GDT: 2024 World Championships Sharks centric

[Bowie22]

Damn that was a nice play behind the net by Smith

 

[cheechoo]

Was really hoping to see Smith with Tkachuk because that's the kind of player I think Smith needs. And he got a shift with him! Hopefully more to come, but it seems he's rotating between the Farabee/Leonard line and the Tkachuk/Caufield line.

Was literally watching some Brady Tkachuk highlights last night and salivating everywhere.

I need that.

 

[Jargon]

where are you guys watching this?

 

[Juxtaposer]

It’s kinda crazy to hear non-Sharks affiliated hockey people excited about the Sharks going forward.

God why is Tim Heed getting so much ice time here.

 

[Jargon]

Will Smith gets checked by Karlsson.. this must be so surreal for him,

 

[coooldude]

Some minor praise for Smith on the main board GDT... any commentary from us biased sharks fans?

 

[Jargon]

Some minor praise for Smith on the main board GDT... any commentary from us biased sharks fans?

I've only seen him in the last 8 minutes, so like, 2-3 shifts? My evaluation is he needs to get the puck more. I mean, he's barely out there.

 

[Bowie22]

US looks bad, might as well put Smith on that PP

 

[Shark Finn]

A friendly reminder that we live in a world where Harri Säteri is an Olympic gold medalist.

 

[anthonyyy]

Some minor praise for Smith on the main board GDT... any commentary from us biased sharks fans?

I feel like I'm as critical of Smith as anyone, but from his limited ice time, I thought he looked quite good. Gave good effort to get to loose pucks and support defensively. Wasn't cheating out of the zone, etc. He setup a couple of nice chances too. Hopefully this buys him more ice time in future games.

 

[Shark Finn]

I feel like I'm as critical of Smith as anyone, but from his limited ice time, I thought he looked quite good. Gave good effort to get to loose pucks and support defensively. Wasn't cheating out of the zone, etc. He setup a couple of nice chances too. Hopefully this buys him more ice time in future games.

Sample size aside, this sounds promising as far as player development goes.

 

[Barrie22]

I feel like I'm as critical of Smith as anyone, but from his limited ice time, I thought he looked quite good. Gave good effort to get to loose pucks and support defensively. Wasn't cheating out of the zone, etc. He setup a couple of nice chances too. Hopefully this buys him more ice time in future games.

This makes it sound like the issues people had/have with his game were just coaching.

I know it was only one game and at best maybe 10 minutes of ice time, but it sounds like he has already a average defensive game, which seemed to be his biggest flaw with fans.

 

[LadyStanley]

where are you guys watching this?

Nominally on NHL Network

 

[OversKy]

Kunin, not good enough to play for the bottom feeder San Jose Sharks according to some here, but is good enough to be invited to team USA world championship team.

The world championships aren't really the best players from each country. A lot of the time Team Canada skates guys that compared to the countries best, look like house league players.

 

[OversKy]

Well, all Willy Smith does is score. 1+1 today in the last warm-up game vs. Slovakia. A couple of ill-advised passes, definitely got victimized on the Slafkovsky goal (although it wasn’t really on him as much as Farabee), and could stand to put on some muscle, but a good showing overall. Didn’t look out of place against a good team and the second effort on his goal was really nice, exactly what I want to see from him.

Brady Tkachuk is such a tool. Great player, but always yapping about something or other. Like, you’re up 5-2 with a minute left in a friendly match against Slovakia. Genuinely, shut up.

The whole Tkachuk NHL lineage has always been classless.

 

[Juxtaposer]

Smith is getting a regular shift today, but unfortunately it’s with Zegras, who is not playing very well. So far not bad, nothing great yet though.

I do think it’s notable that Smith is the center, not Zegras. Kid is a center through and through.

 

[Juxtaposer]

Filthy move from Smith to set up Werenski for a gimme shot that barely missed. Hopefully someone gif’s that, it was pretty nice.

 

[Lebanezer]

Filthy move from Smith to set up Werenski for a gimme shot that barely missed. Hopefully someone gif’s that, it was pretty nice.

Nothing is worse than trying to search for Will Smith highlights on Twitter and getting bombarded by Will Smith the actor references.

 

[Juxtaposer]

Nothing is worse than trying to search for Will Smith highlights on Twitter and getting bombarded by Will Smith the actor references.

Even worse is the randos showing up with ‘Smith’ in their handle and the word ‘will’ in the tweet.

 

[Cas]

Famous people should be required to register unique names, like actors are.

There are just too many famous Will Smiths.

 

[LilLeeroy]

Nothing is worse than trying to search for Will Smith highlights on Twitter and getting bombarded by Will Smith the actor references.

It used to not be that bad until the "Will Ryan Smith move the Utah hockey team..."

 

[CaptainShark]

Ok, so yesterday I turn off after period 1 cause Smith didn’t play a shift and he plays a regular shift afterwards.

Today he plays a regular shift in the first (which I miss because of a birthday party) and as soon as I tune in, he is nowhere to be seen… great.

Edit: nevermind.

 

[Shark Finn]

Having to use Twitter as a video material source is bad enough to begin with.

 

[SJFanQC]

Even worse is the randos showing up with ‘Smith’ in their handle and the word ‘will’ in the tweet.

Found it

 

[Juxtaposer]

Smith just took a shift with Kunin and Eyssimont, which was a little trippy. Even weirder was Kunin setting up Smith for a pretty good scoring chance.

Really liked Smith today, he could have had two or three points easily if his linemates could finish. He also had a golden opportunity that was saved by a defenseman in the crease; one criticism I have of Smith is that he needs to elevate those shots so they can’t be blocked by hail mary saves. Sound defense, reasonably good in the circle, good engagement. I like seeing him play away from Leonard.

Ironically, this game was also a good showcase for why Luke Kunin really is a great 4th liner. He’s everything you want in a 4th line role, I just hate when he’s deployed in the top-9.