Oh

I'm not sure how to react today. They've made the conference finals, not the Cup final. Anything that looks too much like gloating is to be avoided, as there's a long way to go before the Sharks get a true chance at winning anything.

On the other hand: holy actual shit the Sharks have gone beyond the second round. I've never been here before with this team. I've only been around since 2006, remember, so I'm used to collapses in round 2, or utter meltdowns in round 1. People calling out Evgeni Nabokov. People who aren't Sharks fans pointing and laughing at Joe Thornton, and Sharks fans saying "well he might be playing hurt!" Endless column inches and fan chatter about how the eternal chokehold shows no sign of loosening and how everyone needs fired/traded/not offered a new contract/disowned/paraded through the streets wearing donkey ears.

Celebration is premature, but this is such a relief that I can't even tell you. The Thornton/Marleau/Heatley line turned up at the exact moment it needed to: when the Red Wings started keying on Pavelski/Setoguchi/Clowe, and oh man, isn't that nice? Sharks fans, isn't it nice to say that Joe Thornton has eight points in a playoff series? Three goals (one a game winner), five assists? It's awesome for the fans, but even more awesome for the big man himself.

I could wax rhapsodical about those people, and the made-of-bricks pairing of Dan Boyle and Douglas Murray (the question is irrelevant: the answer is Douglas Murray) on defence, and Nabby bouncing back from the game from hell. Nabby really worried me, I'll admit - after he took a little while to get his head around the now-infamous collapse of Team Russia against Canada in the Olympics I thought he might have a little trouble putting another awful game behind him, but if Thursday's blowout got to him, it didn't show last night. He was almost perfect.

Ahem, like I said, I could wax rhapsodic...

The fact remains though that there's still miles to go. At the moment Vancouver are running hot and cold more than the average sink, they could get hot again at a moment's notice, they could rebound in Chicago, that series could go the distance. Sharks could be sitting around an awful lot and historically doesn't do a team many favours. And choosing whether I'd prefer them to play Blackhawks and Canucks is impossible: there's no team in these playoffs that don't scare me. Nothing is assured. The conference finals are going to have some excellent hockey in them, but who will emerge from it is anyone's guess. The Sharks have nothing in the bag yet - but oh my, it's wonderful to be getting the chance to watch them try.

To go back a little: Vancouver staging any kind of comeback seems unlikely, I know, but the wonderful thing about these playoffs is that you can say something unlikely, point to the Habs, and instantly win an argument. "Montreal Canadiens" has become shorthand for "how the fuck did that happen?" and it's a wonderful thing. They're not supposed to be playing the Penguins. They weren't supposed to win any games against them, either. The clock might be ticking on this particular run, down 3-2 as they are, but even at that, what a hell of a thing it's been.

I have no particular affection or dislike for the Habs normally, although I do love their history and respect them as much as you can respect a team you don't support, but they've been a joy to watch. Everyone and their dog has mentioned Jaroslav Halak, but for good reason. He's in the form of his life, making saves that frankly shouldn't be possible. Of all the excellent goaltenders we've seen plying their trade so far this post-season, I'd argue Halak has been the most fun to watch.

Which leads me to this: A couple of weeks ago, I was guilty of a tirade against Hal Gill. I said he was going to be as much use as a chocolate fireguard. I have no idea why I said that, probably because I'm an idiot. He has been superb, and a Penguins matchup has been excellent for him: who better to know exactly how to cover Sidney Crosby than a guy who won a Cup with him?

This is a lot to do with why Sid hasn't been making an idiot of everyone on the other team as much lately. It isn't refereeing, it's defence. My only gripe about these playoffs is this official bashing for the wrong reasons. Let's get this clear: the referees are awful, but they are uniformly awful. They do not hate your team, they hate everyone. They are not in on a Bettman conspiracy, because they don't have the competence to be (and Bettman apparently can't run a league properly, so how is he going to pull off a conspiracy? Riddle me THAT). The officiating in San Jose's game two against Detroit was some kind of cosmic joke that pissed off both sets of fans, for example.

