SB Nation User Blog: That'll Cheech You

FTF Q&A with Second City Hockey

That'll Cheech You — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 07:08:38 -0000

Committed Indian of SB Nation's Chicago Blackhawks blog had some questions for us concerning tomorrow night's matchup. Here's what I had to say:

So what did Sharks fans make of the 7-2 defeat in November? Just a bad night at the office? Or a frightening vision of the future?

Sharks fans took that loss harder than most any loss in recent memory... I myself felt almost as sick about the game as I did when the team dropped the sixth game to Anaheim in last years Stanley Cup Playoffs. As much as I'd like to shrug it off and say it was another day in the office, three shorthanded goals should never be allowed to happen under any circumstance, especially on home ice. However, I wouldn't go so far as to say it was a "frightening vision of the future", as I doubt it will ever happen again. I'm not of the camp that thinks that you can "get losing out of the way", but I do think that the Sharks ability to overcome some early struggles will help them in the long run. Last year, the team wasn't really embarrassed in the regular season. This year, coach McLellan has used the occasional embarrassment and disappointment as a motivational tool and teaching opportunity.

Obviously, the big problem has been secondary scoring. While no one expects Malhotra, Nichol, and the Ortmeyer's of the world to bang them in, why aren't Pavelski, Clowe, and Setoguchi producing as much?

Secondary scoring has been an issue to be sure, but timely scoring has been more of a problem as of late. And although Clowe had a rough start to the year, he just snapped a 10 game point streak. As for Pavelski and Setoguchi, both have missed some considerable chunks of time this year. Although Pavelski has looked better as of late, he's still got a long way to go before he regains his form. Setoguchi looked like he was going to have a career year next to Thornton and Heatley, but a knee injury has haunted him all season. He' has played on all four lines while trying to get his form back. The second line will produce, but it's been hard to establish much chemistry with the injuries and almost constant line juggling.

What would be your preferred line combinations, as currently the Sharks are a top-heavy, and we know there's been talk about this in San Jose?

Although a line of Heatley-Thornton-Marleau screws with your overall depth, it's hard to deny the talent those players have and the advantages gained by playing them together. However, McLellan has really tried to mix things up as of late, and has in turn shifted Heatley down to play with Pavelski a majority of the time. I understand what he's trying to do (jump start Pavelski by giving him Heatley, and jump start Setoguchi on Thornton's line), but Heatley was brought here to play with Thornton, and those two should never be separated. Marleau is deserving of a top line spot as well, and can appear there in spots, but Setoguchi showed he could play well there at the beginning of the year. In reality, we'd just like some consistent lines. Here's what speaks to us...

Heatley - Thornton - Setoguchi
Marleau - Pavelski - Clowe
McGinn - Malhotra - Mitchell
Ortmeyer - Nichol - McLaren

The Kings have passed you, and the Coyotes aren't far behind. Are you guys worried about either of these teams being long-term threats?

The Kings have quietly built a very solid team, and I like a whole lot of their players. They've played the Sharks well this year, and at this point, you have to assume they make the playoffs. Do I think the Sharks are a better team? Without a doubt. But I also think that the Kings are a legitimate worry for the Sharks Pacific Division hopes. Remember too, though, the Ducks have fallen off considerably after being a Pacific Division contender for years, so that's one less team to worry about. As far as the Coyotes are concerned, they'll go as far as Bryzgalov will take them. That could be pretty far, but I don't think it will be good enough to trump San Jose.

This is connected to the first question, but do the Sharks have to win tonight for some sort of mental edge? They've lost to the Hawks when we were missing three of our top six and then got blown out of the building when we were at full-strength. Do the Sharks need a win here to know they can get them in April in May?

I'm not really a believer in the "mental edge" theory, as I think the Sharks have put that loss far behind them. I think it would be the same if they had won the game in similar fashion as to how the Blackhawks did. San Jose has been a team that has fallen victim to placing too much emphasis on past successes, and I believe that because of this, they are taking this season game by game. While that may sound cliche, I hope it's the truth. If they do grab a win tonight, it would be a nice treat heading into the Christmas break. However, it shouldn't matter in the long run. The Sharks already know they can beat any team if they play solid hockey. Although it was a soul crusher, that 7-2 game should do little to sway that belief.

