Why we should follow the Worcester Sharks
May 1st, 2009, 12:54 pm
Sharks playoff hockey isn’t over….
I am going to fulfill my hockey addiction by following the Calder Cup playoff chase and our very own AHL affiliate, the Worcester Sharks, in their battle with the Providence Bruins. Game One has already been played, a 2OT loss in Providence where Jamie McGinn scored two goals, but the Sharks dropped the contest 3-2.
Why should you drop the $8/per game to watch AHL hockey online? Well, with the many roster decisions Doug Wilson has on the horizon, it will allow you a sneak peek into some of the prospects that will play a major role in what happens this offseason.
Exhibit A: Jamie McGinn – He is going to be on the big club next year. Will a top nine forward be moved in order to make room for him to get important minutes? I think it’s very possible.
Exhibit B: Thomas Griess – Better than 50/50 that Greiss is backing up Nabby next year and this kid could be the future of the San Jose Sharks in net. His 2.02 GAA and .922% Save Pct in seven Calder playoff games is the type of performance we could have used against Anaheim…..
Exhibit C: Derek Joslin, Mike Moore and Nick Petrecki – One of these three defensemen could find themselves playing a regular top six shift for the San Jose Sharks next year. Time to check them out and see what they have to offer when they play major minutes. Joslin and Moore both wear an “A” for Worcester, Joslin’s numbers and AHL All Star game selection suggest he could be an effective puck mover if given the chance. Moore just loves to lay people out. Petrecki has yet to suit up after signing recently….I would imagine DW demands he get ice time so the GM can take a look for himself.
Exhibit D: Logan Couture – I watched him dominate the OHL playoff game as the go-to guy for the Ottawa 67’s. He has size, speed and scoring touch. He isn’t afraid to play physical, from what I saw. Not too far fetched to think he might be a player in the San Jose Sharks future in the next year, or so….
Exhibit E: Any role player on the Worcester roster (Staubitz, Armstrong, Vesce, Cavanaugh, etc) will get a long look to see if they can play a role on a San Jose 4th line or as a healthy scratch. They have an opportunity to make a case for Plihal/Goc/Lemieux’s roster spot.
Check it out. Their next game is Tuesday, May 5 and you can watch it online for $8 at this website. I think it’s worth the money….then again I have a hockey problem. Sharkspage has great Worcester coverage and recaps if that’s more your speed.
So the playoffs aren’t over. I’ve always dreamed of Brad Staubitz raising the Calder in front of 2000 people wearing Red Sox caps, haven’t you?
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Backing up Nabby? After the comments made by Doug Wilson about reviewing every bodies performance, I’d be sweating a bit if I was Nabokov. Well, if I was Nabokov and wanted to be a starting goalie and remain in SJ.
Though, to be fair to him, it is a contract year coming up.
I expect DW to trade Michalek and Cheechoo and probably let Clowe get signed to an offer sheet. Michalek has never showed up for the playoffs, unless it’s in the highlight reel as the target of a great hit. Cheechoo isn’t the style of player that McLellan wants to use in his system and Clowe, while I love the guy and want him to stay, will be too expensive and Doug Wilson will use that as a way to get some good draft picks.
I fully expect Joe and Patty to remain. Joe showed up for the playoffs, even Getzlaf didn’t have points in every game. Patty had 2 GWG’s in the playoffs, our only GWG’s in the playoffs, and that was on a sprained MCL. Having jacked up my knee before, I can sympathize a bit. I could barely walk and he’s out there playing playoff hockey?
As far as Worcester boys go. I have hopes for Greiss, people always say the Sharks have some of the best goal tending prospects, it’s about time we prove it and bring these guys up for some games next year. That means Boucher will be finding a new team and Nabby will get fewer games, if he’s even still around.
I’ve only seen highlights of Couture so far, but they’re pretty good highlights. I guess I’ll drop 8 bucks here and there to see some more Shark’s playoff hockey.
Sad isn’t it that we have to resort to this instead of enjoying at least the annual second round. I’m in Raleign right now, and it pains me to see all the NHL symbols, and hear all the playoff coverage and not hear a word about the Sharks.
