Man, this team is so fun to watch now! It's kinda crazy to think that if they beat Ottawa, they'd be 10-12-5 and in the playoff race It's far too early for that still, but it's nice to see the rebuild progressing as quickly as it has
Great analysis as always Professor!!!! The Sharks are fun to watch again and I am super happy that the team is finally headed in the right direction. Let's keep it up boys!
Yo anyone notice how good the Sharks PK is? That is really nice knowing that despite having a “bad roster” they are starting to really mesh together and play a good defensive structure on the defensive end. Me likey
When Goodrow comes off IR, I hope they never break up the Granlund or Celebrini line. Most likely means Cardsy would get sent down. Great game tonight. Oh yeah! Walman playing like an elite 1D on pace for 63 points is really funny. Cheers prof!
Coach War will have to be blind to break up that line when Goodrow comes back, if anything keep Goodrow in the press box, this team is so much better with him out of the line up.
Oh god, we're winning games! Sound the alarms! Everyone to their stations! Jokes aside, I'm actually hyped to see what this team can do in a couple years. Having impact players on ELCs is a legitimate advantage for a playoff contender, and we've got plenty of talent coming up.
I think the difference between the interference calls is about who initiated contact. In the kings game the goalie touched first whereas this game it was the opposing player who initiated contact.
I appreciate the way Warsofsky has worked the forward lines into shape, with each of the top 3 lines having a pair of skilled players with chemistry, plus a supporting complementary piece. That said, the way Smith has been playing I wouldn't mind seeing him swap places with Zetterlund at some point soon. Could really supercharge that first line, plus Granlund and Zetterlund have had chemistry going back to past year, and Zetterlund might work better on a line with Granlund than with Celebrini and Ecklund, whose ideas Zetterlund doesn't always understand in real time
my favorite iteration of the sharks lineup by far to this point, I'd like to see Thompson get some games over Rutta (2nd half of a back to back like this seems like the perfect time), but cant say Rutta should be sitting all the time with how his play has improved. I was a big fan of Kostin who was starting to lose faith so glad he's had a resurgence.
Hey Professor, A bit rough as wins go but, a win none the less. It seemed like the Sharks were intent on using the NHL road formula to win this game. We managed to put up 4 goals and then we basically downshifted the effort and tried to play a defensive/opportunistic style of game the rest of the way. While most NHL teams play this way during the grueling NHL season only the really good ones pull this off and look good doing it. We managed it alright but, its a tough way to go when the other team is able to sustain offensive pressure for extended minutes. Preferably, teams want to get the puck out of their zone and put it deep in the opposing zone forcing the opponent to travel 200' allowing the defending team to contest the neutral zone and their own blue line. We are still a work in progress so instead of mostly disrupting the rush we wound up trapped in our own end which is never good. Luckily Blackwood was up to the task. I saw what you saw with regards to the goalie interference and I am not sure if you heard the Sharks broadcast but, apparently the lower body minimal contact that was obvious at first glance was not the issue. I don't recall which player it was for Seattle but, when he was moving through the top of the crease he made enough contact with Blackwood's face to cause him to flinch and lose focus. At least that is what the call was. Drew Romenda felt like you that the goal was good but, upon a second look at the video it was Randy Hahn who saw the contact with Blackwood's head which proved to be the real culprit. Like Drew I didn't see the head contact either but, then again....I am blind. hahaha My opinion (for what it's worth) is I think that the Sharks are finally finding some cohesion within the lines and pairings. Its not perfect for sure and on any given night not all the guys are going to be on their game but, I think we have 4 potentially viable lines now that are a work in progress but, show potential to be competitive and the 3 pairings also are showing signs of potential functionality. I also think the guys are finally feeling at ease systemically with what the Coaches want from them and because they are not having to think and recall what their responsibility is on any given situation but, rather play from muscle memory and wrote the guys are playing faster (particularly noticeable with Will Smith) and because of the cohesion that is taking shape and the systemic understanding they are learning how to play together effectively and what that looks like when they do it. Once a player sees success and understands how that success happened it can be attempted to be produced again and again. This does not mean that our worries are over and we are on the rainbow highway now but, I feel like we have set the corner stones for our foundation now and we can build up from there effectively. Heady days Professor, heady days! hehehe Who knows? Maybe one day Mario Feraro will be an NHL all star too? hahaha Pete Clovis, CA
Yeah the Blackwood flinch seemed like it could have been the deciding factor, it just didn’t seem like there was much there to flinch from. Also, I’m going to take a wild guess and say that Ferraro won’t end up as an NHL all-star at any point haha
@@professorhockey Hahaha I think you are right. Hahaha I agree with you personally. The contact didn't seem substantial but, because it was his face/head well that doen'st require nearly as much to be disruptive I am guessing?
