"Shark Month" will be a piece that runs on Fear the Fin where Plank and TCY will track the progress of the players as the calendar flips (there may be some extra games thrown in here or there, but such is life). The players are listed alphabetically, the arrows will indicate the change on a monthly basis. We will also keep track of our top five Sharks players each month.

Goalies___________	Trend	Notes
Antti Niemi		You'd be hard pressed to find a goaltender on the planet, nay, the universe, playing better than Antti Niemi right now. We've heard Xr!z Xcvxs is having a pretty good season out on HD 209458b, but we think Niemi still gets the edge here (Xcvxs' fourteen arms give him an unfair advantage over Niemi's T-Rex arms, which was a big factor in our decision). Owner of a .937 SV% and a 1.76 GAA since the beginning of February (prior to the Dallas game), Niemi has been lights out since 2011 began. He's definitely the biggest reason San Jose has gone 17-3-1 since their six game losing streak.
Antero Niittymaki		He hasn't played a game since January 13th due to a nagging groin injury, but had lost the starting role to Niemi long before that. Niittymaki has returned from injury as of Saturday and will back up Niemi for the foreseeable future. We like the fact that McLellan now has a goalie in his back pocket to give Niemi a break once in awhile (in theory), but judging by the workload McLellan gave Nabokov last season as well as comments about Niemi playing better with more starts, expect Nitty to Finnish more periods on the bench than on the ice.

Defensemen_______
Dan Boyle		We were afraid that a long term injury to Dan Boyle would equal doom for the Sharks, but so far, San Jose has continued winning without their all-star minute-eating defenseman. That's not to say that the Sharks don't miss Boyle; he's the heart and soul of the defense and their best point option on the power play. He has been skating before practice, but a return date has not been set. Giving Boyle some rest down the stretch is a definite positive for the team, but if he is still out in late March, grab your nearest stuffed animal and start to worry.
Justin Braun		It's pretty obvious what the organization told Braun to work on when they sent him back to Worcester last month: improve your defensive game. Braun hasn't been scoring as he did in his first call up (pointless in four games) but a pair of posts and excellent skating ability through the neutral zone show that he's a definite contributor on the squad. With an impressive eighteen minutes per game on average, Braun could be a nice X-Factor down the stretch. 2010 Jason Demers anyone?
Jason Demers		Demers has seen the biggest minutes increase of any defenseman with Boyle's absence, and he's been reliable defensively in those minutes. We've highlighted his lack of scoring as a concern, but he's been as dependable as Boyle himself minutes wise (over twenty-two minutes per game in each that Boyle's been out), and that earns him the green arrow. Demers has had a great sophomore campaign and is really maturing into a dependable blueliner.
Kent Huskins		Kent Huskins has been out with a phantom injury since the win against Colorado on the 19th. Oddly enough, he came back to play in that game... so we don't quite know the extent or the severity of what ails him. Regardless, he's on LTIR and he isn't being missed necessarily with Braun playing so well. When he comes back, he might be the odd man out.
Douglas Murray		Douglas Murray has been a shot-blocking machine lately to go along with his always physical play. Solid, dependable. His minutes have decreased, but on a shift by shift basis, he's still giving San Jose its money's worth.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic		Another minutes eater, still strong with the stick. You don't notice him often, but that's a good thing. Consistently consistent, and although we still would like to see some more offense from him at times, there's no one better in San Jose when it comes to the defensive zone.
Niclas Wallin		He's been good when his team is shorthanded, and he's the second-most physical defenseman on the roster behind Murray. He still gets beat defensively at times and is a poor defender in transition, but as a sixth defenseman, Wallin is able to hold his own.
Ian White		We would love to give White the up arrow, as he's shown the offensive skill we've looked for on the blue line all season. Still, the results aren't quite there yet... just two assists in his seven games with the team. It was a rocky start defensively for White, but that's to be expected with a new team and he's managed to pick up the pace. You have to love his ability to move the puck at the blueline-- White takes about one step, opens up a shooting lane and gets rubber on net.

