San Jose Sharks 24-25 Regular Season Review: Game 43 Golden Knights @ Sharks

[@lv42daze]

totally agree on graf, hope he is ok. this could be a super exciting line.

[@janbrittenson210]

Not only is Vegas a good team, they're also red hot. Didn't think I'd say this anytime soon, but Georgiev kept them in the game. He was quite solid and did what I think a respectable NHL goalie should. Absolutely good enough for a backup in any team. Hopefully it's the start of a new beginning for him!

[@professorhockey]

I’m definitely not ready to read too deeply into it, even bad goalies can have good games, but obviously I’m hoping for good things.

[@prosperfireson]

Hey Professor, Definitely surprised by how decently Georgiev played for us tonight particularly given who we faced and how many shots they put on him. I think it is worth noting that the Sharks in one of the best moves they have ever made managed to secure the services of the late, great Warren Strelow as goalie coach when the team started until his death some years later. I can't speak intelligently about goalie coaches but, from the time that I started watching hockey I think there is an argument to be made that Strelow was the best goalie coach of his generation. What Strelow was able to do for the Sharks and ALL of the goalies he mentored is flat out incredible. Add to this that Strelow coached Jim Craig during the Miracle on Ice run the US Hockey Team made in 1980 (I watched that series of games...pretty incredible) and I think that cements Strelow's legacy pretty well. I bring up Strelow because Nabby was one of his disciples and is largely responsible for helping Nabby develop into the goalie he became. I think current goalie coach Thomas Spears is proving to be an outstanding goalie coach. Coach Wars kept him on staff and my opinion of Coach Wars is pretty solid and rising. Add to this that Nabby is in charge of Goalie development largely at the NHL level but, at the lower levels as well and I think Coach Spears and Nabby are proving to be a really good tandem for helping goalies develop. I think its no accident that Blackwood did as well as he did and continues to do for Colorado now and I think Georgiev's game last night is not an aberration. I might well be wrong about this but, so far every goalie they have had under their tutelage has responded favorably and shown improved play. I think the longer they have a goalie in their hands the more they can do to straighten out bad habits and develop new good habits. This does not take into account Ryan Miller who I was THRILLED to find out had been hired to round out the Sharks goalie coaching, scouting and development team. I am optimistic that Georgiev, Vanicek and Askarov are in the best hands they could possibly be in anywhere in the NHL and I am hopeful that all 3 of these men will show marked improvement in their play the longer they are being coached by our team. As far as Maclin is concerned I suspect you are right. I am sure he is feeling the effects of playing so many games in such a short amount of time plus the travel. I would point out that it is also worth noting that Maclin is not like any other top prospect we have ever had and not because of his remarkable talent and work ethic. Its because of his pedigree. His father Rick is uniquely situated to impress upon all of his kids the demands of elite level sports competition and what that does to a person over time. I would be a bit dismissive of Rick's influence except that he is not just a professional trainer. He is in charge of all training and conditioning as a VP for both the Warriors and before that Vancouver. Given Rick's own professional career in soccer and his second career he is clearly someone that the players and staff respect and respond to. In addition to this because of his dad's career Maclin has had the good luck to be around professional athletes virtually his whole life and in fact is friends with a few of them. Given Ricks obvious intellect when he is interviewed about Maclin and Maclin's own obvious mental acumen I suspect that Maclin is about as prepared as any young player can be for the rigors of what he is experiencing for the first time. Plus Maclin has had the opportunity to train with elite NHL players like the Hughes brothers as recently as this past summer. I think Professor the primary reason why Maclin has struggled a bit lately is two fold. First, I think we can safely say that Maclin is the best player on our team already which is fricken' crazy to say given our roster right now. Given that Maclin is probably the best player on the team or at worst in the top 3 other teams now have a reasonable scouting profile on him and like all teams who pre-scout their opponents all NHL teams identify the biggest threats and given Maclin's play it seems pretty clear that his name has been circled by opposing teams and as such they are doing their level best to take away what he is trying to do. Add to this that over the last few weeks we have faced some pretty stiff competition with few exceptions its understandable that Maclin is having a more difficult time coping with the increased defensive attention he is now drawing. In baseball once teams have an effective plan on how to pitch to a young hitter that player typically struggles for a bit until they can "adjust back." I suspect this is where Maclin is at. I think you are right about the wear and tear on him because of the extensive playing time he has gotten and the intensity with which he plays and the sheer effort he puts into his play. I would guess that the wear and tear is probably about 1/3 of his reduced ability to be effective in the games right now. I think the added attention is probably the biggest factor but, I also think it matters a lot how good the team is that we are playing. Given who we played last night....well. Randy and Drew suspect that Vegas has the top defensive corps in the league right now. I have no idea if that is accurate but, will defer to their considered opinion. What we can say is that when we did manage to get the puck down low last night we didn't have much luck cycling or even gaining control of the puck. Their defensive corps to a man did a really good job snuffing out our fore-check and moving the puck out to their forwards. I suspect this accounts largely for the Lund line's inability to generate much also since their game is largely reliant on dumping and gaining control of the puck down low and than cycling the puck to create chances. I noticed last night that Vegas is particularly adept at taking away space when you carry the puck into the zone. Several times they forced our forwards to stop just inside the blue line which is really not good. There is no room to make plays when the blue line is a few feet from you. Vegas to their credit made it really hard to advance further into the zone with the puck and then if you dumped it down low we struggled to even get enough guys to contest control of the puck and when we did get enough bodies we lost more of those battles than we won. That's just how good they are down low right now. I think also we saw just how solid that team is defensively and not just because of Eichel and Stone though those two are giants defensively. Also, given the stability of the franchise (same coaches, mostly same players for the last few seasons) there is little issue with getting players up to speed with what the staff want from the players systemically or in creating chemistry on the team and figuring out lines and pairings. The result? Top team in the league again right now which equals tough sledding for us and anyone who crosses paths with them. Thanks Professor for taking the time to put these reviews together. Its always fun to geek out over Sharks hockey with you. I can tell you this Professor: I look forward to the day when Vegas gets to be on the ass end of things and we can pay them back! hahaha Cheers, Pete Clovis, CA