It’s an interesting question, I think maybe what would be cool would be to have couture play wing with Celebrini and Eklund, drop Zetterlund with Wennberg and Toffoli and keep Granlund with Smith and Kostin. Or you could try putting Couture with Smith, which would perhaps bump Granlund up to Celebrini’s wing on the top line. The possibilities are endless!
Honestly same, while he was a risky pickup, he would have filled the biggest hole the Sharks currently have. I can understand why Grier didn’t want to give up as much as Minnesota did, but I wonder if this is one we will look back on and think what could have been
@@professorhockey I’m with you on that Professor! Side note: I’m surprised Simon Nemec hasn’t requested for a trade yet. He’s in competition with Hamilton, Dillon, Sigenthaler, Pesce, Hughes, Kovacevic, and Casey! I just don’t think he will crack a lineup with those defenseman. I would request a trade if I’m Nemec! I would give them Granlund, Bystedt, and Mukuhmadullin for Nemec! Great for the devils and their needs!
When everyone makes fun of NHL GM's for looking at "size" or "heaviness", I always say there's a question on what kind of size. Kostin you can see why he was a 1st round pick and why he continues to get looks. When he is ENGAGED, and feels like skating, he is a real thumper that causes issues for the other team. He's much more impressive than someone like Kunin, who despite "trying hard", is not heavy at all, and is like a soft pillsbury doughboy(who loses fights). Just when I was about to offer a mea culpa to Mario Ferraro, for killing the guy in this comment section earlier this year. He reverts back to puck watching and horrific positioning. Yeah he scored on a wide open net today(what was D'accord doing that far out lol?), but if you watch SEA goal #1 Ferraro literally stops skating in transition and watches the puck. Ferraro has been a bit better at quick decision making and limiting the horrific turnovers. And his pinches are getting better. I still think the guy is at best a bottom pairing D and it bothers me that someone w/ his toolkit is not better than he is. Oh well. Ceci, I am not sure what to make of. His underlying analytics are awful. When I watch him, I notice he does the little things in the d-zone(usually) that Ferraro does not. He does not commit horrific turnovers, and he can at least clear the puck even if he cannot break out. He can tie up sticks and he does kill a lot of plays along the boards. He's tough, strong, etc... But he is absolutely slow. We see this the most when he plays back to backs, and he was a major reason why Seattle was able to push so hard in the 3rd. They are a really fast team, and they were flying by Ceci whenever he was on the ice. One thing I did notice was that Macklin had 3 or 4 REALLY good defensive plays tracking back during Seattle's push after the 4th goal. They didnt lead to any more goals but they were the kind of plays that at least tilt the ice for a shift that can help you maintain a lead like this even when the offense dries up. This was something they have been missing since forever actually, tbh. Hertl was not making this sort of impact defensively last year or even the year before(if ever?). The only nitpick I have w/ Macklins game so far has been the puck protection and high number of turnovers he has by throwing passes to the middle when no one is there. But I do think we're seeing less of those as the games go on and hes starting to learn that theres a time and place to flash the skill. All in all, we move. And I am so glad I was a Smith truther during his rough start, it was obvious the guy had incredible skill from the jump. How many chances did stone hands Kunin fumble from him, seriously? Now you pair him w/ Mikael and fast thumping Klim and you have yourself a pretty decent line(and IMO, they were the best line tonight).
