San Jose at Calgary: Game 4 preview

Very Superstitious

This is a common thing in sports, especially in the playoffs, and most especially in the Stanley Cup playoffs...

 

I'm a little bit superstitious myself, as I stopped shaving after the series began last Wednesday night, and I don't plan on shaving my beard off until the Flames are out (of course, I'm not sure how that will go over at the weddings I'm to attend in late May and early June, but I'll take that risk)...

 

Of course, I can't let it run roughshod, as a beard should be maintained on occassion, so I figure that everytime the Flames lose a game, I'll give it a little trim so as not to turn into Jake Plummer. Yes, I realize that a number of hockey fans won't recognize this reference because he is the former quarterback of the Denver Broncos but he was reknowned for bringing the neckbeard back in vogue. Actually, that's not true, as a neck beard hasn't been considered stylish since the Dark Ages (probably because they couldn't see them?)...

 

Which brought to mind a number of other things that Flames bloggers have done over the last year or two that have absolutely no effect on the actual game itself (but somehow give us a little piece of mind). From me recording all of last years games on my PVR and watching them later, to WIs various jersey issues, to HGs pizza, and so on and so on, we just can't seem to stop...

 

But then it stops working (not that it really worked in the first place), so do we stop? No, we just start doing something else, which is the funny part. Since I watched the first game and have absolutely no recollection of the second game (I was really drunk downtown and didn't get home until after 3:00, so I assume that I watched the game, but I don't remember the game even starting, let alone finishing), I figure that I need to watch the game live for the boys to win (which is ironic when you think of last year), so I watched the third game and we won. Looking for a repeat tonight...

 

I was actually reading an article about player superstitions earlier, but you can't compare a fan's superstition to that of a player, as the player's might actually do something to affect the game. If talking to his goalposts calmed Patrick Roy down, and relacing his skates before every game helped Ray Bourque clear his head, then who am I to argue...

 

And I don't expect to stop doing it anytime soon, especially since I need to keep my beard in case I get called up for game 5...

Postgame - Sharks

Random Observations

I recorded last night's game (the PVR is no longer a source of confidence, as its record of late is the opposite of stellar, and I'm too lazy to look it up and find out what that word is), and after finally finishing watching it tonight I thought I'd share my thoughts from the broadcast...

How can you talk about somebody taking a skate blade to the neck and not reference Clint Malarchuk? (Rob Davidson apparently took a skate to the neck in practice, but obviously it wasn't serious)...

Apparently the Sharks are the heaviest team in the NHL this season (And Roger Millions pointed out that is by weight... as opposed to some other measure...)

The potential $1,000,000 winner for the Safeway Score & Win tonight is Kiki Kaketsis... poor kid never stood a chance in life with a name like that...

Nice of the refs to blow the play dead as Jarome was starting off on a breakaway...

Wow, that was a nice hit by Regehr on Roenick though... JR is a little stunned from that one...

Godard almost had his second goal of the season (and boy would it have been ugly if it counted), yet they reveal the disturbing fact that his ice time is increasing as the year season progresses...

Holding the stick has to be one of the stupidest penalties to get... I'm pretty sure the refs will notice almost every time... bad time to take a penalty Lombardi...

And the Sharks score a minute later, right near the end of the first period... somebody should have had Clowe...

That's not fair! You can't throw your fight opponent into the players box... Semenov, you cheap bastard...

And Calgary gets another penalty before the end of the first... grrrr... Discipline boys!

Bad time for Tanguay to mess up on the powerplay, just too bad that Kipper's rebound bounced right back out to Michalek...

And Keenan lives up to his reputation for pulling the goalie (in the literal sense)...

McElhinney has a pretty cool mask with the skeleton gunslinger, but I think its the first goalie mask that I've seen with a graphic on only one side... It looks uncomplete... Maybe he's waiting to see if he gets to stay up when Krahn is healthy...

It seems that the Flames didn't offer to pay the refs as much as the Sharks did (which is obvious after they miss the call on Nabokov and give him a stern warning instead)...

I think Curtis needs to learn to stay in the net more often...

I'm starting to wonder if all the trade rumours and the diminished ice time are affecting Tanguay in a negative way (mentally)... he seems like he's trying too hard to do something big and not quite getting there...

Roger Millions just called Miilan Michalek a fine looking young man after he scored his second goal of the night... I'm starting to think that Roger's spending too much time at the rink...

What kind of fighter wears a visor? At least his helmet came off easily...

Nice punch to the face by Godard! Its a small victory... And it gives Nystrom some more ice time as gets gets to skate across the playing surface to the penalty box...

Wow, Ron Murray has some bad teeth...

And Nystrom gets some time on the top line... In the two seconds it takes to skate to the bench from the penalty box...

I always find it a little amusing when the Colour guy will make a statement that seems like a question, but the play by play guy has to keep his head in the game so he pretty much just ignores him... Poor Charlie Simmer...