[@professorhockey]

There is definitely some truth to the idea that teams have “figured out” Celebrini’s style of play, it’s a pivotal part in every young players career, how they differentiate their game enough to remain unpredictable. I believe he will be able to do this and also be able to handle the fatigue.

[@prosperfireson]

@@professorhockey Totally agree Professor. I don't know about you but, I played sports all through my school years until I graduated. Never hockey because I largely grew up in California in the San Francisco Bay Area where there was no hockey to be played. I played football, basketball, track and field, wrestling and even a little baseball (I was a terrible baseball player hehe) At the end of my freshman year I was 5' 10" 133lbs which I know because that was my regular weight that season and also my weight class in wrestling so I never had to cut weight! hehe I was a friggen' bean pole Professor. At the end of the year I asked my neighbor who had recently graduated from college with a degree in physical education and was a super star 3 sport athlete at my high school what I should do to get stronger. He told me several things which I promptly disregarded except for one: He told me to do 5 sets of 20 push ups with my feet on my bed (inverted push ups). I did the push ups religiously for the next 3 years 7 days a week. By the time I graduated high school I was 5' 101/4" 165 lbs of solid muscle and very strong compared to any of my classmates. I say this without brag: I always thought I was strong and all the push ups (I was up to 10 sets of 35 with my feet on the bed at age 16) added to my physical maturity had made me very strong physically. Why do I bring this up? Maclin is 6' 192 lbs of muscle due to the superior commitment by Maclin to training and the fact that his dad is an elite strength and conditioning coach with specific experience designing work out routines for hockey players from his time with the Canucks. You have seen Maclin in a t-shirt he is a big dude and its all muscle. He is almost 30 lbs bigger than I was when I was his age! Maclin is a tank for such a young guy. It does not surprise me when he is able to go shoulder to shoulder with veteran players like Stone and Eichel and battle with them effectively. I shudder to think what Maclin is going to look like when He is 25 or 30. I suspect he is going to be about 205 to 215 lbs of solid muscle and built like a brick outhouse! Very much like Hertl he is going to be very hard to move anywhere on the ice.

[@professorhockey]

Yeah he’s already pretty strong on his skates, hopefully Smith follows suit!