December OT Thread

That'll Cheech You — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:50:49 -0000

"Matt", they asked me

pa rum pa pum pum

"Please make an OT thread"

pa rum pa pum pum

"So we can shoot the shit"

pa rum pa pum pum

"And get away with it"

pa rum pa pum pum, rum pa pum pum, rum pa pum pum

So, I made the thread

pa rum pa pum pum

Now it's up for you

pa rum pa pum pum

So talk about Star Wars

pa rum pa pum pum

Or, whatever else it is that you nerds come to this thread to talk about and waste even more time than you usually do at work or at home where you should be doing more productive things but instead you come to Fearthefin.com to post goofy pictures and make fun of Alexei Semenov and other stuff that no one thinks is funny execpt for me, Plank and this very exclusive community of Sharks fans

pa rum pa pum pum, rum pa pum pum, rum pa pum pum

On my drum...

Gameday Open Thread: Sharks @ Coyotes

That'll Cheech You — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:19:55 -0000

Next Game

San Jose Sharks
@ Phoenix Coyotes

Saturday, Dec 12, 2009, 5:00 PM PST
Jobing.com Arena

Sharks Gameday: I'll shoot myself if it goes to the shootout.

posted by That'll Cheech You about 6 hours ago

3 comments | 0 recs

Complete Coverage >

I choose you, official gamedayopenthread-achu!

Go Sharks.

Sharks Gameday: I'll shoot myself if it goes to the shootout.

That'll Cheech You — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 07:44:04 -0000

	@ 5:00 PST
19-7-7, 45 points		18-11-2, 28 points
1st in Western Conference		7th in Western Conference

Television	CSN-CA
Radio	98.5 KFOX, Sjsharks.com
Antagonists	Five For Howling

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 have been 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.)

Like Plank said yesterday, it is really to early to start to worry about the team. Every squad hits a lull here or there, it's just what happens in an 82 game season. But ever since that stomping against Chicago on November 27th, the Sharks just haven't looked the same. Before, they were playing like they knew they were the best team in the NHL. When the Blackhawks hung seven on them, well, that was a blow to the ego.

The Sharks will get their swagger back, but it's going to take some hard work and improved skating to do that. In the last two games, the Sharks have taken two hooking penalties and three tripping penalties. That's more than two penalties per game stemming from a lack of hustle. You just can't have that. In addition to those five calls, the Sharks have been shorthanded five more time, and the Kings and Stars happily cashed in at a clip of 30%. In that same span, San Jose is one for nine with the man advantage.

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.

Last night wasn't all bad though. We got our first look at Jay Leach, who in my opinion, looked like a solid pickup for a team in need of defense. He shouldn't be a top pairing guy if Murray is healthy (Murray shouldn't either, but that's another story), but I thought that he played well, facilitated the breakout, and adjusted quickly to the Sharks game plan. He was much better than Huskins last night, and I wouldn't be opposed to seeing Leach get some starts over Ken in the coming weeks. That won't make us any better on the offensive side, but he looked good doing what we needed him to do: make some hits, don't make mistakes, and don't slow the team down. He's not the end all be all fix on the team, but he could be a nice surprise going forward.

Thank God the Sharks are on the road again, since that's the only place they seem to win games as of late. I have to be honest... I never thought December (a month in which we play four games on the road) would the month where we would have the most trouble thus far. I guess that's why I'm laying in bed eating a hot pocket instead of sitting next to Brett Hedican. Oh, to be Brodie Braz... never mind, I think I'll just stick to my hot pocket.

Prediction: Sharks win 4-3. Goals by Setoguchi (2), McGinn, and Marleau. Thomas Greiss makes some erratic movements either on the bench or between the pipes. Shane Doan scores a goal, celebrates, then wonders if selling his soul for special powers against the Sharks was worth it.

Go Sharks.

Logan Couture, Great Prospect

That'll Cheech You — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 17:54:21 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

Browse more photos »

When you are drafted only 8 players after NHL 10 cover boy and (insert taxi cab joke of choice here) Patrick Kane, there's bound to be some hype around your arrival. That hype is bound to turn to pressure when you're compared favorably to NHL legend Steve Yzerman and are one of only three players selected in the top ten by your team in the decade.

Oh yeah, and you're 17. Good luck with all that.

