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San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns has found himself playing the majority of his five-on-five time with Scott Hannan or Matt Irwin over the last six games.
Before the Hannan/Irwin experiment, Burns was playing with Marc-Edouard Vlasic for twenty games, with a three-game stint with Hannan thrown in there as well. Prior to the Vlasic ice-time, Burns played 16 of 17 games with Brendan Dillon. Before Dillon, Burns played the majority of his even-strength time with Mirco Mueller.
There is a pretty large contingent of people who want Burns with Vlasic full-time. The problem that creates is Burns ends up playing against the best players on the opposition. It also breaks up Justin Braun and Vlasic, and that’s a less than desirable situation. Burns is better suited to play against the second wave of the opposing team while being sheltered with a generous offensive zone start percentage – although the sheltering required for Burns/Dillon isn’t as drastic as a Burns/Irwin pairing.
The Sharks had the most success when Burns was playing with Dillon.
*from shift charts on war-on-ice.com
Brendan Dillon also enjoyed his best defensive work with Brent Burns. He’s struggled a bit more to keep shots and scoring chances away without Burns.
*stats from http://www.puckalytics.com
They also created the most desirable possession pairing involving Burns.
*stats from http://www.puckalytics.com
A Hannan/Burns pairing just shouldn't exist. It’s a disaster on all levels. The hesitations, I’d guess, for putting Burns back with Dillon is what it would do to the third pair. It would leave Hannan, Mueller and Irwin without a full-time babysitter.
In the limited time that Mueller has played with Hannan it was a serviceable pair – not ideal because Hannan is there, but it is what it is. The alternative – and call me crazy – is Taylor Fedun actually plays a game in teal. Fedun is a puck moving, right shot, defender who is third on the baby Sharks in scoring. Mirco Mueller is a defensive defenseman. Throughout the season he’s tried to do some puck moving and offensive things but that’s just not his game. It never was, and it’s not why he was drafted.
I fail to see the major problem in pairing Mueller with Fedun vs Hannan or Irwin. How much worse could it end up? But how much better could it potentially be?
The main point I have is that when the Sharks top four is Vlasic/Braun, Burns/Dillon, the Sharks have had great success. That scene hasn't been recreated since the beginning of January. Ah, the beginning of January. Those were good days – playoff position days.
Sometimes you have just default to what you know works – especially when you aren't in the position to be trying new flavors.
Thanks for reading.
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