[@prosperfireson]

@@professorhockey Yeah, honestly Smith I think is benefiting by being close to Maclin. Every sled team needs a lead dog to lead the way and Maclin looks to be a phenomenal leader for others to follow. I was actually thinking that last night when I was watching the game. I hope he starts spending at least part of his off season training with Maclin.

[@prosperfireson]

@@professorhockey Maybe Shakir too? hahaha

[@ponyboy9765]

Overall pretty much expected result but they did hang around this time and Georgiev actually looked pretty solid outside of that horrible whitecloud goal. My main take aways from tonight’s game -Our defense is absolutely abysmal. How many times are we going to see Ferraro rim the puck along the boards to be picked off at the blue line or Rutta to just slap something in and not even register a shot on goal. The horrible weak passes and clearing attempts are absolutely killing us. - I think Celebrini might be trying to do a bit too much. Last night he was throwing some pretty wild passes that either didn’t connect or left guys handcuffed. Not saying he had a bad night but might be time to dial down the flash just a bit especially against such a good team. Stone taught him that pretty quick. - while I understand trying to get a spark going I really wish Warso would stop putting the lines in a blender every two minutes. This team is going to have a very hard time building chemistry that way. -Hate to say it but the team looks far less engaged with Georgie in nets. Warso said it himself that it looked like a completely different team. Much less engaged less energetic. -Sharks continue to look passive. Constantly skating away from the puck instead of to it. We need to be tougher to play against.

[@professorhockey]

Still why I’m hoping for Schaefer, we need a skilled puck mover on the backend. I wonder how much is coincidence or what that the Sharks last two games with Askarov in nets they’ve looked pretty good while the last two with Georgiev have been very bad

[@ponyboy9765]

@ I’ve seen a lot of Colorado fans say it was the same for them when Georgie started, but maybe if he can string a few decent games together that’ll improve. But yeah Schafer is definitely the goal.

[@donganem8135]

Agree that Georgiev played very well last night...his only flaw was letting in a soft goal vs Whitecloud. I think it's worth recalling that he had great seasons with the Rangers initially, with save percentages on the .910-.920 range, and also had 1 or 2 good seasons with the Avs before his more recent prolonged slump. All this suggests there is talent here that could be revived with good coaching (and decent play in front of him). Let's not forget that Blackwood's career was on the skids when the Sharks picked him up - and it's not beyond credulity that Nabby's coaching helped him rediscover and refine his game. Could the same thing happen here? One game doesn't make a comeback, but I think showing him some patience in his new context might be prudent.

[@professorhockey]

All true things, the question though is can he turn it around quickly enough. Once Vanecek is back, the Sharks will have to make a choice on whether to waive him or send down Askarov. Even if they do keep him around though, I doubt he would be able to be moved at the deadline at this point. It would be about turning things around enough for him to get a “prove it” deal with a team in free agency. We shall see

[@benjamingardner157]

William Eklund continuing to get it done on the PP. He might be our best PP performer, and yet we have him on the 2nd unit. I believe it has something to do with an overlap in role with Celebrini, so not sure what the best solution is.

[@professorhockey]

I think right now Warsofsky is trying a bunch of different combinations trying to find something that works because of how bad the PP has been as a whole this year. Graf seemed to help the turnaround a bit here, maybe that’s something to be excited about.

[@infinity-vm4ul]

The defense got absolutely worked. Stone and Eichel causing turnovers as always and feasting on any D man who cant handle the puck at a high level. I thought the offense was pretty decent up and down the line up though. Although not the best game for Celebrini.

[@sebastianwittenkamp2738]

I think facing Utah will be a good test for the team, that last game got emotional

[@kenjackson6256]

Is it just because the bar is set so low for Sharks D-men, or is Vlasic better than I remember?

[@professorhockey]

I think because we only saw him for 2 games, and they were some of the better games the Sharks have played as a whole this year defensively.

[@amiscc03o524]

Thing that stuck out to me the most when watching was just the sheer inability of the sharks to make good passes. Constantly imprecise, weak, not received well, and just inexplicably mishandled. Just so frustrating to watch as pass after shitty pass leads to chances for Vegas. I was iffy on georgiev in the 1st period but he really came through for the rest of the game. Agree on your sentiment about Celebrini, he hasn't really been looking too well for the past few games. Hopefully that passes quickly, especially with how hardworking and hard on himself Mack seems to be.

