Was at the game last night, some thoughts:
The Good:
1) Walman is so much fun to watch in person. His skating and edgework is phenomenal. He glides all over the ice and never seems to be out of position. I hope the Sharks hang onto him long enough to pair him with an actual NHL defenseman.
2) Granlund and Eklund. By far the two best forwards. Both got a little gassed as the game went on, and it would be nice if one of them didn't have a muffin for a shot, but they controlled play for long stretches. Played with a bit of an edge too.
3) Blackwood. Lost count of how many great saves he made, especially through traffic.
The Bad:
1) The D, outside of Walman was as bad as advertised. Made a mediocre Duck teams look elite, they were cycling at will, especially from the second period on. Walman is also the only one who can make an outlet pass. Thrun was particularly disappointing, he looked lost and uncomfortable.
2) The team badly needs a shooter. Toffoli can rip it, but he has trouble creating his own shot.
3) The refs. I was praying that the second Ducks goal wouldn't hold up, because it came from a terrible tripping call. Thrun was also high-sticked twice in a short period of time (possibly in the same shift) without a call.
The OK:
1) Smith. I paid close attention to him all game, since he was the guy I wanted to watch the most with Mack out. He had some bad giveaways and got knocked off the puck several times, but the talent is there, and for a 19-year-old in the NHL, I don't think he looked out of place. I honestly don't have a good answer on whether or not he should be sent down. The emotional part of me wants to see him learn at the NHL level, but at the same time he's not going to get points and build confidence playing alongside offensive black holes like Goodrow and Dellandrea. I hope the Sharks leave him in the lineup for an extended period with Mack healthy, before making that decision.