SB Nation User Blog: Mr. Plank

Great game to watch against the Flames on Saturday, even if the Sharks walked out of the building with nothing to show for it in the standings. The intensity was there, the opportunities were there, it was just a matter of failing to cash in. Also, one thing that's interesting-- a lot of talk after the game about how San Jose "needed to get more people to the front of the net." While I agree with that statement to a degree (there were times when Kipper had a clear sight line to the puck at the blueline), my question is this-- did anything really change from previous outings (specifically wins), or was it just a convenient talking point after a loss? I feel like the equation hasn't differed very much on a game-to-game basis this season, and just because one goal is on the scoreboard at the end of the tilt doesn't mean they did an exceptionally poor job of jamming bodies in the crease, or more specifically, did an exceptionally poor job compared to previous outings. Sure there's room for some improvement there, but let's not kid ourselves and say that this was an atrocious effort compared to we saw in the 30 games before. In fact, I would postulate that the effort in this area was better than the majority of games I have seen this season. Say two shots that hit the post go in-- are we complaining about the lack of traffic in front of the net? I'm not sure we are. At the end of the day you have a team that is second in the NHL with 104 goals scored. You just ran into a hot goaltender.
The Kings big guns have cooled off considerably since the last time these two teams met, and yet they continue to win games, going 6-3-1 in their last ten, including a 2-1 win to the Calgary Flames on Monday. While there may not be a battle for the Pacific Division lead tonight, it's still an important one for both teams-- Los Angeles is winless at HP Pavilion in their last five games, and San Jose is currently in the midst of a bit of a slide at home, going 1-1-1 in the month of December. These next two months were labeled a good place to pick up standings points both before this season as well as five days ago, so anytime they plan on starting to capitalize on this would be quite alright with me.
Two bullet points seemed a little light, so an executive decision was made to add three.
...wait, there's more! Not a big fan of ice girls (sort of seems like a cheap gimmick honestly, nothing against the profession), but if they managed to pull off some Space Age suits like those that premiered in Staples Center the other night, well, then you might have me sold.

Prediction: Sharks win 3-1. Goals by Boyle, Heatley, and McGinn. Denis Gauthier purchases a ticket to the game and elbows Patrick Marleau in the head on his walk to the dressing room during the second intermission. Whatabum.

Go Sharks.

Gameday Open Thread: Flames @ Sharks

Mr. Plank — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 03:18:55 -0000

This is your official gameday thread.

Go Sharks.

Sharks Gameday: Hide Your Honeycombs

Mr. Plank — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 07:48:53 -0000

	@ 7:30 PST
17-7-3, 37 points		19-6-5, 43 points
3rd in Western Conference		1st in Western Conference

Television	CSN-CA (HD)
Radio	98.5 KFOX, Sjsharks.com
Antagonists	Matchsticks & GasolineBattle of Alberta

I would be remiss not to touch upon the travesty that was St. Louis-- the fact that a shorthanded goal was given up with six seconds remaining has probably been beaten to death in the game thread, but the truth is I didn't even bother to browse being in a pretty foul mood and all. My biggest issue during the last two minutes wasn't even the shorty, but the fact that the Sharks gave up a two on one roughly forty seconds beforehand. It was a great outlet pass sure, and you have to give credit to the Blues for busting their ass all game, but San Jose has to be aware the forwards are going to be creeping into the neutral zone well before they would usually. After that gets defused with an excellent save by Nabokov, the play heads the other way. And who gets off for a line change as the puck gets dumped into the offensive zone? Two players, Dan Boyle and Rob Blake. Joe Thornton gets a pass here as he was the requisite forechecker on the play (along with beating out the icing call), but Heatley and Marleau need to make a quick change so they don't get caught with tired legs in the defensive zone. Whether it was an honest mistake, competitive instinct, or a case of seeing that empty net opportunity to pad the stats a bit doesn't matter. That shift change needs to get done.

And now we move on.

Games against Calgary might be my favorite on the docket to watch. There's a good playoff rivalry, both teams have ties with the Sutter's, the personnel (in Calgary primarily) usually has it's fair share of common blood, and they've both been consistent regular season performers since the lockout with nothing to show for it when all the cards are on the table. San Jose hasn't made it out of the second round since these two teams squared up in 03-04-- the Flames haven't managed to break past the first.

