Some Quick Math on Sharks Penalty Kill Minutes
by Mr. Plank on Jul 19, 2011 3:00 AM PDT
in Statistical Analysis
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My oh my how this summer is dragging along. Although I have been enjoying a new home and break from the daily blogging grind, this whole "getting up in the morning without the excitement of hockey" thing never feels quite right.
Summer is always like this of course, and you always forget the emptiness this time of year brings with it. But this year it feels different in one distinct way. The Sharks made their two big moves within a week of each other, trading Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi for Martin Havlat and Brent Burns, loading up all of the blockbusters into an action packed week that was already filled with the excitement of the draft and beginning of free agency.
In other words, all of that good ol' trade speculation that can get you through the summer (something, anything that involves cognitive exertion) doesn't hold as much weight anymore. It feels flat, petty, and unrealistic. The Sharks already made their big moves, and while there aren't any sacred cows in professional sports, a trade of any sort in the near future seems to be riding that fine line between wishful thinking and possibility. As Matt said earlier, there's no doubt the Sharks will be looking at arbitration for an upgrade (something we'll be covering as the cases come and go), but after that it's August and hockey news goes the way of Houdini.
At any rate, what we have here today is a basic look at the Sharks penalty kill unit by time on ice. Before we get into it I want to make three points:
- The sole focus of this piece is on the forwards because the addition of Brent Burns (who saw a ton of PK time with Minnesota last year) means the blueline is going to be fine.
- Reducing Patrick Marleau's and Joe Pavelski's minutes on the PK is in the team's best interest.
- The Sharks penalty kill was ranked 24th in the NHL last season and needs to improve.
Here is who the Sharks lost this offseason:
The Sharks lost 3:53 in shorthanded ice time this offseason when Nichol, Mayers, and Heatley left the roster. Along with Joe Thornton, those three players were the best penalty killers last season when you look at their shorthanded goals against numbers and adjust for ice time. In 2009-2010, Nichol and Heatley were 1-2 on the Sharks according to this metric.
The Sharks have added three forwards via free agency or trade this offseason-- Andrew Murray, Martin Havlat, and Michal Handzus. Here are their numbers:
The Sharks have gained 3:50 in shorthanded ice time this offseason, with the vast majority of those minutes coming from PK wizard Michal Handzus. It's what the guy was born to do, and I think it's safe to say that the days when Pavelski and Marleau were leading the team in SH TOI per game are gone. Handzus will be the number one priority on the kill for Todd McLellan.
Two further points-- Murray's contract is a two way deal, meaning that the Sharks have protected themselves by allowing him to receive a smaller salary in the minors if they demote him to Worcester. As I said on Twitter at the time of his signing, I think he gets a fair shake in camp and was brought in to push the younger prospects who are looking for a spot on the team. I would not be surprised for him to make the team and be on the opening night roster, especially if no further additions are made.
Martin Havlat did not play on the penalty kill at all during his time in Minnesota, and was slowly being factored out of the picture during his time with the Blackhawks. However, his straight TOI numbers from earlier in his career are intriguing-- 2:32 in 05-06 with Ottawa, and 1:32 in 06-07 in Chicago. While the most weight should be placed on his most recent usage in this situation, I would not be surprised to see him get minutes in a similar situation to Dany Heatley-- at the end of the PK when the Sharks are looking to capitalize on a tired power play unit running on fumes. Havlat's skating ability could be very beneficial in this situation.
By virtue of their offseason additions, San Jose has essentially broken even in terms of SH TOI per game this offseason. The addition of Handzus is the biggest reason for that, but Murray (if he makes the team out of camp) and Havlat (if he is used on the PK like he was earlier in his career) all provide some interesting choices for McLellan to chose from.
Furthermore, players like Andrew Desjardins (who played a lot on the kill in Worcester) and Torrey Mitchell (who saw his minutes increase in the postseason) will help fill in where necessary, making up for any discrepancy from last year. In essence, the Sharks have filled the holes left by Nichol, Mayers, and Heatley for next season on a shorthanded ice time per game basis.
Tomorrow, we look at the importance of allocating those minutes to players who don't play in the top six.
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Korpikoski would be an interesting option...
if he comes out of arbitration without a contract. He saw a good amount of time on the pk for the Yotes.
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by DrewRemendaRogaine on Jul 19, 2011 3:16 AM PDT reply actions
I've been eyeing that arby hearing as well..
