Pleasant Surprise and Biggest Letdown so far this year.

[SJeasy]

Biggest surprise was the uptempo style of play to start the year. Better zone exit game. It was a good portent for the second season.

Biggest disappointment was the disappearance of that same style. I do acknowledge the injury issue but the blueline has been relatively healthy and the change in style was primarily the responsibility of the blueline.

I am not surprised by Wingels. His skills were apparent but less consistent last year. I am not surprised by Stuart or Boyle, the issues were evident last year. I was surprised by Nieto and Hertl. I knew Nemo would come down to earth but he has fallen a little farther than I anticipated, not that much farther. I am not surprised by Kennedy. I am surprised by Hannan.

 

[Led Zappa]

This. Further evidence that the Sharks coaching staff does know what they are doing contrary to what the armchair coaches' think.

Stop It!

 

[OrrNumber4]

Biggest surprise was the uptempo style of play to start the year. Better zone exit game. It was a good portent for the second season.

Biggest disappointment was the disappearance of that same style. I do acknowledge the injury issue but the blueline has been relatively healthy and the change in style was primarily the responsibility of the blueline.

I am not surprised by Wingels. His skills were apparent but less consistent last year. I am not surprised by Stuart or Boyle, the issues were evident last year. I was surprised by Nieto and Hertl. I knew Nemo would come down to earth but he has fallen a little farther than I anticipated, not that much farther. I am not surprised by Kennedy. I am surprised by Hannan.

The way I see it, the SJ blueline has not been healthy for a long time...Boyle has been battling severe concussion issues for a long time now.

 

[SJeasy]

The way I see it, the SJ blueline has not been healthy for a long time...Boyle has been battling severe concussion issues for a long time now.

They were still playing uptempo when Boyle went down. By eyeball, Boyle is not part of the uptempo style, more an exact opposite. Careful,delayed exits that reduce team speed.

 

[drunksage]

Hertl, and Hertl.

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

Surprise: Hertl
Letdown: Hertl getting injured

 

[The Ice Hockey Dude]

Surprise - Hertl and Hannan
Let Down - Havlat (WTF - 8 points +-) and Nemo (looking tired and sloppy compaired to last year)

 

[rangerssharks414]

Surprise: Wingels
Letdown: Havlat

 

[Empty Net Goal]

Letdown: Niemi
Surprise: Stalock

 

[WantonAbandon]

Uh...there is nothing to "get over". I don't even know why you're mentioning something that happened 4 years ago since that has nothing to do with our opinions today.
Niemi was outstanding last year, he is an average starting goaltender this year. We know that he isn't going to be a consistent Vezina candidate, but that big of a drop-off (Vezina to average) is disappointing. That's the definition of a let-down.

Stuart and Irwin on the other hand. I didn't think they were good last year, they aren't good this year. Not much of a let-down for me.

I don't know if that is true for everyone but perhaps it is for you. In my opinion Niemi is the exact same goalie he was last year and what is happening is the percentages are evening out and not a decline in play.

 

[CanadienShark]

For me:
Biggest letdown: Brad Stuart- The guy was suppose to serve has a top 4 dman coming from Detroit and has regressed terribly. Most nights I feel he should be in the press box.

Pleasant Surprise: Scott Hannan- I know he hasn't been mentioned a whole lot on the boards, which I think is a good thing because he doesn't score. However, he has been very solid and physical in the defensive end and hasn't really made too many mistakes positionally. Thankfully he has improved greatly from where he was in Colorado and Washington.

I think you nailed it. For the letdown, Couture is my #2, but he deserves some slack because he's been injured. He's still my 2nd favourite player in the NHL though. Recently, Burns has been a letdown, but it's not like he's played really poorly, just bad luck. If not Hannan, if say Wingels is a good choice for surprise, or perhaps Braun.

 

[SactoShark]

Pleasant Surprise: That Sharks player I like
Biggest letdown: His injury

 

[FeedingFrenzy]

Letdown - Injuries
Surprise - How well they have managed with them.

I can get on board with this

Letdown - Team play leading into the Olympic break
Suprise - Rookies Hertl and Nieto (Kearns & Hayes too)

considering the injury bug, what did you expect exactly??? Undefeated? High powered scoring machine?

Surprise: Braun, Wingels, Hannan, Hayes & Kearns all playing great. Also, Demers getting a real chance finally.

Letdown: Havlat (not shocking tho), Hertl getting hurt and missing the olympics and calder chances, Stuart being absolutely terrible in the d-zone, Stalock not getting more games, Worcester still sucks and has a hack coach.