That being said, the teams are built a little differently. Staying true to the family name, Darryl Sutter has built a tough squad with an exceptional blueline, while San Jose has a more skilled squad that's not going to throw around their weight as much. What's been surprising thus far is that Brent Sutter has managed to get his team to put the puck in the net (6th in the NHL), an element of their game that was supposed to be a concern; concurrently, San Jose has managed to keep the puck out of the net (8th in the NHL), an element of their game that was also supposed to be a concern going into the year. Standing by my original thoughts, I'm still not completely sold on the long term success of the defensive core, but it's still an interesting dichatomy between the two clubs.

The backend on Calgary is stacked (baby baybay)-- you have the well known Jay Bouwmeester and Robyn Regehr, premier shutdown defensemen who will likely see the lion's share of defensive zone draws against the HTML line*. Beyond that you get into the skilled yet overrated Dion Phaneuf, as well as the lesser known Cory Sarich (who probably won't fly under the radar tonight considering his brutally clean hit on Patrick Marleau two years ago). There's a lot of talent on that backend, and if San Jose is to bounce back from Thursday, it's going to be through a tireless cycle and a willingness to retrieve pucks off dump ins. That far-side winger is going to need to hit the blueline with speed in order for this to work.

*H/T to my buddy Kit Perkins for the nickname idea-- it's infinitely superior to the brutally uninteresting "Hamburger Line." No idea how that's catching on.

Vesce and Joslin were sent down yesterday. Hopefully Demers is getting the call up or Joslin is victim of another salary cap related move. Both know the system and have played and practiced with the team. Starting Jay Leach against the Flames a whole four days after claiming him off waivers would be a big time head scratcher.

In other news, Randy Hahn will be calling his 1,000th NHL game tonight so give him a warm welcome from the comfort of your couch. Also, be sure not to bring any Honeycomb cereal into The Tank if you're going to the game tonight. Little known fact: Olli Jokinen has a hat trick every time that stuff is in the building.

Prediction: Sharks win 3-2. Goals by Vlasic, McGinn, and Ortmeyer. Honeycomb crisis averted.

Go Sharks.

Gameday Open Thread: Blues @ Sharks

Mr. Plank — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 03:12:31 -0000

Next Game

St. Louis Blues
@ San Jose Sharks

Thursday, Dec 3, 2009, 7:30 PM PST
HP Pavilion

Sharks Gameday: Home Stand City

posted by Mr. Plank about 16 hours ago

102 comments | 0 recs

Complete Coverage >

This is your official gameday thread. Get it done.

Go Sharks.

Sharks Gameday: Home Stand City

Mr. Plank — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 07:20:26 -0000

	@ 7:30 PST
10-10-5, 25 points		19-6-4, 42 points
12th in Western Conference		1st in Western Conference

Television	CSN-CA (HD)
Radio	98.5 KFOX, Sjsharks.com
Antagonists	St. Louis Game Time

After two straight months of a heavy road schedule, San Jose returned to The Tank on Wednesday night for 64 days of some serious home cooking. Seven road games, with the longest trip being two game stints in Dallas/Chicago and Los Angeles/Phoenix respectively. The other three are quick one game flights to Phoenix and Los Angeles.

As if they haven't loaded up on points already, the next two months are a great opportunity to avoid the rigors of the road, stay healthy, and cash in on standings points that will allow them to ease the burden off the players who end up going to the Olympic games once they return. It's a far cry from do or die of course, but the potential to really do some points damage is ripe for the taking. Should be an exciting stretch to see.

David Pollak of Working The Corners had a very informative article yesterday on two points of note-- an unspecified injury to Jed Ortmeyer that puts him in the doubtful category for tonight's game against St. Louis, and some more information on what to expect out of Jay Leach. I'll touch on the Ortmeyer situation in a few, but here's some thoughts on the Leach move:

First, the plan is to keep him in San Jose in a role similar to the one Alexei Semenov played, a seventh defenseman for spot duty. Leach will be wearing No. 28 once he gets here, which is supposed to be sometime tonight.

