Sharks (in Off-topic)

Why do the Sharks always suck during the playoffs? Choke choke choke.... I have always been a P'guin fan, but I lived in San Jose for a little while and liked the Sharks as well.. but wth? How can such a dominant team exit the playoffs so early. Novice, any insight? Seriously disappointing :/

Joe Thorton isn't a playoff player.
Cheechoo didn't do anything this season.

And well, That's all I can think of.

This why is Boston traded Joe Thorton. He never does anything in the playoffs.

Yes Thorton is one reason but also Anaheim was not as much of an underdog as everyone thought. They did win the cup two season earlier and have much of the same players then as they do now.
Also San Jose out shot The Ducks every game and their goalie stole a couple games.
My opinion is that San Jose not so much lost as Anaheim Won.

We got called choke artists long before Jumbo came to town...

I have a few theories about it, my more experienced friends tell me I'm wrong though...

It took almost the whole season for teams to understand the timing of the Sharks game, once that happened we were in trouble. The last two months of the regular season were crap in my opinion.

Joe wasn't the only problem, everyone was passing in a lackadaisical manner. Clowe couldn't handle the puck like we know he can after his injury, and Blake (who I came to idolize) during the regular season was being skated around like he was standing still.

I can't answer the past post seasons, but this time it was offense we lacked. You can elevate Hiller to god all you want, but we still failed to make good plays in front of the net. Detroit is going to prove me right about this I suspect, and Hiller is going to learn the swiss leagues aren't really all that great at preparing a goalie for the NHL playoffs.

The playoffs are all about who has the hottest goalie.

Something the Sharks obviously did not have.

Which is quite sad as I was rooting for them.

I'm really afraid of losing Nabby next year.

Ok, for what it is worth, I don't think the Sharks choked this one.

Going into the playoffs Anaheim was one team I don't think anybody wanted to get matched up against. Their 8th seed was the product of inconsistency and a sluggish start, heck, of St Louis hadn't won their last game the Sharks would have had them instead.

Things to remember:
1) Anaheim had much more playoff experience (success) to call on with having won a cup so recently.
2) Hiller may be young but they still had JS "Conn Smythe" Giguere to back him up.
3) After the trade deadline Anaheim's defence became one of the top units in the league. Particularly when Beauchemin came back just before the playoffs. Anaheim went from Pronger/Niedermayer and 4 bags of pucks to: Pronger/Niedermayer, Whitney, Beauchemin, and Wisniewski.

Honestly, I would have liked the Ducks chances against Detroit and I was praying they wouldn't end up against the Canucks.

All that being said, the Sharks could have stepped up their game and maybe got a win...

Regardless.... I don't really see it as a huge choke/upset but it is a sign that something needs to be changed in SJ.
I say trade Joe to Columbus for Umberger, Filitov (or Brassard) and a pick or 2. Gets you a play-off gamer in Umberger, a top offensive prospect (Fil or Bras) and cap space to keep Setoguchi, Paveleski, etc.

You don't have to have a hundred point guy to win a cup, but if you have one he needs to be your best player in the post season.

I was kinda hoping SJ and StL played against each other, rather than the teams they did. Would've been a better match up both ways, I believe.