Couture wasn't ready to succeed at the NHL level when he was selected 9th overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2007 NHL entry draft. That's actually to be expected, considering the team he was drafted by. Although it's something that happens mostly in the later rounds, the Sharks love drafting project players. Players who aren't great skaters (Joe Pavelski), players who don't accelerate well or struggle with consistency (Ryane Clowe), or need to add some size to their frame (Marc-Edouard Vlasic). Well, Couture needed to work on most all of those things heading back to juniors.

The Sharks draft players like this because they not only have confidence in the player, but also their organization's ability to coach the player through their shortcomings. This allows them to grab a player with innate, high skill that other teams may have been scared away from because of a few, possibly coachable, faults. Logan is a skilled playmaker, a capable goal scorer, and has an admirable and difficult to teach desire to play well in every area of the ice. The balance, stride, and size would come later.

Couture has done almost all of the things necessary to become an above average NHL player. Although he still has some work to do on keeping his feet, it's apparent he's adjusting quickly to the speed of the NHL game.

NHL	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Logan Couture	11	1	1	2	-2	4	0	0	0	0	14	7.1

I'm not going to even try to say that he's got a decent NHL line there. It's alright considering his playing time and line mates, but doesn't really work with all the praise I'm giving him so far in this piece. My proof is in his AHL stats, below.

AHL	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Logan Couture	14	9	12	21	7	4	3	0	5	0	43	20.9

Dizzam. It doesn't stop there, though. As an AHL rookie, Logan is putting together and extremely strong statistical season. His five game winning goals lead the league. He's got the longest point streak in the AHL; from October 10th to November 25th, where he scored 14 points (6 G, 8A). He's one of only two rookies in the top 25 for scoring, and that's in 11 less games than most other players in the top 25. What's most amazing, though, is his effect on his team.

Couture has been called up and sent down a few times this year, just like most other Sharks prospects. That gives us a pretty decent sample size to see his effect on the team. As Worcester Sharks broadcaster, Price is Right winner, and friend of the website Eric Lindquist pointed out in a press release, the Worcester Sharks really depend on Couture to get things going offensively. In the 14 games that he has played with the team, the Worcester Sharks average 3.42 goals per game. In the 12 games without him, the Sharks have scored just 1.91 goals per game. That's a pretty significant difference.

It didn't just start in the AHL, though. Logan has been scoring (just ask the ladies) since he first started in Juniors. He was most successful with Jamie McGinn as his wingman (again, ask the ladies), but has been able to score with just about anyone (do I really have to say it again?). Sexual innuendo aside, here are his carreer stats.

Logan Couture - Career Stats

League	GP	G	A	P	P/GP
2005 -2006 Ottawa 67's	65	25	39	64	0.99
2006 -2007 Ottawa 67's	54	26	52	78	1.44
2007 -2008 Ottawa 67's	51	21	37	58	1.14
2008 -2009 Ottawa 67's*	62	39	48	87	1.40
2009 -2010 Worcester Sharks	14	9	12	21	1.50

*Called up to AHL after conclusion of OHL season

Although scouts have been wary of Logan's long term scoring potential, his recent success in the AHL should do a little bit to quell those concerns. In fact, I'd say these numbers merit an almost permanent call up.

Don't agree with me? Let's look at Joe Pavelski's (short) AHL career.

2006-2007 AHL Worcester Sharks	GP	G	A	P	P/GP
Joe Pavelski	16	8	18	26	1.62

That stat line was good enough to merit a call up to the NHL, and he never looked back. What's interesting, is how similar Joe's stat line is to Logan's. It's especially interesting because Couture has always been compared to Pavelski in terms of player type, skill set, and mental makeup. Time for a full time gig for Couture?

Ah, there's the problem. The Sharks are in the midst of a high pressure NHL season, one in which anything less than making the Stanley Cup Finals would be an OMG CRASHN BURN FALUREZ. That's not really the best environment for Couture to flourish. In addition, the cap situation doesn't help, especially when Couture is one of the higher priced rookies in the system.

When he has been called up, he's played admirably. But it's tough to succeed statistically when you're paired with the likes of Jody Shelley, Brad Staubitz, et. al. That's not an excuse, it's just not exactly the perfect situation. Hell, Joe Callahan assisted on his first career goal. The assist? Couture set up Staubitz's weird "flying goal". (That celebration is kind of sad, though... everyone gets to party but Logan)

It's kind of crazy that I'm using stats to talk about Couture's improvement when that's only half of his game. Even when he's on his rear end (like I said, balance), he's still fighting for the puck and wins important battles in all zones. That kind of motor can't be taught. That desire even further adds to his value.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that the promise of Couture's skill is finally becoming more than promise. He's still got some work to do... but I'm thinking he's going to be a star in this league. In any other situation, he'd be working on that ascent now.

