Sharks stumble against Blues, lose 4-2
by Matthew_Taylor on Oct 15, 2011 10:30 PM PDT
in Sharks Game Recaps
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PrintThe Sharks wanted to get off to a good start this season after struggling through the first month of last year. A 6-3 drubbing against Phoenix in game one got them going in the right direction.
Tonight's loss against St. Louis however, on the heels of last night's 1-0 fall to the rival Ducks, has derailed the chance for any early season momentum.
As was the case in Anaheim, the Sharks allowed the first goal after a four-on-four stretch seemed to disrupt the flow of the offense. It was an unfortunate situation, as San Jose should have had a power play instead. Ryane Clowe, however, was called for a late rouging penalty that didn't have to be taken after he jumped in to defend a teammate.
The Sharks beat up the puck a bit all night, and committed more than their fair share of turnovers. Matt D'Agostini's goal was evidence of this, as Jason Demers sent the puck right to D'Agostini who walked in and put one past Thomas Greiss.
The Sharks would get the equalizer in the first; Michael Handzus fought for a bouncing puck in front of Brian Elliot and lifted it over the pads for a power play goal. The power play has been a bright spot so far, clicking at 30%. Little victories, right?
In the second, Brent Burns would put the Sharks ahead for only the second time this season, scoring his first goal as a member of his new team. Burns made some huge mistakes on the defensive end of the ice tonight, as he has most of the early season. However, his shot from the point is a huge asset, and it showed tonight. A blast from the blue line squeaked through Elliot and ended up in the net.
With a 2-1 lead, the Sharks headed into the third in a great spot. However, the Blues would go on to score three unanswered. First, Kent Huskins, of all people, scored a beautiful goal on a wrister that beat Greiss high. Five minutes later, Alex Steen, Alex Pietrangelo and Jason Arnott converted on a 3 on 2 rush that Burns played poorly. A empty netter sealed the Sharks fate.
All if that adds up to a loss, and a poor 1-2-0 record for San Jose. However, if we've learned anything, the first few weeks of the season aren't the best indication of what's to come. Still, the last thing the Sharks want to do is relive past mistakes. They'll get a chance to show what they've learned Monday.
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Brutal game...
Especially on the heels of last night’s game. The sky is certainly not falling, but for a team that was supposed to be committed to having a fast start, this is not good. The Ducks and Blues are mediocre at best, and have make the Sharks look like chumps. Maybe the 6 game roadie coming up will help with team chemistry and whatnot.
"If you can accept losing, you can't win." ~Vince Lombardi
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by ZeroIndulgence on Oct 15, 2011 10:35 PM PDT reply actions
I actually think Anaheim is a really good team.
I think they will be a low playoff seed.
by Briceratops on Oct 15, 2011 11:45 PM PDT up reply actions
They have a great goalie, two good offensive defensemen and 4 top 6 forwards… I don’t consider that a really good team.
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On paper, that's better than the Florida Panthers.
Except Florida is 2-1 to start the season.
The artist formerly know as *"Sharks_Fan_In_Toronto"*
"Those of you who volunteered to be injected praying mantis DNA, I have some good news and some bad news: bad news is we've postponed these test indefinitely. Good news is we've got a much better test for you: fighting an army of mantis men! Pick up a rifle and follow the yellow line. You'll know when the test starts."
by Evil Stanchion on Oct 16, 2011 8:59 AM PDT up reply actions
Against tougher opponents, I might add.
The artist formerly know as *"Sharks_Fan_In_Toronto"*
"Those of you who volunteered to be injected praying mantis DNA, I have some good news and some bad news: bad news is we've postponed these test indefinitely. Good news is we've got a much better test for you: fighting an army of mantis men! Pick up a rifle and follow the yellow line. You'll know when the test starts."
by Evil Stanchion on Oct 16, 2011 9:01 AM PDT up reply actions
Ya not fun to watch
They just need to get the chemistry and click together. There were stretches of impressive hockey, but also some major mistakes. Burns almost looks nervous in defensive situations. He can learn a lot playing with pickles
by slotownsharksfan on Oct 15, 2011 10:40 PM PDT reply actions
Burns on that 3-on-2
Can anybody explain the correct way Burns was supposed to play that? During the postgame, Drew was talking about this ‘triangle’ of sorts between his stick and his skate and I wasn’t really clear on what exactly he meant.
