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I think a large part of the defensive issues are actually issues with the forwards.
I see a lot of soft plays on the boards that often fail to get the puck out of the zone - even by some of the more experienced players. Kane...Meier...Labanc have all been guilty.
And honestly the Sharks are not a good possession team - they get the puck in the offensive zone usually long enough for 1 or 2 shots, then they're chasing the other team.
It's easy to point fingers at Burns/Karlsson, but I think in a large part the fault is on the opposite side. Those guys need a "Wookie Whisperer" sort of d-man.
Vlassic is pretty much washed up.
Simek hasn't been the same since he destroyed his knee.
Ferraro, who I like his game a lot, isn't quite there.
I think overall Jones has looked better than last season, but not nearly good enough.
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