IntotheTeal

I think you are extremely underrating the Pens. I will say alot of people are underrating the sharks too though.
Sharks 1st line > pens 1st line
Pens overall offense > sharks overall offense
Sharks defense = pens defense
Pens goaltending > sharks Goaltending

They will be able to hang with whatever line Pittsburgh has out there. Sharks offensively overpowered the 3rd & 4th best defenses in the league, and stifled and outplayed the team that beat the best defense.

Sharks offense > Pens offense. 3.5 goals per game.
- IntotheTeal

So, you're using regular season stats in your first point, and post-season stats in the second point? An apples to orangutans comparison?

Let me see if I can do it, too.

Penguins offensively overpowered the 1st and 5th best playoff defenses in the league. Sharks played none of the top 9 playoff defenses so far.

Penguins offense > Sharks offense. 2.94 goals per game, Sharks at 2.89 (regular season)

Numbers mean nothing. Paper matchups mean nothing. This series can go a multitude of ways, like any series.

But the Penguins have faced fast, deep teams like the Lightning. They've faced stacked power plays like the Capitals. And they've faced tight checking teams like the Rangers. And they've beat them all.

I truly believe that the Sharks have not faced a team like the Penguins thus far in the playoffs - Martin Jones will need to channel his inner Vasilevskiy or Holtby.

So, you're using regular season stats in your first point, and post-season stats in the second point? An apples to orangutans comparison?

Let me see if I can do it, too.

Penguins offensively overpowered the 1st and 5th best playoff defenses in the league. Sharks played none of the top 9 playoff defenses so far.

Penguins offense > Sharks offense. 2.94 goals per game, Sharks at 2.89 (regular season)

Numbers mean nothing. Paper matchups mean nothing. This series can go a multitude of ways, like any series.

But the Penguins have faced fast, deep teams like the Lightning. They've faced stacked power plays like the Capitals. And they've faced tight checking teams like the Rangers. And they've beat them all.

I truly believe that the Sharks have not faced a team like the Penguins thus far in the playoffs - Martin Jones will need to channel his inner Vasilevskiy or Holtby.
- hardnosed

Agree with this post.

I think you are extremely underrating the Pens. I will say alot of people are underrating the sharks too though.
Sharks 1st line > pens 1st line
Pens overall offense > sharks overall offense
Sharks defense = pens defense
Pens goaltending > sharks Goaltending
- martox

Most pundits are picking SJ, but most people are underrating the Pens IMO. I don't know if they think they are better, or more hoping Jumbo and Marleau go out and win at least one Cup.

The only thing I question is your thought on defense. I would take SJ's defensive pairs over our's. We have an edge on the third pair, but not in the first two.

So, you're using regular season stats in your first point, and post-season stats in the second point? An apples to orangutans comparison?

Let me see if I can do it, too.

Penguins offensively overpowered the 1st and 5th best playoff defenses in the league. Sharks played none of the top 9 playoff defenses so far.

Penguins offense > Sharks offense. 2.94 goals per game, Sharks at 2.89 (regular season)

Numbers mean nothing. Paper matchups mean nothing. This series can go a multitude of ways, like any series.

But the Penguins have faced fast, deep teams like the Lightning. They've faced stacked power plays like the Capitals. And they've faced tight checking teams like the Rangers. And they've beat them all.

I truly believe that the Sharks have not faced a team like the Penguins thus far in the playoffs - Martin Jones will need to channel his inner Vasilevskiy or Holtby.
- hardnosed

The thing is, using playoff stats of the teams they played is problematic because all, 1/2 or 1/3 of those stats are from the teams we are talking about. Of course the Sharks haven't played one of the top playoff defenses, because they have been destroying them. But those teams were among the tops of the large 82 game sample size that comes against a multitude of teams.

We can talk about the stats of the Sharks and the Pens over the playoffs because that is reflective of how they have played.

They have played all those types of teams, but they haven't played the Sharks, who are a combined version of all those teams, except they have to survive the better conference as well.

http://youtu.be/GvozGpMu_p8

Let's be bad guys.