Do Sharks Fans Complain Too Much?
October 26th, 2009, 7:36 am
Before you jump all over me for the above title or think that perhaps this blog has been taken hostage by Ryan Garner, hear me out….
Most of us have been guilty of jumping on top of this team during the early season, casting our reel of doubts wide into the lake of hockey disappointment yet again, and as Sharks fans we have good cause. We’ve been treated like Jennifer Aniston lately, led to believe that we were getting the hot guy (Lord Stanley…not Brad Pitt) only to be cruelly dumped and cast aside like the aging, talentless wonders we are with great legs and pouty lips.
Here’s what I’m getting at….The Sharks just went 4-2-0 on a brutal six game road trip highlighted by a win in the Garden and a great win last night against a team I think will be in the Stanley Cup Finals, the Philadelphia Flyers. Did they have a misstep in Tampa Bay, why yes – they did – but don’t the wins in MSG and Philly counter that? Aren’t they playing this road trip without one of their best players (Joe Pavelski) and an important member of their bottom six (Torrey Mitchell)? They even won in Philly without Seto and the red-hot Vesce. Greiss actually looked like an NHL goalie (first ten minutes of the 1st period excluded) and has likely earned the trust of Coach McLellan for more frequent starts. Manny Malhotra came out of his shell and was a factor and Ortmeyer made us all forget that masked man Thomas Plihal ever existed.
So why are some fans (myself included) so quick to jump on and off the Sharks wagon as this team continues to come together or fall apart? Is it because we’re expecting to be disappointed? Let’s be clear, I’m not saying we shouldn’t take this team to task when things go wrong or be grumpy after a bad loss to a team that semi-sucks (hello Tampa) – but should we toss them on the recycle heap? This road trip we’ve seen that this team has some depth in Vesce, McGinn and Couture (who had a solid debut last night highlighted by the 4th line shift of the year that almost led to a goal), we’ve seen potential in a back-up goalie and the bottom six are so much better than last year, there’s no comparison. Are they playing consistently as well as they should? No, but wouldn’t we rather see this come together in time to sustain a long playoff run than peaking now and giving us what we expect in the end, another early exit? I vote for the former.
The Sharks can’t win every game 4-1. They can’t always score the first goal. They can’t always make the perfect play. In the Philly game last night, there were 10 guys playing for San Jose who were either on another NHL team or playing for Worcester during most of the 2008-09 season. When over 50% of your roster is stocked with The New Guys, there are going to be up and downs.
The last two games of this road trip have inspired me to be a stronger fan, a better fan, a fan with conviction in his heart to stick with this team through the good and the bad….well, at least until they lose to LA on Wednesday.
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We’re used to the Sharks at the top of the table, no matter what time of the year, so that’s why we complain. At least during the regular season we expect our boys not to drop the games like they did in Tampa. But I’m past that loss – I was very impressed with the overall effort yesterday, especially how they completely took away the puck from the Flyers in the last 10 minutes of the game. However, I have a feeling that our complaining is childtalk comparing to what Detroit is about to go through this season. I have a feeling they’ll be “not-your-typical-8th seed” come spring.
As for LA, that should be an entertaining game. While their offense – well Kopitar mainly – is clicking, their defense and their situation in goal is something that Heatley, Thornton and others would gladly exploit. Plus, it’s never a good thing for a visiting team to play at the Tank when Sharks come back there after a long road trip. The roof just might come off again.
Doug… a short answer; yes we complain too much…
Why? Becuase we have watched this team fall on it’s face way too many times and we are getting bitter…
Doug, did you get some boobie? Is that the reason behind your suddenly sunny disposition on the Sharks? Or have you been kidnapped by Stuart Smalley and he turned this blog into Bad Fans Anonymous? Cuz let me tell ya. I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and I’m entitled to be pissed when the Sharks underachieve.
