Two points is two points. It doesn't matter how ugly it is at this point, when you’re scraping to get into a playoff position all that matters in the end is what you added to your point total.
At the quarter mark of the season the Sharks have a worse point percentage than Toronto, Winnipeg and Florida. That’s basically sums up the first twenty games of the season. The first 25% of the season has come to an end and its quarterly review time for the management team.
I would hope that things will be closely evaluated in the next few days because, frankly, this season has gotten off to a disappointing start marred with coaching deficiencies and bad decisions.
To have this roster and sit in the same conversation as the Maple Leafs, Jets and Panthers is not where the Sharks should be, it just isn't. Anyway, the Sharks won yesterday!
Let’s talk about Troy Grosenick.
Grosenick was the single reason that the Sharks won this game. He played lights out in the cage and gave the San Jose Sharks a chance to get two points that they didn't even come close to deserving.
He was rewarded for his stellar performance by his defense. In San Jose, the defense says thank you by allowing over 40 shots to hit you. It’s strange, but it’s how they roll.
I know it’s only one game, and it was against Carolina, but who cares. I say continue to start the kid, it’s not like Niemi is putting up Vezina numbers right now anyway. If Grosenick can play decent in the net he will give the Sharks the same chance to win that Nemo has. Should he implode then McLellan can go back to Niemi, I don’t see how it makes much of a difference.
Let’s move on to Thornton/Pavelski and Possession
Look at that. That's what I imagine Canada vs Belarus would look like if the IIHF tracked shot attempts.
Joe Thornton played 17:39 and Joe Pavelski played 19:28.
That’s not nearly enough hockey for these two. As a coach, you should want your best puck players on the ice as much as possible, especially when they’re two of your best offensive players as well.
These two create offensive chances, all day, every day. It’s what they do.
The only thing you prove by playing both of those players so little is that you don’t know how to manage a roster in game. You know who else couldn’t manage a roster in-game recently? Dan Bylsma. Who does he coach now? Keep your head up, Todd.
Adam Burish/Matt Nieto
As much as I enjoy watching Burish post a 16% CorsiFor% and a -17 Corsi 5v5, this has to stop. This falls in under the coaching catastrophe category. Now, in Nieto’s case he left the Columbus game late and didn’t return so he could possibly be injured, but we’ll assume it was McLellan’s call.
Nieto’s worked hard all season, he just hasn’t had the bounces go his way. Sometimes you just don’t get the puck luck and that lack of luck is going to be highlighted when you’re playing in the top six. Does it make him less valuable than Adam Burish? I hope that’s not the kind of world I live in.
Even though they won this game it was a complete disaster and it’s coaching decisions like this that make it so. Even if Nieto was injured it’s the coaches job to tell the GM to get him a serviceable player from Worcester if he has no good options.
Sheltering The Second Line
Logan Couture is a good defensive player. His line is one you can put out in all situations and feel safe knowing they’re on the ice. They can win faceoffs and control possession almost as good as the Thornton line.
So why would you ever make them the most sheltered line on the team?
Couture’s line had the highest Off ZS% of any forward group for San Jose. A highly skilled possession line with great defensive aspects to it was started more in the offensive zone than anyone else.
The fourth line’s OffZS%? 25-33%
That’s the line you should be sheltering. Start those players’ shifts in the offensive zone more. Don’t worry, they’ll get to the defensive zone before the end of the shift. In fact, they’re amazing at finding their way back to their own end. They do it each shift without fail.
If you can’t get those guys out in a better zone start then you should probably just roll out another line because nothing good is going to come from it.
Tomorrow the Sharks play in Buffalo looking to avenge the humiliating loss to the Sabres earlier in the season. This is also a point salvaging game for this road trip. It’s two points the Sharks absolutely need to have.
For now, we’ll play the guess the lineup game in the message boards until tomorrow.
Thanks for reading.