I think size is a very valuable asset for any player to have considering you can’t teach size, but some GMs have a tendency to over value it, which causes them to look past other flaws in their game. Someone who is 6’4” who can’t skate is not going to provide more value than even a 5’10” player with wheels. However, when you can find guys like Dickinson, who has the size along with the skating ability and the talent, that’ll get you somewhere. For Ferraro, as you say his pinches and reads have gotten a lot better over the last couple of weeks, but his panic tendencies are something we are just likely stuck with. He would definitely be best off as a third pairing guy, get some dzone starts, shorthanded ice time and boom. I don’t know just how bad Ceci’s analytics are, but like you say, his eye test isn’t actually too bad. He is definitely a bit out of his element, not really the type of defenseman you want facing top guys, but it’s the role he’s been put into. Ideally, he’d be at most a 4th dman, like he was with a good Oilers squad last year. For Celebrini, in regard to the giveaways, that number definitely needs to come down, but it should be noted that there is a larger number of giveaways because he has so many puck touches each game. Reminds me of how Thornton and Burns would always have high giveaway numbers. It’s not good, but it’s slightly more understandable.
@@professorhockey Agreed Celebrini get into the action. It was frustrating watching the Sharks nibble the edges of offense while he was out. I don't mind him giving it up if he's charging in there.
Smith is finally starting to look more and more comfortable. It’s a nice thing to see.
Man, this team is so fun to watch now! It's kinda crazy to think that if they beat Ottawa, they'd be 10-12-5 and in the playoff race
It's far too early for that still, but it's nice to see the rebuild progressing as quickly as it has
Great analysis as always Professor!!!! The Sharks are fun to watch again and I am super happy that the team is finally headed in the right direction. Let's keep it up boys!
It's pretty cool to see the Sharks on this run! Celebrini's return really seems to sparked some consistency.
Yo anyone notice how good the Sharks PK is? That is really nice knowing that despite having a “bad roster” they are starting to really mesh together and play a good defensive structure on the defensive end. Me likey
10th in the league, so it’s certainly up there. They can occasionally make some mistakes but have been mostly solid.
@ oh yeah no doubt they make some boneheaded plays but I rather have a strong 5v5 game with a top ten PK over a strong PP.
When Goodrow comes off IR, I hope they never break up the Granlund or Celebrini line. Most likely means Cardsy would get sent down. Great game tonight. Oh yeah! Walman playing like an elite 1D on pace for 63 points is really funny. Cheers prof!
Coach War will have to be blind to break up that line when Goodrow comes back, if anything keep Goodrow in the press box, this team is so much better with him out of the line up.
I mostly alright with him replacing Cardwell, but nothing more than that.
Oh god, we're winning games! Sound the alarms! Everyone to their stations!
Jokes aside, I'm actually hyped to see what this team can do in a couple years. Having impact players on ELCs is a legitimate advantage for a playoff contender, and we've got plenty of talent coming up.
Celebrini and Will Smith both have 7 points the last 4 games. They are teenagers.
I think the difference between the interference calls is about who initiated contact. In the kings game the goalie touched first whereas this game it was the opposing player who initiated contact.
Impressive turnaround for the team after a poor start!
Smith had a cold start but he is fired up now
Great show, Professor!
I appreciate the way Warsofsky has worked the forward lines into shape, with each of the top 3 lines having a pair of skilled players with chemistry, plus a supporting complementary piece. That said, the way Smith has been playing I wouldn't mind seeing him swap places with Zetterlund at some point soon. Could really supercharge that first line, plus Granlund and Zetterlund have had chemistry going back to past year, and Zetterlund might work better on a line with Granlund than with Celebrini and Ecklund, whose ideas Zetterlund doesn't always understand in real time
I think they will keep Smith with Granlund and Kostin for now, it’s been their best line for 2 games
my favorite iteration of the sharks lineup by far to this point, I'd like to see Thompson get some games over Rutta (2nd half of a back to back like this seems like the perfect time), but cant say Rutta should be sitting all the time with how his play has improved. I was a big fan of Kostin who was starting to lose faith so glad he's had a resurgence.