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"Shark Week" will be a piece that runs every week (or weekish, since we've been busy here) on Fear the Fin, where Plank and TCY will track the progress of the players over the course of each week. The players are listed alphabetically, the arrows will indicate the change on a weekly basis. We will also keep track of our top five Sharks players each week.

Goalies___________	Trend	Notes
Antti Niemi		One of the Sharks only constants over the last few weeks. Since the team's 4-3 loss in Vancouver, Niemi had a save percentage under .915 just once (.880 against Toronto). Rebounds are still an issue, and most likely always will be. But he's improved in that regard and continues to get better with the glove and blocker.
Antero Niittymaki		Say what you will about Niittymaki's limited number of starts, but the fact remains that he's struggled mightily sine losing the 1A position in the Sharks' tandem. His save percentage has plummeted to .901, eclipsing .900 in just two games since Thanksgiving.
Defensemen_______
Dan Boyle		Tough to really evaluate the Sharks lone all-star, because there are two sides to every story with him. He's making mistakes in the defensive end, not scoring at the pace expected of him, and looks gassed at the end of the third period. However, the Sharks would be lost without his minutes, an NHL leading 27:01 per game. Boyle's arrow should likely be trending down considering his play of late, but keeping his minutes in mind, we're going with a flat-line and hoping for the best.
Justin Braun	N/A	The potential Braun possesses is still there, but he's not fully ready for the NHL game. He's just been sent back to Worcester to continue his development. Playing top minutes in the AHL will be good for him. In the event anyone on the current blueline goes down with injury, expect Braun to get the call.
Jason Demers		Just like Dan Boyle, Jason Demers has been asked to play more minutes than he's accustomed to. Because of this, he has not been able to shine in the ways we thought he would. We'd love to see more offense out of him, but until the Sharks make a move to alleviate the defensive workload on the current roster, it's unlikely that happens. We're content with the improvements in his defensive game but need more out of him offensively if the Sharks are going to make a playoff push.
Kent Huskins		Huskins hasn't looked good since returning from injury, and after a 09-10 season that saw him win some compassion from us, he's now becoming a liability on the majority of shifts. His puck moving ability has seemed to disappear, and his decision making is suspect in all zones. In the Sharks last two wins, he's been a minus player.
Derek Joslin		It seems that the all around ability displayed by Joslin has cemented him as the team's seventh defenseman. He hasn't excelled in any one area specifically, but he's responsible enough to earn the confidence of the coaching staff. It's likely he would be taking part in the Worcester shuttle, but with the requirement that he pass through waivers if sent down, expect to see him in San Jose all season long.
Douglas Murray		Still being leaned upon heavily, as is much of the defense. He's 10th in the league in hits, which isn't surprising for a player who likes to be physical. Has taken a newfound liking to the offensive game, specifically shooting from the point. Try this on for size-- beginning with the beginning of the season in October, Murray has taken 8, 10, 13, and 18 shots in each month respectively. And while the results aren't always pretty, it's nice to see Crankshaft throwing some weight into some shots instead of opossing player's craniums all the time.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic		Assists in each of his last two games, both Sharks wins. He's been called upon to be more active offensively even strength, which has made him less of the stay at home stalwart we've come to expect. Consistently underappreciated, consistently faces the toughest minutes amongst the blueline. Will be a key player down the stretch for San Jose. If you don't notice him, that's a good thing.
Niclas Wallin		We applauded his progress early in the season, but he's been below average as of late. Last in quality of competition, last in EV TOI, last in +/-. Falling down to allow a goal against Edmonton was the lowlight of his recent stretch of poor play. We might blame it on the hamburgers, but then figured what spinach is to Popeye grilled beef is to Wallin.
Forwards__________