Go Sharks.

BOV: Patrick Marleau

That'll Cheech You — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 01:32:15 -0000

In my line of work, we do these things called BOV's. For those of you who aren't "in the know", that stands for Broker's Opinion of Value. Now, I'm not about to say that I'm Patrick Marleau's "broker". I have very little knowledge of the in's and out's of his daily life besides what I can deduce by digging through his trash can (That bin is riddled wirh empty containers of Nutella and moustache wax. No idea what's going on there). But I can give a Bloggers Opinion of Value, and that's something I'm going to do... now.

Now, when you're preforming a BOV, it's best to pull recent "comps" (or, market comparables). This gives you a bench mark of your asset's value. If we were to apply this same approach to contracts and players in the hockey world, the most recent comparable would be Marc Savard, who just signed a seven year contract extension with the Boston Bruins. The 2009 stats for both players are listed below.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Patrick Marleau	31	19	14	33	8	4	4	2	3	0	97	19.6

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Marc Savard	14	8	6	14	1	8	4	0	1	0	36	22.2

By every metric listed, Marleau has had a far superior 2009. However, Savard's year has been hampered by an injury sustained early in the season. So, when performing this "BOV", let's look at the players' career statistics as a whole, shall we?

Marleau (age 30), has been with the San Jose Sharks his entire career. Over the course of that career, he's averaged 79 GP, 25 G, 30 A, and 55 P. In the last three years, those numbers jump to 30 G, 36 A, and 66P in two fewer games played on average. He's scored more than 30 goals twice in his career, but has only topped the 80 point plateau once.

Savard (32), bounced around the NHL before finding his seemingly permanent home in Boston. Over the course of that 11 season NHL career, he's posted an average of 18 G, 42 A, and 60 P in 67 GP. The difference between that number and his three year average is more significant than Patrick's, as he's averaged 21 G, 66 A, and 87 P in those seasons (79 GP). Savard also has three seasons on his resume where he topped 80 points (two of those seasons over 90 P).

Although the numbers don't match up exactly, we shouldn't expect them to or wish that they would. When performing a BOV, it's expected that the comp will differ slightly from the target. In my expert (roll of eyes is expected here) opinion, Marleau and Savard have enough in common to make them apt comparables for each other.

Both are "Class A" NHL players. Both are centers (although Marleau has recently found his position switch to off wing). Both score within reasonable amounts of each other, albeit Savard is more of a playmaker while Marleau has become a sniper as his career has progressed (especially after being moved to Joe Thornton's wing). They are both over 30, and are likely (Savard is no longer) looking for their last big pay day.

Let's get down to brass tacks (I thought the expression was "Brass Tax", but my girlfriend quickly informed me that I am, indeed, an idiot). Savard recently signed a seven year deal to stay in Boston, coming at a very reasonable cap hit of $4.2 MM per season. It's a heavily front-loaded deal, with $14 MM being earned in the first two years and the other $14 distributed over the next 5. With other centers around the league making much more (including Marleau, who's cap hit sits at a hefty $6.3 MM), how did the Bruins get Savard so cheap?

It might have something to do with the current economic situation (I, myself, haven't gotten my usual annual salary increase for two years now... boo hoo), or it might be the fact that Savard really wanted to stay with Boston. Even still, $4.2 MM annually is a bargain for a player who has eclipsed the elusive 90 point marker twice.

Savard must know the current dilemma that the Bruins are in... he lost former linemate Phil Kessel over the offseason because Boston simply couldn't afford to keep the budding star. However, you have to believe that Savard still wanted to "get his", and thus the contract must have worked for both sides. No one is that nice.

In relating the situation to Patrick Marleau, one would think that #12 still wants to be in San Jose, even with the loss of the captaincy in the offseason and the swirling trade rumors he has been subjected to for much of his tenure. He still seems like he loves the team, the city, and the fans. His family his here, his life is here. He's grown up with the city, bleeding teal since he was a wee lad of 18. This is his home, and I would assume he wants to stay.

