Tom Eppenberger Jr’s blog

So what road game will we be going to? Denver? Phoenix? Calgary? Montreal? Hmm…

We are already planning to hit a game in L.A. or Anaheim at some point, but we want to hit one other road game a little further from home. Preferably to a city that we haven’t been to previously, meaning Vancouver is out of the race. Montreal is a long shot since the game is the last day in February, and Shelly is cold during the summer!

It also might come down to where we can get the best seats. I’d love to get seats at the glass like we did for the game we attended in Vancouver, but they are really $$$ and I am not sure whether Lane would love or hate being that close to the action. Hmm… Lots of thinking to do…

San Jose Sharks 2008-2009 Schedule

The Sharks played 4 overtimes last night before losing 2-1, and thus ending another year in disappointing fashion.

Nabby, who should win the Vezina, made what could be the best save I’ve ever seen…

But, it still wasn’t enough. We lost in the second round of the playoffs… again.

Lots of people seem to want to give them a pass this year because they got down 3-0 in the series, won the next two and then took the 6th game into a 7th period. Huh? Wasn’t this supposed to be “the year?” Wasn’t this the season where it was cup or bust? Well, bust. It doesn’t matter that we made it as far as we did, we didn’t win.

I’ve seen a bunch of media types saying that the fact that we got the series to a Game 6 saved the coaching staff’s jobs. This doesn’t compute to me. How does blowing leads and sleeping through parts of 3 games in a second round playoff series, only to finally show some desperation in three straight elimination games save someone’s job? We liked to believe that the first round series proved this was a different team, with different leaders. Nope. Sorry. The coaching staff is obviously failing, and while the players are to blame, coaches get fired.

I think, and hope, that there will be a lot of changes (for the better) this summer. Both with the coaching staff, and the “big guns.” Can we live through another season of Marleau’s bi-polar play? Do we try and sign Brian “free wheeling (on his skates and with the puck)” Campbell? Can we watch Jumbo Joe disappear from the scoring sheet in the playoffs again? Yeah, I said it, should we look to deal Joe? The phrase “sell high” comes to mind…

Ryan Garner, a Sharks blogger for HockeyBuzz, made a good point in his post this morning:

The most dangerous offensive threat on the ice, Joe Thornton posted three assists over six games. He finished the season fifth in league scoring, but he was outscored by five Dallas players during the second round. I’m reminded of the great line from Wayne’s World 2, when Wayne calls out “Hey, my girlfriend’s in there!” only to hear, “A lot of people’s girlfriends are in there.” Yes, Joe’s effort was there, but a lot of people’s effort was there.

Now, I know that what I think means zero. I’m just another crazy, obsessed fan who is really pissy and depressed today. I seriously doubt that Patty or Joe are going anywhere, but I’m reasonably sure that the coaching staff will look different. I just wonder who would be a better candidate than Ron Wilson.

Ugh, I hate this……………..

All day long, I prepared myself for a loss.

Sharks score first… and I think we’re going to win.

Flames tie it up… here comes the let down.

Flames take the lead 2-1 (on a questionable goal)… yep, we’re losing for sure.

Sharks tie it… the night will be stressful.

Sharks take the lead 3-2… big smiles.

Sharks score again… it’s 4-2… we’re going to blow them out!

Sharks score again… it’s 5-2… their already etching the names on the cup right?

Flames score… it’s 5-3… ah, hell, we’re totally going to blow another 3 goal lead…

The remainder of that third period took something in the neighborhood of 3 months off my life. I was convinced we were going to blow that lead…

All that I can say is this… good riddance to the Flames. Let’s hope this really did battle test us for Dallas in the second round, and not set us up for yet another disaster in the conference semi-finals.

Oh, and I take back everything that I thought about Doug Wilson when he signed J.R. last off season…

The Sharks playoff schedule for their first round series with Calgary was released today, and I was very anxious to see when Game 1 & 2 were going to be played. I knew that they would start on Wednesday or Thursday, and that historically meant the second game would be on Friday or Saturday.

My concern was due to the fact that we will be in Huntington Beach this weekend, and if the second game was on Friday or Saturday, then there was a zero percent chance of me getting to see it down there.

Well, someone likes me (or the arena was booked on Friday and Saturday… I like my story better). Game 1, which I have tickets to, will be Wednesday, and Game 2 is on Thursday. Then, Game 3 isn’t until Sunday! Hurray!

This means I will get to see all the games, still have a long weekend down South with the family, and Shelly doesn’t have to listen to me whine about missing anything. It’s a win win for everyone involved…

Oh, and if you didn’t already know, the reason for the trip down South is because Shelly will be there for work. I’m taking an extra day off so that Lane and I can meet her and relax on the beach for awhile. We also plan on eating dinner Friday and Saturday at Native Foods… so good.

WTF? How do we (the Sharks), the worst team in OT Shootouts, beat them (the Stars), the best team in OT Shootouts, in just two rounds? This is quite the brain teaser, but I sure am not one to question or complain… a win is a win is a win.

After Roenick’s crazy goal the other night (his 500th career), the coaches mentioned that it was a lucky bounce that perhaps would be a turning point to the season. While I like the idea, I think I have a better answer as to what is going on…

When Roenick shot that puck in and it hit off one of the board’s weird, I think it hit a magic spot that has put us all in a “bizarro world.” A world where the Sharks actually score more than 2 goals per game, we are good in Shootouts, and Patrick Marleau actually shoots the puck.

Whatever it is, I like it.