How many years in a row have we talked about a certain team in Northern California being the top candidate to win the Stanley Cup, only to see them fall completely flat on their faces in the playoffs to give them the unanimous vote of being the biggest chokers in the NHL. So, what’s so different about the San Jose Sharks this time around that we shouldn’t just label them chokers?
Well, for starters, they made it to the third round of the playoffs for the first time since 2004 with playoff victories over the Colorado Avalanche and a favoured Detroit Red Wings team. That bests their past four performances that saw them lose in the second round three times and upset in the first round by the Anaheim Ducks two seasons ago.
Secondly, they made a significant change at the goaltender position as perennial choker Evgeni Nabokov was let go and was replaced by a tandem of Antero Nittymaki and then Stanley Cup champion Antti Niemi. Nabokov was always tremendous in the regular season, but sub-par in the playoffs. Will the opposite hold true for this year’s tandem? Only time will tell and anyone who tells you they know is lying through their teeth.
There is lots of talk that the Sharks will platoon both of them in a 1a/1b scenario unless one of the two can take the spot and run with it. It will be hard to imagine that Niemi wouldn’t get the first crack at the starting spot considering that he came off a championship win.
Other than the change in goal, the Sharks return with the same line-up from a year ago. The top line of Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Dany Heatley will still be a major force night after night. Joe Pavelski, Ryane Clowe and Devin Setoguchi is a solid second line and head coach Todd McClellan will be counting on former 67’s Jamie McGinn and Logan Couture to make significant contributions.
Defensively, Rob Blake retired to leave a veteran hole on defence, but Dan Boyle is still around to lead the defence core that is top-end talented including Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Douglas Murray. The bottom 3 is experienced, but will be targeted by the opposition as a possible hole.
Two players to watch out for in camp are Devin Setoguchi and Jason Demers. With all the forwards producing at a great rate last season, Setoguchi was one of the rare Sharks to have an off-year last season. After a season with 31 goals and 65 points 2 years ago, he regressed last season to score only 20 goals and 36 points. It won’t be necessary for him to get back to his form from two years ago, but it would be a nice bonus if he could. Demers will be asked to be a Top 4 defenseman this year after a breakout year with 21 points in 51 games. Can he handle the promotion and give the team some consistency?