Problem is, San Jose is also in dire straights when it comes to the salary cap. They're losing players and cutting payroll as a result next year, but most likely cannot resign Marleau for anywhere close to the $6.3 MM average salary he's currently making if they have any intention of resigning both Devin Setoguchi and Joe Pavelski (who will be RFA's this coming summer). Marleau will likely have to take a pay cut, but who's to say that cut can't be part of a backloaded contract akin to Savard's?

If we compare the two players, and use Savard's deal as a bench mark for Marleau, it seems unlikely that Patrick should be making any thing exceeding $4.2 MM per year. In fact, based upon Savard's recent numbers, Marleau should probably sign for less than that. However, considering that Marleau is three years younger, is better defensively, and is such a big part of this team even as he has been stripped of his letter... it could be argued that he should probably be paid about the same as Savard.

Long, frontloaded contacts are all the rage in the current NHL, and I'm a proponent for one in this case. On a seven year deal, Marleau should be making around $4 MM a year. If any longer than that, the average salary should decrease.

I love Marleau, and I hope he loves it in San Jose as much as I think he does. If Doug Wilson is smart (as I assume he is), he should be considering a contract extension for Marleau as I finish typing this story. Although I want Marleau to have as much success as possible, 50 goal scorers (he's on pace for 50 G, 37 A, and 87 P) don't come cheap.

Go Sharks.

Poll

What should Marleau's cap hit be on a seven year contract?

More than Savard's (>$4.2MM)

135 votes

Equal to Savard's ($4.2MM)

138 votes

Less than Savard's (<$4.2MM)

29 votes

302 votes | Poll has closed

Vesce and Joslin sent to AHL (Worcester Sharks Release)

That'll Cheech You — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 23:43:51 -0000

Vesce and Joslin sent to AHL (Worcester Sharks Release)

"San Jose Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Wilson announced today that the club has reassigned forward Ryan Vesce and defenseman Derek Joslin to the Worcester Sharks, the team’s top development affiliate in the American Hockey League.

Vesce has played in eight games with San Jose this season, posting five points (3-2=5). Prior to missing seven games due to a lower body injury from Oct. 25 – Nov. 7, he posted a four game point streak in San Jose. In 10 games with Worcester this season, Vesce has posted 10 points (4-6=10).

The five-foot-eight, 165-pound native of Lloyd Harbor, NY was signed by San Jose as a free agent on Aug. 12, 2008.

Joslin has played in 16 games with San Jose posting three points (three assists), six penalty minutes and a plus-two rating.

The six-foot-one, 210-pound native of Richmond, Ontario was originally selected by San Jose in the fifth round (149th overall) of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft."

Official Gameday Thread: Senators @ Sharks

That'll Cheech You — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 03:02:32 -0000

Next Game

Ottawa Senators
@ San Jose Sharks

Tuesday, Dec 1, 2009, 7:30 PM PST
HP Pavilion

Sharks Gameday: Wires cross, tempers flare

posted by That'll Cheech You about 8 hours ago

165 comments | 0 recs

Complete Coverage >

Official gameday thread, activate!

Go Sharks.

Sharks Gameday: Wires cross, tempers flare

That'll Cheech You — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:19:22 -0000

	@ 7:30 PST
13-7-4, 30 points		18-6-4, 40 points
7th in Eastern Conference		1st in Western Conference

Television	CSN-CA
Radio	98.5 KFOX, Sjsharks.com
Antagonists	The Silver Seven

So, Plank and I got our game day wires crossed, and the story got posted a little late. So sue me/us/whatever. Our lawyer will rip you apart.

However, as opposed to just mailing it in, I've got some things that I was going to use for a piece on Sunday that I'll throw into the mix here.

First off, you can't ignore the media generated significance of a game against two non-division, non-conference, non-rival teams. Even though these two squads have relatively no past when it comes to on ice activity, the Heatley-gate saga manufactured enough drama to make this seem like a game with the importance of a seventh tilt in a playoff series.

Granted, there will more than likely be some bad blood coming from the Senators squad, who will want to show that they don't need Heatley to succeed. So far, they've done a good job of that... posting 30 points on the year and holding down the seventh playoff seed in the Eastern Conference.

Problem is, most of that success is independent of the pieces that the Senators acquired in exchange for Heatley. Although Milan Michalek has gotten hot of late and leads the Senators with 13 goals (Czech him out!), Jonathan Cheecoo has struggled, posting only 4 points in 24 games with his new team. Regardless, it will be nice to see Cheech back at HP Pavilion, but this time I won't necessarily be rooting for him. Hell, he can score a goal once the Sharks are up six. Least we can do for the guy.