Second, the out-of-pocket cost is minimal.

Pollak goes on to crunch the numbers, but essentially San Jose will be on the hook for roughly $158,000 against the salary cap if Leach remains on the roster for the rest of the season. With all of the cap finagling Doug Wilson has been doing in running the Worcester shuttle, it may mean that Brad Staubitz will be exposed to waivers sometime in the near future to clear the team of a second healthy scratch. Carrying two players in this role will make it a little bit tougher for Wilson to make a move at the deadline, and if he ends up stashing Staubitz in the minors it's a net gain from a cap standpoint. At this point in the year it may not be worth the risk considering teams are looking for bodies and would likely jump at the opportunity to pick up an average fourth liner, but it's still something to consider due to the fact that Wilson has made no attempt to hide the fact that he's juggling salary. I've asserted all season that the blueline could stand to improve, but Jay Leach isn't the answer here-- a short term call up of Demers/Moore/Callahan will likely yield the same level of competence in this area, if not a bit more. Hell, Staubitz was the backup plan on defense when the Sharks were rolling six.

That being said, I'm not adverse to the acquisition. Having a spare part that can slide in to spell a starter is always a good thing to have around. It just seems strange considering Wilson's approach to cap management the first two months of the year, and raises a pint-sized red flag that something may be brewing.

As for the Ortmeyer "tune-up" or whatever the appropriate coaching euphemism for injury is nowadays, McLellan didn't state who the organization would call up but I assume Couture is getting the nod, with Ferriero the dark horse to fill a wing as the Sharks have four centers on the roster right now. I wouldn't move Malhotra off the second line considering he has gelled with Clowe (eighteen points in eighteen games, including a seven game point streak-- talk about earning your spot) and Pavelski the last couple games. McGinn and Nichol have also established some chemistry in the cycle, but I throw that to the wayside and go with something like this on the bottom six:

McGinn-Couture-Setoguchi

McLaren-Nichol-Mitchell

In all honesty, those lines are sicker than SARS. Does McLellan pull the trigger on it? Hard to say considering he's been a big believer in earning your way up the lineup this season. We may see Nichol skating alongside McGinn and Setoguchi because of that fact, but there's two reasons I like the way this is set up.

For one, Torrey Mitchell has been getting bodied off the puck an awful lot since coming back from his 108 regular season game vacation. It's to be expected to some degree, but at this point in the year he's better suited to play with two guys who are able to throw the body around and not be expected to score at a consistent rate. Concurrently, this gives Couture an opportunity to showcase his playmaking skills with a first line forward (Setoguchi) and teammate who he's had a long history with (McGinn)-- he also can manage the low cycle with excellent body positioning on the glass, which will open up the ice for the aforementioned shooters. I really can't find any noteworthy reason not to go this route other than "he hasn't earned it." I understand that thought process to some degree, but even with all of the intangibles it emphasizes in the locker room, you probably have a better chance to win the game tonight with this lineup.

One George Zimmer guarantee says Zalewski gets the call-up today and makes this whole exercise moot.

[Update]: Vesce gets the call up, and will play on the fourth line-- Nichol centers McGinn and Setoguchi. George Zimmer has failed me twice now.

*****

A mini Off The Post session ends us here today-- the ol' email account has been getting a little backed up, and I'm loathe to fire off seventeen Fanposts in a row (more like three). At any rate, here's the goods.

Alex Stalock is auctioning off a game used helmet that commemorates six Worcester firefighters who lost their lives during a prolonged five alarm fire ten years ago. A worthy cause, and a classy act by our minor league affiliate to acknowledge the service of these brave men.
Fear The Fin is in the running for best Sharks blog at The NHL Arena, along with other notable Sharks blogs that can be found in our left hand sidebar. There's a few avid commenters who have a blogging horse in the running as well, so get over there, sign up, and vote for your five favorites (no idea how they missed Chen-- that's a questionable omission). While you're at it, give Sleek some love too.
Dan Boyle has a new post that deals with being asked the question, "Are the Sharks peaking too early?", as well as giving a nod to the role players that have contributed to the team's current success.
In case you missed them yesterday-- a look at which San Jose Sharks may be included on various Olympic rosters can be found here. Official selections come at the end of this month.
Everyone is slowly getting on board the McGinn bandwagon, but let it be known that I'm driving this thing. Yes, I'm aware I don't own his cheering rights, and sure, I'm being childish. But I don't care. He's been my guy since day one and you can't have him. We're going to run away together and get married. He told me so.

