DOH 270 – Worst. Outcome. Ever.
May 1st, 2014, 12:14 am
The Sharks become only the fourth team since 1939 to blow a 3-0 series lead; the Dudes and Sharks fans everywhere despair.
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Tags: Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks
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Hey guys,
I’ll explain the 11 year old self bit… that would of course be when I discovered there would be this brand new team called the San Jose Sharks and how awesome would it be to watch a team where I’d know all the history of instead of my former team (The Habs) where all I knew of their period of real greatness was stories from my dad. Last night was probably the first time in the history of this team that I questioned my fandom (the late nights, center ice that I only watch shark games on etc…) but I’m probably coming off of the ledge now. I’ll have more to say later I’m sure probably when things start happening.
the longer it takes for the announcement to come about administrative/coaching changes, the deeper the cuts will be…imo
Watch the first :34 seconds of this interview with Bruins star, Milan Lucic. When asked about their playoff rivals, the Candiens, he says he “hates them”. He is not mincing words and wears his heart on his sleeve. Now compare that to the Sharks stars, Marleau, Pavelski, Thornton, Niemi, etc. typical monotone playoff interviews… “they have a great team, they work hard, their goalie makes key saves, blah , blah, blah”. To summarize my point, the Sharks need to realize this isn’t the PGA and hockey is not a gentleman’s sport. The Kings understand this. The Sharks never will. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeUuxbQDDm4
Who should go: All the “leadership” – Wilson, Tmac, and Thorton.
Who will go: Tmac, DB22, Niemi, Kennedy, Hannan, Havlat, Brown.
Honestly, DB22 is one of the few who played well in the series.
Since Wilson’s won’t get canned, he’ll do what he always does: shuffle the pieces but essentially keep the same losing approach.
Nemo for a 3rd? Halak got a 4th rounder so is it that unlikely nemo could get a 3rd?
I knew we were in trouble after game six during Logan Couture’s post-game interview when he said off-hand that LA is a great team and San Jose is a good team. It was not something he said consciously, but I think it speaks volumes about his belief in the Sharks. I think they’re afraid of LA, and they played like it in the last 4 games.
DW wants Tmac to stay. Which means DW is the part of the problem and needs to go too.
Interesting quote from DW. Saying in response to this question:
(from Working the Corners)
“Q: What is your sense of why that may have happened?
DW: With all due respect to James Sheppard and Matty Irwin, they can’t be your only goal scorers the last three games. You can’t go 0-for-16 on your power play. That’s the way it is. We got beat by a good hockey team, a 100-point hockey team that’s won the cup. They established their game. We all take responsibility.”
Perhaps I’m reading into this too much, but sounds like DW’s “diagnosis” of the problem is the disappearing act of the top scoring players on this team.
So if I use that as a base for trying to figure out W.W.D.W.D … It seems like he blames guys like Jumbo, Patty, Pavs, Couture, Burns etc. In other words; the core of this team.
Given also the fact that DW has ALREADY given a vote of confidence to the coaching staff, saying it’s his recommendation they all remain… I’m left with one conclusion.
That DW’s assessment is that what needs to be addressed with this team lies with the core group of players that disappeared.
Right?
So if as DW also said, “things aren’t going to be status quo”, I have to assume he plans to, or at least wants, to make major roster changes with this team and keep the same philosophy and coaching going forward but with a different roster.
Cause if he wants to stay, wants the coaching staff to stay, then the roster must change in a substantial way.
For the record I think that a mistake. I think the problem IS the system and it starts with DW making it top easy on the top players on this team. That with a passive even-keeled, laid back approach, to me at least, explains why the Sharks are always such a good regular season team and not a great playoff team – and have been this way even after major roster upheaval.
That laid back approach works great over 82 games but when push comes to shove and the Sharks get punched in the gut – they fold. And do so really regardless of the roster.
If DW wants to remain as GM and bring back the same approach and coaching staff but slightly tweak the roster – I’d argue that IS the status quo.
If he want to makes major roster changes, I’m not sure how that’s gonna happen with all the NTCs and NMCs he’s handed out like candy to our superstar players.
But maybe that’s the whole reason why they so often fail to come up big in the playoffs?!! There is no accountability for failure to produce on this team.
And responsibility for that culture rests solely on the shoulders of DW.
“If DW wants to remain as GM and bring back the same approach and coaching staff but slightly tweak the roster – I’d argue that IS the status quo.”
