NHL Playoffs 2012: Changing Up Lines Is Only Answer for San Jose Sharks

The San Jose Sharks are just one game behind the St. Louis Blues in the best-of-seven series, but then why does it seem like the Sharks are in desperation mode and struggling to stay in this series?


San Jose has been outplayed in near every facet of the game since Game 1, and even in that game the Blues were the victor in three of the five periods that night in St. Louis.

But with the Sharks struggling to get even the smallest things going for them—especially in Game 3—the team now needs to change things up because the Blues have entirely figured them out, and Sharks coach Todd McLellan knows that.

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NHL Playoffs 2012: The Sharks Have More to Worry About Than Blues' Goalie Tandem

The San Jose Sharks will be matched up against St. Louis Blues' goalie Jaroslav Halak when their first-round series gets underway on Thursday night in St. Louis. However, for the Sharks, it does not matter who suits up in net for the Blues — there are far bigger problems they must deal with first.

The Blues named Halak their starter for Game 1 after fellow goalie Brian Elliott left practice earlier this week with upper body pain. Up until then, it was not confirmed as to who would start the series between the pipes for St. Louis. The Elliott injury made it perfectly clear, though — Halak is the starter until further notice.

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San Jose Sharks: Who Pays the Price If the Sharks Do Not Make the Playoffs?

Whether or not the San Jose Sharks make the playoffs this season, things are about to drastically change in San Jose.

It has simply been a weird year for the franchise. GM Doug Wilson trades away scorers Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi in
pursuit of speed and defense, something that has been lacking in the team's previous playoff runs.

Continue reading this article HERE

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San Jose Sharks: 3 Players Poised for A Big Second Half of the Season

Their opponent was the 13-31-6 Columbus Blue Jackets, but the San Jose Sharks' game on Tuesday night had just about everything a fan could want in the first game back from the All-Star Break.

Scoring, numerous fights, defense, goaltending.

For a team that has struggled to get on a consistent roll this season, the Sharks looked like this was going to be the start of something we had not seen so far in 2011-12. Credit that to a whole bunch of Sharks: The big-name players, Antti Niemi, Jim Vandermeer? There was no wrong answer on Tuesday night.

Again, it was just against the Blue Jackets, but we can clearly see who is gearing up for a good second half run and who is not.

Here are three players poised for a big second half of the season.

Jamie McGinn

I am not sure anyone was expecting 10 goals from McGinn all season, let alone one game past the All-Star break.

He has definitely filled the role as the hard-hitting annoyance skating madly across the ice. But adding an offensive mentality to boot sure makes McGinn look awfully good these days.

For how long many have waited to see this player reach his full potential in this league, we may be seeing somewhat of a start this season. His 10 goals and eight assists are more than expected, but it is the plus/minus of +10 that has McLellan relying on him to make plays when possible.

Asking for another 10 goals out of him the rest of the season may be stretching it just a bit, but we should see that plus/minus continue to increase if the Sharks go on their usual second half run up the Western Conference standings.

Jim Vandermeer

Vandermeer's role with the Sharks is still really blurry. Usually, we see him blocking shots or getting physical on the boards on defense, but on Monday McLellan positioned Vandermeer on the offensive fourth line. It worked.

Vandermeer was physical and was much like adding a third defenseman out on the ice. He can have an offensive mindset if asked to, but McLellan said we will probably be seeing him out there on the fourth line only when the Sharks need an extra chippy hard-hitting player against a physical opponent.

If Vandermeer keeps producing when he gets his time on the ice, we should be seeing a lot more of him in the second half of this season -- both on offense and defense.

Patrick Marleau

Heading into this season, the over/under of goals scored by Patrick Marleau was 40. He currently has 18 and will need to raise his play if he is to get his second career 40-goal season. This time last season, he had the same 18 goals and finished the season just about as expected with 37 goals.

However, with Martin Havlat returning within the next month from injury, Marleau's stock will only rise. Also, any trades for a winger made by GM Doug Wilson will only contribute to Marleau's offensive touches on the ice. With Havlat returning, we are sure to see that top line of Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski and Marleau return to form.

With Havlat in the line-up on the second line, Marleau put up 10 goals in the first two months of the season. When Havlat went down with injury, Marleau had a terrible offensive December (3 goals) and the team played awful because of it.