I assume Phoenix will keep him…but if not, he’s a fast winger who can PK and score 15-20 goals. He’d be a very, very useful piece to complete the 3rd line. Probably a pipe dream, but one to keep an eye on anyways.
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by ZeroIndulgence on Jul 19, 2011 1:05 PM PDT up reply actions
Korpikoski would be good but I don’t know that I see Phoenix walking away from whatever he gets awarded – they still need to hit the cap floor. Unless he gets a rediculous award, I’m guessing they’ll accept it.
At this point, I think a trade is still a route the Sharks will likely take. I, personally, would LOVE if they would make a move for Paul Gaustad. Hecht would also be an interesting option.
Or, if they don’t have jobs by the time the end of August comes around, maybe Miettenen, Prospal – someone like that on a one year low salary deal.
Damn the KHL btw. They got both Frolov and Miettinen, two big guys who are still in their prime that I would love to have on our team. They’re both good two way players who can kill penalties and put up points, ugggh.
Saving Comrade Frolov
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by Brittjames11 on Jul 20, 2011 12:52 AM PDT up reply actions
Damn, I feel a lot better about signing 'Zus now.
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I thought this was a great signing from day one.
But half of you didn’t listen. XD
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by Evil Stanchion on Jul 19, 2011 2:56 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm still so stoked on the Handzus signing...
I’ve talked to some people who say he’s not all that cracked up to be and if he’s our 3rd line centre, then we have a lot to worry about….
But then again they are idiots who root for the Senators, and Heatley was still on our team, so they were probably just spillin the haterade…
I’ve never actually thought he was all that great as a scorer, but always knew he was a great defensive forward. He doesnt bring a ton of leadership or anything necessarily, but he does bring some experience and a skillset that was vastly needed on this team. I’m excited to have him.
I’m also glad we still have cap space… I wouldn’t even mind if we didnt make another big acquisition, this team is super solid right now, and I feel we will have no real issues scoring. If Marleau and Thornton get anywhere near their typical 80-100 point seasons they are capable of, then I fully expect this team to straight roll. If we put together HTML-2, I feel it would be a solid and capable scoring line that would feed Marleau so many great pucks… The playmakers that Havlat and Thornton are is quite daunting when put together on this team…
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If we were counting on Handzus for production on our top two lines, then yeah, that would be a problem. But as third line center? I don’t see any problem with that. Seems to fit perfectly. Now if only we can bring in one more guy to join him on that third line…
The principal supporting business now is rage. -- Richard Hugo
I really like Handzus, but i’m honestly expecting much production from Handzus centering a line with Mitchell and McGinn (or ferriero or whoever).
Handzus isn’t really the kind of guy that creates opportunities. He just seems like a big slow dude who knows where he should be on the ice, which makes him a great defensive player who will block shots and disrupt opposing forwards, but i don’t think he’ll make a very good 3rd line center.
I really hope we can pull off some miracle like signing Korpikoski to center our 3rd line.
How sweet would a Mitchell – Korpikoski – Handzus line be? That’d be a perfect 3rd line of defensive players who can kill penalties and put up some points.
Okay...
So I was feeling a bit nervous about the Zeus signing still… but this actually makes me feel more confident in the guy. Really excited again.
Is it October yet?
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What was LA’s PK ranked at last year, anyway?
I know there’s more than just Handzus that had to do with it, but I’m curious.
I'd love to see Desjardins get some heavy early-season PK time.
He was a strong PKer in Worcester and while I think he’ll have some adjustments to make the NHL pace and size for PPs, he could be a good guy to run out there once he gets his feet under him.
If he can do that early in the year, it’ll be good for everyone. If the process is gonna take more time, at least we can make that assessment and put him in the best position to make that improvement over time.
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McCarthy, McGinn & Ferriero
I completely agree with you, the coaches need to give Desjardins a chance early in the season to see how he does, I think he’ll be quite good and likely become a regular PK guy if he sticks with the NHL club.
McCarthy, McGinn & Ferriero were also regular PK guys for the WorSharks. Not sure if any of them will be given a chance to do the same in the NHL, though, I’d bet McCarthy will be given an opportunity if / when he makes the NHL.