Prediction: Sharks win 4-2. Goals by Setoguchi, Thornton, Vlasic, and McGinn, who also scores a nice restraining order following the game.

Go Sharks.

San Jose Sharks 2010 Olympic Hockey Preview: Part Two

Mr. Plank — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:20:15 -0000

Imagine a gold medal game on a frozen pond-- of course it would never get past the IIHF competition committee, but I'll be damned if it wouldn't be one helluva experience.

View full size photo »

The 2010 Games in Vancouver are fast approaching, with final rosters set to be announced in late December. SB Nation has been running a network wide preview series chronicling the likelihood of individual players making their respective country's roster, and pocket aces dropped today-- it's Fear The Fin's turn to make our grand entrance onto the big stage.

As I see it, the San Jose Sharks have a couple locks and a smorgasbord of remaining hopefuls that boast a myriad of different skills; these hopefuls will either need to elevate or hold their current level of play in order to make their inclusion later this month the right choice for their country.

Make the jump for evaluations of Greiss, Boyle, Pavelski, and Murray.

PACK YOUR BAGS, JACK

Thomas Greiss, Team Germany

#1 / Goalie / San Jose Sharks

Height: 6-1

Weight: 200

Born: Jan 29, 1986

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Thomas Greiss	6	286	3	2			14	2.94	143	129	.902	0

Although Thomas Greiss has seen all of four starts for the San Jose Sharks this season, Germany's pool of available goaltenders makes it a near certainty that Thomas Greiss will start in net for his national team, with former San Jose Shark Dimitri Patzold making a bid for the backup role.

Germany will have a tough time competing with the Big Seven, and the lack of a relatively strong defensive core could highlight Greiss' tendency to heavily challenge shooters and sometimes find himself out of position for the follow up opportunity. The hope is that the move from a six team two pool format into a four team three pool format (with all teams advancing to single elimination) can give Team Germany an opportunity to get hot at the right moment and do some damage.

Unfortunately, that doesn't look very likely.

*****

ON THE FRINGE

What a show

Dan Boyle, Team Canada

#22 / Defenseman / San Jose Sharks

Height: 5-11

Weight: 190

Born: Jul 12, 1976

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Dan Boyle	29	6	18	24	4	20	3	0	1	0	69	8.7

Boyle is an interesting case when it comes to Team Canada, and although he is one of the best offensive defenseman in the game today, you have to wonder how they are going to approach the blueline. There's a lot of firepower amongst the forwards; it stands to reason they're considering putting a little extra muscle in the defensive zone because of it. I wouldn't call San Jose's number one defenseman a slouch in his own end by any means, but he's definitely no world beater-- do you go with a guy whose skating ability could elicit a tear from even the notoriously callous Scott Stevens, or do you go with a guy who plays like the aforementioned wall of steel? It's a question that doesn't have a clear cut answer, but with Jay Bouwmeester, Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, and Duncan Keith already locks for the team, the road to a starting spot in Vancouver for Boyle may not be as smooth as it currently seems.

That leaves us with two starting spots left on the roster. Drew Doughty has raised a lot of eyebrows around the league*, with some circles calling for him to make the team-- others have Seabrook penciled in to play with Keith considering the familiarity they have with one another-- this could pay off dividends since the teams have a very short time to practice together.

*We're talking Patrick Marleau eyebrows here.

Beyond that you have Shea Weber, Robyn Regehr, and Dan Boyle. Regehr may warrant some attention as he and Bouwmeester could be considered in the same boat as Keith-Seabrook. Dion Phaneuf probably has some supporters somewhere, but I'd be very surprised if he is even getting a second look from the Canadian brass-- very subpar in the defensive zone, and although an Olympic team won't be hampered by his overpaid contract, taking a flyer on him based off reputation alone is not a recipe for success.

