NHL Playoffs: Some Things We Learned About the San Jose Sharks In Their Game 1 Win in Overtime

Detroit Red Wings' goaltender Jimmy Howard was good. The San Jose Sharks proved to be better on Friday night at HP Pavilion in San Jose.

That's about all you can say, right?

In such a tightly-played game, it seemed that if either team flinched, it would mean a loss for that team.

Luckily for the Sharks, the Red Wings flinched in overtime.

Conference semi-final call-up Benn Ferriero stumbled the puck through Howard's five-hole in OT to give the Sharks the Game 1 win.

It seemed like that was the only way the Sharks were going to get anything past Howard, who was superb with 44 saves in net.

One thing is for sure. Howard was brilliant, and the Sharks still won.

Here are two things we learned from Game 1 in San Jose.


1. The Sharks Play To Their Opponents Ability

Frankly, it is hard for any hockey fan to pick against the Detroit Red Wings in this series.

The Red Wings handily swept a decent Phoenix Coyotes team in Round 1, and the Sharks just got by a struggling Los Angeles Kings team in Round 1.

Howard has been outstanding in net, and Antti Niemi has been pulled twice in these playoffs so far.

Seems easy enough...until you saw the Sharks play on Friday night.

The Red Wings played well, but the Sharks were the dominant team in that game. It was nothing like we had seen in any of the Sharks/Kings series. The Sharks played like they had played when they made the climb up the Western Conference standings in the second half of the season.

Niemi was good in net and the offense was relentless with 46 shots on net.

Why didn't we see this against the Kings?

Only one reason: The Sharks are only as good as their opponent.

On Friday night, they were one goal better than that.


2. The Sharks Own Overtime


With Benn Ferriero's deflected goal in Game 1 Friday night, the Sharks made their record in overtime in these playoffs a perfect 4-0.

Does anyone want to play this team in overtime?

The Sharks seem to add an extra gear in overtime, but on Friday, they just continued their hot play that they displayed in the third period into overtime.

They pelted Howard with seven more shots in overtime to add to their 39 in regulation, and Ferriero's fell through.

These aren't just shots on net, by the way, as we saw against the Kings. These are actual back-of-the-net-seekers with a little oomph behind it.

The Sharks are riding high, and if a winner cannot be decided through three periods on Sunday afternoon, expect the Sharks to be riding even higher into overtime.

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San Francisco 49ers: Drafting Aldon Smith Means the Return of Alex Smith

So with Blaine Gabbert, Prince Amukamara and Robert Quinn still on the 2011 NFL Draft board, the 49ers drafted a 21-year-old defensive end from Missouri.

Welcome to the San Francisco 49ers Aldon Smith?

It doesn't have the same ring to it that maybe Blaine Gabbert does, but it is a somewhat knowledgeable pick.

If I could compare the pick to another Bay Area team's draft pick, it would be the Golden State Warriors' selection of Anthony Randolph in 2008.

A young player full of potential with freakish ability, but needs some work in order to be good at the NFL level. He can either be a great pass-rusher in the future or a total bust depending on how the 49ers choose to coach him.

Those two options are not what a #7 overall pick is all about, but I digress.

If the 49ers could learn anything from the Golden State Warriors, it would be to not coach Aldon Smith like Don Nelson coached Randolph.

Off the bat, the 49ers will choose to play Aldon Smith not as a defensive end, as he played at Missouri, but as an outside linebacker. Think of it as how the 49ers chose to play Manny Lawson. The two are the spitting image of one another in how their game relates to the NFL.

We found out one thing through all of the chaos that was the 49ers passing up several NFL-ready players in the 1st round of the NFL Draft. The big one may be hard to hear for some 49er fans, but Alex Smith will be coming back as a 49er. Done deal now.

The 49ers passed up on Gabbert as they rightly should. It just means that Jim Harbaugh believes that Alex Smith has the tools needed for the 49ers to make the playoffs. Or at least he believes he can work with Alex Smith to where he can be ready to lead this team to the playoffs.

Expect an Alex Smith deal with the 49ers in the coming days, especially since the NFL is now open for business.

Do not rule out the 49ers drafting a quarterback in the second round. Look for them to eye Andy Dalton or Ricky Stanzi in Round Two.

The Aldon Smith selection may have not been the sexiest move out of GM Trent Baalke, who promised to pick the best player available, but Aldon Smith has talent. He also has growing to do, but you can only trust in Harbaugh and the rest of the 49ers' new coaches that they will make all the right decisions with a kid that has a ton of potential, but needs work.

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San Francisco Giants: You Have To Start One, Bench One, Kill One

Aaron Rowand, Nate Schierholtz, Mark DeRosa - You have to start one, bench one, kill one...Go!