Also, not a question directed at you Auth0r – I saw one single article (then a couple more quoting that same article) mentioning the Andrew Murray signing but absolutely no where has it been confirmed – Capgeek, TSN, Sharks, NHL, did I miss it? How do we know it’s a two way contract? His last contract was a 3yr 1 way deal, he’s not young so it would be kind of odd, to me anyway, that he’d sign a 2 way deal?? I know the Sharks lag big time w/ announcing new deals but Capgeek is usually very quick to report contracts.
by milanahalek on Jul 19, 2011 10:02 AM PDT up reply actions
Murray
And now Pollack finally confirms the signing…never mind
by milanahalek on Jul 19, 2011 10:57 AM PDT up reply actions
Still feel like we need one more 2:00+ PK guy
Nichol and Mayers should have gotten more ice time last season without question. And functionally, Handzus’ minutes equals what they both combined were last season. To me, it’s an “all your eggs in one basket” issue. PKers play tough minutes and they’re likely to be injured. I doubt there’s another centerman with Handzus’s PK prowess available, but certainly another winger at or above Torrey Mitchell’s level (and yes, I realize he’s a center) seems reasonable. IF Handzus or Mitchell went down (and no, Hockey Gods, that wasn’t an invitation!), it’d be nice to know that we wouldn’t have to lean on Marleau and Pavelski.
This is probably the year of the youth movement, so Desjardin and Murray would be nice to see rolling out as a second or third PK unit, maybe filling in a few of the shifts we’d see Thornton and Heatley last season otherwise? And I honestly can’t remember if McGinn every was projected to play any PK minutes. But between these guys, hopefully we can get Marleau and Pavelski down to around a minute per game of PK. It’d be nice if they didn’t have to do any at all, but they’re both shorthanded threats. I don’t forsee anyone else other than possibly Mitchell having that kind of speed to threaten shorties.
GO SHARKS!
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What Jay Leach is to the San Jose Shark's Defense, I am to Fear The Fin's Mod Squad.
Agreed ... another 1:30-2:00 PK'er would be huge
I agree with you. Not only for the all the eggs in one basket reasons, an injury to Handzus would be terrible, but it’s nice to have the option of running a different guy out there because of match ups or situational play. Like what if the penalty is called against Handz or we need the 3rd line to play a few gritty shifts at the end of a game following a penalty.
Hey Plank I think I have a spellcheck for ya
all provide some interesting choices for McLellan to chose from.
by Dermal Denticles on Jul 19, 2011 10:17 AM PDT reply actions
What's the ideal Sharks PK line?
Or is this what was coming up tomorrow?
by Dermal Denticles on Jul 19, 2011 10:19 AM PDT reply actions
Faceoffs
It goes without saying that Scotty will be missed most for his prowess on the draws. (and for his widdle adorable size).
I’m sure it was mentioned before, but what do Zeus’ faceoff stats look like? Adequate replacement?
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Faceoff ability is middle of the road. Not a dynamo, but more than able to hold his own from the dot.
so we can expect a dropoff in our % i'm assuming
@Logan Couture: Heard Charlie Sheen had an interview I missed tonight, damn! He might be the only person in the world thats #winning more than us right now.
by Brittjames11 on Jul 20, 2011 12:47 AM PDT up reply actions
ahhh yes.
Thanks Plank. I appreciate the facilitation of my laziness.
@Logan Couture: Heard Charlie Sheen had an interview I missed tonight, damn! He might be the only person in the world thats #winning more than us right now.
by Brittjames11 on Jul 20, 2011 12:46 AM PDT up reply actions
reply fail on my own post…yikes. It’s been a long day.
@Logan Couture: Heard Charlie Sheen had an interview I missed tonight, damn! He might be the only person in the world thats #winning more than us right now.
by Brittjames11 on Jul 20, 2011 12:46 AM PDT up reply actions
Yikes indeed…
"You know what they say about people with big skates......big feet" - Randy Hahn
by DrewRemendaRogaine on Jul 20, 2011 1:56 AM PDT up reply actions
A guy who contributed for most of the season before injuries kept him out of the lineup in the playoffs?
Ortmeyer was hardly the worst decision the team made. Before the injury, he and Nichol were the top PK pairing. If Murray turns out to be that while the team waits to make more moves, we could be a lot worse off.
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.
If he turns out to be the next Ortmeyer, I'd be just fine with that.
Ortmeyer was a very effective 4th liner for us in the regular season and early portion of the playoffs until he was injured.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take"-Wayne Gretzky"-Michael Scott.
by SharksFanEst.1994 on Jul 19, 2011 12:30 PM PDT up reply actions
He and Nichol were a great combo
I honestly think he probably doesn’t make the same impact that Ortmeyer did just based on the good amount of WorShark tweeners the big club can draw from, but if he did become this year’s Ortmeyer… what Elvis and 94 said ^.