So where does that leave us? With five worthy defensemen fighting over two starting spots and the healthy scratch. If I'm Steve Yzerman I take Weber, Seabrook, and Boyle, with Seabrook pairing with fellow Blackhawk Duncan Keith, Pronger and Niedermayer obviously going together, and Weber/Boyle pairing with Bouwmeester depending on the night. It gives you a good combination of firepower throughout your pairings, and anchors one of the lines with a great defensive defenseman.

No matter which way you cut it, Canada is stacked in this department. Here's to Dan Boyle getting cracking the first Olympic roster of his career without the whole team alternate situation rearing it's head again.

Joe Pavelski, Team USA

#8 / Center / San Jose Sharks

Height: 5-11

Weight: 195

Born: Jul 11, 1984

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Joe Pavelski	14	3	9	12	8	8	1	0	0	0	49	6.1

Joe Pavelski runs into the same situation as Dan Boyle to a degree in that the Americans, while not nearly as deep as the Canadians, do boast a decent crop of forwards that can put the puck in the net. That being said, he impressed a lot of folks during the orientation camp this summer and has played for head coach Ron Wilson before as well as playing against GM Brian Burke when he was with Anaheim. His injury to start the year didn't help his bid, but his noteworthy play after returning has proved that he is not hampered by any lingering issues in his foot.

Like Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski will be able to play an excellent two way game and help shore up the United States penalty kill. With Team USA mainstays Scott Gomez and Chris Drury having fairly porous outings this season, the opportunity is there for him to jump into the starting rotation as either a center, or play on the right wing. An enticing possibility would be for him to play with fellow American Ryan Kesler of the Vancouver Canucks in a shutdown role-- Team USA has very little hope of being able to outgun the likes of Russia, Canada, and Sweden once they advance out of pool play, and establishing a physical game with an influx of young players might be the best route to take considering the strength of the goaltending class and what's shaping up to be a surprisingly above average top six defensive unit.

Ron Wilson, as we are well aware of, has been known to favor a defensive style of play. Pavelski has been a winner at every level he's played at and can bring intangibles to the squad's run at avenging Salt Lake in 02. For that reason I think he gets the nod.

Just don't pencil him in quite yet.

Douglas Murray, Team Sweden

#3 / Defenseman / San Jose Sharks

Height: 6-3

Weight: 240

Born: Mar 12, 1980

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Douglas Murray	28	1	3	4	4	31	0	0	0	0	25	4.0

Going into this season there was no indication Douglas Murray would be anything but a stretch when talking about a strong Swedish roster, but with Nicklas Lidstrom extending his blessing earlier this year (a blessing that must be akin to a kiss from the Pope), speculation on whether or not Murray would crack the starting lineup has ramped up considerably.

That being said, there's still a fair amount in his way.

Nicklas Lidstrom, Mattias Ohlund, and Alexander Edler are the locks here, and after that you get into some gray area-- Niklas Kronwall is currently out for 4-8 weeks with a sprained MCL in his left knee, and while that doesn't necessarily write him out of the top six for the Swedes, it does open up the playing field for some other notables to make their bid. On this short list we have Victor Hedman (whose inclusion would likely be welcomed by the country at large along with an opportunity to play with Lightning teammate Ohlund), Johnny Oduya (who has taken a step back in his game from last season, Anton Stralman (a member of the 2009 World Championship team who has played well this season with the Columbus Blue Jackets and could help quarterback the power play), along with numerous other notables from the NHL such as Tobias Enstrom, Nicklas Grossman, Jonathan Ericsson, among others. There's a slew of players from across the pond who I am admittedly not all too familiar with, but it's a deep class for the third best IIHF team going into the tournament.

There's three aspects of this year's Olympics that benefit Murray-- the aforementioned blessing from Lidstrom, the fact that his grandfather is a hero in Sweden for his international accomplishments, and the Games being played on an NHL sized rink. His physical play would be an asset in this arena, and as long as he is paired with an offensive minded defenseman, the hope is that they will be able to compliment each other such as the current pairing of Boyle-Murray has done for San Jose.

It's going to take one helluva performance to crack the top six, but I'm sure Murray will at least make the team as an alternate. Beyond that I'd have to chock this one up to a coin flip.

