Comments / New

2010 Sharks Playoff Preview: Nichol, Ortmeyer, Staubitz

Picture_3_medium

The postseason is right upon us, so Plank and TCY thought it would be prudent to highlight each individual player on the Sharks roster heading into these glorious days. It gives us an opportunity to consolidate all the information we’ve obtained since the beginning of October, as well as examine the team at a micro-level. Each installment in this series can be found here.

There is literally nothing like the NHL playoffs in the entire world of sports– the passion, the pain, the hope, the despair, the unrelenting feeling that this year could finally be the one. Each and every goal dictates whether or not you’ll end up on some godforsaken alleyway in downtown San Jose singing songs to alley cats, or at home with loved ones singing songs of victory and the heroic undertakings of a team that has given meaning to the wild world in which we live in.
Fasten your seatbelts folks.

God save us all.


Scott Nichol

#21 / Center / San Jose Sharks

5-9

178

Dec 31, 1974

Previous FTF Coverage: FTF Regular Season Cheat Sheet: Line Four


GP G A P +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG GTG SOG PCT
2009 – Scott Nichol 76 4 15 19 0 70 0 1 0 0 4.3

Scott Nichol is a guy the Sharks have sorely lacked in previous playoff runs. A role player who works well on the fourth line, Nichol fits the mold of an agitator who is able to disrupt opposing team’s initial breakout pass with a tenacious forechecking ability. He has a methodical willingness to lay on the body down low, throwing his weight around against defenseman sometimes six inches and forty pounds bigger than him.
This ability below the circles generates scoring opportunities from time to time, but as we mentioned, that isn’t Nichol’s role on the team– he may have the “junkyard dog” mentality when attacking the net, but his small stature usually results in him being pushed out of the crease and consequently limiting his scoring opportunities off of rebounds. Where Nichol earns his paycheck is in the end of the ice in front of Nabokov.
When a draw in the defensive zone is being taken, Nichol is your man. McLellan consistently throws him out for those essential draws, and Nichol’s faceoff percentage on the year (60.5%) makes it no surprise that level of trust is there. He also possesses a knack for the penalty kill, with an ability to read the play high to low very well and limit a cross ice feed across the zone.
Coupled with and ability to draw penalties while avoiding taking stupid ones and his scrappy edge, Nichol is a great energy player who the Sharks will rely on for building and sustaining momentum throughout the course of games.



Jed Ortmeyer

#41 / Right Wing / San Jose Sharks

6-0

188

Sep 03, 1978

Previous FTF Coverage: FTF Regular Season Cheat Sheet: Line Three


GP G A P +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG GTG SOG PCT
2009 – Jed Ortmeyer 75 8 11 19 4 37 0 0 1 0 6.2

As we mentioned before the start of the season, history shows that Jed Ortmeyer is prone to injury. Not only does he have a blood clotting disorder, but he’s been hampered by more traditional injuries throughout his career as well. In the past few weeks, Ortmeyer’s minutes and starts have varied. McClellan has hinted that he has his fair share of bumps and bruises, and has seen limited ice time down the stretch as a result. Eligibility in the playoffs remains in question for Jed, especially if he doesn’t dress against Vancouver or Phoenix.
Outside of the injuries, Jed has been a pleasant surprise for San Jose. He’s solid defensively, and even though he’s limited offensively, his eight goals this year is a career high. In our minds, Jed has exceeded expectations in all areas of the ice.
He also has innate chemistry with Scott Nichol from their days in Nashville, which pays dividends especially on the penalty kill and in the defensive zone. He’s good with the stick, but small in stature, and in turn gets muscled off the puck.
Although similar to Scott Nichol, Ortmeyer is not as tenacious and does not bring the added benefit of Nichol’s faceoff prowess. He’s therefore less valuable to the team, and although having Ortmeyer in the playoffs would be a benefit to the team, an injury to Jed wouldn’t threaten the possibility of a deep run.



Brad Staubitz

#59 / Right Wing / San Jose Sharks

6-1

215

Jul 28, 1984

Previous FTF Coverage: FTF Regular Season Cheat Sheet: Line FourSharks Gameday: Fourth Line Winger (Mr. Plank)


GP G A P +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG GTG SOG PCT
2009 – Brad Staubitz 47 3 3 6 0 110 0 0 1 0 12.5

Brad Staubitz probably shouldn’t dress in the playoffs because he’ll only see two minutes of ice time and take a slashing penalty.
That being said, we’d kill for his female fanbase.


Go Sharks.

fear the fin logoAs many of you know, Fear the Fin is an independent site run by Sharks fans for Sharks fans. Help keep Fear the Fin independent by contributing to our GoFundMe or buying merchandise. Proceeds help us pay our writers and fund subscriptions to our favorite analytics sites.


Looking for an easy way to support FearTheFin? Use our Affiliate Link when shopping hockey merch this holiday season!