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San Jose Sharks Blogger •
The San Jose Sharks’ summer-long autopsy continues, but the funeral took place during the State of the Sharks event Thursday night at HP Pavilion. Like most funerals, there was a lot more praise for the deceased than criticism, and it got a little nauseating seeing people step to the mic and gush over the team or state next year the Sharks will win the Stanley Cup before asking their questions.
You’d expect some tough questions, but there were a lot of softballs lobbed at the participants. In fact, the event really took on a tone of optimistic indifference rather than pessimistic bitterness, with one man imploring Sharks general manager Doug Wilson not to make any changes. How can you even explain that reasoning? I suppose for some that hoof to the groin must not sting after the fourth year in a row.
While the State of the Sharks didn’t offer many huge revelations or specific answers, it did provide some closure for Shark fans after the most disappointing season in franchise history. I won’t go into a full recap of the evening, because there was a lot of repetition and hero worship, but there were a few statements and impressions that stood out.
***
There seemed to be plenty of animosity in the crowd before the event started. One guy sitting behind me said to his friends, “How could I, as a fan, go to any regular season game and get excited about it, knowing in the end they’re just going to lose?”
That’s a fair question, and it will be interesting to see how the fan base reacts in the fall. I would expect a lot more hesitation during the regular season. Heck, even the Red Wings have trouble getting fans excited for the 82-game grind after years of playoff success. Losing in the first round and continuing the streak of playoff failure can’t help the fans get up for those January games against Minnesota.
***
Both Sharks CEO Greg Jamison and Wilson received some nice applause when they were introduced, but I was really surprised to see coach Todd McLellan receive a standing ovation from several people in attendance when he stepped up to the stage. Sure it was a classy gesture and a nice show of support for the coach, but it was also incredibly stupid.
McLellan didn’t make the necessary adjustments to halt the team’s second-half decline, and was completely outcoached by Randy Carlyle in the first-round upset. I’m not saying boo the guy or anything, however I don’t see the need for a standing ovation based on his performance behind the bench, especially when you consider that he failed to make it as far as Ron Wilson did in his four trips to the postseason with the Sharks.
***
McLellan had an interesting remark during his opening statement, leading to some uncertainty about whether his expectations match up with management’s. “We met a lot of our goals this season, and our ultimate goal was playoff success. Not necessarily a Stanley Cup, but that was supposed to come down the road.”
I was under the impression McLellan was hired to help the Sharks’ win a Stanley Cup this season, since that’s been the expectation in San Jose for the last several years. Playoff success could mean a lot of things but anything less than a Cup victory was going to be a disappointment, and those expectations were magnified after the team clinched the Presidents’ Trophy.
***
Joe Thornton fielded the first question and was asked when he was going to make the Sharks his team and how we would know when he had made the Sharks his team. It was probably the toughest question of the night, sending a few ripples through the crowd. “Ultimately, there are a lot of key guys on this team and I’m a big part of it,” Thornton said. “I’m ready for this team to go to the next step and eventually this will be my team.”
Eventually? How long can Shark fans expect to wait until the team’s leading scorer takes it upon himself to lead by example and lift the team to the next step? It’s become obvious that Thornton isn’t the guy, in Boston or San Jose or anywhere else. He’d be perfect for a mediocre team hoping to claw its way into the playoffs. However, he can’t be expected to lead a group to the Cup, not with his track record of playoff ineptitude.
***
Dan Boyle seems to be the unanimous choice as the Sharks’ next captain, another glaring indictment of the team’s leadership. I mean, aside from his performance in Game 3 Boyle wasn’t great in the playoffs, although he really became a fan favorite because he showed some anger and disappointment after losing. What does that say about Patrick Marleau and Thornton, when a player can become an overwhelming fan favorite simply because he looks and sounds upset after a loss?
Thornton was jovial on Thursday, Marleau displayed the emotion of a bored mannequin, and Boyle was still upset. “Had we been the same team we were the first half of the season we wouldn’t be sitting here tonight,” Boyle said. “Come playoff time everybody needs to step up. I was pretty upset after Game 6 and I said a few things, but I’ll say them again. Goaltending needs to be better… their defense was better than ours, their top guys were better than ours, our second and third lines had to be better.” It’s no surprise Shark fans can’t wait to see the C on Boyle’s chest.
***
I thought one of the best questions was directed to the players: Who was the emotional leader? Marleau, in typical fashion, had the least inspiring answer of the night. “That’s what’s great about our team, a couple guys at this table could wear the C just as well as I could,” Marleau said.
Well, to be honest, Marleau hasn’t set the bar very high and those skates aren’t going to be impossible to fill. Whether it’s just a letter on a jersey or not, I don’t want my captain skipping optional skates, ducking media questioning, shrinking in the biggest games, allowing trade speculation to make his game tank for five months, or claiming people on his team could wear the C just as well as he can.
