Who’s to blame for San Jose’s current losing skid?
Is it Simek? Karlsson? Or Pavelski? Maybe all of the above?
ANAHEIM – A fourgame losing streak and shellacking from the Vegas Golden Knights provided for than enough fodder to re-ignite the season of anxiety in Sharks territory.
Erik Karlsson missed his 10th straight game in Los Angeles on Thursday. Radim Simek is out indefinitely with a major-knee injury. Joe Pavelski is on the shelf now, as well, Logan Couture missed Thursday’s game with flu-like symptoms and the Sharks are looking down the barrel of a potential firstround playoff matchup with the Golden Knights.
In short, the Sharks are all-in right now and looking for help from the dealer. Still, with eight games left, there’s still time to hit a full house with the turn and river cards. With that in mind, it’s time to open up the windows for some ventilation.
Without any further ado, let’s dig into that mailbag:
From @prairiebilbo: in your opinion, what is the major factor of the Sharks current mini-slump? Is it more to do with Simek? Karlsson? Or Pavelski? Or is it goaltending? All of the above. For some reason, the human brain likes to explain complex issues by isolating single variables and drawing straight lines from point A to point B. Life is seldom that simple. Most dynamics are the product of a confluence of variables working together in concert.
In the case of the Sharks four-game losing streak, a plethora of factors are in play. The team is missing two key pieces of its blue line and its captain. Then, you pull Logan Couture off the chessboard in Los Angeles and Jones gives up a pair of soft goals, all of a sudden you have a perfect storm brewing for the Sharks loss to the Western Conference’s worst team.
I don’t know too many teams that can lose a twotime Norris Trophy winner, a 37-goal scorer, a World Cup-level two-way center and a Wookiee Whisperer without being impacted. Let’s lay off the panic button until the Sharks get healthy.
From @C_richards97: barring a collapse by the Calgary Flames, the Sharks will be playing the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round of the playoffs. Over two seasons, including playoffs, the Sharks do not have a good record against Vegas. What adjustments need to be made?
Okay, maybe I should back track a bit. I wouldn’t lose sleep over the Sharks performance this week in view of all the injuries. The possibility of a first-round matchup with the Golden Knights would leave ball of hair in my shower drain (fortunately I have plenty to lose).
If the playoffs started today, I’d take the Sharks in a seven-game series against six of the Western Conference’s playoff teams. The exception: Vegas. The Sharks roster is loaded with supermen this season, but the Golden Knights are obviously their kryptonite.
In the wake of Vegas’ trade for Mark Stone, it’s tough to identify any real flaws in the Death Star. After reaching the Stanley Cup Final last year, the Golden Knights added a shut down line featuring three players in Stone, Paul Stastny and Max Pacioretty who’ve recorded 25-goal seasons. Let that sink in.
In addition, the top line is still a handful, the fourth line is physically imposing, the defense is mobile and Marc-andré Fleury is the best playoff goalie in the west.