San Jose took control of possession early in the first period and gradually built up a spread throughout the rest of the game.
The problem was, though, that Sergei Bobrovsky was on the case, and he’s one hell of a keeper. It seemed that every great chance was matched with an even greater save by the Blue Jackets goaltender.
The result wasn’t the desired one but I can guarantee that if the Sharks put forth the same effort against the Carolina Hurricanes then they will come away with two points. The Blue Jackets are a feisty team that has had their share of struggles and injuries but they play with a lot of heart.
Five Thoughts on SJ vs CBJ
Marc-Eduoard Vlasic: Vlasic had a 90%(!) Corsi For% in the game. That is an unheard of number even for a single game. The Sharks blue-liner was locked in during the loss.
Adam Burish: I’m not sure why Burish was in this game, given the success of the team against Tampa Bay without him, but he came in just under Vlasic with an 83% Corsi For%.
If It Aint Broke, Break It: The line shuffling continued in this game, albeit on a significantly marginal scale in comparison, when the Sharks were trying to tie the game 2-2. McLellan doesn’t seem to trust anyone when the Sharks are chasing a goal and continues to search for a new magic line when the going gets tough. Coach, you need to relax. The Jack Adams isn’t coming your way even if your mad scientist wizardry works at some point.
Tye McGinn: McLellan escaped a fourth line disaster in this one with his decision to insert Burish back into the lineup, but I still don’t like the call. Tell me what Tye McGinn has done so terribly wrong? The better players need to play.
Mueller/Burns: These two defenders were, collectively, the Sharks worst pairing on the night. Even worse than Demers and Hannan, who usually take the cake in this department. They need to split these two players up permanently. End the experiment; it will be better for both players as well as the team.
Sharks vs Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are currently 28th in the NHL standings.
If losses to Buffalo and Florida have taught the Sharks anything it should be this: Do not take your opponents lightly.
If you show up to the rink and lay an egg you won’t beat anyone in the NHL.
San Jose needs to bring the same performances they had against Tampa and Columbus to Carolina. If they do that, they will win the game.
The magic forward line formula is simple; Todd, write this down.
48-19-8 12-39-83 89-15-57 25-10-81
That’s who you dress up front. No Burish, no Scott. McGinn for the win.
Keys To The Game
Trust Your Players
The Sharks coaching staff has to trust the combinations with proven results this year. There’s no need to panic if you get down a goal, these combinations are going to continue to carry possession and get their chances. Separating positive possession lines does not result in more scoring chances.
Let the Goalie See the Puck
Niemi has trouble tracking the puck, it’s no secret, but this goes for all Sharks goaltenders.. When they can’t find the puck they get flustered, out of position and generally confused.
It’s great to stand in the lane and block shots when you know you have a high percentage chance to block the shot. Standing in front of the shooter and hoping it hits you is not effective and it takes away from the goalies ability to see the little piece of rubber flying towards them at nearly 100mph.
The Sharks defenders have to be conscious of where they are located on the ice.
Play the Possession Game For 60 Minutes
Before Corsi, and all fancy stats, possession was still called possession. The only difference now is you can’t make people forget about a poor 20-40 minutes by only playing 20-40 minutes. It’s documented and charted for people to display all of your shortcomings to the world.
San Jose is capable of owning and keeping control of the puck from start to finish and they need to execute against Carolina. Don’t take a shift off and certainly don’t show up late to the game.
This ties into not taking the Hurricanes lightly. Find the gas pedal early and don’t take your foot off of it.
With less than an hour and a half flight to transport them to their next game, the Sharks can’t use travel as an excuse. Get some sleep and get ready for the game. They need to salvage some points on this road trip before things get completely out of hand.
Thanks for reading.