Overall it was a rough game to watch..
Every time there is an odd man opportunity you want to try and take away the pass and give up the shot. It’s all situational of course, but with two guys wide, you need to give your goaltender the best chance to make the save.
In that situation, when Greiss is square to the shooter, it’s a much more high percentage play for San Jose to give up the shot to the puck carrier than give up a pass and force your goalie to go cross crease either way to make the stop.
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I feel like it was a lose-lose situation. If burns had cut off the pass, the player with the puck (whoever it was) could have just skated through the slot unimpeded for what essentially boils down to a breakaway chance imho.
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by SharksFanTillDeath on Oct 16, 2011 12:04 AM PDT up reply actions
A breakaway chance at least allows the goalie to focus on that one player, and that’s one less than both.
Very true. I guess I really wasn’t giving Greiss much credit
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by SharksFanTillDeath on Oct 16, 2011 12:10 AM PDT up reply actions
I hate to say it, but...
…I had no idea wtf Greiss was doing on that 3rd goal. Total misread.
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The one where he was essentially on a 2 on 0 because Burns left him out to dry?
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diving fwd on a puck going for the rear gap
"Never start a fight, but ALWAYS finish it."
@TheFourthPeriod How intense with the #Bruins #Habs PO series be? || @Noctro Like K-Y Jelly lit on fire. || @TheFourthPeriod Wow. Best. Answer. Ever.
"I still say McLellan needs to roll Pavelski, Marleau, and Stetoguchi together. No one would go NEAR that line."
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I know Burnzie kinda screwed the pooch (keep that stick on the ice, dude!)...
But that read was way off, too…
"Never start a fight, but ALWAYS finish it."
@TheFourthPeriod How intense with the #Bruins #Habs PO series be? || @Noctro Like K-Y Jelly lit on fire. || @TheFourthPeriod Wow. Best. Answer. Ever.
"I still say McLellan needs to roll Pavelski, Marleau, and Stetoguchi together. No one would go NEAR that line."
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Didn’t he attempt the Nabby special double pad stack on that?
"Douglas Murray is a humongous human being." – Drew Remenda
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looked like it
"Never start a fight, but ALWAYS finish it."
@TheFourthPeriod How intense with the #Bruins #Habs PO series be? || @Noctro Like K-Y Jelly lit on fire. || @TheFourthPeriod Wow. Best. Answer. Ever.
"I still say McLellan needs to roll Pavelski, Marleau, and Stetoguchi together. No one would go NEAR that line."
My Twitter
From the replays it looked like he was sliding over but at the last second realized he’s going 5 hole which he couldn’t cover because his stick was out of position and he couldnt do the splits, so he did what he could and unfortunately wasn’t fast enough.
Niemi probably could have got over on his pads for that one, but Griess’ aggressive style hurt him on that one, though if Burns had eliminated the pass and let Griess take the shooter then he prob woulda had a solid save (dunno bout rebound though).
I think he was getting ready to do what Brian Elliot did to Dan Boyle, but the Blues player shot the puck low instead of wristing it up high like he was expecting.
If Dan Boyle had shot low on his chance he might’ve scored and tied the game. Boyle even says in his post game interview that he should’ve ‘taken a second to look and see that the net was open down low’.
Either way, that goal was on Burns not Greiss. I thought Greiss played well again last night despite his team making all kinds of mistakes in front of him.
I feel bad
for Greiss. Yeah he’s not the best but overall he’s played really well and the team isn’t helping him out to make a good impression.
To simplify:
If you’re just one body, you obviously can’t tackle two bodies. Well. Maybe if you’re Doug Murray. Anyway, the only other thing between the puck and the goal is the goalie: If you tie up one of the forwards on the play, your goalie can focus on that one guy and position himself accordingly. Sometimes the puck carrier will be intimidated by this, at which time he’ll forget the shot and double back until cavalry arrives. Or sometimes he’ll force himself into a dumb pass that’s intercepted by the defender.
But if you flub like Burnzie did all night, you lave two or more guys in front of your net to do whatever they please and make a fool of your goalie. I sincerely hope Greiss gave the man hell after that game: Greiss was great.
