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Updated 2:25pmET: Sharks Return Home To Regroup Against Columbus |
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Update 2:25pmET: Looks like the top six will remain the same as in Boston - 12/39/57 - 83/19/8 - The bottom six looks like this Hertl/Sheppard/Hayes - McGinn/Desjardins/Burish.
Mirco Mueller will sit again and John Scott will be in the stands tonight as well. I know my thoughts on this bottom six aren't positive, voice yours in the comment section.
Update 2pmET: Niemi was first off the ice so it looks like the Sharks will play a goaltender back-to-back for the first time this season.
The Sharks are back home to face the Columbus Blue Jackets and are looking to rebound from disappointing performances against the Bruins and Rangers. In the most recent loss Boston was handed several good scoring chances and they capitalized on them while looking like the Bruins that everyone knows too well. You could point to the fatigue of five games in eight days on the road but that’s an excuse I’d rather not make. They just didn’t play well enough over the last two games.
The line shuffling for the Sharks lasted slightly over two periods of play before Hertl and Nieto were returned to their normal lines and the Sharks attempted to tie the game. I’d expect that 83/48 will start the game on the lines they’ve played the majority of the season with. The changes were in excess, and they didn’t work. The Thornton line lost possession without Hertl on the wing and Hertl became an offensive ghost.
Keys to the Game:
Defence
The Sharks defense needs to tighten up in their own end. There are too many shots getting to Niemi and Stalock right now and the result is more pucks in the cage. The Sharks two goaltenders are not superstars but they get the job done when San Jose keeps the shots down and minimizes quality scoring chances. Part of their success is a well-played defensive scheme that has been absent the last few games.
Penalty Kill
If the Sharks get into penalty trouble the PK is going to have to bail them out better than they did against Boston. Keep the Blue Jackets to the outside and move quickly to the point. Too often the Sharks were bunched up in front of Niemi and weren’t allowing him adequate vision to the player with the puck. With the exception of a defender playing pushy-chest with a forward planted in the crease there should be no one obstructing the goaltender. The Sharks are boasting one of the worst PK’s in the league (75% 23rd in NHL).
Top-Six
San Jose’s top units are going to have to continue to contribute to keep significant pressure off the defense while they regroup and find their way again. Hertl and Nieto will have to get going offensively sooner rather than later if the Sharks want to keep focus on top offensive players to a minimum. You can’t double up on everyone. As they stand right now if the Sharks top six doesn’t contribute then the team will have a very tough time pulling out a win.
Player to Watch: Tomas Hertl
After being demoted out of the top-six, Hertl should be fired up and ready to go tonight. The third line is no place for a player as talented offensively as Tomas Hertl and I would imagine the message has been received by the young Czech player. He should be a factor on the scoresheet tonight.
Other Notes:
Alex Stalock should be in goal tonight if we go by the season’s trend so far.
I’d also expect Tye McGinn to draw back in for John Scott and Mirco Mueller in on the blueline.
I’d like to see a third line of Tierney-Sheppard-Wingels and a fourth of McGinn-Desjardins-Hayes. I think having McGinn on the fourth would give the Sharks more skill and give them a better option to get the puck out of their own end, which has been their home base while the fourth line is on the ice. It’s unknown, right now, what the lines will be for tonight.
Changing every line for a regular season game usually doesn’t work out well. There’s a difference between mixing up a few shifts in game to get a spark and totally changing the look of your team. The Sharks were almost doomed to begin with playing their 5th game in 8 days on the road with a foursome of new lines.
Things should be settled down enough for the game against Columbus and we should see the Sharks that were visible in the first five games of the season. The Blue Jackets still don’t get all the credit they deserve as a team so tonight is going to be another entertaining game.
I’ll update roster changes at the top of the post as they come in. Thanks for reading!
San Jose Sharks Blogger • 
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