Meg Post: Where's the Curling?

No team-building curling tournament for San Jose this time - the team is using their second extended break of the season for something a little bit more useful: practice.




I know, I know, it sounds crazy. Practicing hockey? But why?

Because they need it, that's why. The team put together a few impressive victories, but it was clear in the game against Anaheim that this is not a team that can win a seven-game series against the western conference powers. They kept it close against the Ducks by virtue of great goaltending and some lucky breaks (Ozonlinsh, you magnificent bastard!), but the Sharks spent way too much of the game trapped in their own zone. You have to imagine that the team that comes out of the west is going to have to beat either Anaheim or Detroit, and right now the Sharks just don't seem to have the power to do that.

I know I already put this, but Meg came up with a better caption: "Meerly Chillin'."

So, it's practice time! As reported on the team's website, the Sharks engaged in an extended skirmish where the veterans faced off against the younger players. They had everything from four-on-four hockey to a final shootout (finally! A shootout the Sharks can win!). The veterans obviously had the proven talent, with Thornton, Marleau, and Nabokov in goal. It was the younger players that won the day, however, with Michalek leading the way in front of Thomas Greiss in net and superstar Douglas Murray patrolling the blueline.

A few short-takes from the long break...

-Kyle (where did the yellow visor go?) McLaren remarked that Greiss was "good in the shootout, just like he was in training camp." Does that mean we can expect a crazy goalie-swap just prior to the shootout some time in the future, straight out of Mighty Ducks II (I think)? Probably not. But still, if it's true, the option is on the table as long as Greiss stays with the team.

-Shaved Ice has an interesting post discussing a quote by GM Doug Wilson. Wilson told the local paper "we're certainly not satisfied with where we're at" regarding the team's chances for success at the end of the year.

-Michalek is expected to return in the Sharks' next game against the Kings. In other Milan news, the victory celebration following the skirmish led to this quote: “I love the guys and I love their hugs.” I'll just let that one speak for itself.

Guest Post: The Phoenix Coyotes Are Great Self-Esteem Boosters

(My good friend and fellow meerkat enthusiast Megalodon wrote an incredibly long write-up about the Sharks heading into tomorrow night's game. I'm sure P.J. or Cheechew or Mike will come up with something tomorrow, so I figure I'll put this up today. Enjoy!)

"Shouldn't one of us keep watch?" "Nah, it's just the Coyotes."

A lot is still up in the air about the Pacific Division, sure. But after this past week, we can say one thing for certain: the Sharks are way better than the Coyotes. No matter what else happens, nobody can take that away from us. The Sharks seem to have their game back now. I was pessimistic, but what turned things around for me was, strangely, the recent game against Dallas. The Sharks played great in the first period, then they decided to try sucking for a while. That didn't work very well, and Dallas came back in the third. Earlier in the season, the Sharks would have completely folded, and Dallas probably would have gotten another goal in regulation. This time, the Sharks managed to wake the hell up and win in style in the shootout. The team showed perseverance and confidence that was lacking earlier in the season.

Bragging about beating the Coyotes is like Rudy bragging about having a bigger dick than Megalodon.

No team is going to play at their best every minute of every game (except Ottawa, your 2008 Stanley Cup Champions). Against Dallas, the Sharks finally demonstrated an ability to rebound.

That's definitely a good sign.

Douglas Murray, Teal Jesus.

What we are finally seeing now is the team that everyone picked before the season to win the Stanley Cup. Thornton and Setoguchi are doing exactly what Thornton and Cheechoo did - but Setoguchi is a way better player, so the sky is the limit for them. Marleau came out of his coma, Roenick is surprisingly productive, and all the rest of the offensive cast is finally producing like they should. Nabokov is looking like he wants to play 83 games this season if possible. Defense, which worried me before the season, now looks like one of the top squads in the league. Rivet is always amazing, Ozolinsh has been a great spark out there, Vlasic is playing Pronger-like minutes (minus the elbows and the muggings), and Douglas Murray is my new Jesus. (Ed. note- I wanted to change his name to "Doglas," but Meg pointed out that made it sound like he didn't have a dog, and that was sad.) All of a sudden, the Sharks look great wherever you look.

Even when tragedy strikes, they manage to make it a positive. This was in the San Jose-Phoenix game summary:

" FROM THE BENCH Sharks defenseman Craig Rivet, who missed tonight's game with a leg injury, spent the entire game on the bench as a coach. Following the win, his teammates awarded him the game puck."

This definitely shows that Rivet is a great leader on the team. You don't hear a lot about him, but this kind of thing gives you a glimpse of what's going on under the surface. He's been around longer than guys like Vlasic, Carle, or his usual line-mate Murray, and it's clear they're learning a lot from him. I hope he sticks around for a long time.

"INJURIES Milan Michalek (elbow strain), Marcel Goc (back spasms) and Craig Rivet (leg) are all listed as day-to-day."

The Sharks have won their past few games without Michalek. It's great that they can afford to give him time to really heal up, and when he comes back that just makes the team that much better. It's hard to know where to stick him, because the current lines are producing so well, but even on the fourth line he is always a threat.

Goc is a great kid, and his blog rules, but I don't really think he's good enough to be on the team consistently. Maybe that will change.


"LINES
Cheechoo - Thornton - Setoguchi
Rissmiller - Marleau - Bernier
Grier - Mitchell - Roenick
Brown - Pavelski

Ehrhoff - Semenov
Ozolinsh - Vlasic
Murray - McLaren
Carle"


The Thornton line is really interesting, since Setoguchi and Cheechoo are basically the same player (they even look alike). We'll see if it stays like that.