The artist formerly know as *"Sharks_Fan_In_Toronto"*
"Those of you who volunteered to be injected praying mantis DNA, I have some good news and some bad news: bad news is we've postponed these test indefinitely. Good news is we've got a much better test for you: fighting an army of mantis men! Pick up a rifle and follow the yellow line. You'll know when the test starts."
by Evil Stanchion on Oct 16, 2011 9:11 AM PDT up reply actions
A very disappointing game 3
The Sharks, having all of these new players, have slipped into some bad habits from seasons past. Greiss is doing okay with all of the pressure, but the players can’t always put the outcome of the game all on the goaltender.
Anyway, the Sharkstistics are back for this 2011-12 season.
Sharks, game 3 = 2-4 loss
game 3 last season = 2-4 loss
After 3 games = 1-2-0 / 2 pts
at 3 games last season = 1-1-1 / 3 pts
Next 10 games, games 4-13 last season = 4-5-1
Going: L, W, W, L, W, W, L, L, W, OTL
Sharks, a new team this season, a better team this season, get it together and give us a lot of goals and wins!
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If anyone makes the excuse that the team isn't a cohesive unit yet...
I don’t buy it, because of what Florida’s been doing. They changed more than half of their roster, and they’re playing some fairly good hockey so far this year. There is a bizarre laziness bug that’s been in the Sharks dressing room since Thornton arrived… Though I don’t blame him for that, it’s probably coincidence. Last year was the first playoffs in memory where the Sharks have actually put their nose to the grindstone and fought for wins, but ultimately, the lazy games did them in. That needs to stop.
The artist formerly know as *"Sharks_Fan_In_Toronto"*
"Those of you who volunteered to be injected praying mantis DNA, I have some good news and some bad news: bad news is we've postponed these test indefinitely. Good news is we've got a much better test for you: fighting an army of mantis men! Pick up a rifle and follow the yellow line. You'll know when the test starts."
by Evil Stanchion on Oct 16, 2011 9:18 AM PDT up reply actions
I don't think
it’s laziness. I think it’s more of a fucked up state of mind that they’re in and at the moment can’t find their way out of. I’ve always seen the Sharks as a team of highs and lows for the last I don’t know how many years. Even with all the new faces I hate to say it but maybe the team just isn’t strong enough mentally. They seem so damn fragile out there sometimes. Last year they seemed to get stronger as the year wore on until all the injuries, maybe this year’ll be the same. I’m starting to think that our 3rd line isn’t enough. I know it’s only been 3 games but Mitchell, McGinn, Wingels… imagine if another top 6 were hurt. I felt sick to my stomach last night with how they just couldn’t get out of their funk. Thorton looked horrible but then again Marleau was sick. Anyway I think it’s more mental strength then anything and Burns doesn’t look like he’ll be helping in those situations. It’s up to Thorton, Marleau, Clowe and Boyle. Pav’s been trying but he can’t do it alone. I’m not worried about the season but I do think DW is gonna have to bring in a few strong players get the ball really rolling for the team before the playoffs. They’re getting outmuscled, out passed and trying to win off finesse.
Bullshit narrative
the team just isn’t strong enough mentally
by Briceratops on Oct 16, 2011 11:54 AM PDT up reply actions 3 recs
You can only imagine how i felt about the Huskins goal, given that I dedicated my life to the end of his tenure in San Jose.
I thought Demers was noticeably bad tonight. His turnover that caused the first goal was obvious but he also had a terrible giveaway in the second period in the neutral zone that almost led to a goal. He was visibly upset about that shift; with around 7 minutes left in the second when his shift ended he slammed his stick against the door.
Havlat can’t get healthy fast enough IMO. Mitchell doesn’t belong on the second line and I didn’t think our third or fourth lines generated enough energy.
But on a positive note: Burns’ slap shot tonight made me forget all about Dany Heatley
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by waive kent huskins on Oct 15, 2011 11:18 PM PDT reply actions
Yeah that Huskins goal was brutal.
Desjardins gave him a perfect screen. They were probably buddies or something last year.
by Briceratops on Oct 15, 2011 11:43 PM PDT up reply actions
Pretty sure 69 got a mouthful in the lockerroom
.,,er, you know what I man.
"Never start a fight, but ALWAYS finish it."
