SB Nation - Rob Blake

Players of the Decade: Shots on Goal

Hawerchuk — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 14:00:17 -0000

More photos » by Jeff McIntosh - AP

Iginla takes a lot of shots.

Browse more photos »

Here are the first four parts of my disjointed series on the decade that was:

Teams of the Decade: Regular Season Wins

Teams of the Decade: Shooting and PDO

Players of the Decade: Games Played, Goals, Assists, Points

Players of the Decade: +/- and PIMs

I talk a lot about shot volume on this site, and it's very true that you can't score if you don't shoot. Here are the leaders of the last decade in shots on goal: (misses are not included)

	Shots
Iginla	2663
Rolston	2531
Hossa	2519
Lecavalier	2388
Naslund	2378
Guerin	2315
Shanahan	2304
Jokinen	2300
Jagr	2292
Kovalchuk	2238

Jason Blake and Rob Blake came in at #11 and #12, respectively. Again, it's amazing to see how players who didn't get to play in their primes for the full decade managed to dominate the list. What about shooting percentage?

If I limit the sample to players with 200+ games played during the decade, I get a lot of long-retired players:

	SPCT
Tanguay	19.6
Holmstrom	17.6
Brunette	17.5
Parrish	17.3
Roberts	16.8
Hrdina	16.8
Larionov	16.7
Briere	16.3
Deadmarsh	16.3
Perreault	16.2

Holmstrom's high shooting percentage is in no way unexpected: after all, if he tries to deflect the puck and misses - he's not credited with a shot. It only counts if he makes contact and gets a high-percentage shot.

If I cut it off at 500 games played, Brendan Morrow, Dany Heatley and Anson Carter make the list. Anson Carter? He didn't get all that much ice time, but his coaches made sure he got time on the power-play.

So what about the bottom end, among those 500 game players?

	SPCT
Regehr	3.3
Zhitnik	3.2
White	3.2
Gill	3.1
Mitchell	3.1
Chelios	2.8
Norstrom	2.5
Richardson	2.5
Witt	2.3
Sacco	2.2

Not surprising in the least - defensemen are much less likely to score than forwards, and defensemen score most of their goals on the power-play. Take away PP time and you've got a low-percentage shooter.

And who has the distinction of the most games in the decade without a goal? Christian Laflamme, with a 175-game scoring drought. Here are the games played leaders for guys who scored 0-9 goals in the last ten years:

	G	GP
Richardson	9	544
Pratt	8	499
Belak	7	451
Orpik	6	376
Sauer	5	356
Lachance	4	352
Scuderi	3	300
Daneyko	2	291
Brad Brown	1	256
Laflamme	0	175

Next time, I'll look at who got the most ice time...

Stargazing: Stars Win again in San Jose, 3-2 in Shootout

Brad G — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:11:38 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sakuma - AP

Browse more photos »

Stargazing is a daily assortment of Dallas Stars and Texas Stars news, and whatever other random ramblings are bouncing around inside our heads.

The Dallas Stars may have finally found a cure for their shootout woes. All they need to do is trail San Jose, in San Jose in the third period, get the game tied, and then send a defenseman out there to score the game winner in the skills competition. So they've done twice now, with Robidas and Niskanen earning the extra point in both trips to the Shark Tank.

That formula may need some work if they're to continue improving their shootout record on a regular basis, but another piece of the Stars game last night might translate a little better from day-to-day: Take 44 shots on goal. Dallas failed in Anaheim to sustain offensive pressure through three periods, or even for two. In San Jose, they took 14, 16, and 13 shots on goal respectively in each period, making Nabokov work all night long. 44 might be a lofty goal, but the mid thirties night in and night out will net positive results over time.

The power play connected once last night, but I thought it could have been better, particularly on the 5 on 3. Other opportunities presented themselves in big moments and they couldn't take advantage, but answered with a perfect penalty kill against a very dangerous Shark power play that features Thornton and Heatley.

If the Stars can't find a way to score more than two goals in regulation, that is how good Marty Turco needs to be for this team to make the playoffs, and he was very good last night. That Blake goal was a little disheartening, but like Razor said, it was on end and squeezed through him "like a wet bar of soap." Marty stood tall in the third, overtime and the shootout.

With the two points, the Stars held on to their eight place seeding in the West.

Follow the jump for plenty of quotes and analysis from another big win at HP Pavilion...

Mike Heika recaps the action after a very late night in San Jose...

The Stars are still learning about themselves 31 games into the season, and Friday was a great lesson for a lot of players.

Dallas was coming off two games in which it had blown leads, and players were doing some soul-searching for two days before Friday's game with the San Jose Sharks.

On one side, players like Steve Ott, Brenden Morrow and Stephane Robidas answered with aggressive physical games. On another side, players like Mike Ribeiro, Trevor Daley and Brad Richards answered with aggressive offensive games. And goalie Marty Turco answered with calm and poise.