This isn’t Little League where you’d still take the team out for pizza or ice cream even if they lost. This is the pros and there are high expectations for whatever reason (a phenomenally skilled roster, a desperation to see a championship team in the Bay Area before we die, taking out another mortgage to pay for tickets/beer/souvenirs, etc).
Do we bitch and moan too much? If so, it’s only because the Sharks keep giving us reason to. Nobody’s “tossing them on the recycle heap.” But as hardcore fans, it’s our nature to be critical when the team isn’t playing up to its capability. Aren’t we like parents who just want our kids to do the best they can? We simply use this forum to vent when the kids don’t reach their potential because they’re being complacent.
Perhaps you’d disagree, but I find it more frustrating when the Sharks beat teams like the Rangers and Flyers and then lose to the Lightning. This is a team with enough proven veterans that they shouldn’t play down to their competition. I know the Sharks can’t win every game, but they should beat teams that they’re expected to beat. That’s what championship teams do. And isn’t that what the hope/expectation is? That the Sharks are a championship-caliber team this year?
I know they have a bunch of new players and that it takes a little time for everything to click. But it didn’t seem to matter last night when both Greiss and Couture were inserted into the lineup for their very first NHL starts. It didn’t seem to matter last season when a whole new coaching staff and philosophy were introduced.
I feel like most of us applaud the team when they’re playing well and are only critical when they’re not giving the effort. Let’s face it. This team is possibly the most talented group we’ve ever had in San Jose and one of the most talented teams in the NHL. So when they lose, it’s usually because they aren’t focused or committed.
That’s why I don’t buy into the “isn’t it better to start slow and finish strong” motto that some of you have brought up. Of course you want to peak during the playoffs. It’s just unsettling when our slow start has resulted from the same issues (ie lack of effort, toughness, tenacity, etc) that plagued us last year. And it’s happening again with a different cast of characters!
Furthermore, fans don’t want to hear Joe Thornton complain that the team was too tired to score after being on the penalty kill against Washington. I’m sure it’s incredibly exhausting to be short-handed for nearly 9 minutes of play. But he’s supposed to be one of the leaders. Why is he publicly whining and making excuses like that? That’s just bad form, dude.
Having said all that, I’m still looking forward to seeing how the season unfolds. The new additions to the team have all appeared to be upgrades over last season. Throughout the summer, we heard Doug Wilson say that this roster won’t be a finished product until the trade deadline. So I’m eager to see what other moves he has in store to improve the team for a run at Lord Stanley.
While I agree with Tom, I want to expand a bit on it.
As for me, the reason I have serious problems with this team is we were promised “major” changes this offseason. What did we get? A talented, but very ill tempered at times, forward at the cost of general depth; A new captain; and the addition of a few decent role players. Not quite the changes I think this team needed to take the next step forward. Heatley scored just 4 goals more than the two guys we gave up for him last year. If you count the trade with Vancouver which everyone will say was a salary dump to be able to afford Heatley, he scored 4 goals less than the guys we gave up.
Yes, I know that there is more to the game than goal scoring, but the Sharks are already seeing the problem that trading away all the prospects over the last few years. They are now forced to carry 6 guys 22 years old or younger. Doug Wilson needs to make up his mind. Is he building towards a cup, or is he rebuilding? Trying to do both at the same time is not working.
Tim,
I don’t see how you don’t regard the changes this off-season as “major”. 10 out of the 18 guys that played against Philly were new. Sure, Michalek may be the only top-6 forward gone, but the entire third and fourth lines are new, as well as the third defensive pairing.
Maybe you can help me out- I can’t find another playoff team in the past 15 years that changed more than the Sharks did this past year. Of course the Sharks could have blown it all up by dealing Marleau and whoever else, but there’s no chance they would have been better this year for it.
Mike: I know it doesn’t seem like it, but technically Montreal was a playoff team last year.
Hm, that’s a good point. I did mean to say “changed for the better” though, hehe.