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Thornton and Cheechoo Feeling the Heat |
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My eyes are still recovering from last night's dismal performance against the Rangers. Let's go through a quick recap of my keys to the game:
- Gaining the blueline with speed and creating off the rush: Didn't see much of this happening at all. The Sharks made Weekes look like a Vezina candidate last night, and Thornton's drop passes had the entire crowd cringing. Also, San Jose's defensemen couldn't make any strong outlet passes. The Rangers weren't applying much pressure or clogging up the neutral zone, the effort just wasn't there. Dump-ins were lazy and the forecheck was non-existent whenever Grier and Brown were taking up space on the bench.
It just looks more and more like the Sharks are playing a defensive system, intent on waiting until the power play to capitalize. This could be the the coach and GMs intent, playing a slow, almost trapping style to showcase their goaltenders and keep scores down. With Toskala and Nabokov alternating starts it wouldn't surprise me if this was the directive from above. Right now, it just seems like the Sharks are playing to keep from losing, rather than attacking the puck and forechecking hard.
- Creating traffic in front of the Rangers net: Mike Grier was the only player I saw trying to drive to the net agressively, but he wasn't getting any support in the corners or the slot. They looked like a weak, tired club last night and if they're content relying on Grier to generate scoring chances it's going to be a long month.
- Giving Thornton more puck support: Wilson singled out Thornton and Cheechoo last night. Cheech looked lost and he's -8 through 14 games. Joe had another four giveaways and he's currently -7 on the season. There have been rumblings comparing Cheechoo to a glorified Adam Creighton, but that's unfair. Also, nobody should compare Thornton to Gretzky.Here's an interesting stat: Thornton has finished with a positive plus-minus in only one game this season. Wilson has never been afraid to bench his top players but it's too early to see a major shakeup.
The Sharks will receive a textbook example of puck movement Saturday night when they host the Penguins. Crosby and Malkin are the best offensive duo in the league, always keeping their feet moving, changing angles and creating opportunities, keeping defenders off balance. It will be interesting to see how Thornton and Cheechoo respond to the pressure tomorrow night. They might want to take some notes.
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