The result was a 3-2 shootout win against the best team in the Pacific Division, and a bit of a statement for a team that was pondering its identity.

As I said last night, I think the fan base really enjoys wins over the Sharks, and for good reason, but a regulation win over the Kings tonight would mean so much more in the long run of this season.

You might be amused to see the Shark fan saying the same kinds of things that we've been saying recently...

In the Sharks last seven games, they've been to the shootout three times. Now, we can bitch and moan about the shootout as much as we want, but fact of the matter is that it's a part of the game. No if's and's or but's about it. It's unavoidable.

What should be avoidable, though, is going to the shootout. The fact that the Sharks have led late in the third period in both of the shootout losses is troubling. Aside from the miraculous comeback in Edmonton, the Sharks have shat the bed twice and had to settle the score in the crapshoot. Blech. (I can also bitch because I was at the Tank live earlier this year to watch the Sharks do practically the same thing against the Stars. Deja vu... terrible feeling, terrible TV show, terrible movie.)

Two poor games does not a season make, but I haven't been happy with what I've seen the last week or so. The Sharks need to realize that it's up to them to force the opposition to play their game for 60 minutes. They played well in the first 20 last night, and then let the Stars dictate the game. From here on out, it should be an end to end battle.

But let's be realistic here. The Shark fan has nothing to worry about. Honestly, the grumblings coming from a minor hiccup in their season make me roll my eyes just a tiny bit, because quite obviously, the Sharks are a very good team, and they'll be fine.

The Mercury news brings you some amusing quotes from the Sharks coach on the shootout...

For 10 rounds, the Sharks and Dallas Stars sent skaters out in a one-on-one skill test, and for 10 rounds, only one shooter on each team could put the puck past San Jose goalie Evgeni Nabokov or Dallas goalie Marty Turco.

"You start looking around," Sharks captain Rob Blake said. "Who's next? 11? It's getting down there."

"It's a little bit typical of the night," said McLellan, who is on record as a foe of the shootout when it comes to deciding games. "I think Marty Turco poke-checked guys four or five times in a row, and yet we get the puck in close. If you're on the bench watching, you should figure it out eventually."

Similarly, and I'm no hockey player, I was wondering when the Sharks would stop trying to beat Nabokov low over and over again. Matt Niskanen answered the call.

NHL.com brings you Matt Niskanen:

Niskanen, a defenseman who had never taken a shootout attempt, scored in the 11th round to give the Dallas Stars a 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks.

Niskanen ripped a wrist shot past Evgeni Nabokov after he and Dallas' Marty Turco had stopped nine of the first 10 shots in the shootout. Turco then gave Dallas the extra point by stopping Marc-Edouard Vlasic's wrist shot.

''We were starting to run out of guys,'' Niskanen said. ''We were starting to look down at the end of the bench. (Nabokov) was coming out pretty far and so I put a move on him and got very lucky. It the first time I've ever done it. I came at him with a lot of speed and snapped it. As defensemen, we always joke around that we'll be the last used in a shootout.''

Interesting that you have to have 10 shooters just to get to Jamie Benn on Marc Crawfords' bench...

Quotes:

Marc Crawford:

''That shootout was pretty special, it was the longest one I've ever been involved in,'' Dallas coach Marc Crawford said. ''It's not very often that the shootout ends up being the story of the game. ... Marty did such a good job in the shootout and you have to praise Nabokov because he was equally as good. But we found a way to solve him with a great shot from Niskanen.''

``This is a great building with a lot of energy, and I think that helps you,'' said Stars coach Marc Crawford. ``It brings energy to your game.''

``I liked the way we played today,'' Crawford said. ``We played a strong game and we stuck with it. We talked about that before the game. We played 60 minutes, and that's a huge step in the right direction. But I think we're capable of being even better than that. There's another level that we can get to, and we need to keep striving to make those improvements.''

Marty Turco:

``It was a good win for us, and an answer game, I guess you could say,'' said Turco, who had 33 saves in regulation and stopped 10 of 11 shooters in the shootout. ``I just think we all did whatever we could to be better. That was the thinking.''

``You have to be able to forget and move forward,'' Turco said. ``If you have a bad goal, you just have to let it go behind you. I think was I able to do that, and it's important for me to continue to do that.''

``They're all huge,'' said Turco, who might get the game off while Alex Auld plays. ``This was big, but now we have to keep playing winning hockey and go to Los Angeles and try to win there. We need to do this for more than just one game. That would be a big step in the right direction.''

Niskanen:

``As defensemen, we always joke, `Hey, we're next,' when it goes five or six ,'' Niskanen said. ``I just saw he was coming out and being aggressive, so I wanted to shoot quickly and pick a spot.''

