GDT: Game 32. Meet me in St Louis 5pm

[weastern bias]

I’m not sure “mismanagement by the coach” is particularly fair. Eklund has actually responded very positively when he’s been demoted like this and he VERY quickly moves up the lineup. He’s still young and rather than necessarily see it as a demotion you can see it as being placed on a line where he doesn’t need to worry about scoring — he needs to worry about fighting for each puck, working hard, etc. These guys are still being developed, it’s not a bad lesson to learn for him.

He’ll be up the lineup by the 2nd period, I’m sure.

The mismanagement was separating Eklund and Celebrini in the first place, that pairing is our most consistently effective forward pair on the roster, he's screwing around with something that was working and punishing Eklund for being taken out of a good situation

 

[timorous me]

He’ll be up the lineup by the 2nd period, I’m sure.

Once the Sharks are already down by three goals

 

[Original22]

Fourgiev lives up to his name but the Sharks come out hot, 6-4 Sharks

Celebrini x2, Eklund x2, Granlund, Kovalenko

Saad, Suter, Kyrou, Bolduc

 

[Juxtaposer]

I’m not sure “mismanagement by the coach” is particularly fair. Eklund has actually responded very positively when he’s been demoted like this and he VERY quickly moves up the lineup. He’s still young and rather than necessarily see it as a demotion you can see it as being placed on a line where he doesn’t need to worry about scoring — he needs to worry about fighting for each puck, working hard, etc. These guys are still being developed, it’s not a bad lesson to learn for him.

He’ll be up the lineup by the 2nd period, I’m sure.

Eklund will respond to this "demotion" by playing balls out, get promoted, have a stretch of great games, settle down, then get "demoted" again because he isn't going balls out to "earn" his spot.

Eklund should not have to be going at 100% effort level every single game in order to stay in the top-6. That's the problem. Coach needs to accept that sometimes guys have to play a game or two at 80%. It's a long f***ing season. Toffoli has been at 80% for about half the season and I'm completely fine with that because he knows when he needs to step up the effort. I believe Eklund knows too. But only Eklund (and to some degree Zetterlund) seem to be getting punished for not playing at 100% capacity all the time.

Can anyone here truly say that they go 100% at their jobs 100% of the time?

 

[Jargon]

Eklund will respond to this "demotion" by playing balls out, get promoted, have a stretch of great games, settle down, then get "demoted" again because he isn't going balls out to "earn" his spot.

Eklund should not have to be going at 100% effort level every single game in order to stay in the top-6. That's the problem. Coach needs to accept that sometimes guys have to play a game or two at 80%. It's a long f***ing season. Toffoli has been at 80% for about half the season and I'm completely fine with that because he knows when he needs to step up the effort. I believe Eklund knows too. But only Eklund (and to some degree Zetterlund) seem to be getting punished for not playing at 100% capacity all the time.

Can anyone here truly say that they go 100% at their jobs 100% of the time?

Honestly, I give it 110% and *always* keep my head on a swivel.

I think that the 4th line thing is also to focus him more on playing the “right way” and not cheating for offense. To be honest, I watched the last two games while also doing work (110%) so I’m not sure if he *wasn’t* but that’s how it reads to me. It’s not a bad lesson to learn, particularly for a kid.

 

[LadyStanley]

 

[Juxtaposer]

Honestly, I give it 110% and *always* keep my head on a swivel.

I think that the 4th line thing is also to focus him more on playing the “right way” and not cheating for offense. To be honest, I watched the last two games while also doing work (110%) so I’m not sure if he *wasn’t* but that’s how it reads to me. It’s not a bad lesson to learn, particularly for a kid.

Eklund doesn't ever cheat for offense. When he gets "demoted" it's more about not going 100% on boards battles or on the forecheck or backcheck.

Eklund is a lean 5'10". You simply can't have him go 100% physically all the time and expect him not to have an injury-riddled career. Already it seems like he's constantly on the brink of being held out for nagging injuries.

 

[Star Platinum]

Asking a guy to ball out 100% of the time when you aren't fighting for a playoff spot and punishing him when he doesn't is insane.

I'm convinced vets get the benefit of the doubt because they've figure out the art of convincing their coach that they're working as hard as they possibly can even when they're going at 75%.

Eklund needs to learn how to look annoyed all the time

 

[OverTheLine]

Interesting that when Wario plays lines that make sense, we win games, and when we have our talent players randomly playing in the bottom six and Kostin on PP1 we lose them. Can't put my finger on what the pattern there is.

 

[Saskatoon]

You'll get a Russian goalie and that's close enough.

Georgiev is Askarov from Wish

 

[sharks_dynasty]

Sharks 4 (Eklund, Walman, Kovalenko, Zetterlund)
Blues 2

 

[hockeyCEO]

4-3 Sharks

 

[LadyStanley]

 

[Hangemhigh]

Bloosers 5
Sharks 2 Zetterlund, Kunin

 

[timorous me]

Eklund doesn't ever cheat for offense. When he gets "demoted" it's more about not going 100% on boards battles or on the forecheck or backcheck.