Ryane Clowe		Aside from an injury to Dan Boyle, injuries to Ryane Clowe or Logan Couture would be near the top of the list in terms of damage to the roster. Well, the Sharks had to deal with injuries to both forwards over the course of the last few games. Although Clowe came back to play in the same game he was injured (1/13 v. Edmonton), he has yet to return. He's been one of the Sharks best players when healthy. Who were those idiots calling for him to be traded last season? Oh, right. That was us.
Logan Couture		The Sharks got a bit of a scare when Couture went down after a questionable hit by Colton Orr and missed the next game. The injury proved to be nothing more than a bit of swelling, though, as Couture has come back after missing just a game. He scored his 20th goal of the season against Phoenix and has moved onto the team's first line. You know the drill.
Andrew Desjardins	N/A	Desjardins was sent down to further make room for the additions of Eager and Wellwood. He was always an injury call-up to begin with, and McLellan didn't trust him in many situations. He averaged just 5:19 in three games with the team.
Ben Eager		Eager is yet to play a game with San Jose, but the team hopes he can add size and grit to the fourth line. Here is our article explaining the addition.
Benn Ferriero		Ferriero has been a bit of a non-factor lately, he's scored just one point in 2011 (eight games). Perhaps that's why he decided to drop the gloves against St. Louis. During the fight, Ferriero suffered an eye injury (swelling) and has not played since. With Pavelski back, and Clowe set to return sometime in the future, Ferriero will likely find himself on the third line when he returns.
Dany Heatley		Heatley is just one of the team's elite players to respond to the criticism of his coaches and his teammates. He's more engaged, and in turn, is scoring more. He has six points in his last three games, including three goals. San Jose is going to need that consistency from him all throughout the rest of the season. The Sharks will go as far and he, Marleau, and Thornton will take them, and his recent steps have been a good start.
Patrick Marleau		Marleau, who just played in his 1,000th NHL game, has also been improving as of late. He's looked good on Pavelski's wing and has regained the speed that makes him so dangerous. A return to form from Marleau is great news for the Sharks. Now if he can only do something about that atrocious +/-...
Brandon Mashinter	N/A	Mashinter was probably our favorite of the recent batch of call-ups, as he had an effect on almost ever game he played. Sent packing with the acquisition of Kyle Wellwood
Jamal Mayers		Has done little to make his mark on the team lately. We totally dig the eyebrows though.
John McCarthy		McCarthy has not played a game since mid-December, suffering from that oh-so-contgious upper body injury bug that has plagued the team. He's been activated off injured reserve, though, and should return Thursday against Vancouver.
Jamie McGinn		We don't know how many times we'll be able to give McGinn the green arrow, but his first goal of the season seems like it warrants the praise. Aside form the goal, though, McGinn has been a real spark plug on the bottom lines.
Torrey Mitchell		The chronically injured Mitchell finds himself on the shelf yet again, and it appears he'll stay there for some time. He has been placed on LTIR, which helps make room for Ben Eager and Kyle Wellwood.
Scott Nichol		Have to give Nichol the down arrow here, as his reckless physical play in Phoenix leaves the Sharks without his services for four games. The PK, which has been substandard all year, will hurt without his services.
Joe Pavelski		He's looked very good between Marleau and Setoguchi on the Sharks new look second line. However, the team needs more scoring from him, especially in the goal department. Three assists in his last two is a good start, and looking at the numbers, there's no doubt his 6.0 S% should increase. Expect bigger things from Pavelski as the season heads into the crucial stages.
Joe Thornton		The Sharks' captain is on a tear offensively, with a goal and an assist in each of his last three games. The criticism of Thornton's leadership capabilities will always be there, but there's no doubt his attention to the defensive aspect of his game should be setting a good example for the rest of the team. An improvement in even strength scoring production, which almost certainly will tie in with an increase in Heatley's effectiveness, is what Jumbo Joe must focus on in his next ten games in order to prepare for San Jose's push for a playoff spot.
Devin Setoguchi		The winger's streaky season continues. No continuity to his game, and no scoring either. He has just one goal on the new year. A trade is most certainly a possibility-- the question is, how much is his value right now? Limited.
Kyle Wellwood		Wellwood was acquired yesterday off waivers from the St. Louis Blues. Here is our article covering the addition.