It is no secret the San Francisco Giants have too many outfielders. No, it is not that all of these players are so good that it is hard to get rid of one of them, but it is the fact that each of them are of the mediocre variety that makes it so tough to get rid of them.

Recent reports have the Florida Marlins eyeing utility man Mark DeRosa for their third base job.

So DeRosa is the one you kill off, right? What is holding back this deal from taking place?

The recent departure of DeRosa to the 15-day DL just sent this transaction between the two teams back a few weeks, and it could not have come at a worse time.

DeRosa is the odd man out on this team right now. He is the one you kill off.

Reports of the Giants shopping Schierholtz are true as well, but he plays such a nice right field at home that it would be hard to give up Schierholtz and keep DeRosa. Especially if teams are actually seeking out DeRosa.

Rowand, on the other hand, is safe. It has nothing to do with his mouth-full of a contract that the Giants would have to swallow, although if a team would like to come and swallow that for them that would be great. Any takers?

Rowand is batting .278 and is fourth on the team in hits with 20. Nothing eye-popping, but we'll take what we can get from a guy who everyone thought had lost it forever.

Here's why you have to decide who to kill off of this team. Brandon Belt will be returning to this ball club sooner than later, which now means the Giants will have yet another outfielder to add to their roster in Aubrey Huff, who will be moving from first base to right field again.

Plus, Andres Torres will be returning from the DL, so you can add another outfielder to that list as well.

That makes potentially seven outfielders for three spots.

For now, the Giants should start Rowand. Torres is out and they don't have another choice in center field, except for Darren Ford, who will be sent back down to Triple-A momentarily.

Down the line, Rowand will either be the starting left fielder or a utility man. But for now, he starts.

The Giants must bench Schierholtz. He won't be helping the team anytime soon, but the guy can stay on this team as long as he has a cannon of an arm and is alright with playing from the 7th inning on.

Which means you must kill off DeRosa. A mix of injuries and not being beneficial to the team since becoming a Giant is to blame.

Don't get me wrong, emptying DeRosa and Schierholtz may not be the biggest disaster in the long run. But since it's so early in the season, we'll think small. One excess outfielder at a time.

So you have to start one, bench one, kill one...Go!

Rowand, Schierholtz, DeRosa.

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San Francisco 49ers: 2011 NFL Draft Preview & Predictions

The sports world has not seen an NFL Draft like this in awhile. The team drafting #1 will most likely be picking a quarterback that has legitimate shots at being either an okay quarterback, a total carwreck or a cash cow...or all of the above. That's the probable #1 pick?

The offensive talent in this year's draft is nothig special, to say the least. The defense, as the kids would say, is where it's at in this year's NFL Draft. Big, burly defensive linemen, and quick and physical specimens in the secondary. This draft is a draft rich in defense, and they will be going quick come Thursday night.

So where do the 49ers fall in all of this?

They have 12 picks in the first seven rounds of the draft, but they picked a terrible year to need a starting quarterback as soon as possible, as you will not find a quarterback of your team's future in this draft.

Currently, David Carr is the only quarterback signed to the 49ers' 2011 roster. So they will be drafting a quarterback at some point in this draft.

Here is how the draft sets up for the 49ers through the all important first three rounds of the NFL Draft:

1st Round---7th pick

2nd Round---13th pick

3rd Round---12th pick

One thing to remember is that there is talent deep in this draft. I'm talking in rounds four through seven. There are players that can change a team's dynamic, and the teams must know when it is appropriate to take them.

With so many picks in the first seven rounds, the 49ers will most likely be on other team's radars for trade possibilities. And do not leave the 7th pick out of a trade possibility either.

As far as most experts and analysts are concerned, the 49ers will have their shot at three possible players in any scenario. They are QB Blaine Gabbert, CB Patrick Peterson, or CB Prince Amukamara.

Recent reports are that Gabbert, who was supposed to be drafted anywhere in the top five picks, could fall to the 49ers at #7, and they need a quarterback desperately.

Peterson is the 49ers' first choice. There is zero doubt about that. If he falls to the 49ers, it will be a huge steal at #7.

But say Peterson doesn't fall. Then what? That's when trade possibilities become a reality.

The 49ers want Peterson, but if they can't have him then they want Amukamara, who may end up being a better cornerback than Peterson one day, as Peterson could potentially move to safety because of his size. The problem is Amukamara is projected to be drafted anywhere from 10-15. If the 49ers could swing a trade somewhere in there and still acquire a pick like the 12th or 13th, then they could still pick Amukamara while also acquiring another player to boot.

I have a headache...

Projection:

All reports point to Peterson falling to the 49ers, who will take him with the #7 overall pick.

The 2nd round gets a little fuzzier, and so does the 3rd, but it doesn't hurt to try.