When Havlat returns in early to mid-March, Marleau will see more pressure applied by their opponents towards that relentless line of Ryane Clowe, Logan Couture and Havlat, and see more opportunities come the way of his first line.

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San Jose Sharks Streaking In 2012; Crucial Road Trip Awaits

It is amazing what a new year can do to a team's self-esteem. After ending 2011 on a two-game losing streak, the San Jose Sharks have turned over a new leaf in 2012 and now ride a four-game win streak into a four-game road trip in the midst of playing 17 of their next 23 games away from HP Pavilion.

Suddenly in 2012, the power play and penalty kill do not seem so bad, under the radar players are stepping up and producing and Antti Niemi and the defense have let up two or fewer goals in all four games in 2012.

With all the ups-and-downs this team has gone through this season, which include the injuries, glaring weaknesses and inconsistent play, the Sharks still hold the top spot in the Pacific division and are just five points out of the top spot in the Western Conference.

However, if one was to make the statement that the Sharks have yet to be tested away from home, not many would disagree with them.

Good wins against the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings and Vancouver Canucks away from HP Pavilion are always nice, but having the luxury of playing 23 of 38 games at home to start the season, including 10 of 13 in the month of December, is a little ridiculous.

Low and behold, San Jose gets their first real test of the season on the road against quality opponents for a period of 23 games stretching over a month and a half. Key games include the Chicago Blackhawks, Canucks, St. Louis Blues, Washington Capitals, Red Wings and Minnesota Wild twice.

Weaknesses will be revealed, changes will be made and this Sharks team will return back to San Jose a whole different team than they left with.

The Sharks had circled this stretch of games on the calendar before the season began, and they go into it riding a four-game win streak playing arguably their best hockey of the 2011-12 NHL season. They knew this was coming eventually.

Fortunately, the veterans are finally producing and the team is meshing wonderfully, coincidentally after key offseason pick-up Martin Havlat's injury sent him to the sidelines for possibly two months. Since then, the team has rallied around that incident and developed a team chemistry despite losing such a key offensive player for this team. They ride that team chemistry into Minnesota on Tuesday.

But we all know what is coming. A long road trip like this will reveal glaring weaknesses in this team that they will have to continuously work on throughout the months following this long stretch of games away from home.

Parts of the game, like the power play and penalty kill will either rise to the occasion or falter under the intense pressure of being on the road.

What we will find out in this next month and a half is how good this team really is.

A road trip this far away from home for this long a period of time will do that to a team, and we will see what kind of a squad coach Todd McLellan really has when they officially return to the Sharks Tank at the end of February.

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San Jose Sharks: Predicting the Offensive Starting Lines at Season's End

With all the ups and downs the San Jose Sharks have gone through this season, it is intriguing to see how this team will finish the season. Even with all the line changes and injuries, San Jose is still one of the better teams in the Western Conference and competing nearly every night for the top spot in the Pacific division.

The Martin Havlat injury has been a major blow to both the offensive production and overall morale of this team. Also, the defense may have received a little too much preseason credit, and have slowly come back to Earth.

Where this team will stand at the end of the year is still up in the air, but we can at least have a good understanding that the Sharks will finish somewhere near the top of the Western Conference playoff picture, as per usual.

What starting will we see at the end of the season, and will James Sheppard make an appearance in them?

Here are my predictions for the Sharks' starting lines at the end of the 2011-12 NHL season.

First Line: Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski

It is hard to imagine a better set of players that the Sharks can put out there with this much skill and chemistry nearly every night. Slowly, this squad is getting more and more familiar with each other and the production can only go up from here.

Marleau is set to have a huge second half of the season and Pavelski should continue to impress on the big stage of a premiere team in the NHL. With Thornton's consistent play-making, we should see this line become one of the more deadly in the NHL heading into the playoffs.

Second Line: Ryane Clowe, Logan Couture, Martin Havlat

Havlat should return within the next two months, giving the this set of players a good month and a half to re-familiarize themselves with each other.

When Havlat went down with injury, this was a very productive line just getting into their stride and gaining a consistency with each other.