@TheFourthPeriod How intense with the #Bruins #Habs PO series be? || @Noctro Like K-Y Jelly lit on fire. || @TheFourthPeriod Wow. Best. Answer. Ever.
"I still say McLellan needs to roll Pavelski, Marleau, and Stetoguchi together. No one would go NEAR that line."
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man -> mean
"Never start a fight, but ALWAYS finish it."
@TheFourthPeriod How intense with the #Bruins #Habs PO series be? || @Noctro Like K-Y Jelly lit on fire. || @TheFourthPeriod Wow. Best. Answer. Ever.
"I still say McLellan needs to roll Pavelski, Marleau, and Stetoguchi together. No one would go NEAR that line."
My Twitter
I agree with all that
Demers had a really bad game last night and with Havlat out there’s a huge hole in our top 6. Mitchell and WIngels aren’t playing bad really, they just don’t belong on our 2nd line.
And maybe
other teams have also figured Thorton out. That since he’s only going to pass and even if it looks like he’s going to the net, just cover the pass. If he looks right, cover the left, that’s what it looked like. With the team in general both the Blues and Ducks were just looking for the pass as soon as the puck got in, made a triangle in the corner and got it in and out almost every time.
If you watched them walking back into the tunnel after the game...
Demers threw or swung his stick at the wall and you could see him yelling or something. He was really pissed.
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I missed that
But completely understand. He had an awful game and he knows it. I’m hoping he can bounce back or he might be the odd man out of our White/Demers/Vandy triad
"Everybody had a part in this. As you can see, our fans love this. And we love them. And bring on the next team." -Joe Thornton
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by waive kent huskins on Oct 16, 2011 10:23 PM PDT up reply actions
Its hard to watch the Sharks lose...
to teams with obviously less talent. That said, the first period had no jump whatsoever, basically spotting St. Louis a goal. Then finally got it going, and I thought for sure they would cruise to victory with the 2-1 lead.
Well, that’s when the d-corp broke down. Other than Boyle/Murray, the rest of the D is clearly lacking the chemistry. Burns has a bit of Jack Johnson in him, and Vlasic is gonna have to cover that up. I like the Demers/White pairing, but they haven’t been on the same page at all… constantly switching spots and generally looking uncomfortable about where the other is going to be.
That Demers turnover in the first period will haunt my dreams.
by Briceratops on Oct 15, 2011 11:46 PM PDT up reply actions
Demers and Burns
need to work on their defensive game….I know everyone’s on a low right now and that everyone (including me) is gonna be jumping for joy when the Sharks turn it around but just like any other team I think the reality of the team’s flaws are finally starting to show. And we just need to accept that it’s gonna take longer then training camp to fix.
To add to what i said in the last thread...
Other than the lack of Havlat (sparking the 2nd line) and Niemi (Greiss might not last that long w/ current suckage), still the same problems as last year:
1) Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers → new D, same shit. Hopefully, the chemistry fixes this, but it has been apparent in all 3 games. The difference is the 1st game we got away with it, the last 2 we haven’t
2) Way too inconsistent…very good at times, at the others, we are a basement NHL team wtf?
These things need to be fixed god damn it before we dig ourselves in a hole like last year!
Also, maybe DW acts faster and if Nemo/Havlat’s returns don’t help, get that addition of a 2-way 2nd/3rd line winger quickly to get our team going.
Go Sharks.
Go Sharks!
Yeah, once again the Sharks are prone to turnovers. At some point you have to wonder if it’s a coaching problem since they just can’t seem to solve it.
I started to think that way last year a little. TMC has a lot of talent to work with, but is his style long-term successful? Or is it the team’s talent that holds them in the running?
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I've been of the latter viewpoint for a while
I’m hoping if the team can get some momentum going, we’ll see the team be able to work on some of the details of their game without the pressure of needing to make up ground in the standings. Then we’ll really see what McLellan is capable of with this roster.
GO SHARKS!
They're not getting this kind of coverage at "Hockey Night In Canada" folks! - Randy Hahn
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What Jay Leach is to the San Jose Shark's Defense, I am to Fear The Fin's Mod Squad.
Part
of being a finesse team. They need to be more assertive in their game. What that means exactly I don’t know but it’s the only word that comes to mind. For now it’s on Murray, Vlasic, White and Van to make sure the team recovers when that stuff happens.