Exactly. Every year now it’s the same routine: DW publicly blows smoke about big changes, then the GM, coach, and captain all remain and DW rotates in some different players around them. And in the playoffs the following year, we see the same thing all over again. The key guys disappear and several of the new role players DW added as the solution don’t even dress.
Um, DW, we’ve witnessed the end of an era. This is not a blip in the data. The window on this whole approach you’ve taken has closed. Time to clean house and move in a new direction. And if you don’t see that, or have a strong idea of what direction that is, you need to go.
I agree with Doug that it was a bad move to resign Thorton and Marleau mid-season, because even if they somehow had big playoff years, (which they never do) they would have resigned in the offseason anyway as they love the organization and area. Now what do you do? Ask for a list of teams to be traded to? A little over 3 months after you resigned them each to a 3-year deal with a NTC!?! What a mess.
In order, possibly the biggest problems the Sharks have right now are: DW, Thornton as captain, Tmac, and Niemi as starting goalie. And it’s difficult to see any of those guys go, except maybe Niemi if the Sharks eat a chunk of his salary.
I don’t even know who you replace Nemo with, I like Stalock a lot but I’m not ready to just give him the keys to the car and hope for the best. The other names out there like Miller or Halak would have been awesome…. 4 years ago. I’m with you guys I don’t see what changes or what can change at this point as much as they are talking now about not maintaining the status quo I really think that is exactly what we are going to get.
Not sure how much stock I put in Kevin Kurz, but he is suggesting that Burns and Pavelski could be moved… Not sure how I feel about trading a 41 goal scorer… but I’f it nets a bigger fish I’m fine.
After a week now I think it’s clear to most of us that Tmac is staying and DW is staying… IF, and only IF, they can somehow make major changes AND make the culture a less comfortable, I’d be fine with that. My whole point is there is too little accountability in the system when the players flop – and flop they did.
Maybe DW has some tricks up his sleeve?
I’d be more content too see Burns go, I think that unless your getting someone young with a high upside Like maybe one of the kids from Edmonton (Jordan Eberle maybe). You don’t move Pavelski. He’s just too useful and can slot in anywhere in the line up and be effective so I think moving Pavs is dangerous and moving the solution not the problem.
Burns on the other hands is payed good for a puck moving defenseman but not great for a Power Forward who I’m not sure how well he flourishes with out being on Jumbo’s wing. I don’t know how excited I get about the prospect of Burns playing on just any line. That said I think a lot of teams might give up something nice for Burns especially if they think they can convert him back to defense even… something I have no interest in the Sharks doing.
It sucks I want change but I like a lot of these guys and would probably be sad to see any of them go for the most part.
These kinds of little changes won’t have much impact. You gotta change captain, or coach, or GM.
I think the actual effect of a captain change is way overblown… Marleau is still in the leadership group as would Jumbo be if he had the C removed. A C change is smoke and mirrors.
Thorton has averaged almost a point-per-game in his career. He had 0 points and -5 in the 4 losses, games 4-7. If that’s your captain and #2 scorer’s performance when the chips are down, that’s a problem. Not the only problem, but a big one.
I’m not going to try and defend Jumbos numbers in the final 4 games. The numbers suck and giving away a 3-0 series lead is frankly inexcusable. I have to ask though who gets the C next, we will leave out Marleau since we already had him as captain and let’s assume Boyle is not coming back. To me that leaves Pavelski and Couture maybe Pickles. I love pickles but let’s face it your not gonna get the big numbers from him it’s just not his game. Pavs and couture where pretty bad in the last 4 games of the series as well. the C has moved 3 times in recent memory too mostly the same results it dies not matter who wears the C if the rosters core is basically the same. I think with the cards falling as they have a coaching change would have been the best course of action although it seems I’m in the minority on that now according to the internetz.
Im still waiting to hear about injuries… Pollack tweeted something this morning about he hasn’t been updated either.
So… Im working on the assumption Logan wasn’t 100%… regardless of what he said. He didn’t look right since his surgery.
If Im the coach, he’s my captain.
Pavs maybe, but Im not convinced he’ll even be around next year.
The fact that we can’t even think of a better option for the C on this team illustrates it’s lacking in leadership.
Agreed James, and that’s the point that I’m trying to make if our big off season move that is supposed to make sure something like this never happens again is move a C off of one guys sweater and on to another then it really speaks to what Tom is talking about when its people too comfortable… moving the C is just moving the deck chairs on the titanic its an empty move that should impress or satisfy no one.
I agree with you about Logan Tom and I’m sure he’d be a fine Captain I just don’t think putting the C on his sweater really fixes anything.