GDT: PS game 4: Sharks vs Utah 7pm streamed on sharks.nhl.com

[tiburon12]

Honestly Smith looked legit. You are going to have to surround him with quality players but I think he's special

This year will be a lot of him figuring it out. He attempted a few plays tonight that didn't work that i suspect he won't try this time next year.

 

[BaileyMacTavish]

Honestly I think lost it. 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2023, and now. WHEN WILL THE PAIN END?????

 

[karltonian]

wtf the office went home without making a statement? what kind of bush league psych out stuff is this?

 

[tiburon12]

View attachment 911628Honestly I think lost it. 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2023, and now. WHEN WILL THE PAIN END?????

some of us have already teetered over the edge where pain from the sharks is just as tolerated as foot or lower back pain. It's part of daily life now

 

[StrawHatEklund]

Was one of 8,562 fans at the game. Much more exciting to watch than Ducks game last Tuesday. Really was a buzz kill after Celebrini went down. But hopefully it’s precautionary. Team looked solid for how we’re built right now.

 

[DG93]

I just smashed my TV in front of 30 guests at my party because of the game. My wife just took our crying kids and said they’re all spending the week at a hotel. This team has ruined my life and my party. I can’t handle this anymore. Goodbye Sharks. I am no longer a fan.

Sounds like a typical Tuesday, cya tomorrow!

In all seriousness, went to the game. Was definitely fun until Macklin gotten taken out (hoping that this was precautionary...)

The Good:
1) Celebrini is as advertised...he will get bumps/bruises and have some fluctuations in his performance, but he'll be just fine
2) Smith will struggle vs NHLers but man did that talent bubble to the surface as soon as he got put on a line with some actual talent/IQ on it (ie Eklund and Toffoli), fun to watch him start to create things
3) Eklund looks good, and I think he will continue to grow into a 2-way top-6 wing role. Very smart player
4) Graf and Thompson quietly looked good and are probably on the short-list of injury callups. Thompson was mostly invisible, which given his role is a good thing. Also makes a great breakout pass. Graf definitely has the "B game" and can make it in a bottom-6 role I think with some refinement unlike guys like Bordeleau, Kostin, etc.
5) Cagnoni definitely has poise with the puck, particularly on the PP when he has more time and space. A lot of work to do in the AHL on refining his game to make it, but I definitely see where the 3rd pair LD (with the right partner) at evens and PPQB thought comes from
6) Walman-Ceci is a solid pair and while they will get obliterated by top lines, they are definitely top-4 defensemen and would be a good 2nd pair
7) Zetterlund and Blackwood look like themselves from last year, hopefully that continues

The Bad:
1) Wennberg definitely struggled a bit but I also feel bad for him given the linemates...
2) Goodrow looked okay (definitely overpaid by 2.5M but whatever) but why is he not on the 4th line? With how much Goodrow-Wennberg-Kunin has been together, I'm worried that this will be the third line...oh boy
3) Why is Grundstrom being paid 1.8M per year exactly? I know he played with 2 AHL plugs today, but seems like an average 4th liner overpaid by 1M+
4) Ferraro as we already know doesn't look good as the primary puckhandler on his D pair...I feel bad for him as he can be a solid defenseman otherwise

The Ugly:
1) Welcome back Matt Benning and please stop playing the puck at all costs because it looks like a grenade...good lord
2) Thank the lord Luke Kunin is only signed for one more year...that third line oof

Happy to hear feedback obviously but those are my observations from the game, and the chart Jux posted above seems to confirm a lot of this...?

 

[Beethovens 10th]

Not to add to the doom and gloom round here, but this did just pop up for sale in the Sharks webstore for low low price of $3,999.99:

Though in poor taste, I’m actually impressed the merch team was able to turn this one around so fast. Gotta respect that they’re all-in on capitalizing on the Macklin hype. It’s just good business.



(Just in case, joke alert! Ha ha ha. No, this isn’t available in the webstore. You’re gonna have to go full custom and it’s gonna cost way more than you got in your FSA.)

Macklin will be fine. Kid’s barely 18. I’d be shocked if he missed the opener. He needs a nap and some Lunchables and he’ll be skating in the morning.