While I was taking the AP government exam that I did not study for because I was too busy watching the Sharks lose 2-1 in the fourth overtime period, I decided to look around the gym I was taking my test in. Lots of soccer, basketball, and baseball championship banners hung proudly on the walls. Then, this sign caught my eye. It read: Hard work + determination = Champions.
Last night’s loss was disappointing. I’m not going to sugar coat anything in this blog. Not because I’m still mad, because I flipped off my Joe Thornton poster this morning, or because I stomped on my Sharks blanket and launched into a profanity-laced tirade cussing out almost every Sharks player.
Game six was an entertaining one. After that game, I don’t think anyone can question the heart that the team has after playing for four overtime periods. People looked tired, but they played on. Yes, they had plenty of scoring chances, but the one thing that matters is the score sheet. Do scoring chances win you a game? No. Goals do. The team had a good game, but it doesn't excuse losing the first three games of a series.
Now, that being said, I feel bad for Evgeni Nabokov and Jeremy Roenick. Everyone else should take a long look at themselves over the next few months and decide what type of player they are, and what type of player they need to be.
Starting with our atrocious defense:
Wow, where do I even begin here. The Sharks were supposed to have such a solid defensive core, now I feel like our biggest liability in the Stars series was our defense. It came to the point where one of our forwards would have to help out the two defensemen on the ice, essentially leaving two forwards left to try to score. None of them really contributed offensively. Really, it’d be great to see Ehrhoff finally make a shot that wasn’t at least a mile away from the net.
Speaking of Ehrhoff, boy was he terrible. I will admit, yes sometimes he does make some good plays, like pinching at the right time. Other times, he takes bad penalties and pretends like he didn’t actually do them, he turns over the puck, and just isn’t very dependable overall. He played like a rookie defenseman, and the sad thing is that he isn’t.
Originally, I was the biggest fan of Brian Campbell. The guy could skate, and looked like the offensive defenseman that the team needed. He really seemed to turn the team around. Hell, after that spin-o-rama move in the Canadiens v. Sharks game, I felt like if I had his genes combined with mine, then our red-headed kid could take over the hockey world. Even after he scored that big goal in game five, I thought maybe he would turn everything around again. Quite frankly, I wouldn’t be too disappointed to see him go. He had some trouble handling the puck in our own zone, and also couldn’t really make that good break-out pass up the ice. For the type of money I’m sure he’s going to command, I’d rather see another defenseman on the free agent market or via trade.
Carle is too young and needs time to develop. In my opinion, our best defenseman was Douglas Murray. Matt Carle was a liability at times, Craig Rivet was too slow, Marc-Edouard Vlasic was okay, and Ehrhoff...well, we all know how I feel about him.
Our offense:
Once again, our offense was another problem for the Sharks. Maybe not as big of a problem as our defense, but that’s because I used to be a defense(woman) and that’s the type of stuff I tend to notice.
Wait, Joe, I can’t see you. Is that you? Did you decide not to show up? Oh no, did you hang out with my ex-boyfriend? Because once again, Thornton decided not to show up in the playoffs. Big Joe is one of my favorite players. My black jersey is a Thornton jersey, and I have a big Thornton poster in my room accompanied with a signed Thornton stick. I just didn’t get the feeling that he was really creating those plays, and I felt the complete opposite during the regular season.
Jonathan Cheechoo had a big series against the Flames, but all of a sudden, it’s like the Cheechoo train broke down in this series. He just couldn’t find the back of the net. The same could be applied to Milan Michalek, who had a better series this time around, but still really didn’t play up to the standards that we’ve set on him as one of the best players. Basically, our whole first line was fruitless. When your first line struggles, you really have some problems.
At least Patrick Marleau showed up to play. He hustled, was pretty smart defensively, and looked really good on the PK. I am a Marleau supporter, and I will admit that openly. However, I also think that it’s time to give the “C” to someone else on the team. On the other hand, it’s tough to imagine the captain as Craig Rivet or Mike Grier, who for some reason or another, had a terrible post-season. He was slow, couldn’t win the battles along the boards, was not smart defensively, and rendered useless on the penalty kill (which used to be his area of expertise during the regular season).