With their pick in the 2nd round, the 49ers will most likely be taking a quarterback, and they will have several options, any of which may be available or not come pick #13 of the 2nd round. It still isn't clear.

Quarterbacks that may be there are Andy Dalton, Christian Ponder, Ricky Stanzi or Ryan Mallett.

Dalton and Ponder are both wildcards at this pick because they can go anywhere from the late-1st round to mid-second round. Make no mistake, if either of them are there at pick #13 of the 2nd round, the 49ers will take them.

Maybe a little more realistic is the pick of Stanzi from Iowa, but it is not sure if the 49ers would want to pick him as their quarterback of the future or any future for that matter.

Prediction:

Christian Ponder of Florida State

The rest of the way is a blur. It always is.

I will throw out a few names, though, for that 12th pick of the 3rd round.

OLB Chris Carter of Fresno State. The linebacker is a terrific pass-rusher with huge physical ability.

NT Kendrick Ellis of Hampton University. At 6'5" and 346 lbs., he is the prototypical nose tackle.

QB Colin Kaepernick of Nevada. Odds are he doesn't fall this far, but the 49ers would gladly scoop him up, especially if Dalton and Ponder are gone by their pick in the 2nd round.

Prediction:

If I had to make a pick, it would be Carter going to the 49ers at #12 of the 3rd round.

The 49ers have needs to fill and picks to fill them with. They must address two positions with those first two picks, cornerback and quarterback.

Expect the 49ers to fill those positions early, and make some trades along the way on what will be a wild and crazy NFL Draft.

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San Jose Sharks: Antero Niittymaki or Antti Niemi To Start Game 4?

How would you like to be San Jose Sharks coach Todd McLellan right now?

Okay, he's probably not the worst person to be right now, I mean, he is head coach of a team that came back from a 4-0 deficit to win 6-5 in overtime in the playoffs and take control of the series.

But how about the decision he has to make for Game 4 in Los Angeles on Thursday night?

Go with the goalie who has brought your team to the playoffs by playing practically the entire second half of the season, or the goalie who silenced the Kings on the Sharks' way to one of the greatest comebacks in NHL playoff history?

Antti Niemi or Antero Niittymaki?

There is really no right answer to the decision McLellan will have to make in the next 24 hours.

Here are the facts, though.

Niemi has not met the expectations that many had for him in the playoffs. He has seemed tired and slow in net. But he has been the rock for this team. The players feel comfortable with him in net, as shown by their second half surge up the Western Conference standings.

But is Niemi out of gas for these playoffs? Is he just not seeing the puck in these playoffs as he would in the regular season?

The playoffs are a different beast and we know players go harder in the playoffs than in the regular season. Is Niemi just not up for the challenge that is the playoffs?

The other side of the equation is Niittymaki's solid goaltending in the Sharks' comeback win in Game 3.

The only problem in starting Niittymaki for Game 4 is that he has proven nothing. He had been injured while Niemi put the Sharks on his back on their way to second place in the Western Conference.

But Niittymaki was the goalie that halted the barrage of goals from the Kings paving the way for a Game 3 win.

He is a breath of fresh air at the moment.

But is that all he is?

Niittymaki needs to be in net for Game 4.

He is rested and the Sharks seemed to have a sense of resurgence when he was in net.

He is something new at the moment and that may be the best thing for the Sharks right now.

If he does not pan out in Game 4, then insert Niemi back for Game 5. But at the moment, you must go with the hot goalie. Not that Niittymaki stopped everything in his path Tuesday night (made 10 of 11 saves), but he was in net for an epic Sharks win, and that's all that matters right now.

He is the face of the comeback for the Sharks and that changes the mindset of all the Sharks players.

Niemi wasn't cutting it in the playoffs so far, and the team wasn't cutting it when he was in net.

Niittymaki is the refreshing change of scenery for Game 4.

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San Francisco Giants: Brandon Belt Seems Bound For AAA-Fresno

So the San Francisco Giants made a mistake. The hype was so huge coming out of Spring Training that the Giants ultimately had no choice but to start Brandon Belt on Opening Day at first base.

The Giants went against everything they have ever preached about their prospects by bringing up Belt to the majors to start the season.

Buster Posey waited until mid-season. Now look at him. So did Madison Bumgarner and a host of other players who now make up the young core of the Giants' competitive ball club.

Which is why murmurs of Belt's imminent departure for Fresno seems just about right for this situation.

Andrew Baggarley of the San Jose Mercury News says that Belt has until April 26th to make a splash in The Bigs or he'll be splashing in Fresno. That would be the date that Andres Torres is eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list.

Honestly, this seems like a done deal already, and the Giants really don't have any other options for this situation at this point, if you look at it.

