Guide To The Playoffs: San Jose Sharks – Pension Plan Puppets
The Case Against San Jose
[…] It’s hard to hate on a team that […] fall[s] short in the playoffs so often. Moments like the Dan Boyle own-goal seem to crystallize something tragic (and yet also really quite hilarious) about the team. If you’re going to cheer against the Sharks, it’s for one or more of the following three reasons: one, you’re the kind of person who laughs when people fall down (so, most of us), two, you’re the kind of person who laughs when Kyle Wellwood falls down (again, most of us), and three, you’re the kind of person who wouldn’t brake for Dany Heatley in the street (hm, maybe all of us). Come to think of it, cheering against this team could be a gas. Oh, and they have Jamal Mayers.
The Case For San Jose
[…] My inclination is not to characterize them as a bunch of “chokers”, but rather a team that has suffered from bad puck luck in the small sample size that is the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Guide to the Playoffs: Los Angeles Kings – Pension Plan Puppets
The Case Against Los Angeles
May 27th, 1993. Never forget.
The Case For Los Angeles
The Kings have a talented young team. In fact, I figure a lot of Leaf fans would love to see Toronto follow a similar climb into contention over the next few seasons. While their top scorer, Anze Kopitar, is out for the remainder of the season, there is still a lot left to like on the left coast. Drew Doughty and Dustin Brown headline a group that includes Wayne Simmonds, Jack Johnson, and Jonathan Quick (the Western Conference version of James Reimer). They’re fast, physical, and exciting, and no one expects them to have much success. Hmmmmm…sounds a lot like a certain other team you’re all familiar with.