There was much debate the last few days about Marty Turco. Did the soft goal he let in Tuesday that allowed Anaheim to tie the score with 1:02 remaining in regulation deserve extreme criticism, or had Turco done so much before that shot that he deserved a break?

Bottom line, when a goalie lets in a goal that he shouldn't have, the entire team slumps its shoulders. One great save doesn't lift a team that way. Three don't. Five don't. It might take 10 or 20 great saves to really get a team fired up and going.

But all you have to do is let one puck slip between your pads late in a period, as Turco did Friday against the San Jose Sharks, and it can change an entire game.

Timing is everything with goalies. They control a lot of the arena's energy and the game's pace.

It's a lesson Turco has learned throughout his career and one he will be studying even more intensely now.

Dallas was also happy to get Karlis Skrastins back in the lineup last night:

"He's an important part of our team, and we're happy to get him back," Stars coach Marc Crawford said, alluding to his defenseman's expected return tonight against the San Jose Sharks. "Karlis has this great ability to get in the middle of the other team and mess up what they are trying to do, and that's a great talent to have on defense."

Skrastins, who signed with the Stars in the summer as a free agent, said his ability to get in the way is part experience and part luck. He said during the course of 707 career games, he's learned how to anticipate the play.

"I think some of it is being able to read the play and just being in position, and some of it is that I just get in the way," he said. "I don't try to block shots all of the time. I just try to read the play. But a lot of times, I end up there and have a chance to block the puck very easily. It's just reacting to the puck being there."

The Stars continue their road trip in Los Angeles tonight at 9:30pm CST, on FSN+ (Verizon customers like me, you're out of luck there)

The NHL's top defensive defencemen

James Mirtle — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:56:24 -0000

More photos » by Chris Carlson - AP

Browse more photos »

As with the top defensive forwards list, this is the same Rod Langway Award business I've been putting out for a couple years now. It ranks players defensively based on (a) quality of competition at even strength, (b) goals against per minute played at even strength and (c) goals against per minute played on the penalty kill.

Players also have to have played at least 15 games and fill a significant role on their team's shorthanded unit. Credit, as always, to Behind The Net for the data.

Here are the top 25 a little past the quarter-way mark:

	NAME	TEAM	GP	QCMP	EVGA/60	SHGA/60
1	CHRIS PRONGER	PHI	24	0.12	1.38	4.41
2	DUNCAN KEITH	CHI	25	0.14	1.59	4.12
3	JAY BOUWMEESTER	CGY	26	0.08	1.39	4.51
4	ROMAN POLAK	STL	24	0.12	1.71	5.06
5	PAVEL KUBINA	ATL	23	0.06	1.71	3.38
6	MIKE MOTTAU	N.J	23	0.09	1.69	5.00
7	COLIN WHITE	N.J	24	0.11	2.06	4.63
8	JEFF SCHULTZ	WSH	20	0.09	1.38	6.08
9	NICK LIDSTROM	DET	26	0.08	2.15	3.83
10	MIKE WEAVER	STL	23	0.03	1.12	4.38
11	BRENT SEABROOK	CHI	23	0.17	1.50	6.84
12	M-E VLASIC	S.J	28	0.13	2.51	3.01
13	ROB BLAKE	S.J	17	0.18	2.58	3.85
14	ED JOVANOVSKI	PHX	18	0.08	2.35	1.24
15	MILAN JURCINA	WSH	20	0.16	2.26	5.60
16	NIKLAS HJALMARSSON	CHI	25	0.04	1.56	5.02
17	ANDY SUTTON	NYI	26	0.08	1.60	6.26
18	ZBYNEK MICHALEK	PHX	17	0.07	1.92	5.53
19	ZDENO CHARA	BOS	26	0.23	2.65	4.97
20	RADEK MARTINEK	NYI	16	0.10	1.81	6.47
21	DARRYL SYDOR	STL	18	0.05	1.19	6.75
22	CHRISTIAN EHRHOFF	VAN	26	-0.06	1.31	3.52
23	GREG ZANON	MIN	24	0.06	1.81	6.31
24	JOSH GORGES	MTL	26	-0.05	1.39	3.91
25	WILLIE MITCHELL	VAN	26	0.15	1.85	7.85

Pronger, Keith, Bouwmeester — sure, those are all names synonymous with tough defence. But how about Mike Weaver? Or Pavel Kubina?

It's early, but all of these players are playing significant defensive roles on their teams. Some benefit from having a great goaltender behind them, but there are a lot of blueliners here from weak teams, too.

Someone like Weaver, who has a really low profile, is considered by his coach a pretty big part of shutting down top opposition:

"I'd say Weaver is one of our best puck-movers," Murray said. "He's not a finisher, but in terms of moving the puck out of our zone and putting it in the hands of our forwards, he's pretty good. He's not a guy that contributes on the offensive side. But what is an amazing stat, he's plus-5. And for quite a while there, he and Roman (Polak) were playing the top line on every team. He's a plus-5."

