So I have been silent through these down times. That has been for a couple of reasons; I have been swamped with work, and I did not want to start tossing negative blogs around. It is easy to be the “Negative Nancy” bagging on a talented team in the middle of a, what I like to call, half funk and half hurt state. So instead of jumping on here to attack a team bitten by the injury bug and seemed to direct itself back to its old ways, I bit my tongue and remained silent.

So today I have what I will call “Friday Fragments”, little bits of blogs I have meant to write but have not had the time to do so. Some may be just a line or two but the info is apparent.

*The team is abandoning the system put in place. It is going back to its old ways due to players going back to their old ways. A system is only as good as its key components and one of those key components is reverting back to his old ways, sometimes it is better to just SHOOT!

*Just because a guy gets position on you in front of your own net does not mean you just let him stand there. Tie up those sticks! Not with rope, twine, or even ducktape, with the damn stick you have in your hands! I can not count how many goals that have been scored on rebounds that were due to a player simply not tying up a guys stick.

*Joe Pavelski is good. He works so hard on both sides of the puck and creates chances every time he takes the ice.

*Douglas Murray deserves more credit!

*It is time for T-Mac to right this wrong. The rookie coach has to get this machine chugging again. What once was a well lubed engine in a high performance Ferrari is now looking more like a 73 VW super beetle running on 3 cylinders.

*Where are the shots from the point? The defense is not able to get shots through because guys aren’t going to the front of the net. If the forwards stay high so will their D-Men and that clogs up shooting lanes. Get down low and the lanes will open up again.

*Mike Grier being out shows just how much that PK needs him.

*Jeremy Roenick was not smiling last night as Staubitz beat Tootoo to a pulp, he was laughing out loud somewhere in that building.

*A 90 minute meeting can consist of many things; 3 minutes worth of role call, 2 minutes of staring silently, and then 85 minutes of @$$ chewing!

*Jamie McGinn is slowly becoming an NHL player.

*Can we get a real update on Torrey Mitchell?

*Randy Hahn is a true master at what he does!

*Devin Setoguchi is like the little engine that could. Keep it up Seto the goals will come if you keep working as hard as you have been.

*Jonathan Cheechoo has the fake shot deke thing down, problem is, so do most goalies. Sure it worked out in the shoot out, but Jonathan has such a good release he should just let it rip more often. He looked good last night playing on the top line.

*Through all the negativity faced over the last few weeks one positive remains, Marc Eduard Vlassic.

The playoffs are approaching and the Sharks are in for sure. Where they will finish depends on if they are willing to work hard for the last stretch. Home ice throughout would be nice, especially with the way they have played at home this season.

A Presidents Cup banner is a horrible reminder of how you almost got the job done if you don’t win the cup. A Presidents Cup is not always a stop on the road to the Stanley Cup, so let’s keep the main goal in mind, winning the Stanley Cup. This team dominated the first 3 months of the season and they need to get back to that style if they want to see themselves going deep into the playoffs.

The road to the playoffs from here is still a tough one. As the Sharks fight for home ice, others are fighting for a chance to get in. Here’s to home ice!

Mark

mark.freitas@hockeybuzz.com

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