If the Giants choose not to send Belt down to Fresno, that would mean they would have to designate someone like Nate Schierhotlz for assignment to make room for Torres on the roster.

Why would the Giants choose to lose Schierholtz when Belt can just be optioned to AAA and possibly brought back up again?

At this point in the season, it betters the team for Belt to be sent down.

His .196 BA isn't helping anyone right now, and he seems a little overwhelmed at the plate at the moment.

With that move, Aubrey Huff can now make a home back at first base, and the one-man circus that he was in right field comes to an end.

Plus, it gives Aaron Rowand and Schierhotz, guys who have played well when called upon, chances in the outfield until Cody Ross returns.

There are more pros than cons when it comes to Belt being sent down to AAA-Fresno, which is why it seems the Giants have already made up their mind.

Mark it down: Torres up, and Belt sent down on April 26th.

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Where the Golden State Warriors Go From Here

The overall expectations for these 20010-11 Golden State Warriors was up in the air at the start of this past season.

Who will be the majority scorer, Monta Ellis or Stephen Curry? Will David Lee be all they payed him to be? What role will Dorell Wright play? Is coach Keith Smart in the future plans for this team?

Turns out, all of these questions were answered, and rather quickly.

The first thing we learned was that Ellis is the man on this team. He averaged 24 points per game this season, and some may say he was snubbed from the All-Star team, although the jury is still out on that one.

Ellis lead this team throughout the entire season by constantly playing every minute of games and putting the team on his back when things got tough on the court.

Any thoughts of Curry taking over the reigns for the Warriors were quickly out the window.

There were some surprises this season. Good and bad.

First, Lee was not all they payed him to be, at least not in the statistical category.

In his first year with the Warriors, he averaged 16.5 ppg and 9.8 rpg. Hardly worth the $80 million, but for the first time in awhile, the Warriors had a legitimate big man.

Still, he did not produce as they thought he would.

The dream was a 20 ppg/10 rpg big man. What they got was a rather soft mid-range big man.

But the Warriors made up for that with the addition of Dorell Wright, who proved to be quite the surprise this season.

Wright averaged 16.4 ppg, while shooting almost 38% from 3-point range, and earning a spot in the 3-point contest at the All-Star game.

A great pick-up for the Warriors, and a young man who has tremendous upside in the future.

The best thing that happened this season was the fact that everyone knew their role on this team rather quickly.

Ellis is the #1 guy, there was zero debate about that this season. No one can take over a game like Ellis. Curry is the side-kick with the 3-point shot, Wright is the functional small forward and Lee is the low-post threat who sports a mid-range game.

Still, the Warriors were not competitive in the Western Conference this season.

Why?

Lack of a true point guard, and lack of a true big man.

So where do they go from here?

Two issues need to be addressed this offseason: Keith Smart and where they are going to go to find a true big man.

As of now, the Warriors will be holding somewhere around the 11th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.

There is no telling who will be leaving for the NBA from college and who will be staying so it is impossible as of this moment to predict who the Warriors should take, but it needs to be a big man.

Honestly, centers are going to be hard to find in this year's draft, but either of the Morris twins look to fit at #11.

As for Keith Smart, the Warriors' front office will be doing some evaluating this offseason.

Sure, he improved the team, both in record and the way they play defense, for the most part. But is he the future?

The evaluation has to do with the future and the potential NBA lock-out in the coming future.

This is an important offseason for the Warriors if they want to make any strides in the ultra-competitive Western Conference in the coming years.

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San Jose Sharks Get By L.A. Kings In Game 1 Slugfest

Joe Pavelski's game-winning goal at the 14:44 mark of OT snuck the San Jose Sharks past the Los Angeles Kings last night in front of a rowdy crowd at HP Pavilion.

Sharks coach Todd McLellan had said it all week. The playoffs were going to be a matter of getting to three goals first for the Sharks. And at the end of two periods, McLellan's ideology proved correct, as the game was tied 2-2 heading into the third period and then into overtime, as well.

It was about momentum in Game 1.

In the 1st period, it was all about the Sharks after a slick feed from Ryane Clowe lead to a Dany Heatley goal just 28 seconds into the game sending the Shark Tank into utter chaos.

Chants of "Beat LA" sounded throughout the arena time and time again, especially after the game got rough between the two teams midway through the 1st period.

Clowe was leader of the rough play that set the tone for the game between the two teams. That only escalated after Ian White was driven head first into the boards by Jarret Stoll resulting in an injured White and an exit from the game.

White's injury was immediately payed back when Ben Eager went to blows with Kyle Clifford just minutes later sending the arena into a frenzy yet again.

Heading into the locker room after the 1st period, the two teams continued to churp at each other, again lead by Clowe.

The second period, although toned down, was about the Kings.