Those are the sorts of guys I'm trying to highlight here, and for the most part, I think this works — even if there are some surprises. The real test is which guys can maintain play like this all season.

Off the Post - November 19

Conico do Mayo Miracle — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:00:13 -0000

This story is just waiting to gain traction - Sharks co-owner (and Balsillie business partner) Kevin Compton blatantly suggests that it's not the NHL owners who blocked the Blackberry boss from taking over the Yotes.
Jed Ortmeyer - risking his life every game to become the greatest Jed in professional sports (take THAT, Jed Lowrie!).
The latest on J.S. Giguere as an Anaheim Ducks goaltender... however long that lasts.
I was under the impression that Kevin Smith was a diehard Devils fan... which is why this contest by the Edmonton Oilers seems so unusual (and pretty awesome, granted).
Daniel Sedin is eyeing a Sunday return... as is Conico's fantasy league team.
Some striking figures behind the surging Atlanta Thrashers.
Endorsed by Puck Daddy, beloved by FTF, I give you... mymclife.
Unemployed, and in Worcester on a Wednesday? Have I got a deal for you...

Highly recommended - a night in the life of a Coyotes season ticket holder.

Counterfeit jerseys, and how to spot them.

Mandatory reading = G ary Bettman's latest interview.

Lurker and I crash the Drum Circle Jerk in the Scottrade Center... from left, CrossCheckRaise, DanGNR, yours truly, Dooks, The Goalie Guy, Ralph (?), and Lurker Shark. No Fear of the Fin? BWAHAHA...

Can you name all the SBN hockey blogs? (no fair cheating)

Captain Canada is out a month, although Sergeant Scuderi won't be so long.

The Blackhawks are about to sign a trio of young talent, and are going to pay for it dearly... hopefully metaphorically.

via img.photobucket.com

(thanks to mymclife's Fools and Sages)

Down Goes Brown's awesome top secret flowchart of NHL suspension protocol.

Die by the Blade's Ten Rookies Who Have Impressed... Jason Demers only gets an honorable mention.

Ten types of Toronto Maple Leafs fans... LOL at how to deal with the Bandwagon Jumper.

Rob Blake in the new Sharks commercial...

Looking at the San Jose Sharks

MrNorrisTrophy — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:29:26 -0000

San Jose Sharks: 11-4-1, 23 points

Key Wins: 6-3 over CBJ, 7-3 over NYR, 4-1 over PHI, 3-1 over COL

Winners of six straight, the Sharks are on fire after a 2-2 start. Coming into tonight's game, both teams look to extend winning streaks in what will likely be a good defensive battle.

Category	Stat	NHL Rank	Leading...	Stat	Player
Goals per game	3.31	7th (5A)	Scorer (Points)	22 (11 G, 11 A)	Patrick Marleau
Goals against per game	2.44	7th (16A)	+/-	+7	Jason Demers/ Kent Huskins
Power Play	25.8%	5th (5A)	Hits	25	Scott Nichol
Penalty Kill	83.6%	7th (20A)	PIM	42	Jody Shelley
Shots per game	31.3	11th (6B)	Shots	51	Patrick Marleau
Shots against per game	29.2	12th (3B)	Blocked Shots	37	Rob Blake
Faceoff percentage	57.4%	1st (14A)	Faceoffs	63.9 %	Scott Nichol
PIM per game	14.6	20th (19B)	Wins	10	Evgeni Nabokov
PP drawn	66	5th (8A)	GAA (>5 games played)	2.38	Evgeni Nabokov

*The A and B next to the ranking is how many spots Above or Below the Red Wings the team is

The Sharks are in the top half of the league in nearly every category and are on of the best in the league. Head coach Todd McLellan took the Detroit game west to San Jose with him and has implemented the system in a very effective way. The solid defensive play and offensive attack make the Sharks a big threat to the hobbled/sick Red Wings.

Players to watch on offense: Patrick Marleau, Dany Heatley, Joe Thornton

Players to watch on defense: Rob Blake, Kent Huskins

Fear The Fin is the SB Nation affiliate of the Sharks and will have anything you want to read Sharks related.

Game 14 Recap: Shark Bait Hoo Ha Ha

Clint Clark — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:43:32 -0000

More photos » by Terry Gilliam - AP

about 1 month ago: San Jose Sharks' Dan Boyle, right, scores the winning goal past Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Steve Mason, left, during an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009, in Columbus, Ohio. San Jose won 3-2 in a shootout. (AP Photo/Terry Gilliam)

Browse more photos »

Sometimes 3-2 losses don't taste too bad. When we compete at a high level against the best teams in the league, I'll never be disappointed. The Jackets fell in a shootout to the Sharks (who have won both of our encounters this year), but the overall play left me feeling content. I thought we played a complete, well rounded game. The only glitch in the game was the beginning of play in the third that I thought was carried by the Sharks, but we finished strong down the stretch

The play of the Nash - Vermette - Umberger line was solid tonight. All night they were matched against the Thornton line and played well. It almost seemed as if these lines duked it out. One shift went to the Sharks, the next to the Jackets. Vermette and Nash continue to be strong 5 on 5. I'd love to see this pair stick for a while. This takes the pressure off of Brassard and allow him to solidify a 2nd line. The creativity and chemistry of Nash and Vermette has been a sight.