Semenov is clearly San Jose's worst defenseman, and when Rivet comes back it should probably be Ozolinsh - Vlasic, Murray - Rivet, and McLaren - Carle. Ehrhoff will get some playing time at the expense of Murray, but the intensity and physical presence that Douglas brings is missed when he's not there.

***


Expect this in the Ducks game, but with a punch to the groin thrown in.

The Ducks will be first or second in the Division at the end of the year. They've put together some good games recently and seem to have found what makes them win. They're playing physically and the top line is really producing. If the Sharks and the Ducks both keep it up, the battle for the Division championship will be intense.

The way I see it, the Pacific Division has three tiers. First, there are the Sharks and the Ducks, who should both be going for first place. Then you have the Kings, who are a team on the rise, and Dallas, who are definitely declining. It's likely that only one of those teams will make the playoffs at the end of the year, so it will be interesting to see who comes out ahead. The third tier is Phoenix. The third tier is also known as the "Shitty Tier."

A lot of Anaheim's skill comes from their physical play. They can push the Kings around because the Kings have a lot of skilled guys who aren't that big and then some guys like Scott Thornton and Raitis Ivanans who can play physical but who suck at hockey. The Sharks are the team you would design if you wanted to counter Anaheim - everyone is big, everyone can play physical, and you can't push anyone around. Tomorrow, I'm looking for Anaheim's top line to probably score a couple, countered by Joe and Setoguchi continuing their streak. The Sharks have the edge in secondary scoring, though, and Roenick will get a garbage goal to give San Jose the win, 3-2.

Oh yeah, and I sure hope somebody in San Jose is in charge of watching Ducks games, because that top line just keeps trying that "off-the-boards" move. It worked against the Sharks last time and it worked against LA on Thursday. Let's figure out something to do to stop that play, okay guys? And why don't we try that sometimes, too?

That is all. Go Sharks!

More Thoughts on the Kings Roster

In my last post, I jotted down some line-up combos off the top of my head that in retrospect I don’t agree with. Just to refresh your memory, I put:

Frolov-Kopitar-Cammalleri
Nagy-Handzus-Brown
Calder-Armstrong-Willsie
Thornton-O’Sullivan-Ivanans/Kanko

Looking back on it, I think I was a little irresponsible in throwing line-ups out there without justifying my reasoning for them at all. I think Marc Crawford will switch to more of a run ‘n gun style this season, like the teams he had in Colorado and Vancouver, meaning that he’s more likely to have three scoring lines and one stopper line. I made our old lines trying to build a team more in the Anaheim/boring mold, with two scoring lines, a stopper line and a line that sucks. Unfortunately, we don’t have enough lumbering brutes on our team, so that system doesn’t really work. (We also don’t have a Stanley Cup. Ha, you can’t make the joke if I’ve already made it!)

I think it’s safe to assume that Nagy and Handzus are going to play together, since the reason they came to L.A. was to be on the same team. They seem like they’d work well together, anyway, so that’s cool with me. Since Nagy’s a left wing, that means Frolov would have to play with Kopitar (unless someone wants to put one of them on the third line, and if that’s the case I’d like to meet you so I can put a hatchet in your face).

I had Cammalleri playing with Frolov and Kopitar, but I actually think he’d be better off playing with Nagy and Handzus, since neither Nagy nor Handzus are known for goal scoring. Having Cammy sniping on that line gives me the kind of dreams where I have to lie and tell my roommate that I spilled water on my bed. That means Brown is playing with Kopitar and Frolov. I hope he’s happy not touching the puck.

I couldn't think of a picture that went with this post, so here's a meerkat.

The bottom lines are little harder to determine because the personnel does match up that well. Some people are content with throwing out a third line that is centered by Armstrong with Calder on the left and O’Sullivan on the right, but I don’t like the idea of switching O’Sullivan to another forward position while he’s trying to develop. Playing left wing is different from playing the other two forward positions and I think it'd hinder his development to move him to his third position in the last three years. Calder is perfect for the third line, so I don’t want to switch him. The other option is to move O’Sullivan to center and dropping Armstrong down, which I want to avoid because that makes what I wrote here true. Plus, I'd hate to have Brian Willsie on the third line because he, well, Willsie sucks. I'm sorry, but it's true.

Where does that leave us? I don’t know fore sure, but I’ll tell you what I’d be willing to live with now that I’ve had a while to reflect on it:

Nagy-Handzus-Cammalleri
Frolov-Kopitar-Brown
Calder-O’Sullivan-Tukonen
Thornton-Armstrong-Willsie

This gives us three lines that can score and one line that can easily be replaced as the younger guys come up. About Tukonen, I think he’s one of those guys who comes out of nowhere and impresses people. He has the talent but has been beset by injuries recently; if he’s healthy this year, he could be one of those surprises that can solve a lot of problems for the Kings. As for the older guys on the fourth line, I figure if they’re going to be on the team I should at least lump them together and isolate their suckiness before it infects the younger guys.

Of course, all of this is moot because Handzus is going to break his neck and Nagy is going to come down with Hodgkin’s, but that’s what I’d like to see in London. What do you guys think? Let me know in the comments, so I can read it and then purse my lips and mumble, “Well, obviously he doesn’t get it.”