Fear the Fin's Top Five

Logan Couture
Joe Thornton
Antti Niemi
Dan Boyle
Dany Heatley

"Shark Week" will be a piece that runs every week on Fear the Fin, where Plank and TCY will track the progress of the players over the course of each week. The players are listed alphabetically, the arrows will indicate the change on a weekly basis. We will also keep track of our top five Sharks players each week.

Big stick tap to Japer's Rink, whose weekly feature called "Capitals Ups and Downs" helped inspire this series. In fact, we pretty much stole it entirely.

Goalies___________	Trending	Notes
Antti Niemi		He's played his best hockey of the season in December, going 3-3-1 with a 2.22 GAA and a .922 SV%. He didn't close out Nashville as he should have, but he played a magnificent game against Dallas on Monday.
Antero Niittymaki		Niittymaki has been given more starts over the course of the last week, but was inconsistent. He played a poor game against Dallas where the Sharks were lucky to come out with a win, but was instrumental in the game against St. Louis. Looking to grab more starts to close out 2010.
Defensemen_______
Dan Boyle		Minutes are still up as he played over 25 minutes every game last week, but finally started to score. He's posted 3 assists in his last four games. Minutes will always be an issue for him.
Justin Braun		The kid is a machine, and he's one factor in the team's recent success. Still isn't where we'd like him to be defensively, but the coach trusts him enough to put him out there. The young defenseman has nine points in just 13 games this year.
Jason Demers		Don't take the flat line as a suggestion that he's getting worse. He's playing well on both sides of the red line, but we'd like to see more of the offensive brilliance we know he's capable of displaying. No points in his last three games, and he needs to shoot more (We liked the 6 shots he had in Dallas).
Kent Huskins		He's played two games since returning from injury, and looked a bit slow against Dallas playing only 16:07. His minutes should increase as we move forward.
Derek Joslin		He lost his starting job to a combination of Braun's emergence and Huskins' return. There just wasn't any room for him. This isn't to say he's that bad, having skilled young defenseman is a blessing. Likely demotion coming once Murray returns.
Douglas Murray		What looked like a minor injury has kept Murray out since 12/11. The team misses his physicality.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic		Brine Time is must see TV. He's playing well defensively after struggling in that regard early, and has been scoring in bunches. He has two goals and three assists in December.
Niclas Wallin		Remains one of the team's most valuable blue liners, and he's scoring all of a sudden. Another goal for Wallin would match his career high. Hamburgers.
Forwards__________
Ryane Clowe		What. A. Player. "Chippy Clowe" has been hot in December, and we're not talking about his v-neck sweater ensemble. His board play is second to none, and he's created space for Couture to flourish.
Logan Couture		We thought he'd be good. We didn't know he'd be great. He isn't just leading all rookies in goal scoring... he's fifth in the NHL with 17. As a rookie.
Benn Ferriero		He's still an important part of the FCC line, but he's been pretty invisible as of late. Just three points in December, and has been bounced down to the fourth line at times.
Dany Heatley		Heatley has remained the best of the Sharks top three, but that's not saying much considering that they've been extremely disheartening for much of the month. Need much more from them if San Jose is to establish Western Conference supremacy.
Patrick Marleau		Two straight weeks of the down arrow for Marleau. However, his game against St. Louis was his best of the recent stretch. One assist, and a plus two. Team still needs more than that, but recent play has offered that glimmer of hope.
Jamal Mayers		Scrapped against his former St. Louis brethren on Saturday. He's been good at what he was brought here to do-- forecheck, log fourth line minutes, and drop the gloves.
John McCarthy		Hadn't been a factor as of late, and lost his job when Setoguchi returned. Barring an injury, don't expect him back in the lineup any time soon.
Jamie McGinn		He's not scoring, but he may be one of the hardest working guys out there. He's leading the team in hits in December and has looked good with Setoguchi and Pavelski.
Torrey Mitchell		Scored an important goal in Dallas, but he needs to shoot the puck more. His ice time has fluctuated.
Scott Nichol		Leads the team in face-off percentage for the second straight year.
Joe Pavelski		Has returned to form recently centering "The Redemption Line" (McGinn - Pavelski - Setoguchi). Two assists in each of his last two games.
Joe Thornton		Two points in six games isn't what we expect from Thornton. The fact thas his wingers are struggling doesn't help. Has worked on his defensive game, which is a plus, but his check gets cashed for goals and assists.
Devin Setoguchi		Being in the coach's dog house has lit a fire under Setoguchi. He's back from injury and scoring like he did in his sophomore season: three goals in his last three games. Watch out for him.