Why surprised with Braun?

Stuart? I don't get that one at all. And the deep seeded contempt for Niemi seems to defy logic in my opinion. It was a VERY good thing the Sharks signed Niemi four years ago considering Nitty fell apart; Get over it...
From the coaches perspective I'd say the following:

Big surprises; lots of them: Hertl (OF COURSE), Stalock (recently the coaches have been seriously exploring what they have with Stalock and unlike Greiss it appears they really like what they see.) Nieto, Bruan, and Wingels

Biggest let downs: Kennedy and Havlat

There is no contempt for Niemi. we all like him and he is a good goalie. But I don't want to pay what he will want on his next deal. That is why I have been advocating trading him. Stalock CAN handle the #1 role and Nemo should be shopped this summer.

Uh...there is nothing to "get over". I don't even know why you're mentioning something that happened 4 years ago since that has nothing to do with our opinions today.
Niemi was outstanding last year, he is an average starting goaltender this year. We know that he isn't going to be a consistent Vezina candidate, but that big of a drop-off (Vezina to average) is disappointing. That's the definition of a let-down.

Stuart and Irwin on the other hand. I didn't think they were good last year, they aren't good this year. Not much of a let-down for me.

I wouldn't say he's avg this year, still has GOOD numbers. We know what he can do when he's on his game. I just think Stalock can be our #1 and Nemo should be traded while he has value.

Biggest surprise was the uptempo style of play to start the year. Better zone exit game. It was a good portent for the second season.

Biggest disappointment was the disappearance of that same style. I do acknowledge the injury issue but the blueline has been relatively healthy and the change in style was primarily the responsibility of the blueline.

I am not surprised by Wingels. His skills were apparent but less consistent last year. I am not surprised by Stuart or Boyle, the issues were evident last year. I was surprised by Nieto and Hertl. I knew Nemo would come down to earth but he has fallen a little farther than I anticipated, not that much farther. I am not surprised by Kennedy. I am surprised by Hannan.

Demers,Boyle,Irwin,Stuart have all been in and out of the lineup for multiple games. I feel the injuries to all the F's has had a bigger impact on the transition game than the Defense being the root cause.

 

[AstroDan]

considering the injury bug, what did you expect exactly??? Undefeated? High powered scoring machine?

Undefeated, no.
Reasonably high-powered, yes. Recently (L12 games) shut out by Boston, LA and Edmonton. 1 goal vs Calgary, Winnipeg, Washington (SO W), Chicago (SO W).
Not counting SO goals, 6 GF in L6 games.

My disappointment is a seemingly, languid approach to (lesser) teams, willingness to sit on 1 goal leads with lots of time left and lack of production from some big names (Marleau, Burns, Thornton, Havlat). All this in the last 10 or so games...
If it weren't for the awesome goaltending SJ enjoys on most nights, we'd be fighting for a WC spot, like Vancouver.

 

[sharkbite3]

Letdown - Kennedy
Surprise - Wingels (I expected good things but he's surpassed my hopes).

 

[SHAR KS]

I think you nailed it. For the letdown, Couture is my #2, but he deserves some slack because he's been injured. He's still my 2nd favourite player in the NHL though. Recently, Burns has been a letdown, but it's not like he's played really poorly, just bad luck. If not Hannan, if say Wingels is a good choice for surprise, or perhaps Braun.

Why would couture be a let down? 35 points in 43 games and had a stretch where nothing would go in. Plus he was playing with an injured hand for awhile and still manage to go on a little streak before going on ir. Also doesn't he face the toughest competition on the Sharks.?

 

[SJeasy]

Demers,Boyle,Irwin,Stuart have all been in and out of the lineup for multiple games. I feel the injuries to all the F's has had a bigger impact on the transition game than the Defense being the root cause.

The Sharks early season transition play came from fast exits primarily. You can tell by the where the points are. The Sharks blueline was grabbing second asssists to beat the band (and a few goals as trailers). Teams that base transition out of the neutral zone don't get so many points for the blueline (eg Nashville, NJ). Don't look at the #1 blueliner, look at the secondary guys. For the Sharks, speed of transition is blueline based. Yes, the forwards have to make themselves available, but it is primarily the blueliners that start the play and it is the speed of that play that determines whether their will be a fast transition. Look at how deep the points go for the Chicago blueline which is THE fast exit team.

Compared to other teams, the Sharks blueline has been healthy. They are one of the few teams that has gone no lower than the 7th dman in the lineup. They have not had two blueliners out at the same time.