BEAT DAT BEAT
Weren't you just asking for gritty 4th liners instead of unproven rookies?
Or are you just bitching just to bitch?
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I'll keep on pointing out your lack of facts, then.
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Ortmeyer signing was terrible.
He couldn’t even get the Sharks to the SC Finals…. DW should be fire.d
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Once he was injured he was useless.
Go Big or Go Home
by ChangoT on Jul 19, 2011 3:26 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
...
…that’s…okay then…
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.
I can't believe he only put up 19 points.
I was expecting at least 60…
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Dude. I loved Orts so much.
19 points is more than solid for a 4th liner. Plus a solid PK option.
Damn. I want him back.
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by SharksFanEst.1994 on Jul 19, 2011 4:15 PM PDT up reply actions
Handzus Is Even Better Than Advertised
I am originally from St Louis and watched Michael grow up in the Blues organization. He has always had great instincts for the special teams. He will be an even better addition to the team than most of you think.
Besides his great work on the penalty kill, he brings more toughness to the team, which we all saw was too lacking after Clowe got hurt.
He is excellent in the locker room and he knows how to rachet up the intensity in the playoffs.
Excellent move by DW.
It's great that Havlat replaces Heatley, Murray replaces Mayers, and Handzus replaces Nichol, but...
We weren’t happy that Pavs/Marleau played too much LAST YEAR, so I don’t see how we cut their minutes by replacing those who we lost…I’m not sure Mitchell and Desi will be able to take enough off of those two guys. We need another 3rd liner who can PK a lot as well, in my opinion.
Handzus-XXX
Mitchell-Murray
Pavs-Marleau
Couture-Desjardins
Thornton-Havlat (at the end like when JT was w/ Heater)
You need to distribute the minutes accordingly with the above guys ^^
Go Sharks!
I think the crux is
We had Patty and Pavs playing top PK minutes, in excess of 2 minutes a game. If we hand that role off to Handzus and Mitchell, and add other PKers, that’s 1-2 minutes of difficult ice time away from the offensive zone gone from each of their game, which should free them up to do what they do best.
I think we go:
Handzus-Mitchell
Pavelski-Marleau
Desjardins-Murray
Thornton-Havlat
Assuming Desjardins and Murray improve as the season goes on, I think they could very easily become the #2 pairing.
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.
Maybe just my imagination
But it seems like we used Cooch more on the PK in the postseason than in the regular season. Either way, he was used at times, and I would only expect him to be more prominent in that role this season. He’s definitely got the skills for it.
The principal supporting business now is rage. -- Richard Hugo
Patty and Pavs played less than 2min a game on the kill last year
And I don’t see TMac dropping them down into the 1:30min range (i.e. around Joe Thornton’s usage).
To be exact, Marleau played 1:57 on the PK a game, and Pavs played around 1:51. That is the lowest amount since they became PKers in 2008-2009. They will likely bounce back from their horrid PK performance last year (i.e. regress to their mean performance level), which will cause TMac to use them more than last year. I have little doubt that they will each hit the 2min a game mark again this year.
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Stamkos
Just signed a 5 year 3 billion dollar deal (or something like that) with TamponBay, so yeah, he’s all set.
derp.
Who the hell is Andrew Murray, and when did we get him?
Does he have NHL experience?
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he is our x-factor
Andrew Murray played 29games last year for CLB. He is a player like McGinn.
Go Big or Go Home
McGinn is probably better
Doesn’t say much…
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.
I think McGinn is more well-rounded.
Andrew Murray is a hitter, plain and simple. He had 77 in 29 games. He managed to be in the top half of that stat for the Jackets in what amounts to a third of the season. He blocks a few shots, gets a few takeaways, might chip-in some points, but mostly he hits. He doesn’t take a lot of penalties in doing so, though, so that might be a plus (he only had 4 minutes of penalty time). On the other hand, he looks pretty darn injury-prone, missing 12 and 19 games with lower body injuries last season. The Cannon said he was starting to develop some Holstrom-light tendencies to park it in front of the net, but they pretty overwhelmingly were willing to move him on.
McGinn will chip in all over the board, probably. He’s got some hands and wheels, he likes to hit and get in people’s faces, and he generally works hard if not always smart. He’ll probably also take more penalties, though. I think he could do well as the muscle on a third or fourth line intended to add some extra scoring depth. McGinn, and maybe Mash/McLaren, is the guy Murray is probably supposed to be pushing for a job, though. My guess is that McGinn will win that battle, at least coming out of camp.
