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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