DOH 398 – Slowly Improving
December 14th, 2018, 2:51 pm
After a putrid road trip, the Sharks win four of five, but team defense is still spotty.
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Sharks skaters are coming together, playing good hockey. But a goalie change needs to happen. Jones has lost his form and is not good enough to compete with contending teams. The guy spots the other team a goal every night, often in the first minutes of the contest. Tonight, the Sharks outplayed the Jets, but lost because they lost the goalie matchup. It’s cruel, but that’s the game. Yes, Mike, I want to throw him out of the airlock.
It’s true we usually get outplayed in the goaltending category, and that Jones would probably prefer to not have wandered into the stands on that game-winner. But on that particular play, there was also some Keystone Cops play there from Braun and Vlasic.
Is Vlasic hurt? If so, why isn’t he sitting?
Hard to keep up with this podcast when you guys barely record. We know you have lives and whatnot but i couldnt listen to this recent podcast because i listened to it a few days old because i got tired of checking for new podcasts everyday. You reap what you sow and you guys are definitely getting lapped by new and more frequent casts like the Fin Factor, Teal Town, etc.
“We’ll be back next week. We’re gonna make it happen.” [Spit-take]
Hahaha …. But seriously, this is the only podcast I listen to. We love you Dudes!
Love the Sharks, love the roster DW has put together, but man, I’m getting tired of watching the Sharks give up on D. It’s contagious – forwards and Dmen are doing it equally. I also feel the Sharks looked slow vs the Flames tonight. These line combinations may work against Edmonton, but not Calgary. The Flames may only have 2 scoring lines, but they absolutely torched us. What will it take for us to get to the next level?
When evaluating a team’s play, I like to look at the team stats of 5 categories. Here they are, along with where the sharks rank among the 31 NHL teams.
Scoring – #4; Defense – #24; Power Play – #7; Penalty Kill – #5; Goaltending – #29
Based on these numbers, the Sharks offense is in great shape. Strange that a team with a top-5 PK could be so poor at even strength defense. And the goaltending, as many have noted here and elsewhere, is the team’s biggest problem. If the team could improve its 5-on-5 defense and overall goaltending, who knows how far the Sharks could go.
I’m curious to hear theories on why the even-strength defense is so poor. I wonder if it’s having two offensive-minded defensemen who pinch often, meaning Burns and Karlsson. Either one of those guys is on the ice for most of the game. When a forward has to cover their pinch, that can cause a defensive miss match scoring opportunity, a penalty, or worse, an odd man rush. Should the pinch “green light” that Karlsson and Burns have be rescinded, especially when they play a speedy team? Would it be worth it to potentially sacrifice their offensive numbers for better team defense?
Or, possibly the problem is certain forwards. Since the weaker defensive forwards don’t play on the PK, the PK is effective. Or, maybe, the problem is a combination of both the pinching and the forwards who are a defensive liability.
One final thought. I would think Ryan, Heed, Suomela, and Dell all have trade value. Would you trade any or a package of those players for a veteran goalie to challenge Jones? Dell has an expiring contract, so he might be the most likely trade bait. Jones played his best hockey in ’16 after Reimer was acquired. I’m interested in Lehner and Raanta, though the former will be pricey and the latter is injured right now. But with such an important position, it might be worth it unless Jones has a stellar January.
Correction – Dell signed through ‘20.