Greiss hasn't sucked.
The GWG last night was on the defense, not him.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take"-Wayne Gretzky"-Michael Scott.
by SharksFanEst.1994 on Oct 16, 2011 9:34 AM PDT up reply actions
I said I wasn't sure how long he'd last with this defense...
Also, I think maybe a pick-up of John Madden would be good because he could mentor Desi as a 4th line C.
Desjardins was great in Game 4 but in the last 2 games, he has been caught out of position a few times which lead to goals…hopefully he improves, but a veteran 4th line C could help him improve as well
Go Sharks!
But he's also drawn
a bunch of penalties so far, so there’s that.
by BillytheSid on Oct 16, 2011 11:29 PM PDT up reply actions
Kobe's got nothing better to do this year...
So he’s lecturing hockey teams on how to disappear during the last period.
The artist formerly know as *"Sharks_Fan_In_Toronto"*
"Those of you who volunteered to be injected praying mantis DNA, I have some good news and some bad news: bad news is we've postponed these test indefinitely. Good news is we've got a much better test for you: fighting an army of mantis men! Pick up a rifle and follow the yellow line. You'll know when the test starts."
by Evil Stanchion on Oct 16, 2011 9:20 AM PDT up reply actions
You may be thinking of LeBron here
Kobe actually won some rings.
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by Nael M. on Oct 16, 2011 12:31 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
Oh. Probably.
I don’t follow basketball, so I tend to get its superstars confused. All I know is there’s a meme about some basketballer disappearing in the 4th.
The artist formerly know as *"Sharks_Fan_In_Toronto"*
"Those of you who volunteered to be injected praying mantis DNA, I have some good news and some bad news: bad news is we've postponed these test indefinitely. Good news is we've got a much better test for you: fighting an army of mantis men! Pick up a rifle and follow the yellow line. You'll know when the test starts."
by Evil Stanchion on Oct 16, 2011 12:50 PM PDT up reply actions
Naw, Kobe's clutch.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take"-Wayne Gretzky"-Michael Scott.
by SharksFanEst.1994 on Oct 16, 2011 7:48 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm having flashbacks to last year
Blowing 3rd period leads and general laziness. I only caught a few minutes of the 2nd and the whole 3rd, but the passing in that time frame was awful. Between the Anaheim game yesterday and this game tonight, it looks like no one on the Sharks’ roster is comfortable handling the puck. Every 3rd pass seems to be to the other team or into a spot where a Shark can’t get to it. Greiss has looked pretty solid, but it has to be tough for him being hung out to dry by his defense (I recall the same thing happening early last year too). The season is still young, but we don’t want these miscues to become trends. Sharks need a strong showing on Monday to get on track.
Doug's Gamble
…..to have nonproven NHL’ers on the bottom two lines, might be a bad move. To me it seems like none of them have chemistry together. If this play continues on Mon. night then its really going to be tough to watch.
Go Big or Go Home
by ChangoT on Oct 16, 2011 12:10 AM PDT via mobile reply actions
Of course, the only way to develop that chemistry is to play together and, certainly, take some lumps together. That’s part of what we’re seeing now, though I think it’s far from certain that the two lines, as constructed now, stay together all season long.
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by Timorous Me on Oct 16, 2011 12:30 AM PDT up reply actions
I wasn't aware Michael Handzus, Torrey Mitchell and Brad Winchester were unproven NHLers
GO SHARKS!
They're not getting this kind of coverage at "Hockey Night In Canada" folks! - Randy Hahn
Changing signatures is for suckers.
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by ElvisVF101 on Oct 16, 2011 3:02 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
They only have like 100 games' experience between them.
Obviously.
The artist formerly know as *"Sharks_Fan_In_Toronto"*
"Those of you who volunteered to be injected praying mantis DNA, I have some good news and some bad news: bad news is we've postponed these test indefinitely. Good news is we've got a much better test for you: fighting an army of mantis men! Pick up a rifle and follow the yellow line. You'll know when the test starts."
by Evil Stanchion on Oct 16, 2011 9:21 AM PDT up reply actions
I don’t think the problem is with our bottom 6. They haven’t looked all that bad. Desjardins definitely needs more NHL experience but that’s to be expected.
