Another brutal Sharks loss last night. This team is talented offensively and there is just no damn reason for the lack of scoring. Our defense is not as atrocious as previously anticipated but it's not good enough to support a dearth of scoring .
I am reminded of so many A's games. How you say? Stellar pitching holds the opponent to 1-2 runs but the anemic offense fails and a good effort is wasted.
Not that Sharks goaltending/defense is stellar. Far from it. But holding an opposing team under 3-4 goals is pretty good and gives you a chance to win with a vaunted (at least in past years) offense.
The Sharks are anemic right now. To paraphrase Dictionary Dot Com's Definition the Sharks are listless and lacking in power, vigor, and vitality. They are, in a word, shitty. For whatever reason, they are not clicking.
- The coaching is not getting through AND/OR the coaching system is not working with this group of players.
- When they freed Jumbo, they forgot to free his hockey sense and passing skills. And the rest of the team seems to be having sympathy pains.
- Patty is inconsistent and disappears for stretches (although I will go on record as saying I don't think he's been as bad as Sharks fans make him out to be).
- Heater is slow and pretty terrible with the puck and - although he does pick up the garbage occasionally - where is the sniper?
- Pavs should not have had children because he's obviously not getting enough sleep.
- Ditto for Boyler? IDK He's asked to do an awful lot and does most of it well, but by his standards and our expectations, he's having a really bad year.
- Suddenly Dougie Murray is made of glass and can't seem to hit people consistently without coming up limping or cringing.
- Setoguchi - not sure what to say other than...bust? He, like the rest of the Sharks, shows flashes of brilliance. Which quickly return to the status quo.
- McGinn leads the team in hits. He has not scored a goal. Unacceptable from the scoring angle, but he is not useless like so many fans imply. He's checking and bringing energy on his shifts, which, unless the name is Clowe or Nichol, no one else seems to be doing. But he has to find a way to get some goals.
- Mitchell has been inconsistently decent. Again, indicative of the rest of the team's woes.
- Doug Wilson thinks this team is better than last year. That pretty much says it all right there.
- Inconsistant and soft goal-tending. Niitty has gotten a bit worse while Nemo has gotten a bit better. Neither makes me feel completely comfortable and I suspect the team feels the same.
FOR GOD'S SAKE, BRING BACK JUSTIN BRAUN!
The kid makes mistakes, sure. But for whatever fucking reason the team seems to run a bit smoother and better on offense when he's moving the puck.
*le sigh*
Here's looking forward to a better, more consistant second half.
I am reminded of the Lakers. How you say? They had a few periods of inconsistent suck last season and yet went on to win it all. I confess I thought they were out of it at several points, just like now with the Sharks.
So I suppose there is hope...it's just hard to find it.