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Murray's a good player to take a flier on
And while any production from him would be a pleasant surprise, you can’t bank on anything.
McGinn is just so much younger and filled with more promise and you never know—this might be the year he starts to really grab ahold of a job (maybe even on the 3rd line) and not let go. We can only hope either he or Ferriero does so, considering the current state of our 3rd line and the options out there.
Nice research on Murray, btw.
The principal supporting business now is rage. -- Richard Hugo
by Timorous Me on Jul 19, 2011 10:04 PM PDT up reply actions
Too bad he doesn't play defense
Andrew Murray is a hitter, plain and simple. He had 77 in 29 games. He managed to be in the top half of that stat for the Jackets in what amounts to a third of the season.
Between him and Douglas, they could be the Super Murray-o Bros.
BEAT DAT BEAT
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+1000
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by SharksFanTillDeath on Jul 19, 2011 8:19 PM PDT up reply actions
I’d love to see a PK duo of Marleau and Havlat come on towards the end of the the kill and score shorties all day against tired PP units.
Our main PKers should be Handzus and Mitchell though.
THIS.
SH goals really demoralize teams (see: VAN gm3 vs. BOS). That would be so sweet to see a few this season from the boys in teal, esp Patty.
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All other PK failings aside
Patty was a consistent short-handed threat. To me, it went like much of his game. When he was skating, he was effectively applying pressure up high, and could force the occasional turnover which would go the other way. But other times, he was a spectator, watching the play, dropping too deep, not taking away passing or shooting lanes, and the opposing power play could move from high to low with impunity.
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Changing signatures is for suckers.
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Mike Grier
Any chance for captain shoot @ the goalie chest. To get a call from Doug?
Go Big or Go Home
He was actually on Mirtle’s “Might Retire” list.
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I could see him getting a non-contract tryout with somebody in September, but I don’t know—what you see is what you get with Grier. And with him slowing down more and more, you see way too much of him when he is on the ice.
So yeah, no thanks.
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by Timorous Me on Jul 19, 2011 10:01 PM PDT up reply actions
LMAO!
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by will_hunter23 on Jul 20, 2011 9:36 AM PDT up reply actions
PK? PK?
PK?
Yeah, the Sharks need PK help, but
need to stay out of the box in the first place!
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Weren't the Sharks one of the least penalized teams in the NHL last year?
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They are usually pretty good about staying out of the box
But it doesn’t matter if your PK can’t keep the puck out of the net.
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.
Korpikoski & Purcell
Have both re-signed w/ their current clubs – 2 year deals each, it looks like avoiding the arb. hearings, uless they were held really, really early this AM.
• Reducing Patrick Marleau’s and Joe Pavelski’s minutes on the PK is in the team’s best interest.
• The Sharks penalty kill was ranked 24th in the NHL last season and needs to improve.
What if these two are mutually exclusive? We thing the new pickups and the other guys will help, but it is not so clear. Handzus was a good PKer last year, but he gave up DOUBLE the rate of goals the year before (he was basically as bad as Marleau and Pavs were this year), and was pretty much average the year before that. Murray appears to also have some skill, but in a small sample size. Everyone else who remains was an average to below average guy on the kill besides Thornton. Torrey Mitchell has been consistently poor, Desjardins is an absolute unknown, Couture was average with his time on the kill.
Really, Marleau and Pavs have to provide 2 minutes a night of PKing while giving up less than 5.5 goals per 60 minutes for the Sharks to show any real improvement. If they do that, the Sharks will be above average on the PK even accounting for significant regression from Handzus. If not, they will continue to struggle.
That, and Antii Niemi has to stop being one of the worst goalkeepers on the PK in the league. His 5v5 numbers are quite good, but he fell apart last year 4v5. I don’t know if it is technique, small sample size, or mental, but that needs to change.
What if these two are mutually exclusive?
If they are, Handzus is a gigantic bust and one of the worst signings in recent Sharks history.
We brought in Handzus because his reputation, and some statistical evidence supports, that he’s a very good penalty killer, 2010 notwithstanding.
Pavelski is no longer going to be playing on the third line, so I don’t see why we’d want to tack on more tough minutes to his ice time, or Marleau’s for that matter. The evidence from last season suggests that it didn’t do them any good.
