Sharks / Aves series info

[the mugs]

This is interesting...

SHARKS NOTEBOOK
History favors Sharks in series
RESTED TEAMS FARE WELL AGAINST 7-GAME SURVIVORS
By Victor Chi and David Pollak
Mercury News

DENVER - Although there has been plenty of hype about it, here is some historical data to substantiate the rest/fatigue theory being tossed around in this Sharks-Colorado Avalanche second-round playoff series.

The Sharks, of course, gained some extra days of rest by dispatching the Phoenix Coyotes in five games, and Colorado went seven games in the first round against Los Angeles.

Since 1985, whenever a team that won its previous series in five games plays a team that won in seven, the better-rested club is 12-3.

The exceptions are the 1990 Chicago Blackhawks, the 1994 New York Rangers and the 1999 Dallas Stars, with the Rangers and Stars bucking this trend in the finals.

The Sharks were on the wrong side of this equation in 2000 when they beat St. Louis in seven games, then met the Stars, who had bounced Edmonton in five games. Dallas was the more talented team, so the issue goes beyond the rest angle, but the numbers are compellingly lopsided over an extended period.

 

[the mugs]

SHARKS NOTEBOOK
Early start, Avalanche to test Sharks
By Victor Chi and David Pollak
Mercury News

DENVER - With Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals between the Sharks and Colorado set to start at 4 p.m. MT today, here again is the requisite revisiting of the Sharks' early-start struggles.

Since the 1999 playoffs, the Sharks are 3-14 in postseason games starting before 7 p.m. This includes their lone loss in the first round this year against Phoenix: Game 2 started at noon in San Jose, and the Sharks lost 3-1.

``Brutal,'' defenseman Marcus Ragnarsson said. ``I hope you can stop writing that.''

Although they lost this year's only previous early start, the Sharks had won one every year during this 17-game stretch, with two coming in Game 2 on a Saturday:

April 14, 2001: Game time was noon in St. Louis. The Sharks beat the Blues 1-0 as Scott Thornton scored and Evgeni Nabokov slammed the door.

April 15, 2000: Game time was 1 p.m. in St. Louis. The Sharks beat the Blues 4-2 in what San Jose fans know as The Marc Bergevin Game. The Blues defenseman helped the Sharks by perpetrating an own-goal with a misguided toss of the puck.

The third instance was April 30, 1999: Game time was 5:30 p.m. in Denver. Vincent Damphousse tied an NHL record with two short-handed goals in a period to help the Sharks beat the Avalanche 7-3.

Colorado goalie Patrick Roy allowed six goals, which brings us to our next statistical trend.

Roy surrendered five goals Wednesday in Game 1 against the Sharks. (Bryan Marchment's empty-netter completed the scoring in the Sharks' 6-3 victory.)

When Roy has been lit up in the playoffs, he has been virtually unbeatable in the next game.

Before Wednesday, Roy had yielded five goals or more six times in the playoffs since 1996. In the following games, Colorado has gone 6-0 and outscored the opposition 31-5, and Roy has posted three shutouts.

Roy gets testy

Roy rejected the suggestion that he was outplayed by Nabokov in Game 1.

``I don't think he played very well, as well,'' Roy said. ``He gave us a chance to come back.''

The Sharks jumped to a 3-0 lead before Colorado made a game of it at 3-2 in the second period.

Roy acknowledged Friday that he was ``a bit tired mentally, and, I guess, physically as well'' Wednesday.

But spending Thursday away from the rink helped, Roy said. ``It was good to have the day off and come back here now and work hard.''

? There was no word on Colorado defenseman Rob Blake's availability for Game 2. Blake didn't play in Game 1 because of a leg injury.

``Rob is progressing. He is doing well,'' Avalanche Coach Bob Hartley said.

? Nabokov had two shutouts in Denver during the regular season, then allowed three goals Wednesday. Nabokov doesn't read anything into who might have the upper hand mentally, him or the Colorado shooters.

``I try not to pay too much attention to that,'' Nabokov said. ``I don't think anybody gets in anybody else's head.''

? In a pre-emptive comment to head off the what's-it-like-to-be-playing-your- old-team line of questioning for the umpteenth time, Mike Ricci started his interview session Friday by saying: ``Come on; the Beatles broke up too.''

Ricci's remark, though, came only after Todd Harvey had cracked to the media: ``Can't you guys leave Mike alone?''

? Before the Sharks won Game 1, this was the opening line if you wanted to wager on the series: Colorado -$170 and Sharks +$150.

This means if you wanted to bet on Colorado, you would need to wager $170 to win $100. If you wanted to bet on the Sharks, you would need to lay out $100 to win $150.