A goal by Dustin Brown tied the game 1-1 after Logan Couture's short-handed break-away shot went wide and created a fast-break for the Kings.

But it wouldn't take long for Couture to make-up for his mistake.

He struck back with a goal of his own just three minutes later to put the Sharks ahead once again.

But the much-coveted momentum swayed the Kings' way again when a surprisingly healthy Justin Williams scored after another mistake by the Sharks, this time behind their own net.

Heading into the third period, the Kings had the Sharks off balance and owned the momentum.

In the third period, the Sharks were almost lack-luster showing no steam. The Kings dictated the pace of play and the Sharks were just trying to hold on and head into overtime it seemed.

The Sharks would make it to overtime, and after a stalemate in which both the Kings and Sharks switched momentum throughout, it was ultimately Joe Pavelski with the heroics.

Pavelski, the playoff hero from last season, hit the back of the net after almost 15 minutes of overtime play to give the Sharks the Game 1 win.

It almost seems as though the Sharks squeaked by with this one. They were weary, tired and looked like they had run out of gas for the majority of that third period, and then again in the overtime period.

One thing to take away from the game was that the Sharks made two mistakes all night and they both lead to goals for the Kings, which were the only ones they scored. Limiting mistakes.

Besides that, the Sharks' penalty kill was much-improved with the return of Scott Nichol. He seemed to make the difference on a penalty kill that has been lacking for the Sharks since he has been injured.

But that did not take the spotlight away from the Kings' penalty kill. The Sharks went 0 for 3 on the power play, and one in which they never got a shot off.

The Sharks will have to find a way for their third-ranked power play to get past the Kings' fourth-ranked penalty kill in Game 2.

All in all, it was a game of back-and-forths, but a gritty win that the Sharks will take any night.

They came out on fire, and ended on fire. They will just need to learn to keep that fire throughout the entire game in Game 2.

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2011 NHL Playoffs: San Jose Sharks vs. L.A. Kings Series Preview & Predictions

Imagine you walk into the HP Pavilion on Thursday night. A sea of teal and black cover the arena except for the rectangle of freshly zambonied ice that is the center of attention for the next three hours.

The lights go black and Metallica's Seek and Destroy fills the stadium as Antti Niemi leads the team from out of the shark's mouth just as he has done numerous times this season.

The lights return and the National Anthem begins.

"Oh, say can you see..."

Chants of "Beat LA!" suddenly ring from the upper level of the right side of the arena.

It is playoff time in San Jose.

Goaltending

It has become a ritual in the NHL playoffs. A goalie gets hot and takes a team all the way.

We saw it with Antti Niemi last season for the Blackhawks, and you can even throw Michael Leighton of the Flyers in there as well for taking them to the Stanley Cup Finals last season.

So who is it this year?

It may be right in front of us.

The San Jose Sharks vs. Los Angeles Kings matchup has two very good goalies capable of doing just that, and one of them already did it.

Both Jonathan Quick and Antti Niemi have the talent and type of game to take over a playoff series.

Niemi already has that reputation, as he took the Blackhawks all the way last season.

There is no telling how either of these goalies will play during this series, but they are very capable of standing on their heads and putting their team on their shoulders all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals.

As far as I'm concerned, the goaltending in this series is dead even.

Weaknesses

L.A. Kings

There is one glaring weakness for this team that has taken a dive since catching the injury bug just a few weeks ago.

Weapons.

With the loss of offensive leader, Anze Kopitar, for the series, who does this team turn to now?

Sure, they still has forces like Dustin Brown, Ryan Smyth and Jarret Stoll, but Kopitar was the was undisputed offensive leader on this team with his 73 points, which was 16 points more than the second best on the team.

The Kings did get some good news yesterday when they learned that Justin Williams is expected to be back for the first round, but how much of an impact will he have? Reports are he returns at about 80% on Thursday.

Unfortunately for the Kings, the man who lead them this far will not be with them going forward. That is a cause for concern and a glaring weakness of the Kings.

San Jose Sharks

The weaknesses are obvious for the Sharks because they have been pretty consistent throughout the season.

The Sharks have two weakness: penalty kill and their blueline.

Since the injury of Scott Nichol, the Sharks' penalty kill has fallen from 10th in the NHL to 24th. Nichol is the heart and soul of this team when it comes to being down a player, which is why Nichol's return from injury on Thursday is much needed for the Sharks.

Still, how healthy will Nichol be?

He is known for his aggressive and annoying style of play. It's what makes him so good. But is he capable of that coming off of injury? We will soon find out.

The other weakness is the blueline.

They have tried so hard to replace the retired Rob Blake from last season, but yet this is still a glaring weakness of this team.

They acquired Ian White from Carolina to try and solve the problem, and although he has helped, White has not been seen much in the statistical category. But not many Sharks defenceman have, except for Dan Boyle, who will need to step his game up further than he ever has if this defense is to have success in these playoffs.