1 for 1 on the powerplay tonight. It might have been the best powerplay in Blue Jackets history. The Cannon has to do a major cap nod to Rob Blake. Dude was jacked up in the corner and he drug himself to the front of the net. He had to play out about another 45 seconds of our powerplay that ended up in their net off the stick of Nash. A lesser man would have stayed crumpled in the corner and waited for a whistle. The puck movement may have been highlighted by the fact it was basically a 5 on 3, but I'll take it. Wish we could have drawn more penalties tonight.

Lets just say Jared Boll was visible tonight. I still don't think he is an NHL player, but he was game tonight. 2 fights, one drawn penalty, and one missed check into our bench. He got the crowd jazzed. I'm not sure what took the refs on the second fight so long to break it up. Boller could barely get his gloves off and balance. The incident led to our goal.

Derek Dorsett filled in at center tonight after Blunden's injury and didn't look out of place. The guy is a glue guy. He, Filatov, and Torres played a pretty decent game.

Voracek continues his strong, beastly play. He was more physical tonight than I can remember seeing. That's good news. I'd love to see him add that element to his game. It is the missing piece right now.

Tyutin and Stralman have consistently been a strong pair for us this year. Tyutin's slap-pass to Chimera got us on the board tonight. Offense from the backend is a must. This may be the best offensive pair the Jackets have ever put together. Neither guy will kill you in their own zone and they can get pucks through.

A major welcome back to Jan Hejda. Notice we didn't allow 5 goal tonight. That's the Hejda effect. He was positionally strong as always and he didn't look out of shape. Right where he left off.

Steve Mason continues a mini roll. He has eliminated the softies recently. It does wonders for his and the team's confidence. Now he needs to start stealing a couple games for us.

Mancrush of the Night goes to Jan Hejda. Welcome back 8. He got the loudest pop in the opening lineup (including Nash). Maybe Columbus hockey fans are really starting to catch on. Maybe we'll see a couple of Hejda #8 jerseys... umm probably not (he doesn't score goals!!!!OMG!!)

Whipping Boy takes a pass tonight. I thought we played a pretty solid game. I thought it was officiated pretty well. Sometimes it just doesn't pan out.

I took a friend who I introduced to true Blue Jackets hockey during Game 4 last year with an extra ticket. He has become a Jacket addict and like any good crack dealer I gave him another hit tonight. He's learning and loving it. So lesson #1 Jackets Fan, adopt a friend... give them crack... oh wait, no give them Blue Jackets hockey.

Hits To The Head Revisited

Arthur from Anaheim Calling — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:23:56 -0000

ARTHUR:

Injurious head shots seem to be grabbing headlines every day this season, and one has finally landed in the Pacific Division as James Wisniewski erased Shane Doan at Jobing.com on Saturday, a hit which garnered the Ducks defenseman a two-game suspension.

Daniel, you and I have already said our peace on the NHL regulating the shoulder check to the head, but let's talk about another controversial prong of this issue. Assuming that not every player is trying to put a shoulder into a guy's head, but most are aware that they will likely make shoulder-to-head and not shoulder-to-chest contact, is the shoulder check to the head a dirty play?

DANIEL:

Before I answer the question, I have to admit that I'm starting to waver on this issue a little. When I was watching the Phoenix game, Brian Hayward mentioned that players seem to be getting hurt more due to the speed of the game and the increasing size of the players. This sentiment was echoed in the Ottawa Citizen by Bryan Murray, who feels the game's faster pace has left more players caught with their head down and hit with harder hits.

It's undeniable that the game is moving much faster than in previous years, and guys are flying into boards, flying into each other and flying into goaltenders. USA Today's Kevin Allen claims that roughly 18% of the league's regulars are currently injured or ill. In this environment, I think players should start making the extra effort with each other to prevent more injuries, especially career-ending injuries. I don't know if crashing into guys who are speeding through the neutral zone while looking back for a stretch pass is "dirty," but it certainly isn't safe. I love fast-paced physical hockey, but pretty soon there won't be anybody to play that style, because they will all be hurt.