So, it should be interesting to see how that situation develops.
Our coaching staff:
The up-side of losing once again in the playoffs is the new possibility of Ron Wilson’s exit. I really don’t agree with his coaching style. It’s the fact that I see guys just maybe give a shove to someone who tries to get in Nabby’s face or to someone who roughs up our best players. It’s the fact that I’m sick and tired of the team doing the same dump and chase style of play. It’s too conservative.
Guys need to drive to the net instead of turning back around constantly, and then losing the puck in our own zone. When you have the puck, SKATE WITH IT.
I can’t stand to see our power play, which should really fall under the responsibility of the coaching staff first and foremost.
Now, I’m not saying everyone should go and pack up Ron Wilson’s belongings right now. Doug Wilson needs to find a new coach that would really get the job done before firing him, which I’m sure he had already started either last year or earlier this year. With three years under the Ron Wilson regime, the coaches still haven’t gotten the job done. In the offseason, there are a few guys I’d like to see come to San Jose.
I want to see a coach that’s going to get pissed off, definitely someone that’s not as stoic as Ronnie. I’d like a Marc Crawford or a John Tortorella, even Bob Hartley.
Doug Wilson, please bring in a sniper, maybe a guy who is going to wake up and score some goals. That’s a guy we need, because our primary scoring was undetectable.
I’d really like to see Doug Wilson (if he’s around) bring in an offensive defenseman. Carle is too young and still needs to develop. My choice to sign would be Wade Redden, but I would imagine he’d be commanding top-dollar.
I’d really like to thank the Sharks for making a season out of it, for convincing me to spend my paychecks on countless tickets and Sharks apparel, making me watch games instead of doing my homework, and for giving me something to cheer for.
I’ll be periodically checking in throughout the summer, just to share my thoughts here and there. I want to thank everyone for reading my blogs, and I’ll be back to share my crazy insight.
Feel free to drop me a line, ask me a question, whatever. I’m always willing to talk Sharks hockey.
-Danielle
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5 months ago
Good analysis, but a few points.
1. Get off Ehrhoff already. They guy is who he is and he is not overpaid, so the problem is he is being asked to do more than he is capable of. (That is not to say we have to match someone else's offer to him--we need to get a guy who is capable of more.) No one can make Alexei Semenov look like Chris Pronger.
2. I don't know how you can say any of our D had a bad game last night--we gave up only two goals in over two games' worth of action, and while a lot of that was Nabby, not all of it was. That unit struggled in the playoffs, but they played their butts off last night.
3. Marleau does not play defense consistently and needs to go before we're stuck with his no-trade clause. He has been -26 in the Sharks' last 101 meaningful (i.e. non-exhibition) games. He is supposedly an offense-first guy, but only has 56 points in that time.
4. Our next coach should be Bob Hartley. He won two Cups because he has kept his team focused on fundamentals, and his players always work hard.
from 5 months ago
MJ-
1)I won't get off Ehrhoff. I did admit that he does do stuff correctly occasionally, but the fact is that he plays like a rookie most of the time and he isn't. And the comparison was suppoesd to be a joke, lighten up.
2)I was talking about the D in general during the playoffs. The Sharks did not play a bad game last night. I respect them for it.
3)Obviously I know your opinion and you know mine about Marleau. I'm fine with him as long as he's playing wing, there's less defensive responsibilities on that position.
4)I forgot to mention Hartley, he was someone I initially thought of and then forgot to put it down, so thank you for reminding me.
from 5 months ago
Perhaps you misread me--I assume you do not really believe he makes the wrong play literally 95% of the time, so it's not something I need to lighten up about. I'm not his mamma or his big brother, so I don't have to come to his rescue. I did think when you said "he was horrible" you meant last night, however, because you transitioned so quickly (like our D should, come to think of it!).
