Game Thread: #16 - Vancouver at San Jose - 7:30PM

[MacJ88]

Drew has no problem shitting on Marleau but will never criticize his golden boy Joe.

 

[MrChangoT97]

Todd has just got to go.... I am so tired of him talking about how there are "passengers" and it has to come from the players. Nemo, as bad as it is, is the not the big problem. Its the 'team' in front...

The pavelski-nieto-wingels line was awesome in the first part of the year. So was kennedy-marleau-cooch. Obviously Burns-hertl-jumbo was too....

Ok, so burns gets hurt. Tough break. Here is the correct action: Keep the other two lines INTACT and move either sheppard or havlat when he came back to the jumbo line. The you have the great chemistry on the other two lines remaining. Instead, what does Todd do? He shuffles it all, moving kennedy up and breaking up a great line with awesome quickness that was very successful. Then he shifts wingels off the 3rd line up to the 2nd and shep/hamilton/whoever up to the 3rd.

1 injury = 4 new line combos = Dumb as fuck. No wonder they cant score. No wonder they are disorganized on breakouts. No wonder they look slow. Todd took something that was working great, and decided to mess with it because of one injury. He has never put kennedy-patty-cooch back as well as nieto-wingels-pavs on a regular shift. To me, that is a huge reason why the scoring has completely dried up.

I want to see the sharks go back to exactly what they were before with the exact same lines as before except Havlat in place of burns. Get that nice chemistry back...

WoW already the first FIRE Todd message?

I know its been a tough four games, but lets relax.

 

[Cmon_WTF]

Todd has just got to go.... I am so tired of him talking about how there are "passengers" and it has to come from the players. Nemo, as bad as it is, is the not the big problem. Its the 'team' in front...

The pavelski-nieto-wingels line was awesome in the first part of the year. So was kennedy-marleau-cooch. Obviously Burns-hertl-jumbo was too....

Ok, so burns gets hurt. Tough break. Here is the correct action: Keep the other two lines INTACT and move either sheppard or havlat when he came back to the jumbo line. The you have the great chemistry on the other two lines remaining. Instead, what does Todd do? He shuffles it all, moving kennedy up and breaking up a great line with awesome quickness that was very successful. Then he shifts wingels off the 3rd line up to the 2nd and shep/hamilton/whoever up to the 3rd.

1 injury = 4 new line combos = Dumb as fuck. No wonder they cant score. No wonder they are disorganized on breakouts. No wonder they look slow. Todd took something that was working great, and decided to mess with it because of one injury. He has never put kennedy-patty-cooch back as well as nieto-wingels-pavs on a regular shift. To me, that is a huge reason why the scoring has completely dried up.

I want to see the sharks go back to exactly what they were before with the exact same lines as before except Havlat in place of burns. Get that nice chemistry back...

You're blowing things way way out of proportion Rules. He didn't really change any of the lines until this game. McLellan did keep the other two lines INTACT when Burns went down. He used Hamilton there for three games and then Sheppard for another two. Havlat slotted in for Nieto when he was injured but when he came back what happened? McLellan went right back with Nieto, Pavelski, Wingels as the 3rd line.

Kennedy has been okay most of the year, not good, not great, but okay and has really failed to have any chemistry with Marleau and Couture. When Nieto came back McLellan did the right thing and went with a line that had great chemistry last year in Couture, Marleau, and Havlat. Kennedy was moved up to Burns spot to hopefully find some chemistry there but that failed miserably forcing McLellan to try something else. Thornton's line has to be effective for this team to win consistently and so far everyone they've slotted as RW on that line since Burns went down has not produced except Wingels.

Prior to this game against the Canucks all those moves were the correct ones to make. McLellan did everything he could to limit the impact to other lines. This game it really wouldn't have mattered if he tried to keep the lines intact. When your 4th line and back up goalie are the only ones who show up to play you're going to loose.

 

[MrChangoT97]

I do agree with SJ about WTF is up with the line changes? Burns is a big lose, but the addition of Havlat should have been somewhat positive. The Shark started the season fast and it seemed like every line was coming down the ice with speed. These past four games the Sharks look sluggish and over passing "just like prior years" and that needs to change.


*Demers gets to ride the pine for the next few games. Irwin back in.


*Question for everybody, do any of you think Havlat should play on the same line with Hertl? I just wonder if the language barrier would benefit both players in communicating on the ice.

Hertl . Couture . Havlat

 

[Cbrower91]

i really think the Tadd may have a tendecy to over coach at times, nothing else can explain some of the shit he does. He maybe over thinks a little and starts making questionable player changes, he probably does the goalie thing the way he does because it requires minimal brain power lol

 

[Cbrower91]

Drew has no problem shitting on Marleau but will never criticize his golden boy Joe.

To RooMendas credit this season he has bagged on Thornton however his last game was his Marleau attack phase. In all honesty the reason that line of Havlat,COuture, and Marleau is slowing down is because of the play of Couture. Something is up with him, nursing an injury from blocking shots or flu bug but that last game he looked like he was lacking his normal quickness just all around not in it

 

[bdave]

The San Jose Sharks are exactly like women... you'll never understand them.

My two cents though, they are either lazier than shit or they cannot adjust down the stretch or both.

I am sure Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau tell the youngins every season that after 7 games of pure domination it's ok to put everything on autopilot... It will not effect the contracts.

 

[sjrules99]

You're blowing things way way out of proportion Rules. He didn't really change any of the lines until this game. McLellan did keep the other two lines INTACT when Burns went down. He used Hamilton there for three games and then Sheppard for another two. Havlat slotted in for Nieto when he was injured but when he came back what happened? McLellan went right back with Nieto, Pavelski, Wingels as the 3rd line.