I have to agree here – this team will always go where their top guys take them, and right now their top guys are playing pretty poorly. I’m gonna give Marleau a bit of a pass (for these pasgt two games) with him being sick but I’m not so sure what’s gotten in Thornton and Couture.
Also, I really, really, really hate when the coaches go w/ 7 d-men!
Hi. I think your record might be broken. You should get that checked.
Are you talking about Mitchell? Handzus? Winchester? Murray? They’re all experienced players who have well-established roles and expectations at the NHL level.
You’ve been pushing this point without actually providing any evidence to prove it since almost the end of last season. You don’t seem to understand how chemistry is developed or how player progression occurs (hint: it’s by playing games at the NHL level). I’d point out that the vast majority of analysis is looking at the first line (all vets) not playing with passion and the defense (all of whom are veterans, regardless of what you personally think of Demers) not carrying their own weight.
Believing in the Sharks, one photoshop at a time. GO SHARKS!
Two 1 goal losses suck
But I’m not ready to get worried yet.
Yes, I know we lost by 2 goals tonight, but I don’t count empty net goals.
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on the plus side...
…they weren’t blowouts.
"Never start a fight, but ALWAYS finish it."
@TheFourthPeriod How intense with the #Bruins #Habs PO series be? || @Noctro Like K-Y Jelly lit on fire. || @TheFourthPeriod Wow. Best. Answer. Ever.
"I still say McLellan needs to roll Pavelski, Marleau, and Stetoguchi together. No one would go NEAR that line."
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Not only weren’t they blowouts, but they were 1 goal games in which the Sharks played like total garbage in at least 1 whole period and then mediocre in the rest.
Passing just was not crisp, people were not opening lanes for themselves. There were at least 2 seperate instances of Thornton taking the puck in, then having to spin back to the blue line simply because he couldnt shoot through 3 guys and there was no one deeper for ANY passes or even a boards cycle play. I still think Pavs will be better on the 2nd and Havlat on the first for speed so that he and Marleau both can draw defenders back away from Jumbo, instead of whatever Pavs has been doing.
Once the turnovers and passing issues have been dealt with and people are in their proper places (like what was happening in the 2nd) then the problems in the defensive zone aren’t really there because there are no real defensive scrambles. Outside of the blatent turnovers, the Sharks weren’t really in any major defensive trouble. It was just the giveaways straight to our net that started everything scrambling.
Biggest item of concern to me
The Power Play is just attrocious. I know we got the goal, which is great, but until the team figures out how to enter the zone cleanly, I think PP goals are going to be the exception, rather than the rule. The Power Play is just easy to play against right now. If we expect to be an elite team, it is just criminal to be easy to play against. PK minutes are supposed to be hard minutes that grind the other team down, but for the past two games, the PK has basically been 2 easy minutes where the opposition knows we’re not going to score, and all they have to do is stand up at their blue line and not worry about scoring chances, clearing the front of their net, or taking hits from the forecheck.
GO SHARKS!
They're not getting this kind of coverage at "Hockey Night In Canada" folks! - Randy Hahn
Changing signatures is for suckers.
What Jay Leach is to the San Jose Shark's Defense, I am to Fear The Fin's Mod Squad.
Yeah i kind of agree. We are scoring on the PP, but that’s only because we’re so ridiculously stacked with Burns, Boyle, Thornton, Marleau, and Pavelski all out at the same time; but really our PP has looked ultra sloppy.
But MAN will our PP be scary once they work out the kinks and actually start entering the zone properly…
^ This.
Last night’s strategy seemed to be “Shoot it into the slot from centre ice and hope someone on the team knows how to teleport.” Probably helped pad that turnover stat.
The artist formerly know as *"Sharks_Fan_In_Toronto"*
"Those of you who volunteered to be injected praying mantis DNA, I have some good news and some bad news: bad news is we've postponed these test indefinitely. Good news is we've got a much better test for you: fighting an army of mantis men! Pick up a rifle and follow the yellow line. You'll know when the test starts."
by Evil Stanchion on Oct 16, 2011 9:23 AM PDT up reply actions
I feel the Couture, Clowe, and Handzus PP line has been far more effective than the nominal first group.
Neither has been great, but Cloweture+Zeus have at least stayed in the zone and put shots on net. I think that group needs to come out to start PPs and the 1st group needs to watch and think about what they can change.