Strengths

L.A. Kings

The Kings' strength is their defense. Drew Doughty, Jack Johnson, Rob Scuderi and Willie Mitchell make up the core of one of the best bluelines in the NHL. They will definitely have the upper hand going up against the Sharks' struggling blueline.

More importantly, the Kings' defense has experience. Scuderi has won a Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh and Mitchell has been to the playoffs several times, most recently with the Canucks.

The Kings should be overwhelming favorites in the defense department.

San Jose Sharks

The Sharks' strength is their weapons. There are so many possible break-out players on this team that it makes up (at least on paper) for the disparity in defense these two teams have.

We all know about the Big 3 of Thornton, Marleau and Heatley. But what about Logan Couture, Ryane Clowe, Devin Setoguchi or Joe Pavelski?

Expect even Torrey Mitchell to have a break-out playoff this year.

The Kings will have their hands full with all of these players who are just rearing to break-out in the playoffs.

X-Factor

L.A. Kings

Kings' goaltender Jonathan Quick, at just 25-years-old, has the potential to take over games. Although he has a minor reputation for floundering in big games, Quick is talented.

The Sharks have been foiled by a hot goalies befor in the playoffs.

In 2009, Jonas Hiller of the Ducks stood on his head, and Antti Niemi did the same in 2010 with the Blackhawks to knock the Sharks out of the playoffs.

The Sharks have a reputation for this and there is no doubting that Quick has the capability to do it to them again.

San Jose Sharks

The X-Factor for the Sharks is history.

History says the Sharks choke in the playoffs year after year. Their big players become miniscule when the lights are on them.

If the Sharks can carry their great play at the end of the regular season into the playoffs, they should have no problem with the hurting Kings.

Can they prove history wrong?

But if Thornton, Marleau and Heatley don't come to play, the Kings have the ability, firepower and netminder to sneak past the Sharks in the first round.

Prediction

A combination of the Kings missing Kopitar, their star offensive player, and the Sharks numerous weapons and new-found grit will prove to be too much.

Sharks in 6

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NHL Playoffs: No One Tell Joe Thornton It Is Playoff Time

We've seen it before. The San Jose Sharks have an amazing regular season and hopes are high heading into the NHL playoffs.

There's too many weapons on this team to fail, right?

Wrong.

The NHL playoffs are a bigger beast and big names tend to crumble during this time, especially if they're wearing a Sharks jersey, or so history claims.

The perfect example of a big name becoming miniscule when the lights are on them is Joe Thornton.

Thornton had another very productive season at center for the Sharks. His 2010-11 tallied 70 points, just three points behind the team leader Patrick Marleau.

It was Thornton's lowest point total in five seasons.

But Shark fans know that this means nothing and has meant nothing for the last several years because Thornton seems to flop when it counts. I'm talking about playoff time.

Fact: A team with Joe Thornton on it has made it passed the second round of the NHL playoffs only once. That was last year.

The solution this year is to not tell him that he is playing in the NHL playoffs starting on Thursday. So be quiet...

It didn't always used to be like this.

Thornton's entry into the NHL as #1 overall pick in 1997 put the pressure on him to perform early in his career.

In his first playoff appearance at age 19 with the Boston Bruins, Thornton led the team in an upset of third-seeded Carolina before falling to Buffalo in the second round. Thornton would tally nine points in 11 games in those playoffs.

In 2002, Thornton lead the Bruins with six points in six games, but fell in the first round. Still, there was production.

It was the 2004 playoffs that started this whole mess of Thornton as a playoff flopper.

He would total zero points and finish at minus-6 in a seven game series.

After being traded to the Sharks, things have only gotten worse.

Thornton has never gone back to the type of production he had in that 2004 playoff series. In fact, Thornton has never been a total playoff flop. He has always scored around a point-per-game, but he's never been special around this time. There's never been anything to set him above everyone else, which is who he is during the regular season.

A more accurate term to describe Thornton when it matters is "underproductive."

We expect more from him.

Fans are always looking for the best players to go above and beyond in the heat of the moment, and Thornton has never been that guy.

Thornton has averaged 1.06 points-per-game in 995 regular season games played in his career.

His playoff average is 0.71 points-per-game.

That's not quite going above and beyond when it counts.

Until their captain and team leader starts producing when it counts, neither will the Sharks, or any team with Thornton on it, for that matter.

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Beat LA: 4 Reasons the Los Angeles Kings Are the Most Favorable Match-Up For the San Jose Sharks

In a final weekend of the NHL season that can only be described as "nutty," some teams got the match-up they wanted in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and others did not. I will gladly insert the San Jose Sharks into the "match-up they wanted" category for several reasons.

