NJDfan1711 Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 Maybe it's because I'm in the area, but I can tell you, at least here in Tampa, there is a huge buzz around the playoffs and the team. I always get a laugh when people talk about smaller markets being in the playoffs and the Finals -- today I heard people say an SJ/TB final would be terrible for the league and wouldn't garner interest or attention. For starters, that's pretty inaccurate as I think the smaller markets and teams like SJ who have never been there before will actually draw more attention, because that in and of itself is a story. It's not quite Cinderella, but it definitely has a backstory with some veterans like Marleau and Thornton who have never won a cup and are nearing the end of their careers. On top of that, it's always funny and ridiculous to hear people say "No one outside of SJ gives a sh!t about the Sharks", or "No one outside of TB cares about the Lightning" -- yeah, no sh!t! Newsflash for you, pretty much no one outside of NY cares about the Rangers, pretty much no one outside of Boston cares about the Bruins, etc. Honestly, there are transplants all over the country, so you're always going to have pockets of different fans in random areas, but really the only team that probably has any significant impact or reach anywhere outside of their own local state/metro area is probably the Yankees, and that's really because they're more of a brand than anything else nowadays. Guys wear their hats and jerseys in music videos (ok I'm dating myself, maybe that was years ago, but the point remains). That's about it. And even then they're not "fans" of the team, they just sport the gear because it's cool and a fashion statement. No matters who's in the finals this year, it should be a good one, because of the product on the ice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDfan1711 Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 Side note - how the hell are so many people pulling for DeBoer here? Don't get me wrong, I'm not NOT supporting him -- I'm indifferent. He's not the Devils coach so I don't care if he wins or loses in the Cup finals, but.... where the hell are all of the people here who were slamming him and aggravated with some of the decisions he made, particularly about the lineup and calling guys up or sending guys down? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadDog2020 Posted May 26, 2016 Author Share Posted May 26, 2016 Side note - how the hell are so many people pulling for DeBoer here? Don't get me wrong, I'm not NOT supporting him -- I'm indifferent. He's not the Devils coach so I don't care if he wins or loses in the Cup finals, but.... where the hell are all of the people here who were slamming him and aggravated with some of the decisions he made, particularly about the lineup and calling guys up or sending guys down? I'm pulling for DeBoer because I like him as a coach. If Parise and Kovalchuck never leave, Pete's still the coach here. Did I get aggravated with some of his decisions? Of course. But I also tried to keep in mind that he was trying his best to play a bad hand after that first year. He's obviously not the coach you want if you have a young team, but he's a very good coach for a veteran team. SJ couldn't get over the top until he showed up. I don't think that's a coincidence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sundstrom Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 my only real gripe w/ deboer was how he handled larsson and gave vets a ridiculously long leash. but the team he was given was on lou, plain and simple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevsMan84 Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 9 minutes ago, sundstrom said: my only real gripe w/ deboer was how he handled larsson and gave vets a ridiculously long leash. but the team he was given was on lou, plain and simple. Brunner and Ryder beg to differ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sundstrom Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 2 hours ago, DevsMan84 said: Brunner and Ryder beg to differ. gionta and zubrus don't. brunner - i wouldn't call him a vet really. ryder was given a longer leash than he deserved before he was finally yanked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDfan1711 Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 5 hours ago, MadDog2020 said: I'm pulling for DeBoer because I like him as a coach. If Parise and Kovalchuck never leave, Pete's still the coach here. Did I get aggravated with some of his decisions? Of course. But I also tried to keep in mind that he was trying his best to play a bad hand after that first year. He's obviously not the coach you want if you have a young team, but he's a very good coach for a veteran team. SJ couldn't get over the top until he showed up. I don't think that's a coincidence. Meh, that might be true, but every dog has his day. I'm still not convinced they're going to win, whether it's against Pit or TB. People seem to be clinging to some sort of destiny with them, and sure it would be a nice story, I personally, with no affiliation to the Sharks at all, have always thought Marleau was a great player, but after watching both of the series fairly closely, when you compare SJ/STL to TB/PIT, it's almost like it's in slow motion. People regularly underestimate the East and always say the West is better and more skillful than the East (rarely do I agree with that on any occasion), but particularly this year, I think it's possibly the opposite. I think there were some dark horse teams that flew under the radar, until now. 5 hours ago, sundstrom said: my only real gripe w/ deboer was how he handled larsson and gave vets a ridiculously long leash. but the team he was given was on lou, plain and simple. I suppose that's fair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sokar Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 I wonder if this is the end for Hitchcock coaching the Blues Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satans Hockey Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 Joe Pavelski is my favorite non-Devils player so I'm rooting for the Sharks. Seeing Joe Thornton and Marleau finally get there is nice too. I always liked Paul Martin as a Devil, hated he went to Pittsburgh though. I'll always respect Pete for going after Torts but I'm indifferent about him otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zubie#8 Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 Met Pete a few times, one of the nicest people you can meet. I really liked him as our coach, I was actually the only one on here who wanted Lou to get him in the 2011 offseason. Obviously it went down hill when we had to start retooling but he is a good coach when you have the horses. He pushes the right buttons when needed. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecoffeecake Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 I've wondered the same thing about everyone pulling for DeBoer. Like someone else said, I liked that he went after Torts, but I'm indifferent about him mostly. I wasn't his biggest supporter, but I wasn't calling for his head. I'm not usually this petty, but I don't think we need another coach we fired winning a cup somewhere else. Vasilevski is good. I'm not sure how many more saves he's going to pull out of his ass, but I'm also not sure how much longer Pittsburgh can dominate this game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarpathianForest Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 I guess TB just isn't interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devilsfan118 Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 Man, Drouin has made some stupid fvcking rookie plays tonight. But he also scored a beauty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecoffeecake Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 Rust has had so many opportunities for the hat trick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOLLYWOOD Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 The speed of both these teams tonight, insanely fast Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarpathianForest Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 Ugh! Vomit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Wensink Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 Go Sharks 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zubie#8 Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 Yeah, lets go Sharks. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devilsfan118 Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 Yeah I'd rather see PDB hoist one than Crosby. Tanking losers. I'll never forget. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Wensink Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 2 minutes ago, Devilsfan118 said: Yeah I'd rather see PDB hoist one than Crosby. Tanking losers. I'll never forget. NEVER FORGET OR FORGIVE!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadDog2020 Posted May 27, 2016 Author Share Posted May 27, 2016 Pretty sure everyone outside of western PA and Southern California will be rooting for SJ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDfan1711 Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 Well, it was a good season for the Bolts. Hard to get back to the finals two years in a row. Go Sharks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdgeControl Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 fricken pens, and fat lips... but kessell has been huge so much for a locker room cancer.. no regrets though, he fits much better as a final piece for a win now team like them then a building team like us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HellOnICE Posted May 28, 2016 Share Posted May 28, 2016 ZUBRUSSSSS!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satans Hockey Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 Sharks look so awful so far. They look like they don't even know what they are doing out there. They gotta shake their nerves or this game might be done already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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