***
McLellan had an interesting comment after most of the crowd had left. Asked whether Marleau still deserved the captaincy, the coach explained the process taking place but failed to offer a true vote of confidence.
“We were happy with his leadership throughout the year,” McLellan said. “A year ago, from what I knew watching him play, I thought he was a good leader. Having gone through the year I’ll sit down with him and discuss his desire to do it and his ability to do it. Do we have other people who can do it? You bet we do. If Patty needs to take a step back to take the pressure off we could do that. If we, and I mean coaches, management and Patty himself, think that can help him we’ll do it.”
***
Someone asked the one thing each of the players want next season. I hate to beat a dead horse, but once again the answers were so different and telling it was almost comical. Honestly, the way those other two set him up, Boyle can hit home runs all day long.
Thornton: I want to play more. I want more playing time. Yeah, a couple more minutes.
Marleau: Just proving all the naysayers wrong.
Boyle: I’m glad that we’re still upset, that’s a good thing. I just want the end result, and we’ll get there.
***
The comparisons with Detroit continue, and the RC Cola analogy still applies. It’s ridiculous for an expansion team without any Stanley Cups and a reputation for playoff failure to compare itself against an original six team with 11 Cups and a reputation for playoff dominance, yet the comparisons continue. “Where Detroit is ahead of us right now is their mental toughness,” McLellan said. “Detroit is mentally tougher than we are.”
“Carolina beat Boston tonight; they won the Cup after the lockout,” McLellan said. “Carolina, Anaheim, there’s something about getting over the hump mentally that allows you to succeed.” How long do you wait for a group to get over the hump before you conclude they’re incapable of it? I’m convinced players either have the necessary mental toughness or they don’t, and years of failure haven’t helped the Sharks cultivate any mental strength as far as I can tell.
***
Once again, Wilson provided the voice of reason and made some intriguing remarks about the roster we’ll see when the Sharks take the ice again in October.
“Is this the final time we get kicked in the ass to realize what we need to do?” Wilson asked. “This is the lineup for next year (holding up a piece of paper) and it’s blank. We want people here who are going to do the work necessary to accomplish what we want to accomplish here.”
“I wish I could put Mike Ricci in the lineup, I wish I could put Bryan Marchment in the lineup,” Wilson said. “The people who are really committed to doing what it takes are going to be here.”
I’m sure several players will provide lip service during the offseason, expressing their commitment to the team and promising their willingness to do whatever it takes to accomplish the ultimate goal. You can only hope Wilson won’t be fooled again, that he won’t be duped into believing some players are committed when they fail to prove it one the ice. If he does, you can expect the next State of the Sharks to have that familiar funeral feel once again this time next year.
ryan.garner@hockeybuzz.com
You’d expect some tough questions, but there were a lot of softballs lobbed at the participants. In fact, the event really took on a tone of optimistic indifference rather than pessimistic bitterness, with one man imploring Sharks general manager Doug Wilson not to make any changes. How can you even explain that reasoning? I suppose for some that hoof to the groin must not sting after the fourth year in a row.
While the State of the Sharks didn’t offer many huge revelations or specific answers, it did provide some closure for Shark fans after the most disappointing season in franchise history. I won’t go into a full recap of the evening, because there was a lot of repetition and hero worship, but there were a few statements and impressions that stood out.
***
There seemed to be plenty of animosity in the crowd before the event started. One guy sitting behind me said to his friends, “How could I, as a fan, go to any regular season game and get excited about it, knowing in the end they’re just going to lose?”
That’s a fair question, and it will be interesting to see how the fan base reacts in the fall. I would expect a lot more hesitation during the regular season. Heck, even the Red Wings have trouble getting fans excited for the 82-game grind after years of playoff success. Losing in the first round and continuing the streak of playoff failure can’t help the fans get up for those January games against Minnesota.
***
Both Sharks CEO Greg Jamison and Wilson received some nice applause when they were introduced, but I was really surprised to see coach Todd McLellan receive a standing ovation from several people in attendance when he stepped up to the stage. Sure it was a classy gesture and a nice show of support for the coach, but it was also incredibly stupid.
McLellan didn’t make the necessary adjustments to halt the team’s second-half decline, and was completely outcoached by Randy Carlyle in the first-round upset. I’m not saying boo the guy or anything, however I don’t see the need for a standing ovation based on his performance behind the bench, especially when you consider that he failed to make it as far as Ron Wilson did in his four trips to the postseason with the Sharks.
***
McLellan had an interesting remark during his opening statement, leading to some uncertainty about whether his expectations match up with management’s. “We met a lot of our goals this season, and our ultimate goal was playoff success. Not necessarily a Stanley Cup, but that was supposed to come down the road.”
I was under the impression McLellan was hired to help the Sharks’ win a Stanley Cup this season, since that’s been the expectation in San Jose for the last several years. Playoff success could mean a lot of things but anything less than a Cup victory was going to be a disappointment, and those expectations were magnified after the team clinched the Presidents’ Trophy.