The Sharks will play the Los Angeles Kings in the 1st round of the NHL Playoffs that will start in San Jose at 7 p.m. on Thursday.

From a distance, the Kings may be the most favorable match-up in the entire Western Conference playoff picture for the Sharks. The Kings were the only team sliding down the conference ladder as of late, and most teams were dying to play them in round 1 despite the young core and solid goaltending the Kings have.

But the NHL playoffs are a different kind of beast, as the Sharks are very well aware of...and reminded of every year.

But in a conference that saw the eighth seed and second seed separated by just eight points, it seems the Sharks lucked out with this draw (as lucky as a match-up in the Western Conference playoffs can get).

4. BEAT LA

As if the HP Pavilion is not loud enough, how do you think it will be when a team from Los Angeles comes to play?

Sure, the Sharks/Kings NorcCal and SoCal rivalry isn't as potent as say a Giants/Dodgers rivalry, but I'm sure the fans in San Jose will make it just that way.

You can be sure to hear the deafening sounds of "Beat LA" ringing throughout the night, and in your mind the next morning.

As of right now, any team from L.A. is extremely hated in Northern California after the beating of a Giants fan in L.A. last week sending him into a coma.

You can be certain the fans at The Tank will do their job to make the sure the Kings have an extreme disadvantage in Round 1.

3. The Sharks Are Deeper This Year; Kings Lacking Weapons

This reason stands on more of a broader scale and really applies to the entire playoffs for the Sharks, but it is essential that this point get across against a Kings team that seems to lack weapons as of late.

The Sharks have the usual Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Dany Heatley weapons, as they do every year. They even had a terrific show from Joe Pavelski in last year's playoffs.

But this year, the Sharks do not have to completely rely on those original weapons because the Sharks have players that have contributed so much more this season.

I'm talking about ROY candidate Logan Couture, Ryane Clowe, Devin Setoguchi, and even shots in the dark like Torrey Mitchell or Ben Eager.

Each have contributed to this team and are responsible for the Sharks resurgence in the second half of this season.

They cannot rely on Thornton, Marleau and Heatley because time and time again they have disappointed when the team needs them most.

But the Sharks have never had the back-up weapons that they have this year, which is why it seems that if one player does not produce, then another will.

The Kings, on the other hand, seem to lack weapons due to injury, which is why the Kings were a favorable match-up against whoever they played in the first round.

2. Ducks and Predators Are Hot; Blackhawks Are Defending Champs

By process of elimination, the Kings were the most favorable match-up for the Sharks.

Going into the last weekend, the Sharks could have played anybody ranging from the Ducks to the Blackhawks.

It has been duly noted that hot teams continue to play hot into the playoffs. That would insinuate the Anaheim Ducks and Nashville Predators as teams you might want to stay away from come playoff time.

The Ducks went 7-3-0 down the stretch of the season, including a domination against the Sharks in the two teams' most recent game against each other.

The Predators went 7-2-1 in their final 10 games and have played in several very close games with the Sharks this season. The Sharks and Predators seem to match-up very well with each other. A good match-up is probably not the most ideal first round opponent the Sharks wanted to face.

The Blackhawks snuck into the NHL playoffs by the skin of their teeth, but make no mistake, this team is not going down easy.

Although, goaltending is a problem, no team ever wants to go up against the defending Stanley Cup winners in the playoffs in the first round. The Canucks will have their hands full in round one.

The Kings, on the other hand, went a respectable 6-4-0 in their final 10 games, but lost three of four down the stretch, including a beat down by the Sharks in their most recent meeting, 6-1.

1. The Kings Are Hurt

Not the best reason, but injuries play such a key role in the NHL playoffs when you have one less weapon on the ice.

The Kings' leader in points and assists, Anze Kopitar, has no timetable for his return.

A blow for the Kings, as most scoring goes through Kopitar, who tallied 73 points this season.

Another blow: Kings' forward Justin Williams has been sidelined since March 21st with a dislocated shoulder.

Although Williams was supposed to be out four weeks, it seems the second-leading point man for the Kings will be returning to the ice earlier than expected and possibly in this series.

But Williams will not be 100% and will be wearing a harness on the ice if he does return.

These are arguably the top two offensive players for the Kings, and they will need all they can against a Sharks team that is completely healthy and ready to go.

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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of the San Francisco Giants' First Week of the Season

It has not been the most ideal start to the 2011 baseball season for the defending World Series Champion San Francisco Giants, but it could be worse.

A 2-4 start has some freaking out and others, like sane people, just calling it a bit of a World Series hangover, which it is.

The Giants have targets on their backs now that they have rings on their fingers (or will have rings on their fingers on Saturday). They will be taking everyone's best shot from here forward.

