Everybody needs a nickname, and it should be a little more original that the run-of-the-mill monikers being tossed around these days. We've got A-Rod, J-Rod and K-Rod, several LTs and LJs, and there have to be millions of Smitty's out there. That's what I was thinking when I gave each of the Sharks a nickname last season. Some (Nieminen's "Trade Bait") were inspired, while others (Matt "Long Distance" Carle) missed the mark. However, naming Rob Davison "The Secret Weapon" was the only reason I could think of for his dramatic decrease in playing time last season.
Davison appeared in 55 games in 2003-04, and 69 in 2005-06, but the number of games took a big hit last year with the additions of rookie defensemen Matt Carle and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The gritty defenseman appeared in only 22 games last year, and saw more than 10 minutes of ice time in only six of those games. Sure, he'd attempt the big splash hit at times, taking himself out of position, but it wasn't terrible. He was pretty reliable in limited action, especially when you consider the mental and physical challenges of sporadic playing time. I had a chance to sit down with Davison after practice this morning, discussing the constant battle for minutes.
"It makes it more difficult to go out and not do something to get noticed, but I can't go running around in my own end looking to hit people," Davison said. "I worked on that a lot over the summer, just staying simple and moving the puck well. ... When you're not in there every night if forces you to work harder in practice. Obviously you have to work hard in practice so you're ready when you do get into the game."
Davison made his first appearance of the season Wednesday night against the Blackhawks, seeing nearly 13 minutes of playing time. He rattled Chicago forwards with a couple big hits, and had a decent tilt with Marty Lapointe. The performance was strong enough to earn him a spot alongside Vlasic for Saturday's home opener against the Bruins.
"He played really well and deserves to be back in there," Sharks coach Ron Wilson said after today's practice. "He kept it simple, moved the puck well, and took chances when he had them. If he keeps doing that he'll have success."
The fight for playing time might become even tougher with the addition of Alexei Semenov and Sandis Ozolinsh. Obviously it gives the team more options on the back end, and forces guys to work even harder to prove they can take on a top-six role. It should keep every Sharks defenseman looking over their shoulders this season, and the new additions have been welcome so far.
"Over the course of the last month we've gotten to know each other. Semenov is a great guy, and Sandis is a great guy. That's one thing about the Sharks organization, they always try to bring in good guys," Davison said
While Murray has improved his game and skating over the summer, I think Davison has been the more consistent of the two up to this point. Both players are taking it on a game-by-game basis, and they know mistakes are going to result in trips to the press box. Expect Murray and Davison to cycle in and out of the lineup, joined by Semenov and Ozolinsh at some points. The Sharks had nine defensemen in practice Friday morning, and the benefits of a large group extend beyond game matchups.
"It makes for an easier practice, that's for sure," Davison said, laughing.
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In other news, Setoguchi was assigned to Worcester today. He'll see some ice and get back into game shape after missing time because of his ankle injury. It's a good move for the Sharks, who can take their time getting him back into the lineup.
Lines at today's practice were Clowe-Thornton-Cheechoo, Michalek-Marleau-Bernier, Mitchell-Pavelski-Grier, and Brown-Goc-Rissmiller. Roenick tweaked his knee during Wednesday's game and he's going to be out for a couple days, including tomorrow night's game.
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