Hey Professor,
A bit rough as wins go but, a win none the less. It seemed like the Sharks were intent on using the NHL road formula to win this game. We managed to put up 4 goals and then we basically downshifted the effort and tried to play a defensive/opportunistic style of game the rest of the way. While most NHL teams play this way during the grueling NHL season only the really good ones pull this off and look good doing it. We managed it alright but, its a tough way to go when the other team is able to sustain offensive pressure for extended minutes.
Preferably, teams want to get the puck out of their zone and put it deep in the opposing zone forcing the opponent to travel 200' allowing the defending team to contest the neutral zone and their own blue line. We are still a work in progress so instead of mostly disrupting the rush we wound up trapped in our own end which is never good. Luckily Blackwood was up to the task.
I saw what you saw with regards to the goalie interference and I am not sure if you heard the Sharks broadcast but, apparently the lower body minimal contact that was obvious at first glance was not the issue. I don't recall which player it was for Seattle but, when he was moving through the top of the crease he made enough contact with Blackwood's face to cause him to flinch and lose focus. At least that is what the call was. Drew Romenda felt like you that the goal was good but, upon a second look at the video it was Randy Hahn who saw the contact with Blackwood's head which proved to be the real culprit. Like Drew I didn't see the head contact either but, then again....I am blind. hahaha
My opinion (for what it's worth) is I think that the Sharks are finally finding some cohesion within the lines and pairings. Its not perfect for sure and on any given night not all the guys are going to be on their game but, I think we have 4 potentially viable lines now that are a work in progress but, show potential to be competitive and the 3 pairings also are showing signs of potential functionality.
I also think the guys are finally feeling at ease systemically with what the Coaches want from them and because they are not having to think and recall what their responsibility is on any given situation but, rather play from muscle memory and wrote the guys are playing faster (particularly noticeable with Will Smith) and because of the cohesion that is taking shape and the systemic understanding they are learning how to play together effectively and what that looks like when they do it. Once a player sees success and understands how that success happened it can be attempted to be produced again and again. This does not mean that our worries are over and we are on the rainbow highway now but, I feel like we have set the corner stones for our foundation now and we can build up from there effectively.
Heady days Professor, heady days! hehehe Who knows? Maybe one day Mario Feraro will be an NHL all star too? hahaha
Pete
Clovis, CA
Yeah the Blackwood flinch seemed like it could have been the deciding factor, it just didn’t seem like there was much there to flinch from. Also, I’m going to take a wild guess and say that Ferraro won’t end up as an NHL all-star at any point haha
@@professorhockey Hahaha I think you are right. Hahaha I agree with you personally. The contact didn't seem substantial but, because it was his face/head well that doen'st require nearly as much to be disruptive I am guessing?
What would happen if Couture magically recovered from his injury? How would that shake up the roster?
It’s an interesting question, I think maybe what would be cool would be to have couture play wing with Celebrini and Eklund, drop Zetterlund with Wennberg and Toffoli and keep Granlund with Smith and Kostin.
Or you could try putting Couture with Smith, which would perhaps bump Granlund up to Celebrini’s wing on the top line. The possibilities are endless!
Professor, I’m lowkey bummed we didn’t get Jiricek.
cant skate.
Honestly same, while he was a risky pickup, he would have filled the biggest hole the Sharks currently have. I can understand why Grier didn’t want to give up as much as Minnesota did, but I wonder if this is one we will look back on and think what could have been
@@professorhockey In Silky we trust
I think the 1st round pick was a dealbreaker for the Sharks. A bit surprising Columbus received such a haul for Jiricek.
@@professorhockey I’m with you on that Professor!
