GDT: Game #16 • San Jose Sharks @ Chicago Blackhawks • February 22, 2013 • 5:30pm PST

[Evincar]

I agree, the Sharks have reverted back to playing a boring grind it out style of hockey again. It feels like the staff placed too much enphasis on the safe and passive play, which is way too predictable, and punishes players whenever they try and take chances. Teams are too good these days, and you're not going to be scoring many goals unless you take more chances.

A lot of people criticize the Blues, Coyotes, and Preds for playing a grinding defensive style of game, but the Sharks are even worse than they are.

Those teams choose to play defense first. The Sharks are just struggling to score.

 

[McSkittlez]

Please take Clowe out of the top 6. I rather see Galiardi up there but they are misusing him badly.

 

[Nighthock]

Fire McLellan. Blow it up.

 

[Lazyking]

Those teams choose to play defense first. The Sharks are just struggling to score.

This. Not only that, but we don't have great puck movers speed guys.. Boyle is getting old if he's not already and when a team clogs up the middle, all the sharks can do is dump and chase.

Finally, Clowe has been awful and Havlat too..

 

[Alwalys]

I think it's time to bring Irwin back up to fix this ****.

 

[Coily]

Clowe with a headbutt.

Hahahah Clowe what a guy.

 

[Sharksfan83]

I think it's time to bring Irwin back up to fix this ****.

Because Irwin is going to be the scoring forward we need.

 

[Alwalys]

Because Irwin is going to be the scoring forward we need.

The presence of irwin causes temporospatial shifts that cause pucks to enter the net at a higher rate.

 

[do0glas]

The fact that tmac is icing the players he is means he is secure in his position. He's not going anywhere.

 

[SactoShark]

The fact that tmac is icing the players he is means he is secure in his position. He's not going anywhere.

I kinda agree with you, but there has been plenty of precedence of coaches retaining roster control up until they were fired for it. The most glaring I can think of off the top of my head was Barry Melrose saying Stamkos wasn't ready for the NHL.

 

[Grave]

I'm not as down as most people are on the team but I'm starting to think some of these players just need a change of scenery. If this tailspin continues the only logical thing would be Mclellan getting axed and then some of the top six being moved out.

I don't want it to happen but it seems like this team might need a step on your balls coach instead of two buddy player oriented coaches.

I would of have had more respect for this team if someone got suspended for responding to what Shaw did. Kinda reminds me of the Bruce Boudreau speech on 24/7.

 

[THEALLKNOWING*]

Wild STH here. Not that Seto has done much, picks are unknown, but Brent Burns at $5.8MM-plus a huge mistake by your GM. He didn't do much last year, 0g 0a -5 this year in a handful of games. His appeal has been on the offensive side of the ledger. But he has always been an absolute defensive liability, which more than offsets what he brings offensively. At $3MM-$4MM per, that would have been appropriate. One of our GM's best decisions was not trying to keep him.

 

[Hopper15]

Fire McLellan. Blow it up.

+1

Time to rebuild.

 

[Sharksfan83]

Wild STH here. Not that Seto has done much, picks are unknown, but Brent Burns at $5.8MM-plus a huge mistake by your GM. He didn't do much last year, 0g 0a -5 this year in a handful of games. His appeal has been on the offensive side of the ledger. But he has always been an absolute defensive liability, which more than offsets what he brings offensively. At $3MM-$4MM per, that would have been appropriate. One of our GM's best decisions was not trying to keep him.

That's dumb, stop looking at scoring stats and watch a hockey game. He is worth his price tag easily. Last year in the second half, he was awesome. He is NOT a defensive liability by any stretch.

 

[19sharks19]

This. Not only that, but we don't have great puck movers speed guys.. Boyle is getting old if he's not already and when a team clogs up the middle, all the sharks can do is dump and chase.

Finally, Clowe has been awful and Havlat too..

True, Clowe and Havlat have really, really got to step it up if any success is to be acheived.

Simple fact: teams know we have little to nothing from our bottom six and simply focus their best defence on our top two lines knowing their is pretty much nothing following, zero. Adding Havlat and Clowe to that 'nothing following' mix spells trouble. Previously Kennedy looked pretty good beside Couture the past couple games and last night, put him beside Handzus and, nada. That is also why Gomez has looked so awful anywhere in the current bottom 6 mix as well.

I know Todd will never drop Handzus but, the likes of Burish and Galiardi bring absolutely zero. Desi is a decent fourth liner but I think playing alongside those two make even him look worse. D.W. has got to get his mind straight and somehow drop or rid those two from this team a.s.a.p., even though I doubt he will on the Burish front as I can't see any GM will grab that silly contract for that role a player and whom produces zero to add.

Put Kennedy back beside Couture and Havlat and drop Clowe to the third line with Gomez and Wingels. Desi, Handzus and Burish (no choice here) on the fourth. When Sheppard comes back, sit Burish.

 

[Iron Chef]

Wild STH here. Not that Seto has done much, picks are unknown, but Brent Burns at $5.8MM-plus a huge mistake by your GM. He didn't do much last year, 0g 0a -5 this year in a handful of games. His appeal has been on the offensive side of the ledger. But he has always been an absolute defensive liability, which more than offsets what he brings offensively. At $3MM-$4MM per, that would have been appropriate. One of our GM's best decisions was not trying to keep him.

Everyone makes mistakes. Hes absolutely worth the price.

