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Posted by MadRussky on 2008-09-05 10:36:29
Will 2009 finally be "The Year of the Shark" in the NHL?
Since pushing the Calgary Flames to seven games in a memorable Western Conference final in 2004, the San Jose Sharks have been a favorite pick of most hockey experts to either win or contend for the Stanley Cup.
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View more photos >>But the Sharks have come up small in the postseason despite a roster boasting a genuine superstar in forward Joe Thornton, a good mix of veteran talent and promising youth, and consistently finishing near the top of the Western Conference standings for the past three seasons.
Since 2005-06, the Sharks have failed to advance beyond the Conference semifinals, falling in six-game series to the Edmonton Oilers, Detroit Red Wings and Dallas Stars.
It was that postseason failure that forced general manager Doug Wilson to fire Ron Wilson as head coach, replacing him with Todd McLellan, who earned his spurs as an assistant coach with the defending Cup champion Red Wings.
McLellan's first order of business will be to mold these playoff underachievers into the genuine contender they appear to be on paper. He's had no previous head coaching experience in the NHL so it'll be interesting to see if he can transfer the Cup-winning lessons he learned in Detroit to San Jose.
Wilson also addressed a long-time need for experienced puck-moving defensemen during the offseason by acquiring Dan Boyle from Tampa Bay and signing former L.A. Kings captain Rob Blake.
Boyle had an injury-shortened 2007-08 season and only a few short months after signing an expensive, long-term contract was mysteriously forced by the Lightning's new management into accepting a trade to the Sharks.
It cost Wilson promising young blueliner Matt Carle as part of the return, but given that Boyle has been among the top offensive defensemen in the league over the past four seasons, his acquisition gives the Sharks the anchor to their power play and the breakout passer they lacked.
Blake isn't the force he once was but won't be relied upon to carry the Sharks' defensive corps as he was with a rebuilding Kings team over the past two seasons.
Boyle and Blake also bring championship experience to a Sharks roster that was sorely lacking and should provide stability for rising young blueliners like Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Christian Ehrhoff.
The Sharks are set in goal with Evgeni Nabokov having a career performance last season, earning a Vezina nomination. He proved resilient in last spring's playoffs, including a memorable quadruple-overtime goaltending duel with Dallas' Marty Turco in Game 6 of the Sharks-Stars conference semifinal.
Should Nabokov return with the same stellar form as expected, he'll provide them with the type of goaltending needed to challenge for a championship.
The big question is whether the Sharks can find the solution for an offense that's been in decline over the past three seasons.
In 2005-06, the Sharks were the third-highest scoring team in the Western Conference and seventh overall with 266 goals. A year later, their production dipped slightly to 258 goals, tied for third in the conference and sixth overall in the league.
Last season, however, production dropped sharply to 222 goals, good for only 19th overall in the league.
It's not surprising looking at the output of their top offensive forwards last season. After Thornton, who led the team with 97 points, the next leading scorers were Milan Michalek with 55 points, team captain Patrick Marleau with 48, Joe Pavelski with 40 and Jonathan Cheechoo with 37.
The Sharks picked up Kings' captain Rob Blake in the offseason. But can he be a key part to getting San Jose close to the Cup? (Andy Marlin / Getty Images)
Thornton can be relied upon to post about 100 points again this season but he shouldn't have to carry the load alone.
Cheechoo, a former Richard trophy winner as the league's leading goal scorer, and Marleau will be under the most pressure to improve after their disappointing performances last season.
Injuries hampered Cheechoo the past two seasons, which could explain his drop in production, but Marleau was healthy last season and his 30-point decline from 2006-07 was cause for concern.
Michalek's production dipped by 11 points last season, but the 23-year-old winger should be able to bounce back with a better performance this season.
Pavelski showed promise last season and should increase his point total this season. A full season with a healthy Ryane Clowe should also provide a significant boost.
An aging Jeremy Roenick will also return for another season but at this point in his career it's doubtful he'll be able to contribute much offensively.
The Sharks have the talent to be a dominant force, not just in the regular season but also in the postseason, but they've been seemingly unable to realize their true potential.
Even a strong performance in the upcoming season won't be enough to answer their critics. Another sub-par postseason will earn them a title no NHL team wants: choke artists.
AOR
- MadRussky 2008-09-05 10:36:29 (47 views)