This is the other thing, though: can a team no longer lose because they weren't good enough to win? Does it always have to come down to refs? Sure, they're the common thread that unites us all in our fiery burning hate no matter which team we support, but c'mon. They're rubbish league-wide. They say good teams have to overcome adversity. Aren't incompetent stripey dudes just another hurdle, another thing not to lose your shit over? At this point, there's a pretty strong argument for that.

You Could Have Both

Even if you only have a passing interest in team sport, there are things you just know about it. Things that are unquestionable and if you break these unwritten rules then, and there is no better way to put this, you're doing it wrong.

I've been doing hockey wrong for four years and counting, in that case, because the biggest unwritten rule is you can't support two teams.

Now, an awful lot of people do something similar to this. They pick a team when theirs is out of the playoffs, they have a soft spot for another team because one of their former favourites ends up playing there, they just like the way another team plays, whatever. Most people, though, only have one team they'd call "theirs" and cheer for and everyone else can stand back.

The worst part is I have soft-spot teams as well. I have a lot of time for the Bruins. I have a Devils jersey with a big ol' 30 on the back for the very simple reason that I like Martin Brodeur. And just to annoy everyone with my juxtapositioning, I am a complete fool for Chris Drury and he plays for the Rangers for god's sake so...

Basically, I'm a fan of hockey in general. This whole fluid attitude to teams is nothing new and it certainly isn't a secret. When people ask me who my team is, though, I will answer Sharks, but feel bad because I want to add "and Sabres". That's The Wrong Way, though - or so the rule goes.

I have at least picked two teams as far away from each other as it's possible to get, but it wasn't meant to work out that way. I was a fan of neither San Jose or Buffalo when I started watching the NHL. That was in 2006, a few weeks before playoffs, so from the very beginning I was watching teams battling for their lives. It was a very good year to start, all told; that was the year the eighth seed Oilers went to the finals, and the year not one of the top 4 seeds made it out of the first round in the West. As far as getting an education in How Playoffs Work goes it was wonderful. I learned straight away that seeding means the sum of nothing.

It was in those playoffs that I found the Sharks. I can tell you the exact moment I realised that team was going to play a big part in my life. No, even better, I can show you. Videos won't embed properly though, you'll have to go to youtube if you're interested enough :)

The 5 on 1 penalty kill against the Oilers. Three Sharks, two without a stick. They (spoiler) killed it. Yes by the way, that's Vesa Toskala in net. Nobody ever believes me when I say he had moments of brilliance as a Shark, but there's yer proof. Anyway! After that, I was hooked on them. Of course, they lost that series, but it didn't matter; I'd found a team I could really love.

Then I found another one. Dammit!

I can't tell you the moment I fell for the Sabres. I can tell you the first game I ever watched, again a playoff game, this one guy ran circles around the Ottawa Senators and owned them pretty much on his own, then scored a winner in overtime. I like this guy, thought I. The next game he took a huge hit, left the game and didn't play again for a year. That'd have been Tim Connolly then, and I spent a year waiting to see if he'd come back, and if he'd ever be the same, and hoping that he could singlehandedly dance around teams once again (clue: he can, but it took a long damn while).

They had these other players though - they had Jason Pominville (shorthanded series winning goal!) and Mike Grier and Ryan Miller and Daniel Briere and some dude called Drury and they were really rather good. They lost to Carolina in the end, I was annoyed, and I thought it'd go away.

It didn't go away. The 06-07 Sabres season was the most fun I have ever had with hockey. They started with a win and they kept on going. They scored for fun. They got goals from everywhere. They had outstanding goaltending. They barely faltered for the entire regular season. And all that insanity culminated in a hockey moment that so far for me has never been bettered: The Seven Second Goal. It still makes me shiver, even now, even after all the times I've watched it. It's why Chris Drury is still my favourite active NHLer. I believed so much in that team and I just ate slept and breathed the Sabres that year. I have only ever cried at sport three times, and the first time was when Buffalo left the playoffs in May 2007. Heartbroken.