He has horrible aim and in his own mind has never committed a penalty. He plays younger than Vlassic does, but Pickles is rare--most guys in their third year make the kind of mistakes he makes. He may have been our weakest D this playoffs (except for that useless Semenov, who only played two games), all I am saying is that he is paid as our #6 blue liner and I don't think we should expect more than that.
I wasn't aware we had conversed about Marleau, and I do agree with you about fewer D responsibilities on the wing. But if you read my article, I also think if a guy is the face of a failing franchise, you need to move him in order to change the culture. And he, unlike Ehrhoff, has trade calue and a large contract.
So in short, we mostly agree--perhaps you beat the Ehrhoff horse and I beat the Marleau horse a bit too much. I guess I will watch my word choice a bit so it doesn't seem like I am criticizing. Should I forget, keep in mind I put you in my lineup because I respect your stuff...
5 months ago
Some people are calling this series a 'coin flip' because every game was so close and most went into overtime. They played a team that bottomed out in the weeks leading into the playoffs and peaked in the postseason. It's been the story so many times before for the Sharks. Edmonton. Calgary. And now, Dallas.
The thought of you suffering through your AP Government test, flipping off your Joe poster, and stomping on your blanket are simply too much for me to bear, though...
The last time one of our sports teams won a championship was when you were very very young, so I can only imagine the terrible frustration you must feel :( The Sharks are our best chance to win hardware any time soon, and this was their season.
Grrrrr
5 months ago
I'm glad to see that there are other people out there who also cringed each time Ehrhoff was on the ice. It seemed like he was always involved in those plays where they couldn't break out of their zone because of a forechecker. A turnover resulted, Nabby stopped the shot, the puck was cleared, then a line change. I yelled out every time, "What are you doing?!"
A few friends didn't agree with me, so I shifted some of the burden onto Brian Campbell. I'll agree that I wouldn't be disappointed to see him go, but I'm not completely convinced he should go, either. He's smaller than most Western defensemen and in our lineup. I think he's used to playing the Eastern style, where their defense schemes aren't as suffocating, and earned that power play QB status. I have this itching feeling that he will be re-signed, though.
Can you imagine if Doug Wilson brought in someone like Marian Hossa? (It's possible, since the Pens' payroll will climb if they want to retain the young guys.) That would put me in line for season tickets, even though I live too far to commute to every game.
Yeah, I think Bob Hartley fits your profile of pissed-off coach and wouldn't be a bad fit, either. He demands much from his players and maybe can squeeze more out of ours. But Atlanta complained that he was too constricting after awhile, not allowing Kovalchuk and Hossa to play their games. Maybe they were just tuning him out like the Sharks are doing to Ron Wilson. Haha.
And sorry to hear about your test. But I'm sure you did fine. Haha.
5 months ago
Things to consider:
Ehrhoff was playing at about 60%, and when he doesn't have his legs, he can't buy himself time or skate himself out of trouble, which is arguably the greatest asset he has. He was markedly improved over the second half of the season, and will get a big raise in July.
Patrick Marleau was awesome and deserves more credit than Roenick, who had one legendary game and was essentially invisible throughout. He's also the closest thing the Sharks have got to captain material, and the moving about of letters on a player's chest is a fairly meaningless change.
Nabokov was outplayed by Marty Turco consistently, and wasn't great against Calgary either.
Doug Murray is disgustingly overrated by Sharks fans. He was hidden by Wilson on a regular basis when the chips were down during the playoffs, his minutes were basically cut in half, and he made a lame play on the series clinching goal in overtime. Brian Campbell may have been the guilty one in the box, but you'd think the rest of the defense would give their best effort to kill a penalty for a guy who played almost 60 minutes.
from 5 months ago
I actually disagree on almost all of your points. Ehrhoff was having a good stretch defensively after the all star break, but never really improved offensively and I would hesitate to say his improvement was marked. That being said, I don't share most of the Sharks' writers' opinion of him being worthless.
