DOH 353 – Happy New 2017
January 2nd, 2017, 10:10 pm
Even though the Sharks dropped the last game of 2016 to the Kings, the Dudes are upbeat. The young guys are playing well, and there are positive updates on the expansion draft front.
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Happy new year dudes! As always, love the podcast. I haven’t listened to all the podcasts recently, but this episode surprised me with how positive you were. I thought with the new summer additions and recent call-up of Meier we’d see a Sharks team that had the 3-line scoring depth and team speed of the Pens. Instead, this team looks more like last year’s Preds: excellent D and goaltending, but a lack of finishers. Sharks are 17-1 when they score 3+ goals. They need more goals from everyone not names Burns or Pavs, but especially the bottom-6 and on the pp (currently 19th overall, but with that lineup it should be in the top 10). Teams are figuring out how to slow Burns’ shot. He had only 4 total in the recent 2 Kings games. And the team doesn’t look any faster overall versus last year’s roster. Sharks need more starts for Dell, Hertl back on the top line, more aggressive forechecking, and a trade for a scorer since Ward, Boedker, Meier, aren’t scoring. Right now, WIngels, Nieto, Boedker, and Ward all look expendable. Go Sharks!!!
The dudes have remain the funniest, best tech quality Sharks podcast. I go to FtF’s fincast for more in-depth analysis, but I get more excited about a dudes podcast no question. Speaking of the fincast, their most recent episode hits on exactly what you’re writing about. PDB hasn’ really done anything to make this “a faster and more skilled team” (his words). Haley (?!?) and Wingels are playing regularly while Nieto, Boedker, Donskoi, Ward rotate as the odd one out. I would have liked to have seen more of Nieto this year as an aggressive, speedy forechecker, something the Pens do better than any team, yet we haven’t seen the Sharks adopt. From a pure optics perspective, you don’t look at the Sharks and say “they’re fast,” despite having Boedker, Meier, Marleau, etc.
Can’t believe I’m about to defend Haley, but I feel I have to. You get benched because you’re not doing your job. For Boedker, Ward, Donskoi, that’s scoring and possession. Those guys are all in scoring slumps. If they start scoring, they’ll play consistently, ad big minutes. Look at Labanc. pDB’s TOI is definitely a meritocracy. Haley’s job is hitting and playing with high energy. If he stops doing so, he’ll get benched. But he’s doing his job, so he’s playing. I think the “faster and more skilled” comment is more strategic, like having a forecheck.
Great comment, and I agree. How can you blame Haley for doing exactly what he’s supposed to do? The other guys aren’t, although I’ve noticed Donskoi a lot more in the last few games.
With Nieto’s departure, Tierney remains the only player on the roster from the epic ’14 holiday video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlReCoTDM4o
Actually, Dillon makes a cameo at the very end of the video. Hertl’s in it and hopefully he’ll be back soon! Watching the video again makes me really wonder about Mirco Mueller. Is he trade bait at this point?
I’m on the east coast and watching Sharks-Oilers via the free Yahoo feed. Listening to Drew! Vlasic back! Boedker hatty (his second against the Oilers)! This is a good night.