So I thought, okay, I must be a Sabres fan. Not... so much. The Sharks kept coming back and being awesome. I kept on staying up til 6am with them. Kept on hoping this would be the year. Kept on thinking this was IT in 2008, until Dallas decided otherwise. When San Jose got Brian Campbell from Buffalo, I thought it was a lovely bit of fate and the missing piece of the puzzle. Not so much. I was gutted by a playoff exit once again.

I really cannot decide. Eagle-eyed readers might have spotted my profile picture features a tattoo; yes, it is that colour for a reason (although that's not the whole reason for the tattoo, it's more personal than that and that's not for here!). So, Sharks, right? But in our family portrait I'm wearing a Sabres jersey. That wasn't my idea, it was my sister's. She said it would reflect my personality ie obsessed with this damn game if I wore a jersey, even though I said that'd look silly. The jersey was the right decision, because it is me, it is part of who I am.

I didn't start liking hockey because of the NHL - I started loving it. I can't tell you why the far far away league caught my imagination more than the local stuff, because that doesn't make any sense. That stuff happens in front of you, in the right timezone, and it doesn't have any millionaires you'd quite like to punch. I know all that but I just don't love it the same. I keep stupid hours for the NHL fix, I despair at the people in charge along with everyone else, and sometimes I stop and think - this is happening a world away. Is it really in any way sane for it to be that big a part of my life?

Then someone scores again and bugger it who cares, this stuff is brilliant.

I don't know who I'd choose if for some hypothetical mad reason I had to. I'd rather not have to. I'd rather carry on loving both and watching their games, for as long as they last, while barely daring to breathe. It wasn't meant to work out this way - but then the best things hardly ever are.

Thank you Caps!

The seemingly mighty first seed, which scored for a laugh in the regular season and smashed all who faced them to atoms save for a few bad games here and there, failed to find the extra gear in a playoff situation and looked lost in game one. Solid goaltending from the underestimated eighth seed followed by a group of players who would not quit proved to be their undoing. That and their star player had the temerity not to turn up, HE SUCKS, TRADE HIM.

How sweet it is that that paragraph is no longer just about the Sharks! Okay, it's about the Sharks as well, but it's also about Washington. Now I have no hatred for the Caps, or even mild dislike, they're just sort of there and they're quite fun to watch, but oh lord it's nice that for a day or two we have Sharks East. The similarities are astounding.

But I need to mind my own West Team, so... I don't know what to think. It's too soon. I'll know after tonight's game, pretty much. I do know that when the same old song played out in 2008 and the Sharks dropped game one against the Flames (and I believe Ryane Clowe was the only bright spot of that game, too) that I didn't think for a second the series was over. This time, however, errr, I might have overreacted.

Last year against Anaheim (who I hate to a point where I can't be rational) was a heartbreaker, a test of the loyalty of every fan who ever said the Sharks weren't just toothless old guppies ACTUALLY, and that's why even though it's only game one, this one's a kick in the face. It hurts, because there's so much pressure on San Jose to not be what everyone says they are. Today, they are exactly what everyone says they are, because they coughed up game one.

Not to say that Colorado didn't do well or take anything away from them. They have ten playoff rookies, kids who are excited as hell to be in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and if they had nerves it certainly didn't show. Colorado have nothing to lose, San Jose has quite a bit to by this point. The laughing stock of the NHL? It's heading that way. It's horrible to be in the middle of it.

You'd think they must know what's at stake here. You'd think they'd be able to step it up tonight because going 0 and 2 would be a hell of a place to get stuck again. With them, you can never tell: a Sharks fan is a frustrating thing to be.