*****

Devin Setoguchi, Rob Blake, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic are three notable San Jose Sharks who will not be making the trip to Vancouver. If Setoguchi and Vlasic continue to progress and grow their games (in the defensive and physical categories respectively), a date in 2014 could be in the cards.

Until then, and until December, it's just going to be a game of wait and see.

Go ~~Sharks~~ Team USA.

San Jose Sharks 2010 Olympic Hockey Preview: Part One

Mr. Plank — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:56:33 -0000

Canada's rumored top line-- Sumi the playmaker, Quatchi the power forward, Miga the sniper. Should be a force to be reckoned with.

View full size photo »

Make the jump for evaluations of Nabokov, Marleau, Thornton, and Heatley.

PACK YOUR BAGS, JACK

Evgeni Nabokov, Team Russia

#20 / Goalie / San Jose Sharks

Height: 6-0

Weight: 200

Born: Jul 25, 1975

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Evgeni Nabokov	25	1479	16	4			58	2.35	734	676	.921	2

Evgeni Nabokov is a no-brainer for the Russian team this winter, and will likely be starting between the pipes as he did during their fourth place outing in Turin where he went 5-2 with a 1.34 GAA. His recent success at the 2008 World Championships where Russia won gold, along with his stellar play during the first two months of the 2009-2010 NHL season, also add to his credentials. Competing for his job will be Illya Bryzgalov and Semyon Varlamov, with Nikolai Khabilbulin looking to be on the fringe as of this moment considering he is dealing with back trouble and has not played as well as the aforementioned three. Two veteran netminders should be able to shoulder the immense load on a Russian team expected to play for the gold medal in what stands to be a boisterous Canadian arena. The potential seasoning of Varlamov (along with his excellent play) will be an enticing opportunity for the Russian brass to consider, as it will concurrently set the team up for another bid at the 2014 games in Sochi*.

*Admittedly the NHL hasn't green-lighted sending players over as of yet, but with the KHL an alluring alternative and one of their biggest stars (Alexander Ovechkin) stating that he wants to play in the games, it might be in their best interest to do so. Words such as "fatigue" and "potential injury" will be tossed around, but keep in mind that it is just as likely, if not more, about the loss of revenue stemming from shutting the league down for three weeks to play overseas. Alas, that is a topic to be covered at a later date.

No matter what happens in the next month, Team Russia boasts four able netminders to choose from in the crease. And if current trends hold, Nabokov will be front and center.

Patrick Marleau, Team Canada

#12 / Center / San Jose Sharks

Height: 6-2

Weight: 220

Born: Sep 15, 1979

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Patrick Marleau	29	19	14	33	8	4	4	2	3	0	89	21.3

Coming off a 38 goal year, Patrick Marleau has once again shot the lights out, posting 19 goals and 33 points in 29 games during the 2009-2010 season. Going into Team Canada's development camp last summer it was uncertain whether or not he would be able to crack the squad-- an offseason filled with off-ice extracurriculars concerning his leadership abilities and "heart" in high pressure situations (views that were never shared by this author, nor the majority of readers at Fear The Fin) contributed to that, along with the astonishing depth of the Canadian national team. However, with what's shaping up to be another strong year for Marleau, his inclusion onto the roster is but a phone call away.

Although short on Olympic credentials (invited to camp but eventually discluded from the 2006 roster), Marleau will nonetheless be able to provide the high powered Canadian offense with some of the best defensive abilities in the game, and will contribute heavily on the penalty kill. All while being a threat in the offensive zone every time he takes a shift.

Dany Heatley, Team Canada

#15 / Left Wing / San Jose Sharks

Height: 6-3

Weight: 220

Born: Jan 21, 1981

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Dany Heatley	29	18	14	32	4	20	9	1	4	0	86	20.9

Team Canada's all-time leading points and goals scorer. A man on a mission to earn back his country's trust following a heavily publicized trade request. Top five in the goal scoring race with fellow teammate Patrick Marleau. Penalty kill partner in limited minutes with fellow teammate Joe Thornton. There's just about every reason in the world to include Dany Heatley on Team Canada later this month.

