See you in September...

The dust has settled, the tears have subsided and the profanities have been replaced with words appropriate for McNephew to repeat like the tiny parrot he is.

Monday was a bad day. Mama had surgery, McMan announced his trip to Calgary (sans McP) and my Sharkies were ousted from the playoffs by Finny's QuackQuack Ducks. She phoned me after the game amidst the celebration at Honda Center to hear me having an emotional breakdown. I know, I know, it sounds like I'm way too invested in my team - but let's face it, everything compounded, I deserved a good cry (not to mention a stiff drink and some sort of refrigerated baked-good dough).

My opinion of the season:
WOW. What a team. There was a reason they won the President's Trophy. They had great communication on the ice, the team was playing cohesively, and the scoring came from every line. Nabby and Bouche were great in net and made the big saves when they needed to.

My opinion of the post-season:
Brief, yes, but filled with passion (shitting the bed in game 4 aside). The Getzlaf line did exactly what they needed to shut down Big Joe, Cap'n Patty and the Guch. The fight between Getzlaf and Thornton was a BEAUTY (even though i only got to see it in higlights - effing Versus...) - Just when I think I can't possibly love that big man any more, he goes and feeds lefts to Getzy like he's asking, "Please, sir, may I have some mo'?"

Anyone who knows my love of goalies is perplexed when they are with me while watching a Sharks game. I realize that Nabokov is a good goalie, but I lack confidence in him for some reason. My cries of "I LOVE MY GOALIE!!!!" at WHL games turn into "I love my goalie?" watching Nabby. It's a love/hate relationship. I think after the two losses at home, and especially during game 4, Boucher should've been in net - if for nothing else than to send a message to the team. When that man is hot in net, the thing becomes inpenetrable. Would it have made a difference in the series? Maybe, maybe not. Jonas Hiller took on the role of the Jaws-killing "Brody" like Johnny Depp took on the role of Jack Sparrow - it was scary.

My thoughts on changes to be made within the team:
The cry all around, "Trade Joe Thornton because he doesn't produce during playoffs!"
I call bullshit on that. Like I said earlier, Game 4 aside, this was a battle against Hiller and the team in front of him knew exactly who to shut down to help their goalie on his superstar streak.
Sure some off-season changes will be made, that's going to happen anywhere, but I don't think trading Thornton is the answer. He's the assist-king. He's a passer that shoots when he has the opportunity (and those are usually in the back of the net).

To tell you the truth, I'm not a coach or a gm (don't look so shocked! lol) and I don't know what's going on inside the locker room, but it seems to me that with a season like this one, those HUGE trades would only break the chemistry down.

My inner-struggle with who to root for now:
I'm torn. While I don't want to root for the team who made mine look like their red-headed step-child (i can say that - i am one), one of the fibers woven into my being is the one that is Coach Carr from Mean Girls repeating in my ear "If you cheer for the Red Wings, you will get pregnant and die". (Seriously, it was almost a deal-breaker when first dating McMan)
Advantage: Quacks
Plus, if they win the whole thing, it makes the sting of losing to them in the first round not quite as bad.

My parting words for the Sharks 2008-2009 Season:
After the home-and-home to end the regular season, I was afraid of meeting the Ducks in the first round. They're a good team and they fought hard to win in the Shark Tank and got the job done. Had it been any other team, I'm fairly certain I'd still be rocking my Roenick jersey, rushing to the car to turn on my XM on my way home to plop myself in front of the HD feed, cheering my team on. It wasn't the Sharks' year, yet again. Maybe being an Ams fan through the good, the bad, and now back to the good has prepared me for this.

I ♥ my team. See you next season, Sharkies.