Series Talk: (P3) San Jose Sharks vs. (M2) Pittsburgh Penguins Pt. II

[Pinkfloyd]

Matching Dillon Polak with Malkins line is scary of **** to me because Malkins line has been deadly against us. Either way, if we don't switch to a 4d system, I don't want to see Dillon Polak get much more than 10min... I'd like to see the other 2 lines with around 25min each.

I'm more in the wait and see camp. I don't mind hard-matching Dillon-Polak to Malkin's line. Malkin's line has been the least productive at even strength. They each only have a point. They have been the least of the team's worries. It's when Dillon and Polak are stuck out against Crosby or HBK that things get messy. The 10 minutes is about what they got in game five and I'm fine with that usage.

However, if they go up two goals or more, they need to throw that pairing out there more to try and save minutes and that's going to get a little dicey.

 

[hohosaregood]

I'm more in the wait and see camp. I don't mind hard-matching Dillon-Polak to Malkin's line. Malkin's line has been the least productive at even strength. They each only have a point. They have been the least of the team's worries. It's when Dillon and Polak are stuck out against Crosby or HBK that things get messy. The 10 minutes is about what they got in game five and I'm fine with that usage.

However, if they go up two goals or more, they need to throw that pairing out there more to try and save minutes and that's going to get a little dicey.

Feels weird to say but I don't really worry when malkin's line is on the ice. They've been incredibly unproductive

 

[Bizdits*]

The 1st goal will be huuuuuge! We get the first goal and this thing is going 7. The seeds of doubt has been planted and then those guys will have another 2 days to think about what will happen if Jones stands on his head again.

 

[AstroDan]

Not that I'm superstitious, or anything. But in the game 5 GDT, I purposely flipped the HBK line to KBH...
It worked, so Kirby....game 6...

 

[RickyHP]

PDB should put up a motivational video of the 2010 flyers 3-0 comeback win against the bruins and get our guys really fired up. im feeling really good about game 6. If we score first you know damn well all of those young guys on PITTs line up will be ******** their pants, as well as kessel lol

the great thing is there is no pressure on the sharks whatsoever.

 

[LadyStanley]

Downtown should be epic crowds for game 6, then.

 

[KirbyDots]

Not that I'm superstitious, or anything. But in the game 5 GDT, I purposely flipped the HBK line to KBH...
It worked, so Kirby....game 6...

Worth a shot.

 

[Limekiller]

Was watching NHL Network today, and they had an interesting stat, for all those of you who were hoping the Sharks would shorten their bench when it comes to D pairings. It looks like the coaching staff has seen the same issues, and has already started to do just that. Here's the ice time numbers from Game 5:

Vlasic: 27:54
Braun: 25:01
Martin: 21:30
Burns: 20:50
Polak: 13:15
Dillon: 10:59

So, it's obvious that Vlasic was getting double shifted a lot to cover for Dillon. Which only makes sense because Dillon has been the worst of our D-men this series. Braun has also obviously been getting double shifted to cover for Polak, just not to the same degree. Which, again, makes sense. I would strongly expect this to continue to be the case for however many games are left, or perhaps become even more pronounced. Vlasic/Polak or Dillon/Braun both worry me significantly less than Dillon + Polak together. I wanted to see this as much as anyone, so it's very gratifying to see DeBoer and staff have already started it. You know McLellan would never do this, so I am still a bit floored to have a staff that *gasp* makes actual adjustments during a series...

 

[Bizdits*]

Was watching NHL Network today, and they had an interesting stat, for all those of you who were hoping the Sharks would shorten their bench when it comes to D pairings. It looks like the coaching staff has seen the same issues, and has already started to do just that. Here's the ice time numbers from Game 5:

Vlasic: 27:54
Braun: 25:01
Martin: 21:30
Burns: 20:50
Polak: 13:15
Dillon: 10:59

So, it's obvious that Vlasic was getting double shifted a lot to cover for Dillon. Which only makes sense because Dillon has been the worst of our D-men this series. Braun has also obviously been getting double shifted to cover for Polak, just not to the same degree. Which, again, makes sense. I would strongly expect this to continue to be the case for however many games are left, or perhaps become even more pronounced. Vlasic/Polak or Dillon/Braun both worry me significantly less than Dillon + Polak together. I wanted to see this as much as anyone, so it's very gratifying to see DeBoer and staff have already started it. You know McLellan would never do this, so I am still a bit floored to have a staff that *gasp* makes actual adjustments during a series...

It's good that they are reducing Polak's and Dillons minutes... But I would rather see Burns and Martin with 25 minutes than Vlasic and Braun. I like the way Burns played in Game 5... I especially liked it when Burns punched Crosby to the ice when he was trying to cycle in the offensive zone... That's the way you have play against that dicx head.

 

[magic school bus]

C'mon Burns, you can't be nominated for the norris and play 20 mins in an elimination Stanley Cup Final game...

 

[Pinkfloyd]

C'mon Burns, you can't be nominated for the norris and play 20 mins in an elimination Stanley Cup Final game...

They led most of the game. Of course they're going to lean on Vlasic-Braun more often than Martin-Burns. That was coach's decision anyway so why are you ragging on Burns?