Anyway. Personally, I care more about Pavelski, Michalek and Vlasic than I care about McGinn or Staubitz, so I decided if I watch any hockey, it’s IIHF World’s. Besides, it’s really easy to find a free stream. If you’d like to watch any of the games, let me know and I’ll email you the links.
Evilducks
Personally, I expect Marleau to be gone. JR hinted about that saying sometimes you need a change of scenery to get to the next level. I also liked the comment by Pronger on Jim Rome –
‘On another topic, Rome also asked Pronger about playing in a less-intense hockey market like Southern California, specifically whether that atmosphere effects a player’s approach, and Pronger said it does. “I think if you’re younger and you’re not seasoned, you don’t understand what it takes to play in this league, that can effect you,” he said. “You might relax. You might take a couple of days off and not come and stay focused and be prepared. You’ve got to understand what it takes day in and day out to play the game.”’
If that doesn’t perfectly describe our young guys and especially Marleau who’s never had to live under media scrutiny until the past two off seasons, than I don’t know what does. I also think it’s the reason why our young players choke in playoffs, while others, like Kane, Toews, Malkin go out there and perform even better in playoffs than in a regular season – because they’re playing in a big market and they’re used to pressure.
But of course there are exceptions like Getzlaf or E. Staal who perform in playoffs from the Day 1 no matter what market they’re in.
Ivan,
I’ve been thinking about that to in regards to Marleau, but I still don’t think he leaves. At least if I’m wrong then this year DW could get a lot for him, unlike last year when his output stunk.
I don’t buy that the pressure in Chicago is any greater than SJ. Hell, nobody even cared about that team until those two showed up to spark interest. They’ve put more pressure on Chicago to be a hockey town than Chicago has put on them to perform. They put the pressure on themselves to make the playoffs and perform.
In Anaheim, there is no pressure. Nobody cares about that team, they can’t even sell out a playoff game. There are no expectations, no reputations, no anything except bandwagon fans who show up when the Stanely Cup finals roll around. There is pressure in SJ to perform, maybe not Canadians style pressure, but we’re not talking a relaxing day in the sun pressure like they have in SoCal. People are too busy going to regular season baseball games or playoff basketball games to care about what happens in that goofy sport from the north where it’s cold.
In Pitt all the pressure is on the poster boy and not Malkin. I think Malkin has so little pressure that he pushes himself to produce so he gets noticed over the leagues public face. Malkin is a better player than Sid imho, and nobody will ever really see it with them in the same town. This isn’t to say I wouldn’t take either of them on my team in a heartbeat.
Besides, aside from this year and one previous series, Marleau has been a beast in the post season for the Sharks. Even last year the man practically carried us out of Calgary and gave us a fighting chance in Dallas. Too little too late, but one guy can’t do it every game, and I’ve yet to see anybody aside from a goalie do it on their own.
“I don’t buy that the pressure in Chicago is any greater than SJ. Hell, nobody even cared about that team until those two showed up to spark interest.”
Those two statements couldn’t be any more false. You’re talking about an original 6 team in a city with die hard fans in all four sports. Maybe the rest of the country forgot about the Hawks until Toews and Kane showed up (due to their playoff drought), but there is no doubt that Hawks fans cared. They’re hardcore. One of the best hockey markets in the country. It’s good to see them back in the post season.
If Chicago was one of the “best hockey markets in the US” then why was the attendance so poor until those two showed up and started sniffing at playoff contention? Sure, a few thousand die hard fans remained, but they were largely forgotten in a city with the Bears, Cubs, White Sox, and Bulls.
Just because a team was in the original 6, doesn’t mean the fan base is rabbid. Nostalgia only gets you so far. Hell, the Islanders were a dynasty a few decades ago and now their fan base is largely gone and their arena is crap.
My period of grieving is now over and I finally got a chance to listen to the last podcast. The point you had about the Sharks conditioning was interesting. I’m not so sure if it’s their conditioning, but maybe they were burned out and overworked by the post-season? Could McLellan have run them too hard in the regular season to get the President’s Trophy? I know by the end the top 2 lines were getting more rest, but was it already too late, or was it just the great start getting into the players’ heads allowing them to coast into the playoffs without being at the top of their game?