Believing in the Sharks, one photoshop at a time. GO SHARKS!
the 1st group needs to watch and think about what they can change.
Sorry, this made me laugh a bit – you sound like a disappointed parent.
I do agree with you though, Thonton, Marleau & Pavs aren’t all on the same page yet. It’s kinda strange that, IMO, Marleau & Pavs have great chemistry, as do Marleau and Thornton…I’m guessing eventually Pavs & Thornton will as well, but it’s not there yet.
by milanahalek on Oct 16, 2011 11:16 AM PDT up reply actions
Has anyone suggested
replacing Pavs with Couture? Couture seemed like he had better chemistry with Joe and Patty in the preseason if my memory serves me right.
"Sometimes when the hockey gods f*** you over, the only thing you can do is hope they leave you a twenty on the dresser."
by jurisdoctor on Oct 16, 2011 10:55 PM PDT up reply actions
Couture is lefty
Pavs is righty. Playing with Jumbo, being a righty is an advantage.
by BillytheSid on Oct 16, 2011 11:32 PM PDT up reply actions
Coaching
I give that the sharks didn’t play well last night, but what about the coaching decision to go with 7 D-men. Your playing the 2nd night of back to back games and you shorten your forward lines, just so you can get your 7th D-man into a game early in the season. White, Vandemer and Demers are 3rd line defensemen why do we need 3 of them on the bench. I give you that Wingels has been making some bad choices, but not bad enough to sit him out. I am really starting to question McLellans coaching. Anyone have any idea of the length of his new contract? He signed a 3 year contract in ’08
Losing sucks
But after only 3 games, I’m not ready to make snap judgments on this team. A lot of the problems I see can be directly attributed to chemistry, especially on D. Missed passes, missed assignments…Is it no surprise that Boyle/Murray look the best of our d-pairs at the moment?
Third and fourth lines are new, and while I like Wingels, I’m not sure he’s ready for the big club yet. I can’t wait for Havlat to join the 2nd line. And the top line is just pure awesomeness and will continue to be. But with 9 new players on the team, it will take some time for chemistry to develop. I know I know, I’m impatient just like everyone else. I want to see this team dominate right out the gate, but that’s a bit unrealistic considering the circumstances.
I believe this team is better than last years…but I guess I have to wait a little longer to find out.
by JQ24 on Oct 16, 2011 8:54 AM PDT via mobile reply actions
Once again, to the Sharks (and especially Brent Burns):
The artist formerly know as *"Sharks_Fan_In_Toronto"*
"Those of you who volunteered to be injected praying mantis DNA, I have some good news and some bad news: bad news is we've postponed these test indefinitely. Good news is we've got a much better test for you: fighting an army of mantis men! Pick up a rifle and follow the yellow line. You'll know when the test starts."
by Evil Stanchion on Oct 16, 2011 8:58 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Getting to know each other...
With all the moves DW did during the off-season, I’m not surprised we are not 3-0 and totally demolishing teams like Anaheim and St. Louis. It will take time to start to really gel together and be one formidable unit. It’s only 3 games in, I’m hoping by game 10, it will start clicking for them.
The good thing about hockey is that it’s 82 games, I don’t need to worry for another month or two.
But since I’ll be at the tank tomorrow evening, let’s get a win alright boys?! GO SHARKS!!!
Waiting for the Cup to come to SJ since 1991...
GO SHARKS!
Find me on Twitter @njahoda
Kent Huskins scored?
SMH…..
"I love inside jokes. I'd love to be apart of one someday." - Michael Scott
My pathetic excuse of a Twitter account: http://twitter.com/santacruzsharks
by tealstherealdeal92 on Oct 16, 2011 10:27 AM PDT reply actions
This is (mostly) true
The good thing about hockey is that it’s 82 games, I don’t need to worry for another month or two.
But as the cliche goes, points picked up in the first three games count the same as points picked up in the last three games. The Sharks need to avoid that type of thinking, or they’ll find themselves in 12th place in the second half of the season needing to go 25-5 to get a good playoff seed. The slow start last year was a big part of why we were so gassed in the playoffs. They desperately need to avoid that scenario, or risk having the same flameout.
If they are still having these lapses and chemistry issues after 5 games, I’ll be worried. Three games into the season isn’t enough for trends to analyzed, but if this stuff isn’t sorted out quickly, they’ll be in the same hole they were in last season.
