GDT: Sharks vs Blackhawks 3/1/18 7pm NBCSN Kaner vs. Kaner

[TomasHertlsRooster]

Ya, I'm happy to say I was overly critical of Jones earlier this season, and was wrong in thinking that Dell needed substantially more playing time. I think it was important for Jones to keep playing consistently while getting healthy and working the kinks out. Glad the Sharks didn't make the same decision I would have. Happy to eat crow here.

I don't know if it was best to play him while injured but I'm really glad he's out of his funk. He was really looking like a legit top-notch if not elite starter at the start of the year and then totally fell off a cliff. If he can play mostly at the level he has been playing at recently and not just totally shit the bed and cost us games when he's playing poorly, I have no problem with his contract or with calling him a top-10 starter.

Look man. We all know the Sharks are cursed.



Oh I know. The only team I’m truly scared of in the West is Winnipeg. Doesn’t mean I want to curse us by hoping for LA only to get reverse swept again.

Wouldn't it be funny, though, if the "curse" were to break in a year where the Sharks aren't all that great of a team? I mean, they can probably make the WCF this year. I think they're the best team of the groups that could make it out of the Pacific bracket especially if Thornton returns.

Imagine what it would be if he didn't get injured.

Even just imagine if he hadn't recently giving up so many meaningless goals in garbage time like the 2nd against Edmonton, Chicago in our last 2 games.

 

[DG93]

The year we lost to the Ducks I definitely didn't want to play them. The Sharks were banged up and struggling going in and the Ducks underachieved all year but still had a really good team.

Fair enough.

 

[Juxtaposer]

Wouldn't it be funny, though, if the "curse" were to break in a year where the Sharks aren't all that great of a team? I mean, they can probably make the WCF this year. I think they're the best team of the groups that could make it out of the Pacific bracket especially if Thornton returns.

It would be hilarious, but I’d also be somewhat upset in the back of my mind because you can just imagine the narrative that would happen if we won the Cup with an underdog team in the first year we didn’t have Marleau since 1997.

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

It would be hilarious, but I’d also be somewhat upset in the back of my mind because you can just imagine the narrative that would happen if we won the Cup with an underdog team in the first year we didn’t have Marleau since 1997.

Oh definitely. I remember in some thread in the main boards, some Kings fan was telling me "Just watch, Sharks fans. Let go of Thornton and Marleau and the Cup will be yours." I was like wut. I can definitely see the narrative being built but quite frankly I just don't really care anymore at this point. I enjoy posting on this board and the fan base dynamics are definitely fun (I credit myself with proving that there is actually a pro-Leafs bias in the poll section rather than an anti-Leafs bias) but winning a Cup means so much more to me than what the fans think of Patrick Marleau. Plus, to be fair, Marleau was pretty invisible for the entirety of the only time we ever made the Cup Finals.

And now I could very well see this being true if Thornton retires and we re-sign Kane and sign Tavares. People would ignore the fact that our defense and forward depth is better than it has ever been and they would also say Tavares and Kane are the new Thornton and Marleau and they carried us to the championship, lmfao.

 

[Led Zappa]

Who's Marleau

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Oh definitely. I remember in some thread in the main boards, some Kings fan was telling me "Just watch, Sharks fans. Let go of Thornton and Marleau and the Cup will be yours." I was like wut. I can definitely see the narrative being built but quite frankly I just don't really care anymore at this point. I enjoy posting on this board and the fan base dynamics are definitely fun (I credit myself with proving that there is actually a pro-Leafs bias in the poll section rather than an anti-Leafs bias) but winning a Cup means so much more to me than what the fans think of Patrick Marleau. Plus, to be fair, Marleau was pretty invisible for the entirety of the only time we ever made the Cup Finals.

And now I could very well see this being true if Thornton retires and we re-sign Kane and sign Tavares. People would ignore the fact that our defense and forward depth is better than it has ever been and they would also say Tavares and Kane are the new Thornton and Marleau and they carried us to the championship, lmfao.

To be fair, so was everyone else in that series since the team got stomped.

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

To be fair, so was everyone else in that series since the team got stomped.

I was talking about that series along with the 3 series before it. I can't really remember a single big goal from him in the Cup Run and he only had 5 total.

Although it would have been classic Marleau to be the only Shark doing well in that series while the majority of the team was stomped.

 

[Barrie22]

Who's Marleau

I think he is some sort of traitor.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

I was talking about that series along with the 3 series before it. I can't really remember a single big goal from him in the Cup Run and he only had 5 total.

Although it would have been classic Marleau to be the only Shark doing well in that series while the majority of the team was stomped.

Since when is 4 points in 5 games then 5 points in 7 games being invisible? 3 points in 6 games against St. Louis isn't invisible for the role he was given.

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

Since when is 4 points in 5 games then 5 points in 7 games being invisible? 3 points in 6 games against St. Louis isn't invisible for the role he was given.

His point production wasn't awful, but do you really remember any big plays from him? Do you really remember him making any massive contributions?

 

[Pinkfloyd]

His point production wasn't awful, but do you really remember any big plays from him? Do you really remember him making any massive contributions?

Setting up the power play goal that won them the series against Nashville game 7? The power play goal in game 4 against the Kings that won them that game that put them up 3-1 in that series? Those were pretty huge.

 

[Lebanezer]

His point production wasn't awful, but do you really remember any big plays from him? Do you really remember him making any massive contributions?