 

[Barrie22]

Was watching NHL Network today, and they had an interesting stat, for all those of you who were hoping the Sharks would shorten their bench when it comes to D pairings. It looks like the coaching staff has seen the same issues, and has already started to do just that. Here's the ice time numbers from Game 5:

Vlasic: 27:54
Braun: 25:01
Martin: 21:30
Burns: 20:50
Polak: 13:15
Dillon: 10:59

So, it's obvious that Vlasic was getting double shifted a lot to cover for Dillon. Which only makes sense because Dillon has been the worst of our D-men this series. Braun has also obviously been getting double shifted to cover for Polak, just not to the same degree. Which, again, makes sense. I would strongly expect this to continue to be the case for however many games are left, or perhaps become even more pronounced. Vlasic/Polak or Dillon/Braun both worry me significantly less than Dillon + Polak together. I wanted to see this as much as anyone, so it's very gratifying to see DeBoer and staff have already started it. You know McLellan would never do this, so I am still a bit floored to have a staff that *gasp* makes actual adjustments during a series...

Vlasic, braun, martin and burns really aren't being double shifted though.

Shifts in the game.

Dillon 22 shifts.
Martin 29 shifts.
Vlasic 31 shifts.
Polak 22 shifts.
Braun 30 shifts.
Burns 29 shifts.

Avg ice time per shift.

Dillon 0:29
Martin 0:44
Vlasic 0:54
Polak 0:36
Braun 0:50
Burns 0:43

Dillon had 22 even strength shifts
Martin had about 25 shifts
Vlasic had about 25 shifts
Polak had 21 shifts
Braun had about 26 shifts
Burns had about 25 shifts.

I guess they could be doing 1 shift double shifting. But that to me just opens up even more problems.

 

[Barrie22]

They led most of the game. Of course they're going to lean on Vlasic-Braun more often than Martin-Burns. That was coach's decision anyway so why are you ragging on Burns?

It is also the 1st game where vlasic has played more minutes then burns.

Burns up to game 5 had probably played close to 15 minutes more of ice time in the 4 games.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

It is also the 1st game where vlasic has played more minutes then burns.

Burns up to game 5 had probably played close to 15 minutes more of ice time in the 4 games.

Which makes sense when it's the first time we've led. lol

 

[Lebanezer]

The Penguins have been doing a tiered blocking system for point shots. Wingers attempts to block shot up high, the center attempts to block it if it gets past the winger. The Sharks need to run the bump play they ran on the Karlsson goal more often. The center is completely out of position when he leaks out to block the shot, one because he's so high, and two because it leaves a Shark completely uncovered down low. Plus, if the defenseman avoid getting their shots blocked by that floating center, it would cut down on their transition game.

 

[hohosaregood]

The Corsi gods have abandoned us and so I bleed for the Devil Lords of Unsustainability to bring revenge for the forsaken.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

The Corsi gods have abandoned us and so I bleed for the Devil Lords of Unsustainability to bring revenge for the forsaken.

It worked for Anaheim, Colorado and Calgary for entire seasons...why not S.J. for a measly two games.

 

[magic school bus]

They led most of the game. Of course they're going to lean on Vlasic-Braun more often than Martin-Burns. That was coach's decision anyway so why are you ragging on Burns?

That doesn't really make sense. This team never "sits back" or so they say. Plus, he took a penalty so it's not the coach's reason he only played 20:50.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

That doesn't really make sense. This team never "sits back" or so they say. Plus, he took a penalty so it's not the coach's reason he only played 20:50.

They don't need to 'sit back' to have the flow of the play be in their end most of the time and thus need to put out Vlasic-Braun to help get out of their zone. A single penalty also doesn't mean squat towards playing 20:50.

 

[EmergencyExit]

The Corsi gods have abandoned us and so I bleed for the Devil Lords of Unsustainability to bring revenge for the forsaken.

You don't want to play this game friend. I think there was some stat where the Leafs would play unsustainably well and always crash around the x game mark. It was an evident pattern for a few years before culminating in game 7 vs Boston.

With that said I'd sell my soul for two more unsustainable wins.

 

[Sharksfan83]

I'm here to support the notion of two more unsustainable wins also.

 

[LadyStanley]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/ron-don-memories-broken-hands-cow-palace/

Don Cherry on playing (in WHL) at Cow Palace

 

[SJSharksfan39]

I'm here to support the notion of two more unsustainable wins also.

Unsustainable might be my least favorite word when it comes to sports discussion. Why is it unsustainable. If you're talking about individual stats that's one thing, but we're only talking about two wins, which is a small sample size. If the Sharks win tonight will it still be unsustainable?

 

[Shark Finn]

Unsustainable might be my least favorite word when it comes to sports discussion. Why is it unsustainable. If you're talking about individual stats that's one thing, but we're only talking about two wins, which is a small sample size. If the Sharks win tonight will it still be unsustainable?

Umm, duh, yeah, 'cuz, y'know, shot totals.

 

[Alwalys]

Unsustainable might be my least favorite word when it comes to sports discussion. Why is it unsustainable. If you're talking about individual stats that's one thing, but we're only talking about two wins, which is a small sample size. If the Sharks win tonight will it still be unsustainable?

yes, but idgaf.