DOH 410 – Blues and Out
May 22nd, 2019, 12:58 pm
The Sharks’ run came to an end against the St. Louis Blues, where the luck ran dry, the injuries caught up, and a hot team with a well executed game plan won out in six games.
Also:
http://www.paplayers.org/buy-individual-tickets
https://artboutiki.com/calendar2/2019/4/10/r-rush-tribute
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Dudes, thanks once again for a year of great Podcasts! I always enjoy listening to you two. Off season should be interesting and can’t wait to hear your point of views. Enjoy your summer!
I know people are probably tired of hearing this “excuse” but I think if you told every sharks fan at the end of February that we’d be rolling out Michael Haley down the home stretch and in the friggin PLAYOFFS, we all would’ve thrown an absolute shit fit. But it was worse than that… we had both a forward (Haley) and a D man (Ryan) that we’re averaging less than ten minutes a game – IN THE PLAYOFFS!! We looked absolutely gassed at the end of this series, and although there were other factors, when we’re putting out the likes of Michael Haley against legit 4th lines like the one that the Blues have (who kicked our ass), I have to feel like we were doomed from the get-go. I just don’t understand why our total lack of a 4th line wasn’t considered going into the second half of this season. Ugh it just hurts… Go Sharks ?
Doug was spot on regarding Jones vs. Binnington. For the whole playoffs, Jones had a sub .900 SV%. That is just not good enough.
For me, I was simply surprised with the Sharks lack of trust in their system, both in the offensive zone and in their breakouts in the defensive zone. Karlsson was the only one willing to make those higher-risk but absolutely necessary passes to the center of the ice in the defensive zone. Burns was terrible all series, tossing grenades at Vlasic all series when the Blues aggressively forechecked. Braun was like a Star Trek red-shirt out there, taking all of the bad guys’ bullets while otherwise being completely unimportant to the plot.
On offense, I though only Labanc, Couture, and Donskoi showed any type of offensive creativity (and Donskoi was not particularly great while doing it). Hertl looked gassed, Pavs was not 100%, Kane invisible. But I suspect Binnington’s play (and some puck luck) is tainting my view on the offensive performance.
Sad/bummed is exactly right. I really thought this was the year, myself…
I know Karlsson is free to do whatever he wants but isn’t it kind of a dick move to tell the Sharks he’s interested in signing here, spend half the year injured, then tweet out that he’s leaving?!?!
Just FYI, Evander Kane made an almost exactly similar statement right after the end of the playoffs last year and then of course resigned with us. He may leave, he may not, but that statement doesn’t mean he is leaving.
Would be good if he returns, but he’s not essential. SJ played their best streak of hockey while he was on IR. A bigger concern is DW needs to get us an elite starting goalie. He has such hubris, I’m not sure he will, even after 2 years in a row where Jones was consistently outplayed in the playoffs. His game 6 performance in round 1 was incredible. But an outlier. Time to move on.
If Karlsson wants Doughty money, don’t sign him. I’d say $8 mil a year, to match Burns, is suitable, but not a penny more. No way would I do the $11 mil or $10 mil per year contract people are floating. He’s far from an iron man and the Sharks have too many holes in their roster to fill. He’s also not a better player than Burns or Couture, who are each making $8 mil.
Instead, use the cash to sign Pavs (3y), Meier (3y), Jumbo (1y – I like Doug’s idea that he intentionally plays less than a full season), then make a splash by signing Bobrovsky (I think Lehner will resign with the Isles), ink Charlie Coyle for a bottom-6 center, and add a veteran Dman. If Kane returns to form, Meier is more consistent, and everyone stays healthy, I would pick that team to win the cup next year. And in a couple of years, we’d add Merkley to the mix and we wouldn’t really have need for Karlsson at that point anyway.
Here is a possible counter point:
Karlsson might very well have a legitimate claim to a better contract than Burns for one simple reason, he’s much younger and he is entering his prime. Burns is exiting his prime. If DW gives Karlsson an 8yr x 12m contract, that may seem monstrous now, but it may not in 5 years during his best years when salaries and the cap is much higher.
But of course that is the risk you take signing a player like that for such a long term. No one knows the future.
Two takeaways from the WCF series. One, we need a better goaltending duo (to push each other to play better) and two, the sharks can still be pushed around by a more physical team. as I have posted here before. The Sharks are soft. I miss Clowe, McLaren, Parker, and Nolan. Nobody is afraid of any of our current team. Exposed this post season, and unless DE addresses it, it will continue next season.
DW, not DE
A few years ago Doug said, “I feel like Tavares to Toronto has already happened.” He changed his prediction, but his original forecast was correct. My current thoughts on EK65 are, I feel like Karlsson to Tampa Bay has already happened.