He scored the tying goal in game 1 of the Finals in the 2nd on a nice wraparound.

 

[OrrNumber4]

Oh definitely. I remember in some thread in the main boards, some Kings fan was telling me "Just watch, Sharks fans. Let go of Thornton and Marleau and the Cup will be yours." I was like wut. I can definitely see the narrative being built but quite frankly I just don't really care anymore at this point. I enjoy posting on this board and the fan base dynamics are definitely fun (I credit myself with proving that there is actually a pro-Leafs bias in the poll section rather than an anti-Leafs bias) but winning a Cup means so much more to me than what the fans think of Patrick Marleau. Plus, to be fair, Marleau was pretty invisible for the entirety of the only time we ever made the Cup Finals.

And now I could very well see this being true if Thornton retires and we re-sign Kane and sign Tavares. People would ignore the fact that our defense and forward depth is better than it has ever been and they would also say Tavares and Kane are the new Thornton and Marleau and they carried us to the championship, lmfao.

Marleau's been invisible in the playoffs for a decent bit. He'd show up against a bad team like Vancouver, but he hasn't had a start-to-finish strong playoffs since 2004, no great series since the first round in 2013, and no great series against a top team since 2011 (where he still made so many mistakes defensively).

I think it depends on what you thought Marleau was or could be. If you held him to the standard of a franchise-caliber player, he is a clear disappointment. If you consider him a guy who peaked as an elite winger for a 2-3 years surrounded by a few years as a first-line caliber winger and bracketed by many years as a solid top-6 forward, then I think you have to generally be satisfied.

Overall, I think the Sharks gave Marleau the salary, ice time, and billing of that franchise-caliber player. Fans had that level of emotional investment in him, and he didn't live up to it.

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

Marleau's been invisible in the playoffs for a decent bit. He'd show up against a bad team like Vancouver, but he hasn't had a start-to-finish strong playoffs since 2004, no great series since the first round in 2013, and no great series against a top team since 2011 (where he still made so many mistakes offensively).

I think it depends on what you thought Marleau was or could be. If you held him to the standard of a franchise-caliber player, he is a clear disappointment. If you consider him a guy who peaked as an elite winger for a 2-3 years surrounded by a few years as a first-line caliber winger and bracketed by many years as a solid top-6 forward, then I think you have to generally be satisfied.

Overall, I think the Sharks gave Marleau the salary, ice time, and billing of that franchise-caliber player. Fans had that level of emotional investment in him, and he didn't live up to it.

He had great series against Chicago in 2010 and Vancouver in 2011 - he had a goal per game and the most goals of any player on either team in both series

He obviously wasn't a franchise caliber player though.

 

[OrrNumber4]

He had great series against Chicago in 2010 and Vancouver in 2011 - he had a goal per game and the most goals of any player on either team in both series

He obviously wasn't a franchise caliber player though.

He did have a productive offensive series. But am I the only one who remembers the mistakes he made? Look, IIRC, half the points against Chicago came on the PP as did 5 of his 7 points against Vancouver. He was still largely neutralized at even strength; against Vancouver he had some defensive miscues that cost the Sharks some games. It was his poor backcheck on the GTG...

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

He did have a productive offensive series. But am I the only one who remembers the mistakes he made? Look, IIRC, half the points against Chicago came on the PP as did 5 of his 7 points against Vancouver. He was still largely neutralized at even strength; against Vancouver he had some defensive miscues that cost the Sharks some games. It was his poor backcheck on the GTG...

Stop acting like PP goals don't matter. We could have used one tonight. ES production is impressive when a guy doesn't get a lot of time on the PP but in the playoffs if you have to ignore the PP to discredit a guy's stellar production, you're probably going out of your way to discredit him.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Marleau's been invisible in the playoffs for a decent bit. He'd show up against a bad team like Vancouver, but he hasn't had a start-to-finish strong playoffs since 2004, no great series since the first round in 2013, and no great series against a top team since 2011 (where he still made so many mistakes defensively).

I think it depends on what you thought Marleau was or could be. If you held him to the standard of a franchise-caliber player, he is a clear disappointment. If you consider him a guy who peaked as an elite winger for a 2-3 years surrounded by a few years as a first-line caliber winger and bracketed by many years as a solid top-6 forward, then I think you have to generally be satisfied.

Overall, I think the Sharks gave Marleau the salary, ice time, and billing of that franchise-caliber player. Fans had that level of emotional investment in him, and he didn't live up to it.

How many people do you honestly think has a start-to-finish strong playoff? It's kind of a rare thing only done by the elite. Also, what exactly is your standard for franchise-caliber ice time and salary? Once we get legitimate answers to questions like that, we can have an honest discussion about this. Chances are that your standard for franchise-caliber is really low for convenience.

 

[Barrie22]

How many people do you honestly think has a start-to-finish strong playoff? It's kind of a rare thing only done by the elite. Also, what exactly is your standard for franchise-caliber ice time and salary? Once we get legitimate answers to questions like that, we can have an honest discussion about this. Chances are that your standard for franchise-caliber is really low for convenience.

Toews is one of his answers obviously. Even though he will ignore the 12 or so points vs the 1st round opponent and the 4 combined points in the final 2 rounds lol.

 

[Bizz]

The year we lost to the Ducks I definitely didn't want to play them. The Sharks were banged up and struggling going in and the Ducks underachieved all year but still had a really good team.

That Ducks team was much different in the playoffs than they were in the regular season. Selanne was pretty much retired until late February.