Logan Couture (10)*
Ryane Clowe (8)
Dan Boyle (5)
Marc- Edouard Vlasic (2)
Devin Setoguchi (1)

*The  number in parenthesis tracks the FTF Top Five over the course of the 2010-2011 season. Five points for a week in first place, four for a week in second, etc.

"Shark Week" will be a piece that runs every weekend on Fear the Fin, where Plank and TCY will track the progress of the players over the course of each week. The players are listed alphabetically, the arrows will indicate the change on a weekly basis. We will also keep track of our top five Sharks players each week.

Big stick tap to Japer's Rink, whose weekly feature called "Capitals Ups and Downs" helped inspire this series. In fact, we pretty much stole it entirely.

Goalies___________	Trending	Notes
Antti Niemi		Although he started the season poorly, Niemi has taken the starting job from Niittymaki. He's 3-2 in December with a 2.53 GAA and a .909 SV%. Rebounds, like the ones we saw last night against Chicago, will always be an issue.
Antero Niittymaki		Great early in the season, not so great lately. He has a .886 SV% and a 3.69 GAA in December. Goaltending tandem has historically helped him succeed.
Defensemen_______
Dan Boyle		Isn't scoring at a rapid pace, but he's had to adjust his style to play heavy minutes. His 27:43 average in December is the highest for him all year. Needs help shouldering the load.
Justin Braun		Braun hasn't been making as many defensive mistakes as he did initially, and he's still chipping in on offense. Six points in eight games with the team. Lots of potential.
Jason Demers		Came back from injury and has looked good. Wasn't shining offensively early, but has come around lately with a nice goal against Philadelphia and a breathtaking play against Chicago which resulted in a Clowe tally. Is getting better defensively with every game. Exciting to watch.
Kent Huskins		Hasn't played since 11/27 in Edmonton. Going to have to fight for his spot once he gets healthy, but had a great year with Demers before injury.
Derek Joslin		Although he's impressed us with his physicality and offensive instincts, there's no room for him right now, especially with Braun stepping up. A Huskins return might mean a trip to Worcester based solely on roster space.
Douglas Murray		A factor in every game simply because of his physicality. Isn't letting that take him out of plays like he has in the past. Developing some offensive skills, though still obviously not a strong suit of his game.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic		Recovered from a dismal 25 games to start the season. Has played solid defense and contributed to the offensive flow, adding 3 points (1 G, 2 A) in the last two games.
Niclas Wallin		Better than many expected this year. Physical, positionally sound. Hamburgers.
Forwards__________
Ryane Clowe		Like many of the Sharks, he's turned it on as of late. Three goals, seven assists in six December games. Phenomenal board work.
Logan Couture		Close edge over Clowe for best Shark right now. Couture leads the team in goals and leads the Calder Trophy Race.
Benn Ferriero		Has meshed well with Couture and Clowe, should stick with the team. Scoring pop (3 G) has helped him make a case.
Dany Heatley		Hasn't shown up on the scoreboard much, but has been more creative as of late. Engaged in game. Ol' Pixistix hands-- they're sweet.
Patrick Marleau		Struggling mightily as of late. Looks a step behind in all situations, contributing to an atrocious -17. Needs to turn it on. Yesterday.
Jamal Mayers		Surprising speed and tenacity. A much better signing than originally thought.
John McCarthy		Hasn't been much of a factor lately, but contributing minutes. Hard to see him sticking when Setoguchi returns.
Jamie McGinn		Needs to start scoring points. He's been demoted to a fourth line role, but looked good against Chicago and had some scoring chances just miss.
Torrey Mitchell		Speed finally returning to his game.
Scott Nichol		Same 'ol Scotty. Doing exactly what you'd expect of him.
Joe Pavelski		Power play tally in Philadelphia was nice, but the team needs more Big Pavelski and less Little Joe.
Joe Thornton		In a mild slump, but there doesn't appear to be an underlying issue. Marleau's efforts have not helped point totals.
Devin Setoguchi		Still out with an upper body injury, but hopes to return soon. Upcoming road trip is likely.

Logan Couture
Ryane Clowe
Dany Heatley
Dan Boyle
Douglas Murray