My answer to the question is that I don't think these shoulder hits to the head are dirty. Taking the body is part of this sport, one of the most exciting parts. But maybe, guys need to be more responsible in their hit selection. Standing a guy up doesn't mean you have to bury him. Ultimately, players need to be more responsible for their hits. I'm not saying you shouldn't hit a guy skating with his head down, but you should maybe avoid a 100% shoulder follow through. If the guy can't see you coming, it's better not to lower the boom. That way, our favorite superstars can stay on the ice, instead of ruining our fantasy hockey seasons.

ARTHUR:

First, I just want to say that I honestly believe that not every player is attempting to catch a guy in the head with his shoulder; it's not just an assumption I created for the purposes of this question. In fact, it's an assumption made in many sports. Soccer players aren't always booked or suspended for kicking a guy in the head when he's going for a header. The referee assumes the player was trying to make a legal play on the ball, but you'll never convince the injured player's fans of that.

And it's the fans that really drive the 'dirty' discussion. They see their guy laid out or put onto a stretcher, and the perpetrator is automatically a dirty player in their eyes. But a play isn't dirty just because it injured someone. A textbook hip check can injure someone too, but I've never heard Rob Blake called dirty for it. And you and I never called Scott Stevens dirty for putting his shoulder into Paul Kariya or anyone else's head, whether he came laterally at them or skated straight into them.

I agree that rule changes have made the game faster, and maybe placed it at odds with itself, but there is a legal, purposeful and traditional hockey hit underneath all this controversy. And it's NOT akin to helmet-to-helmet tackles or head-slapping in the old NFL. In last year's playoffs, when Brown dropped Hudler, the TSN crew had a lively debate about it, but Bob McKenzie rolled tape on textbook shoulder checks to the chest executed elsewhere in the playoffs, checks that were completely harmonious with today's NHL. The shoulder check still has a place in the game.

People who want the NHL to do more about it aren't wrong, but people who claim players should keep their heads up aren't wrong either. Not every player is trying to cheapshot Blair Betts out there. Most are just trying to execute a solid check, and they have enough professional respect for each other to hope the other guy gets up or sees them coming in the first place.

The Defenseman Cometh

Mr. Plank — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:30:29 -0000

Fact: Crankshaft caused 72% of underwear accidents nation wide during the 08-09 season

Twelve game in the books for the San Jose Sharks, and a 7-4-1 overall record coming out of a six game road trip.

Not too shabby.

During the course of October, many questions have been raised about the performance of the team as a whole, but none more prevalent than the strength of the blueline. Without the luxury of available cap room, it's doubtful Doug Wilson pursues an upgrade via trade lest he sacrifice scoring depth amongst the forwards or deplete the strength of the organization's prospect pool. It is likely we will live and die with these band of brothers until the 2009-2010 season rings it's final bell.

Which begs the question- how good have they been thus far?

To start things off, let's take a look at the location of where the defenseman are starting their shifts following a whistle. While by no means a defining measurement of worth, it does provide us a glimpse into the mind of Todd McLellan- who does he trust the most in the defensive zone?

Even Strength Faceoff Locations

Player	GP	Defensive	Offensive	Differential	% Defensive
Vlasic	12	66	40	+26	62.26
Blake	12	62	41	+21	60.19
Demers	12	38	32	+6	54.29
Huskins	12	39	43	-4	47.56
Boyle	12	42	54	-12	43.75
Murray	11	35	48	-13	42.17

Takeaways: The Vlasic/Blake pairing takes a lot of draws in their own zone compared to the rest of the unit, while Boyle drags Murray along for those luscious offensive zone opportunities. Demers and Huskins fit right into the middle. It's safe to say that Vlasic/Blake are going to have fewer scoring opportunities than Boyle/Murray due to this role.

One thing that jumped out at me is the fact that McLellan has leaned heavily on the Vlasic/Blake pairing in the defensive zone, even with their less than impressive numbers thus far (more on that shortly). My guess is that he's locked into the notion that they are his shutdown pairing and is planning on giving them the benefit of the doubt for the time being. Is that the right decision? I'm not sure. The need to get Boyle a lot of looks in the attacking end is understandable, but McLellan is utilizing Murray in a highly offensive role directly off the draw the majority of his starts. Preseason hat-tricks notwithstanding, this goes against everything the Swedish behemoth stands for*.

*Namely liquefying bones and raising the dead from their graves.

If Blake/Vlasic are struggling at this point in the season why not ease off on the gas pedal and tap Boyle/Murray a bit more in front of Nabokov? Blake can still provide a big shot from the point to generate scoring opportunities in the offensive zone. You lose some defensive acumen with Boyle, but not a significant enough amount where you see the team as a whole take a huge dive- Murray's presence will help here. I think it's a strategy that needs to be explored until last year's shutdown pairing manages to find their game.

*****

Next up is even strength play. For a refresher course on the importance of this part of the game, or for those who are new to Fear The Fin, this article from last season should serve as a good place to get your feet wet.

Empty net goals have been discluded in both the GF and GA categories.

