Monday, October 3, 2011

San Jose Sharks 2011-2012 pre-season

The Sharks pre-season is over and the team waits for October 08, when the puck drops at the Shark Tank against the Phoenix Coyotes for the start of the regular season. New faces signed over the summer by General Manager Doug Wilson bring a fresh hope for the silver chalice at the end of the post-season in the 2011-2012 post-season.



Will Bettman hand the Stanley Cup to Joe Thornton after the final buzzer goes off signalling the end to the last game of the Cup Finals? As a fan, I can't predict the future. I do know the journey is a long one: 82 regular games on the road to the Cup, along with four sets of play-off series (16 wins minimum) in a best-of-7. Guys play with fractures, sprains, bruises, lacerations, and grab-bag of miscellaneous other issues.

I'd offer up jockeys and rodeo cowboys as two other types of athletes as tough as hockey players. At least hockey players & cowboys don't have an ambulance follow them around a track as do the jockeys, so as to who is tougher, it's a difficult choice.

So how did the Sharks do in the pre-season? The number of games played wasn't even with all teams. The Team Teal played a total of six games, winning five. They lost their last one to Phoenix, 3-1. According the ESPN's NHL stats, here are the pre-season rankings, broken down according the Eastern and Western Conference.

A few key points to notice. Only Dallas had a better +/ differential (+15) than the Sharks (+12), but Dallas played one more game than San Jose. The Sharks were the only team with a goals against in single digits (8). The New York Rangers were next with a 10. San Jose had six teams above them in the goals for department, scoring 20 goals. They were 3-0 at home and 2-1 on the road.

What does this mean? With Niemi and Niittymaki still recovering from off-season surgeries, the Sharks can rest knowing they can count on netminder Thomas Greiss to protect the crease with the help of the D-men. Captain Big Joe Thornton is leading his offensive scoring partners to the opposing team's side and getting the puck to the net. As long as the team stays healthy, and mentally focused, they are on track to get the job done.

Here's to a fun season with the end result of hoisting the Cup!

Go Sharks!!

Eastern Conference
EASTERNGPWLOTLPTSROWSOWSOLHOMEROADGFGADIFFL10STRK
Pittsburgh 6510104103-0-02-1-02011+95-1-0Lost 1
Boston 641194001-1-03-0-12013+74-1-1Won 1
Buffalo 641194012-0-02-1-11513+24-1-1Lost 2
Philadelphia 742194012-1-12-1-02015+54-2-1Lost 1
Toronto 844084001-3-03-1-02223-14-4-0Lost 1
Winnipeg 733173012-0-11-3-01819-13-3-1Lost 1
Ottawa 733173011-2-12-1-01620-43-3-1Won 1
Washington 733172103-1-00-2-11718-13-3-1Won 2
Tampa Bay 633063001-2-02-1-01917+23-3-0Lost 1
New Jersey 633063002-1-01-2-01114-33-3-0Won 2
Montreal 826041100-6-02-0-01929-102-6-0Won 1
NY Rangers 311131000-0-11-1-0810-21-1-1Lost 1
Carolina 614131001-2-00-2-11114-31-4-1Lost 3
Florida 614131001-2-10-2-01629-131-4-1Lost 4
NY Islanders 514021001-1-00-3-01114-31-4-0Lost 3
Western Conference
WESTERNGPWLOTLPTSROWSOWSOLHOMEROADGFGADIFFL10STRK
Nashville 8710146103-0-04-1-02616+107-1-0Won 6
Dallas 7610126003-0-03-1-02914+156-1-0Won 3
Columbus 8521115004-0-01-2-12522+35-2-1Won 2
Edmonton 8530104103-2-02-1-02118+35-3-0Lost 1
San Jose 6510105003-0-02-1-0208+125-1-0Lost 1
St. Louis 8530105002-2-03-1-01918+15-3-0Lost 1
Detroit 843192202-1-12-2-0242404-3-1Won 2
Los Angeles 732283020-2-23-0-01715+23-2-2Lost 1
Minnesota 733173011-1-12-2-01822-43-3-1Lost 4
Calgary 633063003-1-00-2-01512+33-3-0Won 2
Anaheim 734063001-3-02-1-01725-83-4-0Lost 1
Phoenix 734062101-1-02-3-01817+13-4-0Won 1
Vancouver 835063002-2-01-3-01724-73-5-0Won 1
Chicago 724152012-1-00-3-11625-92-4-1Lost 2
Colorado 624042001-2-01-2-01218-62-4-0Won 1

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