***
Joe Thornton fielded the first question and was asked when he was going to make the Sharks his team and how we would know when he had made the Sharks his team. It was probably the toughest question of the night, sending a few ripples through the crowd. “Ultimately, there are a lot of key guys on this team and I’m a big part of it,” Thornton said. “I’m ready for this team to go to the next step and eventually this will be my team.”
Eventually? How long can Shark fans expect to wait until the team’s leading scorer takes it upon himself to lead by example and lift the team to the next step? It’s become obvious that Thornton isn’t the guy, in Boston or San Jose or anywhere else. He’d be perfect for a mediocre team hoping to claw its way into the playoffs. However, he can’t be expected to lead a group to the Cup, not with his track record of playoff ineptitude.
***
Dan Boyle seems to be the unanimous choice as the Sharks’ next captain, another glaring indictment of the team’s leadership. I mean, aside from his performance in Game 3 Boyle wasn’t great in the playoffs, although he really became a fan favorite because he showed some anger and disappointment after losing. What does that say about Patrick Marleau and Thornton, when a player can become an overwhelming fan favorite simply because he looks and sounds upset after a loss?
Thornton was jovial on Thursday, Marleau displayed the emotion of a bored mannequin, and Boyle was still upset. “Had we been the same team we were the first half of the season we wouldn’t be sitting here tonight,” Boyle said. “Come playoff time everybody needs to step up. I was pretty upset after Game 6 and I said a few things, but I’ll say them again. Goaltending needs to be better… their defense was better than ours, their top guys were better than ours, our second and third lines had to be better.” It’s no surprise Shark fans can’t wait to see the C on Boyle’s chest.
***
I thought one of the best questions was directed to the players: Who was the emotional leader? Marleau, in typical fashion, had the least inspiring answer of the night. “That’s what’s great about our team, a couple guys at this table could wear the C just as well as I could,” Marleau said.
Well, to be honest, Marleau hasn’t set the bar very high and those skates aren’t going to be impossible to fill. Whether it’s just a letter on a jersey or not, I don’t want my captain skipping optional skates, ducking media questioning, shrinking in the biggest games, allowing trade speculation to make his game tank for five months, or claiming people on his team could wear the C just as well as he can.
***
McLellan had an interesting comment after most of the crowd had left. Asked whether Marleau still deserved the captaincy, the coach explained the process taking place but failed to offer a true vote of confidence.
“We were happy with his leadership throughout the year,” McLellan said. “A year ago, from what I knew watching him play, I thought he was a good leader. Having gone through the year I’ll sit down with him and discuss his desire to do it and his ability to do it. Do we have other people who can do it? You bet we do. If Patty needs to take a step back to take the pressure off we could do that. If we, and I mean coaches, management and Patty himself, think that can help him we’ll do it.”
***
Someone asked the one thing each of the players want next season. I hate to beat a dead horse, but once again the answers were so different and telling it was almost comical. Honestly, the way those other two set him up, Boyle can hit home runs all day long.
Thornton: I want to play more. I want more playing time. Yeah, a couple more minutes.
Marleau: Just proving all the naysayers wrong.
Boyle: I’m glad that we’re still upset, that’s a good thing. I just want the end result, and we’ll get there.
***
The comparisons with Detroit continue, and the RC Cola analogy still applies. It’s ridiculous for an expansion team without any Stanley Cups and a reputation for playoff failure to compare itself against an original six team with 11 Cups and a reputation for playoff dominance, yet the comparisons continue. “Where Detroit is ahead of us right now is their mental toughness,” McLellan said. “Detroit is mentally tougher than we are.”
“Carolina beat Boston tonight; they won the Cup after the lockout,” McLellan said. “Carolina, Anaheim, there’s something about getting over the hump mentally that allows you to succeed.” How long do you wait for a group to get over the hump before you conclude they’re incapable of it? I’m convinced players either have the necessary mental toughness or they don’t, and years of failure haven’t helped the Sharks cultivate any mental strength as far as I can tell.
***
Once again, Wilson provided the voice of reason and made some intriguing remarks about the roster we’ll see when the Sharks take the ice again in October.
“Is this the final time we get kicked in the ass to realize what we need to do?” Wilson asked. “This is the lineup for next year (holding up a piece of paper) and it’s blank. We want people here who are going to do the work necessary to accomplish what we want to accomplish here.”
“I wish I could put Mike Ricci in the lineup, I wish I could put Bryan Marchment in the lineup,” Wilson said. “The people who are really committed to doing what it takes are going to be here.”
I’m sure several players will provide lip service during the offseason, expressing their commitment to the team and promising their willingness to do whatever it takes to accomplish the ultimate goal. You can only hope Wilson won’t be fooled again, that he won’t be duped into believing some players are committed when they fail to prove it one the ice. If he does, you can expect the next State of the Sharks to have that familiar funeral feel once again this time next year.
ryan.garner@hockeybuzz.com
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