The Senators are also trying to get past an injury to Pascal Leclaire, their starting goaltender, who took a puck to the face while sitting on the bench during an off night. Ouch. Brian Elliot has filled in admirably in relief, putting up better numbers than Leclaire through 10 games.

The Senators won't be the only ones with something to prove, though. Dany Heatley is going to want to come up big tonight, I can just feel it. After being held goaless for three straight, I'm thinking he's going to put some in the back of the net.

It goes without saying that I think our odds of winning this quasi-rivalry game are quite good.

Moving past tonight's match-up, (and regarding McGinn's recent trip back to Worcester) I want to highlight a quote made by Mike Ricci at this past summer's State of the Sharks concerning the team's toughness, grit, and commitment in the playoffs. The quote is as follows:

"Our kids in Worcester have played like champions and they will fight guys for jobs. The probably weren’t ready, but now they probably are ready to battle our guys for positions. They will find it on the opening day of camp when someone is ready to take their job. The first time I went to Worcester, I told them they had a great attitude. Our coaches were just trying to get enough healthy guys in the lineup and there was (little) competition and I think that hurt us." - Mike Ricci

It certainly seams that the Sharks organization took that philosophy to heart, injecting the team with different combinations of young blood as the season has progressed. Jason Demers, Derek Joslin, Joe Callahan, Logan Couture, Jamie McGinn, Benn Ferriero, Frazier McLaren, Ryan Vesce, and Stephen Zalewski (pretty sick how I remembered the forwards almost alphabetically, accidentally) have all gotten their shot at the NHL level. This has created some competition on the lower lines, but I thing McLellan and Wilson might be missing the point of the strategy.

It's great that these guys are competing for spots on the NHL team. What would be better, is if the competition extended up to where it really matters. McGinn has played admirably all year, and is a real spark on the third line. He should have been challenging Clowe for his spot on the second while Clowe was struggling, regardless of any of the BS arguments concerning chemistry, pay, etc. He's played well enough to earn that spot.

I understand that there are cap reasons involved with the bringing up and sending down of a player. I get it. However, if McGinn isn't back up by tonight's game, I think the problem is deeper than that. You can only light a fire under someone's ass so many times before it's ineffective, and Jamie is a guy who (in my opinion) needed no extra motivation. He's playing out of his mind.

If Jamie is back tonight this all may be moot, but I think it's still applicable going forward. The competition has to extend throughout the team to the top players, or else you aren't getting the most out of your squad.

Prediction: Sharks win 7-1. Goals by McGinn x3, Heatley x3, and Marleau, who assists on all 7 (yes, even his own) goals. Cheechoo rips a one timer from between the circles top shelf on the power play.

Go Sharks.

Gameday Open Thread: Sharks @ Canucks

That'll Cheech You — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:04:31 -0000

San Jose Sharks @ Vancouver Canucks

Nov 29, 2009 7:00 PM PST
General Motors Place

Sharks Gameday: Mailing It In

posted by Mr. Plank about 15 hours ago

69 comments | 0 recs

Complete Coverage >

This is your official game day thread. Get it done.

Go Sharks.

SB Nation User Blog: That'll Cheech You

FTF Q&A with Second City Hockey

December OT Thread

Gameday Open Thread: Sharks @ Coyotes

Next Game

Sharks Gameday: I'll shoot myself if it goes to the shootout.

Sharks Gameday: I'll shoot myself if it goes to the shootout.

@

Television

CSN-CA

Radio

98.5 KFOX, Sjsharks.com

Antagonists

Five For Howling

Logan Couture, Great Prospect

Logan Couture - Career Stats

BOV: Patrick Marleau

What should Marleau's cap hit be on a seven year contract?

More than Savard's (>$4.2MM)

Equal to Savard's ($4.2MM)

Less than Savard's (<$4.2MM)

Vesce and Joslin sent to AHL (Worcester Sharks Release)

Vesce and Joslin sent to AHL (Worcester Sharks Release)

Official Gameday Thread: Senators @ Sharks

Next Game

Sharks Gameday: Wires cross, tempers flare

Sharks Gameday: Wires cross, tempers flare

@

Television

CSN-CA

Radio

98.5 KFOX, Sjsharks.com

Antagonists

The Silver Seven

Gameday Open Thread: Sharks @ Canucks