Sharks need to move into another direction, coach included

 by Brandt Corbin

 

            Some teams in pro sports just cannot get over that hump. A team considered the perennial favourites according to the experts because of what appears to be the endless amount of talent. In the National Hockey League, that team is the San Jose Sharks. For the past four or five season they’ve been called the Stanley Cup contenders, I’ve tried to point our for at least the past two seasons its nothing more than a mirage.

            This is the second time in two years they’ve beaten the Detroit Red Wings to advance to the conference finals, their only problem is they’ve gone 1-8 in the third round. How many times can you go back with the same core group, one would have thought you’d want to shake things up. It’s become to apparent that San Jose’s star players are great during the regular season but below par come the playoffs, when going gets tough and one is forced to play hurt.

Virtually impossible to move the big three

            The Sharks major problem and it’s a big one, their big three players (salary wise) Danny Heatley, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau make a combined 21.7 million per year, for the next three seasons. Each and every single one of them has either a no movement or no trade clause. So unless the Sharks are willing to take Wade Redden from the Rangers, they’ve got no chance to trade Heatley.

            The Sharks supporting cast is strong, but are they built for the playoffs? Ryane Clowe is more than made for the playoffs; one could say the same regarding Joe Pavelski who was strong in the 2010 playoffs.  But part of San Jose’s problem is they need more than two or three guys showing up for one playoff series.

            The main reason why the Sharks went down in five games to the Canucks was there pathetic penalty kill. In the series, San Jose allowed nine power play goals while shorthanded only 20 times. In all 50% of Vancouver’s production was on the man advantage.

What changes can and should be made

            Because the core group cannot be traded, and it’s unlikely Clowe or Pavelski would be moved, what changes can be made? Are the Sharks content with making the conference finals, because it’s clear they’re not good enough to get out of the west.

            I personally would start with head coach Todd McClennan, he’s had three kicks at the can, and he’s gotten them no further than his predecessor Ron Wilson. One can say this, come playoff time his message is not getting through to those difference makers. Is he had a bad coach, absolutely not, will he get rehired, within weeks. Another reason why I feel McClennan should be held accountable is his player management. In game three the Canucks went 2-5 on the power play. But the penalty kill was worse than number suggests. The coach stayed status quo in game 4; keeping Andrew Desjardins in the line-up instead of Scott Nichol, whose main responsibility is penalty killing, subsequently the Canucks power play went 3-4 in game four. ALl year Nichol was the teams primary penalty killer, for some reason when it mattered most the coach lost confidence in him.

I personally would bring one of two coaches in; give them only a two year contract with an option. Ken Hitchcock and Andy Murray are not task masters, but they’re anything but a player’s coach. It’s got to be there way or the highway, or you’ll be sitting at the end of the bench. McClennan is not a players coach, but you rarely hear about him laying down the law, especially against his star players, for that there needs to be  change.

            The team’s bottom half of forwards needs to be re-worked. They need more muckers and grinders, whose speciality is penalty killing, think about how big a Manny Maholtra would have been against the Canucks, that’s the type of player they do not have.

            When its all said and done, if thinks are not changed up, they come back with the same coach, no changes to the top two lines, we’ll again be making this same point this time next year.