Even Strength +/-

Player	GP	EV TOI/G	GFON	GAON	GFON/60	GAON/60	EV DIF.
Demers	12	11.66	8	3	3.43	1.29	+2.14
Huskins	12	14.50	11	6	3.79	2.07	+1.72
Boyle	12	17.92	9	7	2.51	1.95	+0.56
Murray	11	15.88	8	8	2.75	2.75	0
Vlasic	12	17.50	7	12	2.00	3.42	-1.42
Blake	12	16.10	5	10	1.55	3.10	-1.55

Takeaways: Huskins and Demers have had the most success here, with the Sharks outscoring opponents at a much greater rate whenever they are on the ice at even strength. And, as expected, Blake and Vlasic have clearly had a great deal of trouble keeping pucks out of their own net.

Admittedly, I haven't been the biggest fan of Huskins the last couple months. From the initial signing to his porous play during the preseason, I've worried aloud about the defensive depth in San Jose and how it would affect the team's ability to win hockey games.

Turns out he and Demers have been a pleasant surprise. Yes, they have seen sheltered minutes. Yes, I would like to see Demers clear the puck up the boards more often as he's prone to force his breakout passes and turn over the puck in the center of the defensive zone. Yes, Huskins could stand to lay on the body around the net. However, these are minor gripes at best- as ElvisVF101 and Evilducks have noted, they aren't getting paid a monetary sum that would cause us to expect much more than what they have provided. And that's a real bright spot for a team who has struggled at times in the defensive zone.

At the heart of the issue lies Vlasic and Blake. If the Sharks want to do some legitimate damage this season, it's essential these guys get going. As mentioned above, I think relieving them of the lion's share of d-zone draws might be a good short term solution- give them an opportunity to put pucks on net and create offensively. Blake seems like he's been fighting to find shooting lanes, and he's lost a bit of lateral quickness when moving at the point. Some more time in the easy part of the ice may get that big shot back it's net nose.

*****

The last thing on the docket today is special teams play. Demers hasn't logged sufficient enough minutes per game on the PK to warrant consideration (0:14), and has thus been left out. On the PP side of the ice, Murray (0:05) and Huskins (0:15) are in the same boat.

Penalty Kill (4v5) Plus/Minus

Player	GP	SH TOI/G	GFON	GAON	GFON/60	GAON/60	SH DIF.
Huskins	12	1.17	0	0	0.00	0.00	0.00
Vlasic	12	3.19	1	2	1.57	3.13	-1.56
Blake	12	3.01	1	2	1.66	3.32	-1.66
Boyle	12	2.71	0	6	0.00	11.07	-11.07
Murray	11	2.48	0	6	0.00	13.19	-13.19

Power Play (5v4) Plus/Minus

Player	GP	PP TOI/G	GFON	GFON/60	PP DIF.
Vlasic	12	2.29	7	15.27	+15.27
Blake	12	2.15	6	13.96	+13.96
Demers	12	3.24	7	10.81	+10.81
Boyle	12	4.70	10	10.64	+10.64

Takeaways: It's hard to take too much stock into these numbers right now considering a fluke goal here or there can alter them quite a bit (with special teams time less frequent than even strength), but here's a few general observations:

Vlasic is giving up fewer goals per 60 minutes shorthanded than he is at even strength. Sample size is obviously a big factor here, but maybe McLellan should just have a forward cherry pick at the redline whenever he and Blake are on at evens.
Huskins hasn't been on the ice for a shorthanded goal against. He's gotten roughly two shifts a night, but that is still moderately impressive.
Boyle and Murray have been horrendous on the PK thus far. The average differential per sixty for defenseman who played at least 50 games and 1:30 per night last season was -5.54. They're both currently double that.
On the flip side, last year's defenseman who played at least 50 games and 1:30 per night on the power play were, on average, +5.66 per sixty minutes. All qualifying Sharks are at least close to double that.
If you expected Jason Demers to be second in PP time amongst defenseman before the season began you are either a pathological liar or related to Miss Cleo.
Towards the middle of last season teams began to pick up on what the Sharks wanted to do on the power play and started aggressive pressuring the puck-carrying blueliners. Might be repeating myself here, but I have been impressed with the defenseman's reads in these situations. They haven't forced many shots and therefore haven't had a problem with blocks above the circles turning into shorthanded opportunities going the other way.

*****

Inconsistent is the one word I would use to describe the Sharks blueline thus far, and hopefully they can use the two upcoming home dates to build on a good performance last night against Philadelphia. Even with a 7-4-1 record there's a lot of unanswered questions on how everything will eventually play out.

And I'm not expecting many concrete answers anytime soon.

Go Sharks.

Off The Post: October 23rd

Mr. Plank — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:00:51 -0000

Conico's off to Atlanta with Lurker Shark for the game on Saturday- they'll be meeting up with Dave Valentine. Have a safe trip fellas.