Wow, reply fail
that was to winthecupsj above.
by Chicago Shark on Oct 16, 2011 10:30 AM PDT up reply actions
Rough back to back losses
but I thought Douglas Murray had a great 2nd period, probably one of the best efforts I have seen from him and Gumby Greiss played well. Sharks will get it together.
Patience
I like this team a lot. They just need to find their chemistry. Better to make the moves over the summer and go through the growing pains now than after the deadline. Wilson was wise to move early. They’ve got all the tools: size, speed, creativity, heart, goaltending, systems and coaching. The inconsistency will pass. Also, looking forward to seeing Neemo and Marty take the ice. Go Sharks!!!!
I'm still not worried.
Here’s a team that is still missing their starting goalie and a really fast forward.
When they come back, this team is gonna be epic.
Randy Hahn - "The Man With The Big Butt - Patrick Marleau - we like him and we cannot lie..."
Proud fan of the Atlanta Thrashers (1999-2011)
i hope so
At the start of the season last year the Sharks had a lot of gelling to do too.
Waffles, Digimon...________
STALOCK GET A ROBOT LEG OR SOMETHING AND COME BACK~WE NEED SOME LOCK STOCK STALOCK HERE!!
by YeahTommyB4ZGermansGetThere on Oct 16, 2011 12:58 PM PDT up reply actions
I know why we have lost 2 games...
I haven’t been here to watch them! So far we have a 100% winning percentage when I watch….
"I love inside jokes. I'd love to be apart of one someday." - Michael Scott
My pathetic excuse of a Twitter account: http://twitter.com/santacruzsharks
by tealstherealdeal92 on Oct 16, 2011 1:14 PM PDT reply actions
mind you
the sample space for this season is one game. thats why its 100%…haha
"I love inside jokes. I'd love to be apart of one someday." - Michael Scott
My pathetic excuse of a Twitter account: http://twitter.com/santacruzsharks
by tealstherealdeal92 on Oct 16, 2011 6:37 PM PDT up reply actions
Just goes to show...
…how meaningless pre-season games are. We looked really good! And Anaheim looked like a mess!
I’m not panicking or anything, but points in October are worth just as much as points in March, so let’s get some.
Picklesnakebit since 2011.
@shampeon
This has nothing to do wit anything, but I absolutely must share it.
http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/yrk/apa/2637597894.html
ALL THINGS TO ALL WOMEN, THIS ONE.
The artist formerly know as *"Sharks_Fan_In_Toronto"*
"Those of you who volunteered to be injected praying mantis DNA, I have some good news and some bad news: bad news is we've postponed these test indefinitely. Good news is we've got a much better test for you: fighting an army of mantis men! Pick up a rifle and follow the yellow line. You'll know when the test starts."
Personally
I think its just chemistry. The new guys don’t know the other’s tendencies and vice versa. I mean, I saw a few passes that went to nobody or to the other team, so its a matter of playing together more and not shuffling lines/pairings so much right now.
Dany Heatley=All-star.
by dfh15 on Oct 16, 2011 9:24 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
I miss seto
and where in the hell is Havlat? Is he gonna be like Heatley, only in the roster to collect pay checks
yeah Healtey had no heart and no skill.
good call
Flem: "Tim are you enjoying the party?"
Timmy: "That would be a fair assumption."
by BrandonMK50 on Oct 16, 2011 10:48 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah I'm a little
frustrated with Havlat as well. I know it’s only been a few games, but this is EXACTLY what I was worried about when we traded for him.
by HeatersLeadingLady on Oct 16, 2011 10:33 PM PDT reply actions
ummm...
it’s not Havlat’s fault he’s missing games. He’s ready to play—he’s said so. He’s just waiting on his doctors to clear him. Since it’s so early in the season, there’s no point to rushing him back into the line up only to have him get injured again…
Anyways, I’m not too worried… wish I could watch the game tomorrow, though. I will tape it. My only choice. Such is life.
By Grabthar's hammer and the hands of Zeus, I shall avenge thee.
meh
the Sharks will be alright. The week off appears to have affected their chemistry a bit, IMO.
By Grabthar's hammer and the hands of Zeus, I shall avenge thee.
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