Douglas Murray was our best defensemen in the first round, period. He stepped out of his role and scored, pinched down at the right times, and was the only physical presence we had. He was not great in the Dallas series, but he is young and had almost no playoff experience.
Patrick Marleau was a -2 in the playoffs with only 8 points in 13 games. Don't get sucked in by a couple shorties. He does not score game winners, he does not always play defense, and there is absolutely no way he should be a captain--he has no leadership skills at all. Have you ever seen him exhorting his teammates? Would Steve Yzerman have jumped to avoid a shot in the playoffs? No, he would have sacrificed his whole body much less his foot to block it.
Now, I will totally agree with you about Nabokov, and we may be in the minority there since he had some amazing saves and even games. But he stunk in two of the six games in this series, and only outplayed Turco once. He stunk in one game in the first round, and stole one. However, I think having been in 77 regular season games took its toll, so I blame the Wilsons--one for not getting a backup the other could be confident in, the other for not playing the one he finally had.
from 5 months ago
One thing I forgot to mention--Roenick got credit because he was putting forth effort, not because he was our most capable player. He contributed less on the scoresheet than by forechecking and delivering big hits, and getting scoring chances that kept the other teams under pressure. He had more passion than anyone else on the roster in the post-season, and that is leadership.
5 months ago
Funny you should mention Yzerman, who went through a lot of years in Detroit taking the same criticism that Marleau has. Many thought the Wings would never take the next step with Yzerman. Clearly, they were wrong. It helps though, that Yzerman was surrounded with veteran guys who had gotten it done mechanically both in the NHL and on the international stage for years. Marleau has no such guidance. San Jose's marquee player is and should be called in to question as well, and the toughest, veteran, vocal leaders on the roster simply don't have the talent or the legs to get it done on a nightly basis anymore. There is very little balance, which is something that Doug Wilson needs to think long and hard about. Picking up a guy like Mike Grier does not compensate for the lack of a marquee player with just as much heart and grit, a player who can match his determination with skill. There is nothing wrong with quiet leaders, but if the players they are being asked to lead are already passive by nature, you're going to run in to problems. Marleau took a monster hit against Calgary and was easily the Sharks best player for the rest of the game, while about six guys on the bench acted like they'd been physically injured. In my opinion, Marleau led and he led valiantly, and at a certain point the responsibility lies with his teammates to be inspired and to follow. Interestingly, Roenick pointed that out and did not hesitate to say that he was disappointed with the reaction to Marleau's play.
from 5 months ago
For future reference, had you clicked on "REPLY TO THIS COMMENT" I would have known you had made it--when you simply comment below someone, it only notifies the writer (perhaps you know this and forgot).
I was not following the NHL in the early 90's when people must have been saying that about Stevie Y (since by '96 they won), so I will take your word for it. I agree that Marleau played harder after he was hit than many others. JR was not one of them. I also agree that grit is fine but it is our skilled guys we need more of it from.
But Patty was still in the minus, he still chickened out of blocking that shot, and he still is the face of a failed chapter in Sharks' history. I think he's a good player, but I think it is a time for a change.
I also agree we need more balance, but in a slightly different way: we have the best forward lines, top-to-bottom, in the league. Our weakness is on our blue line, especially in terms of shut-down defenders. That's why I propose we trade Marleau and his big contract and get a guy like Jason Smith...or probably two guys like him for the money we're paying Patty.
5 months ago
the sharks have become the nhl version of the hargers, and i think the reality is that the chargers changed coaches, to a demonstrably worse one, and still wound up better for it, so in the end, i have to beleive that change the messanger and the talent could shine, and I bleieve in the Sharks talent, so ... hey hey, ho ho, Ron Wilson has to go! Interesting note, in an interview with jim Rome right before the second round started Big Joe said he loved Mike Keenan and how good Mike Keenan was for his career. Interesting indeed.
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