David Pollak with the print edition recap of last night's game.
Ondrej Pavelec gives up one of the most brutal goals you'll likely see all year. Wicked bounce.
Western College Hockey with a good link-filled post on the top skaters in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
Hockey's Future ranks the Sharks prospects 26th overall in the NHL.
Could Ilya Kovalchuk be the next 100 million dollar man?
This has probably been mentioned before, but it's the first time I've caught wind of it. The Blackhawks will be hosting Jeremy Roenick Heritage Night on November 15th when the Sharks roll into town. Safe money's on DW taking part in some Chicago pre-game festivities for the second year in a row.
Turns out John Wayne has played hockey.
Pucks going off the netting subject to a video review? Darren Dreger reports that this may be gaining some support. I'm in the "hell no" boat.
The NHLPA is having a whole load of trouble right now, and Rob Blake has been appointed to an investigative committee to review internal operations. Lots of work for a guy that may need to be reviewing some internal operations here in San Jose.
This post is shorter than Ryan Vesce with a third of the production.

Thrashers on Saturday. Take a couple of stiff drinks tonight and get your minds right.

Go Sharks.

Rangers Recap: Sharks crush Rangers 7-3, Rangers winning streak ends at 7

Jim Schmiedeberg — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 02:41:28 -0000

NEW YORK RANGERS POST-GAME NOTES AND QUOTES

October 19, 2009 - New York Rangers 3, San Jose Sharks 7 (Game #9, Home #5)

Click Here For The Official Game Summary

The Rangers suffered their first home defeat of the season, losing to the San Jose Sharks, 7-3, in front of a sold-out crowd (18,200) at Madison Square Garden.
New York have sold out 161 consecutive regular season games, dating back to November 5, 2005 against New Jersey; the last regular season non-sellout was October 31, 2005 vs. Montreal (17,697); including the playoffs, the Rangers sellout streak is now at 175 games.
The Blueshirts dropped to 7-2-0 overall, including a 4-1-0 mark at home; the Rangers are 12-2-0 in their last 14 regular season games at MSG.
The Rangers converted one of three power play opportunities to extend their streak to seven games (11-30, 36.7%) with at least one goal on the man advantage.
Rangers Captain Chris Drury opened the game's scoring at 7:17 of the first period, while skating in his 800th career NHL contest.
Rookie defenseman Michael Del Zotto tallied a power play goal and registered four shots in 15:54 of icetime; entering the contest, he was one of only four rookie defensemen in the last 20 years to score at least eight points in his team's first eight games of the season (Rob Blake - 10, Alexei Zhitnik - 9, and Matt Carle - 8); Del Zotto currently leads all NHL rookies in goals (four) and points (nine) and is tied for second in assists (five), and he leads all league defensemen in points, tied for the lead in defensemen goals and tied for seventh in defensemen assists.
Sean Avery tied for the game-high with two assists and a plus-two rating.
Enver Lisin notched a goal with 2:48 remaining in regulation, and has now tallied a goal in each of the last two games.
Matt Gilroy recorded his first career NHL assist on Lisin's third period goal.
Ales Kotalik registered a power play assist, and is now tied with Del Zotto for second in the league in power play points (seven).
The Rangers next practice is scheduled for Wednesday, October 21 (11:00 a.m.), at the MSG Training Center. There is no practice scheduled for tomorrow, October 20.
The Rangers return to action on Thursday, October 22, when they will face-off against the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden (7:00 p.m.), in an Atlantic Division matchup; the game will be televised live on MSG Network and can be heard on 970 The Apple.

Post game quotes after the jump......

John Tortorella on tonight's game...

"We have some things to work on. Again, the first two periods, we weren't as bad as what the score was at that point. I don't think we were terrible. They score some goals and we don't. Started off fine...put ourselves in penalty problems. To me, watching the game, it wasn't as bad as the score was at that particular time, but we have some things to work on."

Chris Drury on tonight's game...

"We did get off to a good start. We were 2-0, we got some penalties that got us in trouble. The good thing is, no matter, in this league, how bad you lose, it is just one game. It is two points. We have a few days to rebound. We have a big divisional rivalry game on Thursday (vs. New Jersey)."

Vinny Prospal on taking penalties...

"We have been talking about this for some time...about the penalties. If you look at their personnel, this is a team that has a lot of skilled players that capitalize on the power plays and that is what happened tonight. It is something we have to learn from, especially from the penalties."

Brandon Dubinsky on tonight's game...

"It is a game of momentum. We came out, and I thought we had a good start. We had the momentum early. We took a couple of penalties, that killed the momentum and they scored. We just weren't able to get it back. I think that is something we need to learn how to do, is get the momentum back. We just have to learn from this one and make sure we are ready to go for Thursday."

Sharks vs Rangers coverage

Sharks vs Rangers recap

Sharks vs Rangers boxscore