Desjardins played a ton of time on the PK in Worcester, so while he’s not NHL proven, he’s expected to fill a similar role here, and that’s the point of a youth movement. Saying Torrey Mitchell has been consistently poor is a bit harsh. He’s always had some PK ability, and you can argue chicken and egg as to whether last season he wasn’t getting time on the PK because he was struggling, or, because he wasn’t getting regular PK time, it led him to struggle. Given his previous level of effectiveness, I’m inclined to believe it’s the later.
We HAD PKers on the roster last season in Nichol and Mayers, and yet, in spite of struggles, Marleau and Pavelski continued to get top minutes. So while they have to improve (as does Niemi), considering that we have other resources on the roster, I don’t know why we WOULDN’T use them, as opposed to trotting out our big guns and having no plan B if they struggle.
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.
The evidence from last season suggests that it didn’t do them any good.
In theory, I can see why fans would say why getting those guys off the PK would help them. But I just don’t see the stats to support that statement. Last year Marleau had his least time on the PK since 2007-2008. When his PK went up into 2+ minutes starting ‘08-’09, his goal scoring actually shot up. Last year, he regressed slightly in goal scoring despite being eased off the PK. I am not arguing that more PK time improves his offense, but I am arguing that the amount of PK probably has much less effect on his offense that we believe. Pavs had his highest points ever, but nearly all of that improvement was PP points. Again, I understand the theory, but the numbers don’t bear that out.
Saying Torrey Mitchell has been consistently poor is a bit harsh. He’s always had some PK ability
Same here. I really like Torrey Mitchell, and he certainly has the tools to be a good PKer, and he certainly LOOKS like he is trying hard, but by the numbers he has just not been very good for about 3 years now.
If they are, Handzus is a gigantic bust and one of the worst signings in recent Sharks history.
Lol, I don’t think he is going to be a gigantic bust, but I think people are hoping he is the new Manny Malhotra, when I think he is more like the new Mike Grier. That isn’t bad, but I don’t think it is an improvement on the 3rd line we had last year and doesn’t really fix the problem it was meant to (the PK issues).
Compared to his previous career numbers, Patty might be playing less time on the PK, but as far as the overall team went, Patty and Pavs were playing more than anyone else. So, in relative terms, considering what other PKers we had at our disposal, they were playing too much. And considering their atrocious numbers, the additional time they were playing was not merited.
Mitchell has never truly been utilized correctly. Whether that makes any difference in his numbers only time will tell. All of last season’s PK numbers are going to be skewed because of Marleau and Pavelski. ASSUMING we do everything “right” this season, I’d like to see what his numbers look like.
As for Handzus, I look at him this way. He’s being brought in to do one thing, kill penalties. If he can’t do that, he’s a bust. Why else would we be paying him so much money? He’s not a scorer, not a fast skater. He’s a defensive guy. I think the Mike Grier comparison is fair. Handzus is NOT a Malhotra type player (very few guys are).
I agree that he’s not an “improvement” for the third line. But we’re drastically reshaping what the third line is. The Hella-copter line was a third scoring line. A Handzus line is meant to be a pure checking line, ala Moen-Niedermayer-Pahlsson. Sure, they’ll pop in the odd goal, but their main objective is to get the puck out of their zone and going the other way to set the table for the top two lines. We haven’t had anything remotely resembling this since Goc-Grier-Brown. And, if Handzus is as advertised, he’d be a significant upgrade to that particular incarnation of the checking line.
The numbers on Handzus can go either way. One of LA’s strengths the past few seasons has been the PK. Obviously the likes of Kopitar, Brown, Johnson, Doughty, and more recently, Scuderi and Mitchell help that. But Handzus was one of the heavy lifters. If 2010 truly was an anomaly, and 2011 is closer to his true potential, than the signing is a win. If not, bust.
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.
Sure, they’ll pop in the odd goal, but their main objective is to get the puck out of their zone and going the other way to set the table for the top two lines.
Haha, when you say it like that it sounds like they are the punt team! Sure, they might cause a fumble or pull a nice fake, but get the ball out of the shadow of the end zone :-)
But now that I think about it, it makes me sad and makes me rea`lly wish the Sharks would just go out and sign Wellwood already…
I'm still against Wellwood
Unless we shore up the bottom lines defensively. The guy obviously has some skill, but I think, towards the end of the season, we saw why he was given up on by both the Leafs and the Canucks. He’s not consistent enough, and he needs to shoot more, and his lack of size will always hold him back just a bit.
And I hope I don’t make the third line sound like a punt team! If anything, they’re linebackers, stepping up to stuff the run and force the other team to throw risky passes on third down!
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.
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