- Score effects were in full force after the Flames took a 3-1 lead, which explains why the Corsi numbers unduly flatter the Sharks’ performance last night. They outshot Calgary 17-6 in the third period but it was meaningless as the Flames were more than content to cede territory and ride out their lead.
- The scoring chances probably come closer to painting the true picture, and it wasn’t a pretty one. The goal difference wasn’t quite as bad and at least this one came in the second half of a back-to-back rather than the first, but I’m prepared to call that game worse than Columbus Ugly. Aside from a small handful, no one played particularly well.
- I’d have to think (hope?) Ryane Clowe is pretty close to done in San Jose, regardless of whatever injury he’s supposedly playing with. Todd McLellan heavily sheltered him in this game to the tune of sending him on the ice for seven draws in the Calgary end and just one in his own and he still finished underwater in chances and with one of the worst shot differentials on the team, not to mention committed that egregious pass to Douglas Murray that led to the Iginla goal.
- Speaking of Murray, he and Jason Demers were horrendous. Over the course of this Canadian road trip, Murray finished a combined minus-21 in Corsi and minus-8 in chances, playing less than 25 minutes at even-strength. Something has to be done there; yes, he’s only on the ice for a quarter of the Sharks’ even-strength ice time each game but this team needs every advantage it can get.
- If we’re looking for positives, the Vlasic/Stuart pairing rebounded nicely after a horror show first period in which they were on the ice for all five of the Flames’ even-strength chances. Patrick Marleau and James Sheppard continue to be, for disparate reasons, the glue that holds the top six and bottom six together. They can’t do it alone and got some modicum of assistance from Joe Pavelski and Scott Gomez, respectively, tonight but that just isn’t nearly enough.
- Despite Thornton’s goal, he and Logan Couture have strung together two sub-par efforts. This team has four players capable of providing actual offense right now and if two of them aren’t going, they’re fucked. It’s as simple as that./
For more information on what these numbers mean, head here for an in-depth explanation of Corsi and here for more details on scoring chances.
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