Eklund is a lean 5'10". You simply can't have him go 100% physically all the time and expect him not to have an injury-riddled career. Already it seems like he's constantly on the brink of being held out for nagging injuries.

I would argue that part of the problem for Eklund is that he actually plays a much tougher, more energetic type of game than most guys of his size--and if he always went at like 85%, like most like him, then a coach wouldn't notice or be bothered by him taking it down a notch sometimes (and sometimes I don't think it's even intentional/conscious, but more of his energy being lower just based on a lack of connection with his linemates or just game flow or whatever).

So yeah, very frustrating that he gets this treatment every once in a while. This also came on the heels of the Four Nations news, and while I think we were all hoping that could push him and motivate him more, I can imagine how the disrespect there hurt and maybe got in his head--and it's weird how even his own coaches seem to disrespect or underrate him. I don't get it.

 

[Mike C]

Eklund will respond to this "demotion" by playing balls out, get promoted, have a stretch of great games, settle down, then get "demoted" again because he isn't going balls out to "earn" his spot.

Eklund should not have to be going at 100% effort level every single game in order to stay in the top-6. That's the problem. Coach needs to accept that sometimes guys have to play a game or two at 80%. It's a long f***ing season. Toffoli has been at 80% for about half the season and I'm completely fine with that because he knows when he needs to step up the effort. I believe Eklund knows too. But only Eklund (and to some degree Zetterlund) seem to be getting punished for not playing at 100% capacity all the time.

Can anyone here truly say that they go 100% at their jobs 100% of the time?

I heard an interview with Tom Seaver one time where is said he never pitched at 100 percent effort unless it was a critical point of the game where it was absolutely necessary

He said he always went at 85-90 percent because he didn't want to burn out early and always wanted something in reserve

 

[timorous me]

I heard an interview with Tom Seaver one time where is said he never pitched at 100 percent effort unless it was a critical point of the game where it was absolutely necessary

He said he always went at 85-90 percent because he didn't want to burn out early and always wanted something in reserve

And nowadays you have starting pitchers going 100% all the time, throwing as hard as they can all the time, basically from the time they're kids, or at least in high school age travel ball. And people wonder why there are so many arm injuries now and big league teams "coddle" pitchers once they're on their payroll.

 

[Juxtaposer]

I heard an interview with Tom Seaver one time where is said he never pitched at 100 percent effort unless it was a critical point of the game where it was absolutely necessary

He said he always went at 85-90 percent because he didn't want to burn out early and always wanted something in reserve

Exactly. That's my beef with this situation: Warsofsky needs to give Eklund the freedom to find a level of effort that will still make him very effective but also won't burn him out at game 30 of the season.

Playoff Eklund? Absolutely, ball out William. Regular season game 31 in a tanking season? I want Eklund to find that 85-90% level that he can sustain long-term and gives him room to step up when things get serious.

 

[Lebanezer]

Exactly. That's my beef with this situation: Warsofsky needs to give Eklund the freedom to find a level of effort that will still make him very effective but also won't burn him out at game 30 of the season.

Playoff Eklund? Absolutely, ball out William. Regular season game 31 in a tanking season? I want Eklund to find that 85-90% level that he can sustain long-term and gives him room to step up when things get serious.

I went and saw Mario Lemieux play in 2003 against the Rangers, and he literally skated at about 60% for the entire game, until it was time to make a play on the puck. He had like 4 points.

 

[Mike C]

And nowadays you have starting pitchers going 100% all the time, throwing as hard as they can all the time, basically from the time they're kids, or at least in high school age travel ball. And people wonder why there are so many arm injuries now and big league teams "coddle" pitchers once they're on their payroll.

In the day and age of the 3 inning start and 14 pitchers on a squad

Hate to say it and it wont happen, but, get rid of the DH, then the double switch comes back into play and starters may go at least 5 or 6. Kinda like, well, the way it used to be

 

[sharski]

google outta control w/ this latest YouTubeTV price hike

i might have to start going to one of your houses to catch these games

 

[Mike C]

PS--if Cici is playing, let me know. Listed as game time decision due to illness

Yes, I have him in fantasy!

 

[slocal]

 

[Lebanezer]

 

[gaucholoco3]

I’m not sure “mismanagement by the coach” is particularly fair. Eklund has actually responded very positively when he’s been demoted like this and he VERY quickly moves up the lineup. He’s still young and rather than necessarily see it as a demotion you can see it as being placed on a line where he doesn’t need to worry about scoring — he needs to worry about fighting for each puck, working hard, etc. These guys are still being developed, it’s not a bad lesson to learn for him.

He’ll be up the lineup by the 2nd period, I’m sure.

I completely agree with this. Eklund has not been good the past few games and there is nothing wrong with the coach sending a message for a game. Now if this turns into multiple games then it would be a concern.