[@SharksFan1968]

THIS THIS THIS. What a stark difference between two teams. Crisp passes and breakouts of the zone by Vegas versus Benny Hill (look it up!) on the Sharks side. I mean, this is the game Warsofsky needs to make them watch 10 times in a row to get the message across on how to play hockey. #thefutureisteal -- we have seen so much progress and the franchise is in an infinitely better position than 5 years ago. But guys, we are 3 or 4 years away at least. Can't get ahead if ourselves and this rebuild has to be done RIGHT. No, that doesn't mean 3 more years of Bottom 5 tanks (just ONE this year please), but it also doesn't mean signing Ekblad or other FA this summer either.

[@professorhockey]

I think this might mostly come down to a lack of talent compounded with being against a great team. Celebrini and Smith have that ability to get passes through, but it will take a bit of time for that to become more reliable. Otherwise, the Sharks don’t have many guys who can pull this off, especially on the backend while Walman is out.

[@amiscc03o524]

​@professorhockey what's the plan of action in that case? Do you think they'll improve with coaching or we just wait for new blood to come in? On that note, are you planning to make a video about any trade rumours/predictions? Would love to see what you have to say on the subject!

[@professorhockey]

I think just time. If the Sharks can add Schaefer this year or at least any of the top forwards, that will help. Another season or two for Celebrini and especially Smith to get more accustomed to the NHL, maybe give some time for other prospects like Dickinson or Musty to break through. Plus, with Vlasic off the books soon, Couture always an LTIR option and a rising cap, they could always make a big swing in free agency in the coming years.

[@whoopswrongbutton3987]

Still think that Stone tripped Celebrini to get the steal for the 4th goal....

[@justinpalumbo2447]

Can’t fully blame this one on the goalie. Both the first two VGK goals were Dmen turn overs. Our blue line is sad to watch.

[@kevinadams6384]

Vegas is just a terrible matchup for the Sharks. The Sharks are small, light, and mostly unskilled. Vegas is big, heavy and very skilled. It always goes about how we should expect. These games are why Sharks fans need to be patient about trying for wins and points this year, because they need another serious talent upgrade before they can be true cup contenders. Schafer or Hagens should be the goal, and after next year, they can use that cap room to fill in the gaps for a hopefully complete team.

[@kenjackson6256]

Well, Threegiev is better than Fourgiev...

[@professorhockey]

Maybe Twogiev next game?

[@martybraga4832]

Dude sucks regardless of the goals against.

[@kenjackson6256]

@@professorhockey 🤞🤞

[@Inub0i]

The Graf-Celebrini-Smith line has to go. The hell is with Smith playing well for two games and then playing like a bum and dragging everyone down. What the fuck.

[@dylanhaswell6653]

Graf has completely outplayed Smith all 3 games it’s getting tuah point. I think it sends a terrible message if they send Graf down and Smith doesn’t even get a development day

[@professorhockey]

Smith is 19, he’s going to be inconsistent, and I should point out that almost everyone on the Sharks this year has been this up and down, it is the result of playing on a really bad team. I will also say that I don’t think Graf has been overwhelmingly better than Smith in all 3 of these games. He’s been alright, and he was probably better than him tonight but I don’t really see the same Graf hype as many other Sharks fans I guess.

[@caravaggiohs9020]

@@dylanhaswell6653 we can acknowledge Graf as a intriguing player that looks like a probable NHL player without acting like he is a Smith, Dickinson, or even Musty level prospect. Agree that Graf outplayed Smith today but definitely disagree with the idea that he did last game

[@Inub0i]

@professorhockey Fair enough. Growing pains and what not.

[@dylanhaswell6653]

@@caravaggiohs9020 yea I was definitely harsh on Smith rereading my own comment he has huge upside my biggest concern and the reason I felt Graf outplayed him these 3 games was that smith gets outmuscled a lot and doesn’t have that physicality that Graf has displayed at times Graf also is slightly calmer when carrying the puck or being pressured Smith has been fanning a ton recently that has definitely rubbed me the wrong way. You are definitely right though the players you mentioned have much more potential including Smith