Its always nice to see a shutout get broken in the final minutes of the game... A little "Yeah, you're going to win, but here's a little 'fuck you!' as a parting gift"...

Every time I hear Mark Vlasic's name I have a craving for pickles...

Roger Royer won a Eureka Boss Rug Saver Upright... another poorly named bastard... One letter away from being a joke in the movie 'Airplane'...

And the Sharks are off to a spa in Banff for a couple days... have fun with your group mudbaths boys, but I wouldn't recommend the teal and orange paint for your toenails...

Gameday - San Jose

Yeah, yeah, I know...

Yes, I do realize that I didn't do a gameday post for the Oiler game on Saturday, but there is a perfectly good explanation... I was drunk...

Actually, if I had done one when I was drunk, it would most likely be a lot more entertaining than the seemingly mindless drivel that I usually put up here...

I was at a birthday party at a bar on Saturday night and by the time the Flames - Oilers tilt started (10:00 PM, my time), I was probably about 5 pints and 3 shots into it...

But I was coherent enough to get the bartender to change over from the baseball game (it was 10-1 at the time, so I wasn't worried about some mindless baseball fan complaining), and I do roughly remember the game, but as I stated, I was at a birthday party. And the drinks didn't exactly slow down after the puck dropped in Calgary...

But the boys won, so I'm not going to dwell on it anyway (not that I really could if I wanted to, as I forgot to record the game), but I'm sure that Torres hit was dirty (as we've all come to expect from him)...

But on to tonight's game! The Sharks are in Cowtown for a 9:00 PM (EST) start at the Saddledome!

I'm not sure what to think of the fish this season, as I haven't heard a whole lot about them, with the possible exception of how Nabokov has been up and down in my fantasy pools. So I'm figuring the team is playing about the same way in front of him...

I could do some actual research, but that's not really my style...

It seems like the boys have begun turning it around already and we haven't even gotten to Halloween yet, woohoo!

Flames win 3-1 and I don't care who scores at this point, as the streak has already ended...

Gameday - Sharks

The Flames are at the Shark Tank tonight taking on San Jose.

This is a big game for the Flames, as a win puts our boys into the playoffs and a loss, combined with a win for the Avalanche, keeps us on the edge...

I know we have the 'easy' game coming up on Saturday night, but I'd really rather not give the greasers the chance to play spoiler...

I know that Vancouver beating Colorado tonight is a lot more likely than the Flames winning against one of the better Western Conference teams on the road, but I still would much rather have the win, as the boys still have an outside chance of moving up to 7th...

The Sharks are a solid team. The have a potent offence, a solid young defence, and probably the best goaltending tandem in the NHL right now. Of course, having the best tandem doesn't mean a whole lot when you are only playing one game...

I think the boys can win this one...

Flames over Sharks 3-2 in overtime. Goals by Iginla, Tanguay, Langkow, Guerin, and Marleau...

Postgame - Sharks

Okay, this is coming a little late, but I still haven't actually had a chance to watch the game yet, so take it for what its worth... which is probably very little...

Nice to see that the boys won again, but I'm really getting concerned with the number of goals we've been giving up. The defence is looking fairly porous and Kipper is not being Kipper...

I don't think I need to cover the Rhett Warrener situation, as its been reported by pretty much everyone that the guy needs to take some time off...

Iggy apparently put in a nice effort with 2 goals and 2 assists, we just need him to find a way to do that on the road...

A 7-4 win looks good boys, but I'd much rather see a 3-1 win where we control the ice a little better...

Oh yes, and the PVR is 5 for 5...

Gameday - Sharks

Saturday, February 24, 2007
8:00p.m. MST
Pengrowth SaddleDome
San Jose @ Calgary

HNIC

• Flames are back home tonight to take on San Jose at the Saddledome...
• Calgary is coming off yet another unsuccesful road trip in which they only picked up one out of a possible four points...
• San Jose is finishing up an 8 game road trip in which they are 4-3-0...
• Evgeni Nabokov will likely be getting the start for San Jose, as Vesa Toskala is out with the flu/ a groin injury. Nabokov is coming off a 21 save shutout against Chicago on Thursday night...
• Miikka Kiprusoff has been having troubles lately and is looking to rebound with a big win at home...
• Patrick Marleau leads the Sharks in goals (29) and +/- (+8), while Joe Thornton leads in assists (61) and points (77). Mark Bell has 58 PIMs to pace the team...

The boys are back at home, so I have some faith that they will be able to pull this one out. I will also not be home for this one, and will once again be recording the game on my PVR, which is 4/4 so far on Saturday night games...

The boys come back to win this one 3-1 on goals by Iginla, Huselius, and Primeau. Cheechoo answers back for the 'boys' in the effeminate, teal jerseys...