The San Jose Sharks have lost two games and given up 12 goals after their first three contests of the season. Last year, it took the Sharks six games to give up 12 goals, and the team didn’t suffer its second loss until eight games in. The coaching staff is largely unchanged, the core remains the same, and the goaltender is the man Shark fans have seen between the pipes since the year 2000. So, why do the Sharks look so bad early on?
Many people are placing the blame on Evgeni Nabokov, and there’s no doubt he’s been terrible in two of his three starts this season. You can point to his 3.95 goals against average and .846 save percentage as the main reasons for the Sharks’ slow start, but those numbers only tell half of the story. The fact is, Nabokov’s play has always mirrored that of his supporting cast. He can’t steal many games, has never been the difference maker in a playoff series, and doesn’t have the skill to hold off a steady, consistent attack.
Nabokov’s only Vezina nomination came during the 2007-08 season, and it was a product of Ron Wilson’s ultra-conservative defensive system that severely limited opposition shots. The Sharks allowed 24.2 shots per game that season, helping Nabokov post a career-best 2.14 GAA. Meanwhile, his .910 save percentage was decent, but didn’t approach Vezina territory. Last season, incoming coach Todd McLellan opened things up, the Sharks allowed 27.2 shots per game, and Nabokov’s GAA ballooned up to 2.44 with the same .910 save percentage.
Through three games, the Sharks are only allowing 25 shots per game. However, the opposition’s big leads have diminished that number more than anything else. On Thursday night, the Avalanche had 20 shots through two periods of play, and ended up with 21 after pulling things back in the third period. Last night, the Kings had 22 shots after 40 minutes, and finished with 30 after taking their foot off the gas and reapplying it late.
The number of shots is one factor, but the quality of those shots is much more important. Quite frankly, the Sharks don’t have the same depth or defensive presence they’ve enjoyed the last couple seasons. One glance at the departures and acquisitions will show you that, because it’s a no-brainer when you pit a team of exiting players against those who entered the Sharks’ roster this season. Take a look for yourself and decide which team you’d put money on.
Team Departures
Michalek-Goc-Cheechoo
Moen-Roenick-Grier
Kaspar-Plihal-Lemieux
Ehrhoff-Lukowich
Semenov
Boucher
Team Acquisitions
Heatley-Malhotra-Ferriero
McLaren-Nichol-Ortmeyer
Huskins-Demers
Callahan
Greiss
You’ll notice that Team Acquisitions is missing a third line. Not only does that reflect the Sharks’ lack of reserve forwards, but it turns out the Sharks are as well. Injuries have taken a toll, but McLaren-Malhotra-Ortmeyer is not a legitimate NHL third line, and the Kings’ third unit of Frolov-Handzus-Simmonds abused them last night. The Sharks’ top two lines are already being expected to take on too much of the load, and while they have the offensive skill to match up, they’re severely lacking defensively.
Along the blueline, things don’t get any brighter for the Sharks. Rob Blake is another year older and slower, and he’s making life difficult for his defense partner Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Kent Huskins has been the biggest flop since Waterworld and he’s nearly as unwatchable, while Douglas Murray’s defensive play continues to weaken the further time extends from his breakout 2007-08 season. Add it all up and you find a major decrease in defensive support for Nabokov, who’s either nearing the downside of his career or tumbling off the cliff.
Make no mistake, both hardcore fan and casual observer, Doug Wilson’s chickens are coming home to roost. He neglected the team’s future for too long, dealing away draft picks and prospects for disappointing immediate returns. He mishandled the salary cap, doling out terrible contracts to Huskins, Murray and Torrey Mitchell. He opted for talent over depth, and who out there today wouldn’t prefer Christian Ehrhoff and Matt Carle for $6.6 million rather than Dan Boyle? He failed to plan, and now Shark fans can plan on more failure.
Blame it on Nabokov if you’d like, because he’s an obvious scapegoat for the Sharks’ current problems. However, placing the Sharks troubles at his feet is a lot like complaining about one leaky faucet on the roster, while the entire franchise’s infrastructure crumbles around you.
***
There isn’t much need to re-hash last night’s events — you’ve seen, you’ve heard, you know. The Kings were the better team, controlling the play for large periods of time and going to the front of the net with a purpose. I don’t think you can put that loss on Greiss, although it is concerning to read Teddy Purcell’s postgame quote, “He has a lot of holes and an upright stance.” Ouch. Score another one for Team Departures.
Three Studs
3. Dany Heatley – At least now we know what to expect from Heatley: Three points and a -2 plus-minus sums up his game perfectly. Heatley chipped in with two assists, and hammered his first goal as a member of the Sharks, blasting a rocket that might have taken off Setoguchi’s leg if it had been fired to the left another four inches.
2. Devin Setoguchi – The Taber kid added another two goals, brining his total to three after three games. He scored his first on a beautiful one-timer, and went hard to the net for his second, showing off that scoring touch that’s going to help him stick on the top line. He also led the Sharks with six shots on goal in the loss.
1. Jason Demers – How can I give the biggest accolades to a defenseman during a 6-4 loss? Quite simply, Demers has been San Jose’s best blueliner through three games. He had an assist in 17:38 of ice-time and wasn’t at fault on any of the Kings’ six goals. Not only was he not at fault, he wasn’t even on the ice. Plus, he’s the only Sharks player who has appeared in all three games and has a positive plus-minus.
Three Duds
3. Ryane Clowe – So far, it appears Clowe favors doughnuts more than the front of the net. He’s been the Sharks’ worst forward through the first three games, and had no impact whatsoever last night, dragging himself up and down the ice without any fire. It’s been a disconcerting drop for Clowe, who had a big contract fall into his lap during the offseason.
2. Rob Blake – Blake doesn’t turn 40 until December, but he played like a slow and tired 40-year-old in his own end last night. If you get a chance, do what I did. Go back and look at the Kings’ first goal, then wonder to yourself what Blake was hoping to accomplish by standing still at the side of the net while Nabokov and Vlasic battled to keep the puck out.
1. Evgeni Nabokov – Again, Nabokov didn’t get much help and didn’t give much help last night. His rebound control was very poor, he seemed to have trouble tracking the puck, and Kopitar’s goal was downright awful, capping another poor performance by the Sharks’ starting goaltender. Can he turn it around? Is help on the way? Both are possibilities, but don’t bet on it.
***
Thanks again to everybody who joined me on the SharksBuzz Postgame Show last night. I think everyone was able to voice their frustration, and the healing process turned out to be pretty successful. You can listen for yourself below.
San Jose doesn’t play another road game until Oct. 15 against the Washington Capitals, but stay tuned for another episode of SharksBuzz sometime between now and then, because I’m sure the Sharks will give us a lot to talk about during their upcoming three-game homestand.
Join the Discussion:
»