 

[Led Zappa]

The Sharks early season transition play came from fast exits primarily. You can tell by the where the points are. The Sharks blueline was grabbing second asssists to beat the band (and a few goals as trailers). Teams that base transition out of the neutral zone don't get so many points for the blueline (eg Nashville, NJ). Don't look at the #1 blueliner, look at the secondary guys. For the Sharks, speed of transition is blueline based. Yes, the forwards have to make themselves available, but it is primarily the blueliners that start the play and it is the speed of that play that determines whether their will be a fast transition. Look at how deep the points go for the Chicago blueline which is THE fast exit team.

Compared to other teams, the Sharks blueline has been healthy. They are one of the few teams that has gone no lower than the 7th dman in the lineup. They have not had two blueliners out at the same time.

A lot of it IS based on the total defensive effort. We have been having a problem just getting it out lately and a lot of that can be attributed to the forwards. Especially Couture's absence. If the forwards have to concentrate on just helping get the puck out and not getting scored on they can't be available for a pass.

I'll wait to see how our game is after the break to make sweeping judgements as to what the coaches want us to do and what we can do.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

A lot of it IS based on the total defensive effort. We have been having a problem just getting it out lately and a lot of that can be attributed to the forwards. Especially Couture's absence. If the forwards have to concentrate on just helping get the puck out and not getting scored on they can't be available for a pass.

I'll wait to see how our game is after the break to make sweeping judgements as to what the coaches want us to do and what we can do.

Also no one seems to take into account that other teams scout and adjust to the Sharks and vice versa. What worked early in the season isn't going to necessarily going to work now. The Sharks don't have issues getting the puck out of the zone, no more than any other team. They are having issues coming through the neutral zone and making good dump ins. The dump ins haven't been very efficient. Too many hard wraps that help the opposing team break out.

 

[SJeasy]

A lot of it IS based on the total defensive effort. We have been having a problem just getting it out lately and a lot of that can be attributed to the forwards. Especially Couture's absence. If the forwards have to concentrate on just helping get the puck out and not getting scored on they can't be available for a pass.

I'll wait to see how our game is after the break to make sweeping judgements as to what the coaches want us to do and what we can do.

It is also willingness to release at least one wing (frequently coach's choice). I agree there. I wouldn't put it on "defensive effort". Before Couture went out, they had already dispensed with fast transition. I also agree with there being a problem lately in just getting it out at all. They should have had no problem getting it out against Philly and Dallas shouldn't be that much of a problem either.

Early in the season the coaches acknowledged speed of play (exits) and it was executed. They have occasionally supported that lately only the execution has been lacking. And sometimes, they have spoken of it and the play on ice did not support the statement (all five players low in the zone).

 

[SJGoalie32]

The Sharks early season transition play came from fast exits primarily. You can tell by the where the points are. The Sharks blueline was grabbing second asssists to beat the band (and a few goals as trailers). Teams that base transition out of the neutral zone don't get so many points for the blueline (eg Nashville, NJ). Don't look at the #1 blueliner, look at the secondary guys. For the Sharks, speed of transition is blueline based. Yes, the forwards have to make themselves available, but it is primarily the blueliners that start the play and it is the speed of that play that determines whether their will be a fast transition. Look at how deep the points go for the Chicago blueline which is THE fast exit team.

Compared to other teams, the Sharks blueline has been healthy. They are one of the few teams that has gone no lower than the 7th dman in the lineup. They have not had two blueliners out at the same time.

I noticed the drop in the up-tempo style of play, too.

Just spitballing here.....but I wonder if the injuries and fatigue have contributed seriously to that decline.

I know you evidenced that the Sharks haven't had to dip below their 7th defender, but injuries that hinder a player can still have an effect even if they aren't serious enough to remove that player from the line up. If half of your defensemen are 15+% slower in January than they were in October (due to a combination of injury, fatigue, or both, with no opportunity for recovery) that slows your game down and necessarily forces a change in your playing style. I know other teams battle injuries and fatigue, too, but if they only suffer a 5-10% drop-off.....

Boyle, Stuart, and Hannan are all on the older side, Vlasic is heading off to Sochi, and many of the other key skaters getting a lot of ice time aren't exactly spring chickens either. October and November might have been fine for that style, but those guys probably couldn't keep that pace going every other day for 4 straight months.

Hopefully they revive it in March.....or perhaps can keep their legs fresh enough to really play to that level in April/May. But right now, they look a bit like a team in need of a lengthy pit stop.

