Are you kidding me?!

WOW. That's the only word I have to say to describe the feelings, the atmosphere, and the play of the Sharks last night. Let me also toss in a big WOW for those that decided to finally come check out the Bay Area's beat franchise. (Maybe 2nd to Sabercats, but I don't really count the AFL) On average, the Sharks were bringing in a 1.2 rating (based on Nielsen's Rating) during the regular season, but last night.... You say to yourself well, it was a playoff game, and it was game 7 so what'd they get? a 5 or 6? I mean that'd be 6x more viewers, that's a lot. How about a 9 rating? WTF?! 9 rating?! Are you kidding?! You mean to tell me 9 times more people saw last night's game than any particular one during the regular season? Yup.

Bring on Dallas!

For those that follow the Sharks, Ron Wilson decided to healthy scratch Jeremy Roenick in game 6, citing that JR looked like he was running on fumes. Obviously, JR wasn't exactly the most pleased, but said he understood the move, and wants to contribute when asked upon. Think that move worked? JR went off for 2 goals and 2 assists in the 5-3 win over Calgary. It's just weird, cause I had the gut feeling that JR was gonna play big, that's why he signed with the Sharks. He wanted a chance at the Cup, and stated that all the teams he's been on, this is the most talented one of them all. That's saying a lot considering that this 500+ goal scorer and most likely future HOF has played in a fair share of playoff hockey.

Many analysts say the Sharks picked up the final piece by trading for Brian Campbell. Although I don't really disagree, I think the final piece was Jeremy Roenick and for this reason. The Sharks have always been able to move the puck. What the Sharks haven't had, is that grizzled veteran who like Roenick, is running on his last legs. They absolutely needed a guy who could put them on his back, and lift a team up. I believe that the difference between this year and last year's team is that, the Sharks are still relatively young. They enjoy the playoffs, they work hard for the playoffs, but perhaps they take making the playoffs for granted. A guy like Roenick, he's seen everything, what it takes to get deep into the playoffs, he's been on winning and losing teams, and for this group to get to the next level, they need someone to make sure they stay focus, and that's what JR represents. Really, you couldn't ask for a better person to lead by example. He has all the credentials and in his perhaps final year, you really think he's gonna let the most talented team he's ever played on lose in the 1st round? That's why I made the call to Gary Radnich and said, "watch JR tonight, he's gonna play huge." -Don't believe me? Call Gary on KNBR and he'll tell you I called it. As much as I'm trying to give insight, I'm still at awe as to how they played.

Let's move on...
Player Hits
If the Sharks play like this each and every game... I don't think there's any team that's gonna beat them. They were extremely fast, getting to the puck often times before Calgary, and poke checking every time Calgary got to touch the puck.
Milan Michalek - You didn't score once at all during this series, but game 7 was by far and away your best performance. You got by defenders, fought for the puck on the forecheck, and finally took a page out of Patrick Marleau's book. Please play like that against Dallas, and I'm sure you'll score.
Joe Pavelski - You and Ryane Clowe are huge bright spots for the young crop of future Sharks. It amazes me that we don't have to just rely on Patrick Marleau, Jonathan Cheechoo, or Joe Thornton to get scoring.
Evgeni Nabokov - Amazing that this is the first time I've mentioned you, even tho you're one of the three finalists for the Vezina Trophy. An all-around great series, with only one or two goals that I'm sure if you played again, they wouldn't get by.
Jeremy Roenick - As if you guys didn't see this one coming. Huge game, way to take the Sharks and put them on your back. Everyone that watched could tell that you want to win the Stanley Cup more than anyone.

Game 1 - Friday 7:00pm PDT