Call it a slump, a World Series hangover or whatever, but I'm going to call it like it should be called: a roadtrip.

It doesn't matter how rude the scheduling committee was in sending the World Series Champions on road against division rivals for the first week. Defending World Champions should be playing at home to start the season.......against the Pirates....... just saying. It's common courtesy.

But now they're back home in San Francisco where they are comfortable and brought the city its first World Series championship.

That does not erase what happened this past week, though. There were good parts, bad parts and the ugliest of parts to this opening week of baseball for the defending champs.

The Good

There was patches of good in this first week of baseball for the Giants. The 2-4 record gives that away.

The good thing was the players who were supposed to perform did so.

Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain stand at the forefront of "the good."

Cain was spectacular in his 2011 debut, going six innings of five-hit ball in a 10-0 route of the Dodgers. He was the Giants' only pitcher with a win until Lincecum's gem on Wednesday.

Lincecum, the only Giant with two starts in 2011, has picked up where he left off 2010.

His first start in Los Angeles came in a loss, but he still went seven innings and only gave up five hits, while striking out five and not giving up an earned run.

He topped that on Wednesday in San Diego when he pitched another seven innings, this time only surrendering three hits and striking out 13.

But we expected that from those two.

We also exprected it from Aubrey Huff and Buster Posey, who have been a majority of the Giants runs so far this season.

Huff is batting .292 and leads the team in RBI's with seven.

Posey is batting .320 with five RBI's and is tied for the team lead in hits with eight.

But there's four players who have been mighty fine surprises for the Giants so far.

The comeback story that is Pablo Sandoval put on a show in his first week of weightless baseball batting .400, and has been a consistent force in that lineup with eight hits.

Freddy Sanchez has been consistent, as well, hitting .364.

But how about that one game? Remember that one?

It was just one game, and it could have been a sign of the world ending or something, but Aaron Rowand and Mark DeRosa played well in their only opportunities.

Rowand is 4 for 7 now in 2010, and DeRosa is 2 for 6. I say pencil them into the lineup, right?

The Bad

There is plenty bad to say about a 2-4 start to the season from the defending World Series champs, but I will keep it brief and to the point.

Pat Burrell was who we thought he was (thank you Denny Green). Burrell's .143 BA is sorry, but we expected that. Burrell's homerun presence (two homeruns) in the lineup may be the only thing keeping Bruce Bochy from inserting the "red hot" Rowand into the lineup.

Offseason acquisition Miguel Tejada wasn't all the Giants hoped he would be in his first werk, whatever they expected out of him. He is just batting .200 as a part of the Giants.

Rookie Brandon Belt can also be considered part of the "bad" category. He is a rookie and it is his first week in the major leagues, so take it for what it is, but Belt is 4 for 22 in his first week in The Bigs.

I, as I'm sure you all did, got all giddy after he impressed on Opening Night in Los Angeles, but we all saw this bit of a slump coming at some point.

A bright side: Belt is definitely a professional hitter, taking pitchers deep into counts, and having a great eye.

I'm not sure what the future holds for young Belt, but this guy has the "It" factor that teams dream of.

The Ugly

The Giants' first week got ugly at times, especially as of late.

Two pitchers provided the ugliness.

Madison Bumgarner's first opening week in the MLB didn't go as he may have planned.

He threw just three innings in San Diego, giving up three earned runs and five hits. Not the start many were hoping for from a 21-year old kid with extreme potential on the mound.

The other ugly part was Brian Wilson.

Sure, he was just coming off of the DL after a strained oblique sidelined him for a couple weeks, but a 40.50 ERA may say all that needs to be said here.

.2 innings pitched, two hits and three runs given up in 15 minutes.

The Beard was never feared less than Wednesday in San Diego.

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The Top 10 Greatest Fighters In San Jose Sharks History

The history of San Jose Sharks' fighters and enforcers is full of some pretty gritty players who share a special place in the minds of franchise-long Shark fans.

They can think back to Owen Nolan or Scott Parker, or even today's fighters like Ryane Clowe, Jamal Mayers and Douglas Murray.

But the majority of today's Sharks teamcan be considered anything but fighters. In fact, the team as a whole can be referred to as a bunch of pretty boys with Thornton, Marleau and Heatley rarely throwing a punch.

But today's game has changed. It isn't

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5 Reasons the San Jose Sharks Can Break the Curse and Reach the Stanley Cup Finals

When you think about curses in sports, what teams do you think about?

The Chicago Cubs? Cleveland sports? The late Red Sox before they won it all? Maybe the Detroit Lions or Toronto Maple Leafs?

How about the San Jose Sharks?

You wouldn't think it because of all the NHL playoff appearances and being legitimate Stanley Cup favorites year in and year out, but the Sharks are cursed.

Cursed by what?

There's a new one every year.

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