GDT: Game 2: Sharks vs. Avs 7:00pm NBCSCA Los Tiburones

[Anomie2029]

I certainly have no animosity toward Kunin, but this is the truth of who he was and who he seems to still be (ACL recoveries don't tend to catapult players to levels they've never seen before, after all).

If he's put in the situations he's been put in already this season, there's a chance he stumbles his way into enough goals and assists and hits to get a 3rd round pick back. I just don't understand why Quinn is using him so much (upon his return from said ACL surgery), particularly in big defensive moments and penalty killing, when, if anything, Kunin's biggest issue has always been poor hockey awareness, the kind of thing that has led him to a career -40.

So much this! His lack of awareness directly cost the Sharks the game IMO. Perfect opportunity to clear the puck, but completely zoned out of the play and ignored the puck at his skates.

The other thing I noticed was on the PK. He is very stationary, usually positioned in the middle of the zone to cut off the cross-ice pass - but he never really shifts when the intended target moves. In fact, when Jan Rutta came out of the box after the 5 on 3, he did a much better job on that position.

 

[Tkachuk4MVP]

Sarcastic?

Are you messing around?

Thrun has showed a lot of potential already and Quinn scratches him immediately for making mistakes? I didn’t think he played that poorly game 1, there were certainly worse D men.

 

[Alaskanice]

Thrun has showed a lot of potential already and Quinn scratches him immediately for making mistakes? I didn’t think he played that poorly game 1, there were certainly worse D men.

It’s numbers. We have too many defensemen. Also, how did you know that Thrun was scratched for making a mistake?

 

[gaucholoco3]

It’s numbers. We have too many defensemen. Also, how did you know that Thrun was scratched for making a mistake?

I would guess that the plan was always to get Knyzhov in for the second game. I’m sure they will get Emberson into the lineup next game as well.

Thrun was never going to play 80 games. They probably want to keep him to 60 max since college players are not used to such a long season.

 

[Alaskanice]

I would guess that the plan was always to get Knyzhov in for the second game. I’m sure they will get Emberson into the lineup next game as well.

Thrun was never going to play 80 games. They probably want to keep him to 60 max since college players are not used to such a long season.

That sounds reasonable.

 

[sharks_dynasty]

I would guess that the plan was always to get Knyzhov in for the second game. I’m sure they will get Emberson into the lineup next game as well.

Thrun was never going to play 80 games. They probably want to keep him to 60 max since college players are not used to such a long season.

Or they are trying to keep Thrun up for 9 games or so and want to spread that out. There’s no harm in him watching from the box and giving more playing time to others such as Knyzhov and Emberson. With the injury to Vlasic, that may change things and they may bring up these guys sooner rather than later.

 

[WTFetus]

Or they are trying to keep Thrun up for 9 games or so and want to spread that out. There’s no harm in him watching from the box and giving more playing time to others such as Knyzhov and Emberson. With the injury to Vlasic, that may change things and they may bring up these guys sooner rather than later.

He doesn't qualify for an entry level slide so it doesn't matter if he plays more than 9 games, he's an RFA at the end of the year regardless (unless for some reason he doesn't get a QO).

 

[TheBeard]

Thrun has showed a lot of potential already and Quinn scratches him immediately for making mistakes? I didn’t think he played that poorly game 1, there were certainly worse D men.

I actually like the strategy of playing a game, talking about the mistakes and critiques and then sitting the next game so he can hopefully see how and why from above when not playing. Sometimes the best way to learn isn't being on the ice, but observing.

 

[LadyStanley]