Side note: I’m surprised Simon Nemec hasn’t requested for a trade yet. He’s in competition with Hamilton, Dillon, Sigenthaler, Pesce, Hughes, Kovacevic, and Casey! I just don’t think he will crack a lineup with those defenseman. I would request a trade if I’m Nemec!
I would give them Granlund, Bystedt, and Mukuhmadullin for Nemec! Great for the devils and their needs!
fucking jaden schwartz man he always plays well against us.
When everyone makes fun of NHL GM's for looking at "size" or "heaviness", I always say there's a question on what kind of size. Kostin you can see why he was a 1st round pick and why he continues to get looks. When he is ENGAGED, and feels like skating, he is a real thumper that causes issues for the other team. He's much more impressive than someone like Kunin, who despite "trying hard", is not heavy at all, and is like a soft pillsbury doughboy(who loses fights).
Just when I was about to offer a mea culpa to Mario Ferraro, for killing the guy in this comment section earlier this year. He reverts back to puck watching and horrific positioning. Yeah he scored on a wide open net today(what was D'accord doing that far out lol?), but if you watch SEA goal #1 Ferraro literally stops skating in transition and watches the puck. Ferraro has been a bit better at quick decision making and limiting the horrific turnovers. And his pinches are getting better. I still think the guy is at best a bottom pairing D and it bothers me that someone w/ his toolkit is not better than he is. Oh well.
Ceci, I am not sure what to make of. His underlying analytics are awful. When I watch him, I notice he does the little things in the d-zone(usually) that Ferraro does not. He does not commit horrific turnovers, and he can at least clear the puck even if he cannot break out. He can tie up sticks and he does kill a lot of plays along the boards. He's tough, strong, etc... But he is absolutely slow. We see this the most when he plays back to backs, and he was a major reason why Seattle was able to push so hard in the 3rd. They are a really fast team, and they were flying by Ceci whenever he was on the ice.
One thing I did notice was that Macklin had 3 or 4 REALLY good defensive plays tracking back during Seattle's push after the 4th goal. They didnt lead to any more goals but they were the kind of plays that at least tilt the ice for a shift that can help you maintain a lead like this even when the offense dries up. This was something they have been missing since forever actually, tbh. Hertl was not making this sort of impact defensively last year or even the year before(if ever?). The only nitpick I have w/ Macklins game so far has been the puck protection and high number of turnovers he has by throwing passes to the middle when no one is there. But I do think we're seeing less of those as the games go on and hes starting to learn that theres a time and place to flash the skill.
All in all, we move. And I am so glad I was a Smith truther during his rough start, it was obvious the guy had incredible skill from the jump. How many chances did stone hands Kunin fumble from him, seriously? Now you pair him w/ Mikael and fast thumping Klim and you have yourself a pretty decent line(and IMO, they were the best line tonight).
I think size is a very valuable asset for any player to have considering you can’t teach size, but some GMs have a tendency to over value it, which causes them to look past other flaws in their game. Someone who is 6’4” who can’t skate is not going to provide more value than even a 5’10” player with wheels. However, when you can find guys like Dickinson, who has the size along with the skating ability and the talent, that’ll get you somewhere.
For Ferraro, as you say his pinches and reads have gotten a lot better over the last couple of weeks, but his panic tendencies are something we are just likely stuck with. He would definitely be best off as a third pairing guy, get some dzone starts, shorthanded ice time and boom.
I don’t know just how bad Ceci’s analytics are, but like you say, his eye test isn’t actually too bad. He is definitely a bit out of his element, not really the type of defenseman you want facing top guys, but it’s the role he’s been put into. Ideally, he’d be at most a 4th dman, like he was with a good Oilers squad last year.
For Celebrini, in regard to the giveaways, that number definitely needs to come down, but it should be noted that there is a larger number of giveaways because he has so many puck touches each game. Reminds me of how Thornton and Burns would always have high giveaway numbers. It’s not good, but it’s slightly more understandable.
@@professorhockey Agreed Celebrini get into the action. It was frustrating watching the Sharks nibble the edges of offense while he was out. I don't mind him giving it up if he's charging in there.