Brighter things from the Sabres, though by no means a crushing victory. Rask and Miller both played excellently, as expected. Thomas Vanek came up big when he had to, as expected. Craig Rivet took advantage of a lucky break, as the good teams have to (I love Rivet. I loved him as a Shark and wanted him to stay there, but hey, having him in Buffalo is just as good).

The Bruins, however, didn't give up once; they made Buffalo work for everything they got, outshot them, and were never really out of the game. I never once got the impression that Buffalo were in charge - but neither were Boston for very long, apart from a stretch in the second period. It was very evenly matched, which makes for a good hockey game, but isn't so good for the nerves. This series is still anyone's. If any of them could go to seven games, it'll be this one.

Tim Connolly was noticeably quiet, but then it was his first game back. He was still important, because he's got that wonderful stickhandling ability that makes me just want to watch him all day long. Though I can't start talking about him because people just end up having to listen to me waxing lyrical about how completely bloody awesome he is. See, I'm doing it now! Sorry.

So basically, it's too soon to tell anything yet, but it's been very interesting so far. I could've just written that and left it, but where's the fun in that?

Ready For The Floor

Ah, spring! The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the Sharks are choking. Wait, what?

This is the sort of thing you have to field when you're a Sharks fan. An excellent regular season, followed by the sort of failure that makes everyone fall over themselves laughing. They blamed Ron Wilson for making them the most ironically named team in sport (no killer instinct) and then Todd McLellan came in and... they still choked.

I'm as bad at this as anyone - Invisible Thornton macros, anyone? - but that's because if I don't do it someone else will do it for me. That doesn't mean it isn't frustrating and a little bit painful. What I want more than anything is for the Sharks to come along this year and actually live up to all that potential. To stop being the butt of every joke. Hell, I'll take getting out of the first round at this point.

I can't talk much about the Avalanche since I haven't seen them very much, although I do know they'd take extra pleasure in being this year's Official Party Pooper of the San Jose Sharks after Rob Blake gave Peter Mueller concussion the last time the two teams met. I can say though that the Sharks aren't the one-line team you think they are (that line was broken up for ages post-Olympics, for a start).

Manny Malhotra isn't winning the Rocket any time soon but the goals he does score are HUGE. Devin Setoguchi is playing excellent hockey, once again. I'd wager Ryane Clowe has more points than you think he has. It's hard to argue with a defensive pairing of Boyle and Murray. Then there's the goalie: Nabokov he lost his way after THAT Russia game, but he's back on form now. All that without even mentioning American Hero Joe Pavelski! Oh, and the kids from Worcester ain't too shabby either.

But I, and many other Sharks fans, have said all of this before. It's all there on paper and it means exactly nothing because something goes funny in April and damned if we know what it is. For the love of god, can't this year be different? Can't this be the year San Jose shuts everyone up?

Meanwhile out East, Buffalo are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2007. The first time since the core of the team said SEE YA! basically. I might have underestimated just how much that was going to crush the Sabres, by the way. I was firmly in the "we'll be alright!" camp and oh dear. Oh dear, no. Very wrong.

But! That's all water under the bridge now! Back in there! Third seed! All good! Well, er...

The highest goal total on the Sabres is 28 from Thomas Vanek. The goal scoring in Buffalo this season is so famously ridiculous that when they acquired Raffi Torres in March he immediately became the highest scorer without having played a game for them. Now, you can argue that just means the offence is nicely spread out, but you can also argue that the team is where it is by virtue of playing extremely stingy defence because they just can't score.

At least they're getting Tim Connolly back, after he almost managed a whole season without getting hurt. Though if he's rushing his return that's gonna be fun, given how fragile he is. So this team is the exact opposite of San Jose's on paper: it looks like Thomas Vanek, some dude made of glass and His Excellence Ryan Miller.

And yet. And yet they defy all these odds and have somehow made this into a division title. They somehow kept on winning all season long. Ryan Miller can carry teams on his back, but someone needs to put goals in the other net. They've been doing something right.