 

[hockeyball]

Wild STH here. Not that Seto has done much, picks are unknown, but Brent Burns at $5.8MM-plus a huge mistake by your GM. He didn't do much last year, 0g 0a -5 this year in a handful of games. His appeal has been on the offensive side of the ledger. But he has always been an absolute defensive liability, which more than offsets what he brings offensively. At $3MM-$4MM per, that would have been appropriate. One of our GM's best decisions was not trying to keep him.

You do realize he has only played in 5 games yes?

 

[JPE123]

Wings fan here coming in peace. I really like your team. With the load of talent of you have, it's gotta be hard to watch the team struggle as they have lately. I'm in the camp that you don't change all the soldiers but time for a new general.

 

[JPE123]

The hilarious thing about where the Sharks and Hawks are as teams currently? According to CapGeek, the Sharks currently have the 5th most expensive roster with only $3.1M cap space left and Chicago has the 6th most expensive roster with $3.2M cap space left. How the team that just got off to the best start ever ends up being cheaper (to be fair, only just) than a team that only has one line that you have to shut down--which currently in itself is not that hard--is beyond me.

Chicago has a couple of goalies playing way above their head. Crawford and Emery have never been more than average. And they have D men playing very well in front of them. I guess that's why they call it a streak. It eventually ends but you never when.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

Wings fan here coming in peace. I really like your team. With the load of talent of you have, it's gotta be hard to watch the team struggle as they have lately. I'm in the camp that you don't change all the soldiers but time for a new general.

Thanks for the kind words.

Yep. We have been saying that for a bit now. Other teams have figured us out. Their coaches make strategic adjustments to overcome our strengths which is matched from our coach by .... juggling the lines.

 

[lsx]

Thanks for the kind words.

Yep. We have been saying that for a bit now. Other teams have figured us out. Their coaches make strategic adjustments to overcome our strengths which is matched from our coach by .... juggling the lines.

We must believe in the PROcess.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

Everyone makes mistakes. Hes absolutely worth the price.

He's the 16th highest paid d-man in the league. You think Burns is worth it? Seriously??

 

[Led Zappa]

He's the 16th highest paid d-man in the league. You think Burns is worth it? Seriously??

Here are the comparable's. How is his contract so out of line? Would you rather have Carle? And he was essentially a UFA who actually signed with the Sharks. Who else in this group would have signed with the Sharks to a contract length the Sharks would have done? Etc... etc... ect...

I sorted by Age and then Salary Cap.

Name | Age | Team | Length | Start | Expiry | Salary | Cap Hit | Cap Pct | Delta
Karlsson, Erik | 22 | OTT | 7 | 2012 | 2019 | $5,000,000 | $6,500,000 | 9.26% | $740,000 |
Myers, Tyler | 23 | BUF | 7 | 2012 | 2019 | $12,000,000 | $5,500,000 | 7.83% | $260,000 |
Yandle, Keith | 26 | PHX | 5 | 2011 | 2016 | $5,000,000 | $5,250,000 | 8.16% | $510,000 |
Byfuglien, Dustin | 27 | WIN | 5 | 2011 | 2016 | $4,250,000 | $5,200,000 | 8.09% | $560,000 |
Burns, Brent | 27 | SJS | 5 | 2012 | 2017 | $5,760,000 | $5,760,000 | 8.21% | $0 |
Seabrook, Brent | 27 | CHI | 5 | 2011 | 2016 | $7,000,000 | $5,800,000 | 9.02% | $40,000 |
Green, Mike | 27 | WAS | 3 | 2012 | 2015 | $6,000,000 | $6,083,333 | 8.67% | $323,333 |
Phaneuf Dion | 27 | TOR | 6 | 2008 | 2014 | $6,500,000 | $6,500,000 | 11.46% | $740,000 |
Carle, Matt | 28 | TBL | 6 | 2012 | 2018 | $5,000,000 | $5,500,000 | 7.83% | $260,000 |
Wideman, Dennis | 29 | CGY | 5 | 2012 | 2017 | $5,000,000 | $5,250,000 | 7.48% | $510,000 |
Wisniewski, James | 29 | CLB | 6 | 2011 | 2017 | $7,000,000 | $5,500,000 | 8.55% | $260,000 |
Keith, Duncan | 29 | CHI | 13 | 2010 | 2023 | $8,000,000 | $5,538,462 | 9.32% | $221,538 |
Bouwmeester, Jay | 29 | CGY | 5 | 2009 | 2014 | $6,600,000 | $6,680,000 | 11.76% | $920,000 |
Martin, Paul | 31 | PIT | 5 | 2010 | 2015 | $4,000,000 | $5,000,000 | 8.42% | $760,000 |
Kronwall, Niklas | 32 | DET | 7 | 2012 | 2019 | $4,500,000 | $4,750,000 | 6.77% | $1,010,000 |

 

[spintheblackcircle]

You make it sound that overpaying Burns was the only option. He's not worth the contract, just because a bunch of others are overpaid doesn't mean the Sharks had to. I would only take Burns over 4 on that list, BTW.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

You make it sound that overpaying Burns was the only option. He's not worth the contract, just because a bunch of others are overpaid doesn't mean the Sharks had to. I would only take Burns over 4 on that list, BTW.

Time will tell if Burns is worth it or not. But based on the market value at the time Burns contract was signed .. it was a good deal. Hindsight is 20/20 right?