The only issue is whether or not to put him on Getzlaf's wing. Two balding superstars on the same line might be too much fun to pass up.

Joe Thornton, Team Canada

#19 / Center / San Jose Sharks

Height: 6-4

Weight: 235

Born: Jul 02, 1979

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Joe Thornton	29	7	32	39	4	6	2	0	1	0	60	11.7

Jumbo Joe has run into the same stigmas that plagued Patrick Marleau the last few seasons-- good when it counts, not so good when it counts the most. Whether or not that is fair assessment of his play with San Jose or a vestige of his days in Boston is a debate that will echo in the halls of eternity for the next millenia.

Of course, the suits behind the team would be loathe to leave Thornton off the roster, and that's where he'll be in February; expect to see him centering Heatley and Marleau during Team Canada's push to avenge their woeful seventh place performance during the 2006 games.

*****

Go ~~Sharks~~ Team USA.

Wires got crossed up behind the scenes. TCY should have a gameday up shortly. Thanks for your...

Mr. Plank — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:50:53 -0000

Wires got crossed up behind the scenes. TCY should have a gameday up shortly.

Thanks for your understanding. Go Sharks.

The Roots of Douglas Murray

Mr. Plank — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:08:46 -0000

More photos » by Jeff McIntosh - AP

(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jeff McIntosh)

Browse more photos »

Received an interesting email over the weekend about Douglas Murray's grandfather that helps flesh out how our Swedish defenseman grew into his style of play.

Lars Bjorn was a hulking Swedish defenseman in the 1950s and 1960s. He was nicknamed "Lasse," Swedish for "menace," because he was never afraid to impose his physicality upon his opponent. He was fearless of any opponent, including the aggressive Canadians

Bjorn and defensive partner Roland Stotlz dominated the Swedish Elite League with Djurgarden for the better part of both decades, leading the team to 9 Swedish championships.

- Joe Pelletier, Greatest Hockey Legends

Murray is the most physical defenseman San Jose has had since Bryan Marchment, and it's no surprise that he is able to trace those ideals back to his grandfather. There has been countless times over the last four seasons where someone has tried to take a run at him in open ice only to end up with an excellent view of the rafters-- you'd be hard pressed to find a specific player who has knocked him off his skates twice throughout his career. In fact, you'd be hard pressed to find five different players who have done it once. And it looks like his grandfather played hockey the exact same way.

"Lasse" is currently 77 years old and was inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame in 1998. It would be interesting to see if Murray trained with his grandfather, or still talks to him about the finer points of the game-- something tells me there's a good chance this is the case considering the circumstances, and with Nicklas Lidstrom backing Murray's inclusion onto the Swedish roster for the upcoming Olympic games, hopefully Lars can give him a few pointers about the particulars of international play. Not that he's unfamiliar with the territory.

The full piece by Mr. Pelletier goes into more depth on Lars Bjorn, along with a great story about the time he had to sing the Swedish national anthem. Another family tie-in, this time with with Douglas' Uber Tap investment?

We're not ruling it out.

SB Nation User Blog: Mr. Plank

Gameday Open Thread: Kings @ Sharks

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Antagonists

Gameday Open Thread: Flames @ Sharks

Sharks Gameday: Hide Your Honeycombs

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Television

CSN-CA (HD)

Radio

98.5 KFOX, Sjsharks.com

Antagonists

Gameday Open Thread: Blues @ Sharks

Next Game

Sharks Gameday: Home Stand City

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Television

CSN-CA (HD)

Radio

98.5 KFOX, Sjsharks.com

Antagonists

San Jose Sharks 2010 Olympic Hockey Preview: Part Two

#1 / Goalie / San Jose Sharks

#22 / Defenseman / San Jose Sharks

#8 / Center / San Jose Sharks

#3 / Defenseman / San Jose Sharks

San Jose Sharks 2010 Olympic Hockey Preview: Part One

#20 / Goalie / San Jose Sharks

#12 / Center / San Jose Sharks

#15 / Left Wing / San Jose Sharks

#19 / Center / San Jose Sharks

Wires got crossed up behind the scenes. TCY should have a gameday up shortly. Thanks for your...

The Roots of Douglas Murray