So obviously they're playing another team that hasn't scored that much but has clearly enough to make it to post-season: hello, Boston! Now, I like the Bruins. Quite a bit. Not enough though that I want them to beat the Sabres though of course, which is why this matchup scares me. They can do it. They've beaten Buffalo all season, and if you're gonna talk about goalies who can take a team on their back you can't do it without mentioning Tuukka Rask. As a hockey fan, I'm looking forward to that goalie battle immensely. As a Sabres fan, the whole thing terrifies me. It could be a hell of a series.

No predictions, no guarantees and certainly no premature gloating. These are the playoffs, where anything can and will happen. It's the very best time of the year.

Wheels off the wagon

I am of the opinion, as you are probably well aware by now, that there are Dodgy Goings On in the Elite League. The teams ARE the league, and vice versa. Whoever has the gold makes the rules, as the saying goes, and it's blatantly obvious who has the gold in this circle.

Basingstoke tried to keep up with the big guys and bankrupted themselves. Nobody forced them to do so, but the top teams still contributed to the culture that made a smaller team spend beyond its means to compete. Manchester got fed up with it too, to the tune of leaving altogether They weren't the only ones, though other teams had less choice over where to go.

The widening of the gap, year on year, by teams who are not remotely arsed about the bigger picture, is a sad state of affairs. It's one which Belfast contributes to.

There is seldom smoke without fire. But even if there is only smoke, the attitude of the Big Teams towards the Little Teams is bloody appalling. The discrepancy continues to grow despite attendences being down across the board. While looking after your own interests is not a bad thing, when it comes with the total disregard for anyone else, it starts to bite.

I believe the rumours about Belfast, and the rest, are true. I believe we've already seen statements out of Edinburgh and other places suggesting that not everyone sticks to the rules. I believe that I am totally within my rights to say: sod it, and find a team with more integrity. Not flawless, just a team that's about hockey instead of looking flash.

Ideally I'd walk from the Elite League altogether. Alas, I also believe Edinburgh- who I have adopted instead- are in the EIHL for one reason- they had nowhere else to go this year. I'm hoping this changes in future. I won't hesitate to back off from them if they, too, become too big for their boots.

I may not have been around for the Superleague, but I know no lessons appear to have been learned. Belfast seem perfectly content to spend themselves into a massive cave, along with others. Quite simply- I want nothing to do with it.

Hell, if the calibre of player matched the money, that'd be fine. But the effort and the spark just wasn't there. There's more consistency in a cloud of steam than there has been in Belfast for the last season. The main lack though? Effort. Effort just hasn't been there.

It's a culture I refuse to continue to buy into. Belfast can carry on contributing to a skewed playing field. My choice won't make a blind bit of difference to the team. But it is still my choice, and I am free to make it. And you, yours.

Beware of bunny

Ahem. ~hops away~

Sett-le

The thing about this blog is, well, it was meant to be an NHL blog! Hopefully that's what it's going back to sooner rather than later.

Here's a quick intro, though: I like more than one NHL team, and I prettty much always have. This has never been a secret or indeed, never needed to be a secret. There's no geographical reason why I should stick to one. I could just say I'm a fan of the NHL in general and leave it at that, but there are always going to be teams I like more than others.

It's true that I was once a Calgary fan, but as time went on I realised I'm more of a fan of their wonderful awesome Miikka Kiprusoff rather than the entire outfit. I tried the fairest compromise I could - one West team, San Jose, and one East, Buffalo. This is still the case... just with added Bruins. It's not a conventional case of affairs, but nor is it, I'll wager, some kind of crime.

If you made me choose I'd choose the Sharks. But that doesn't mean there isn't a whole lot of love for the Sabres or Bruins, or for certain players on other teams sometimes. That's how this blog will hopefully work - it has a lot of love, a lot of hate, and a lot of rambling inbetween all that.

It just needs to be October quicker.