Kennedy has been okay most of the year, not good, not great, but okay and has really failed to have any chemistry with Marleau and Couture. When Nieto came back McLellan did the right thing and went with a line that had great chemistry last year in Couture, Marleau, and Havlat. Kennedy was moved up to Burns spot to hopefully find some chemistry there but that failed miserably forcing McLellan to try something else. Thornton's line has to be effective for this team to win consistently and so far everyone they've slotted as RW on that line since Burns went down has not produced except Wingels.

Prior to this game against the Canucks all those moves were the correct ones to make. McLellan did everything he could to limit the impact to other lines. This game it really wouldn't have mattered if he tried to keep the lines intact. When your 4th line and back up goalie are the only ones who show up to play you're going to loose.

yeah yeah, I know it's blown out of proportion, just annoying when you watch the buffalo and van games BTB and basically see pretty close to 125 minutes of lazy bad hockey.

However, you are wrong about the lines remaining intact. I clearly remember kennedy getting the 1st line call up when burns went down. Then when he didnt do well, it became revolving door with shep, hamilton, wingels and others. When havlat came back he was immediately on the line with patty and cooch and has yet to play with jumbo, so clearly the lines have been all jumbled starting with the burns injury and the chemistry vanished.

Todd also needs to consider taking some control over the team. He likes to call players passengers and say that it's on them to play. He likes to trust his leadership too. However, his leadership is not names Crosby, Toews, lidstrom, or niedermeyer so it's not like they have a real bonafide leader in that room. To be a truly great leader, you need to be the hardest worker, sacrificing the body, and really leading by example. Noone claims that Jumbo and patty are the hardest working guys, who block shots and sacrifice the body. Cooch? yes, but those two? no. As such, trusting a vet leadership corps that is notorious for up and down efforts and inconsistency is not to make a team consistently work hard. I think Tmac needs to consider being the leader himself and taking the reins of the team my like a tortorella-type coach might. Torts might have gotten canned, but he had the balls to bench a player like richards when he wasnt working. Tmac has no such balls and has, to my knowledge, never been the type of guy to send a strong message.

I think one or two more of those efforts and messages will be needed.

 

[Cmon_WTF]

yeah yeah, I know it's blown out of proportion, just annoying when you watch the buffalo and van games BTB and basically see pretty close to 125 minutes of lazy bad hockey.

However, you are wrong about the lines remaining intact. I clearly remember kennedy getting the 1st line call up when burns went down. Then when he didnt do well, it became revolving door with shep, hamilton, wingels and others. When havlat came back he was immediately on the line with patty and cooch and has yet to play with jumbo, so clearly the lines have been all jumbled starting with the burns injury and the chemistry vanished.

Todd also needs to consider taking some control over the team. He likes to call players passengers and say that it's on them to play. He likes to trust his leadership too. However, his leadership is not names Crosby, Toews, lidstrom, or niedermeyer so it's not like they have a real bonafide leader in that room. To be a truly great leader, you need to be the hardest worker, sacrificing the body, and really leading by example. Noone claims that Jumbo and patty are the hardest working guys, who block shots and sacrifice the body. Cooch? yes, but those two? no. As such, trusting a vet leadership corps that is notorious for up and down efforts and inconsistency is not to make a team consistently work hard. I think Tmac needs to consider being the leader himself and taking the reins of the team my like a tortorella-type coach might. Torts might have gotten canned, but he had the balls to bench a player like richards when he wasnt working. Tmac has no such balls and has, to my knowledge, never been the type of guy to send a strong message.

I think one or two more of those efforts and messages will be needed.

According to NHL.com's shift charts Kennedy only had limited regular shifts on Thornton's wing all season until Havlat was moved to his spot with Marleau and Couture for the Coyotes game. Kennedy was double shifted late in the games Hamilton played in as I imagine the coaching staff didn't want two rookies on the ice in that situation. He still took his regular shifts on the Couture line though.

I don't think you'll see McLellan put Havlat with Thornton and he shouldn't. That would leave that line with no one to forecheck. Two pass first players who need the puck on their stick to be effective and a rookie who's still finding his way in the NHL would not be a good combination. They tried Havlat with Thornton last year and it was a disaster and there is no reason to believe it wouldn't be more of the same if they tried it again.

The coaching staff has yet to find a spot where Kennedy meshes. He was very hit and miss with Couture and Marleau. Often killing the offensive pressure more than aiding it with his lack of passing/play making ability. In his very limited time on Thornton or Pavelski's wing it was more of the same. Even though his shoot first mentality and north/south style game is exactly how the coaching staff wants to play he has been a square peg in a round slot so far this season for the Sharks.

 

[Cmon_WTF]

Oh Todd

Sorry Likewall...

Niemi needs to play more, not less

McLellan rejected the suggestion that Antti Niemi may be feeling the effects of starting 15 of 16 games, that all that work has tired him out.

“Nope. Nope. Nope. Not at all,” the coach said. “The interesting part about Nemo is the most rest he’s had has been in the last 10 days and he hasn’t been as sharp. As soon as Alex played, Nemo had a couple days off, comes back into LA, not as sharp. We haven’t been playing every second day, so I think the exact opposite of what you’re suggesting. Exact opposite. He’s not tired, I can tell you that.”

 

[Likewall32]

Sorry Likewall...

Niemi needs to play more, not less

Can anyone who happens to see Todd in public, do me a favor and kick him in the nuts?