 

[hockeyball]

I noticed the drop in the up-tempo style of play, too.

Just spitballing here.....but I wonder if the injuries and fatigue have contributed seriously to that decline.

I know you evidenced that the Sharks haven't had to dip below their 7th defender, but injuries that hinder a player can still have an effect even if they aren't serious enough to remove that player from the line up. If half of your defensemen are 15+% slower in January than they were in October (due to a combination of injury, fatigue, or both, with no opportunity for recovery) that slows your game down and necessarily forces a change in your playing style. I know other teams battle injuries and fatigue, too, but if they only suffer a 5-10% drop-off.....

Boyle, Stuart, and Hannan are all on the older side, and many of the other key skaters getting a lot of ice time aren't exactly spring chickens either. October and November might have been fine for that style.....but 3-4 months into a long season, playing games an average of once every other day.....those guys probably couldn't keep that pace going for 4 straight months.

Hopefully they revive it in March.....or perhaps can keep their legs fresh enough to really play to that level in April/May. But right now, they look a bit like a team in need of a lengthy pit stop.

I blame this almost completely on fatigue and confidence. Mostly confidence in the goaltending, so they are playing hyper-conservative hockey to try and cover for it. This is leading to a lack of scoring, and a LOT of mistakes because it's not the system they are used to or the roster is built for.

Sharks need a few weeks off and they NEED either Niemi to start playing like previous seasons immediately, or Stalock to play a lot more often so the guys can build some confidence in him (assuming he doesn't falter).

 

[SJGoalie32]

I blame this almost completely on fatigue and confidence. Mostly confidence in the goaltending, so they are playing hyper-conservative hockey to try and cover for it. This is leading to a lack of scoring, and a LOT of mistakes because it's not the system they are used to or the roster is built for.

Fatigue, yes. A lack of confidence in their goalie, I'm not sold on that.

In the first 8 games of the season the Sharks scored 4 or more goals in regulation six times, three of those times scoring 6 or better. They've only had six 4+ goal games over the last 2 months, with only one 6-goal game since mid-October.

When you're scoring 4+ goals in 75% of your games, goaltending becomes almost irrelevant (aka: "The 2010 Chicago Blackhawks Championship Story"). Goaltending confidence isn't why they were averaging nearly 4 goals the entire 1st month of the season, and I don't think the lack of confidence adequately explains why their scoring rate suddenly dropped more than a goal per game in the months since.

The Sharks have mustered just 8 goals (in regulation) over their last 8 games, have been held to less than 30 shots on goal 4 times in that span, and that has resulted in just 1 regulation victory.

Niemi hasn't been stellar of late, but Niemi (or confidence in him) hasn't been the major issue. Heck, Stalock started 3 of those games, and played in a fourth. Their combined GAA over the last 8 games (discounting for empty netters) is sub-2.00. That's pretty good. The problem is, the Sharks offensive production has been sub-1.00.

Sharks need a few weeks off and they NEED either Niemi to start playing like previous seasons immediately, or Stalock to play a lot more often so the guys can build some confidence in him (assuming he doesn't falter).

Definitely agree with the need for rest, I definitely want Stalock to get more playing time, and I would certainly never say no to Niemi regaining his form from last year. But from a larger perspective, if the Sharks can go back to scoring 3.8-4+ goals per game instead of 1, it really makes no difference if Niemi's GAA is closer to 2.60 than 2.20.

 

[Kcoyote3]

Letdown- Niemi, Stuart
Surprises- Stalock, Hertl, Hannan, Wingels

 

[FSS]

I'm not concerned with the goaltending, regardless of if Niemi or Stalock is in net. The D is solid overall, although Stuart gives me heartburn. The problem with this team is goal scoring since the Hertl injury.

Before Hertl's Injury - 34 games, 109 goals - 3.21 AVG

After Hertl's Injury - 24 games, 56 goals - 2.33 AVG

Granted, other injuries since Hertl's have only made matters worse, but we just aren't scoring goals the way we we used to. That's why I'm very optimistic that if Couture and Torres are healthy for the playoffs, plus Burish back, possibly make a trade for a F...we'll be set up for a very nice playoff run. Even more so if Hertl comes back for the playoffs, but I'm not very confident in that happening.

*I calculated those #'s on a napkin, from the W-L record starting with the 4-1 loss to LA, so if they're not exact...sue me. Shootout "goal" was removed.

**If someone else wants to do the GAA pre & post Hertl, be my guest...my napkin math is done for the day.