In Memory of Coach Strelow

http://www.sjsharks.com/news/news.asp?story_id=3369

On April 11 at 12:30 AM Pacific Time, Sharks goalie coach Warren Strelow passed away in his home near the Sharks minor league team in Worcester, Mass. According to the Sharks reports, he was surrounded by his family. Coach Strelow had been battling a series of illnesses over the past several years, most recently a stroke.

As a fan of Sharks hockey, the Finatic has seen the impact of his work with Sharks goalies. Since he joined the Sharks more than ten years ago, the Sharks goalies have performed incredibly. When he first became seriously ill and needed dialysis, the Sharks goaltending went through a rough stretch, and the team lost a few games. His impact has been so positive, though, that the Sharks have made the playoffs more often than not from the time he joined the organization. Goalie Evgeni Nabokov, a student of Strelow, won the Calder Trophy as the NHL Rookie of the Year.

Mr. Strelow was a part of American hockey history. He was the goalie coach for the Miracle on Ice team in 1980 and helped Herb Brooks lead the U.S. team to the gold at Lake Placid. Strelow also coached one of the greatest goaltenders of all time, Martin Brodeur, and helped develop Sharks goalies and prospects for the past ten years. He coached other great goalies, including Evgeni Nabokov, Vesa Toskala, Miika Kiprusoff, and Johan Hedberg.

To Nabby, Vesa, Kipper, Brodeur, and Hedberg: go out and kick some playoff butt in honor of your coach.

1 down, 15 to go!

There were some tense moments tonight, and the Finatic is gunning for some Predator blood, but the Sharks still got a win in double overtime.

One of the bastard Predators (Scott Hartnell) caught the Finatic's beloved Cheechoo knee-on-knee about halfway through the second period. Cheechoo crumbled to the ice. He was escorted off by Jumbo Joe and d-man Craig Rivet, but he wasn't putting any weight on his right leg. At last report, his leg was being examined, but the signs aren't good since he wasn't able to return to the game. Finatic wants Scott Hartnell suspended from the NHL- knee injuries can screw over a player for years since they can be complicated easily or may take a long to recover from (look at Teemu Selanne or Alyn McCauley- bad knees resulted in missed games and a decrease in overall performance).

The Sharks were up 4-2 at one point, but Nashville fought back. A bad play by Patrick Rissmiller allowed the Predators to tie the game with less than a minute remaining, forcing overtime.

In the NHL playoffs, games are played in three 20 minute periods of regular play. If the game is tied at the end of regulation, the teams face off in a sudden-death overtime. Playoff OT is five-on-five for twenty minutes or until someone scores.

Tonight's OT went to two overtime periods. About 8 minutes into the second OT, Mike Grier received a pass from a Sharks d-man. Grier fed the puck to a waiting Patrick Marleau on the Nashville blueline, and Marleau spotted Patrick Rissmiller breaking for the net. Marleau sent the puck to Rissy, and the other Patrick put the puck in the 7-hole (under the armpit) and it roofed its way to the back of the net. I guess Rissy will be sleeping tonight after all.

It takes 16 wins to get your name on the Stanley Cup- the Sharks have one win, fifteen to go. Good luck, boyos, and SHRED THE PREDS!

http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?service=page&page=Boxscore&gameNumber=181&season=20062007&gameType=3

Happy Days Are Here Again!

Happy days are here again for the Finatic! The Finatic's Sharks will be matching up against the Nashville Predators in the Western Semifinals of the NHL playoffs. Although it may seem like a repeat performance, these aren't the same teams that met in last year's first round.

The series starts Wednesday at 5 PM Pacific time in Nashville, and the Finatic can't wait to see things get underway.

GO SHARKS!!!!