Clowe and Couture continue to be paired up with each other while Havlat is out, so the line should not take long to get back into a groove once Havlat returns come mid to late February.

Third Line: Jamie McGinn, Michal Handzus, Torrey Mitchell

There was a moment where i thought we would see James Sheppard, the offseason pick-up who skated in practice for the first time this season the other day, on this line. Even with the surprising news, his return this season is doubtful, although we could see a game or two towards the end.

With the fourth line in tact, as well as the first and second lines, this hard-working line is all but set come season's end.

Tommy Wingels has a shot to make this line if Andrew Desjardins falls off the map during the second half, but his hard work is deserving of a spot at the end of the season. Wingels has been off and on after being called up from Worcester this season. If he gains some consistency and become that player we all saw during the preseason and the first few games of the regular season, we could see him taking McGinn's spot on this line and pushing him down to the fourth line. But that sort of roster move may not be what McLellan is thinking come playoff time.

Fourth Line: Brad Winchester, Andrew Desjardins, Andrew Murray

This is another definite spot to include either James Sheppard or Tommy Wingels in, but with Sheppard's uncertainty and Wingels inconsistency, that is highly doubtful.

This fourth line has been together the entire season with consistent productivity all around, giving McLellan no reason to split them up.

All three players have +/- in the positive numbers, which is more than you can ask for any other fourth line in hockey. They do what they supposed to do and get the job done, which is why they have stayed in tact with one another throughout this season, and also why McLellan has so much faith in them as a unit.

I am sure we will see McLellan test the waters and dividing them up during the second half of the season just to see what happens, but we are sure to see them back together towards the end.

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San Jose Sharks: The Best Way To Replace Martin Havlat is to Not

Martin Havlat, the speed and offensive skill the San Jose Sharks traded for during the offseason, is out for good portion of the upcoming few months. As far as we know, he will be sidelined 6-8 weeks, but we can bet on the 2 month range looking like a probable timetable for his return.

That likely return will take us to just about the end of February 2012 and leave around a month and a half left in the season for the Sharks.

With the team already struggling in several aspects of their game so far this season, it is only fitting that trade rumors surface in order to salvage a possible Western Conference playoff run.

That is what happens when Doug Wilson is your GM, though. His flair for the timely trade has become standard around San Jose, but this season may be the most important for him to come through in the clutch.

However, does this team really need to make a key acquisition right now if they are to make a real push in the Western Conference playoffs?

Losing Havlat is a blow, but overreaction may be even worse, which is why Wilson needs to take a step back for the moment and wait until the trade deadline to acquire that talent needed for a deep playoff run.

The reason for the wait is the team is used to running without Havlat. His absence from the team has been more of a distraction than his actual unimpressive play on the ice so far this season.

Wilson, given his reputation and long list of acquisitions in the Sharks' organization, should understand what a player's worth is. This far into the season, that is tough to judge.

Make no mistake, San Jose's main trade bait is goalie Antero Niittymaki, who recently returned from injury and replaced Thomas Greiss as the second-string netminder on the team, despite Greiss's respectable play behind starter Antti Niemi. Many teams are looking for a goalie and they will be calling Wilson come the trade deadline.

That time would become Niittymaki's highest value period, where teams need the goalie and Wilson can make his play for who he wants on that opposing team. Right now, although the team can use a healthy body whose name provides a bigger boost than Benn Ferriero, the Sharks need to wait and accept the "winger by committee" that is presumed to occur over the next couple months for the Sharks.

Wilson will make a significant trade this season, and it will most likely have Niittymaki's name in it, but now is the time to form chemistry with this team that includes Ferriero (the best option at winger they have) and whoever else coach Todd McLellan decides to light a fire under. Havlat will be back and he will be affective, but making a drastic trade so early in the season is nowhere near where Wilson is or should be leaning right now.

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5 New Year's Resolutions for the San Jose Sharks

For what it is worth, the San Jose Sharks 2011-12 season has not gone according to plan, to say the least. New players and lousy play in many aspects of the game have caused inconsistency in the win column for a team that was supposed to breeze through another regular season unscathed.

However, the missing pieces that seemed to fit the proverbial puzzle have not paid as many dividends as, say, the Minnesota Wild, who are currently one of the best teams in the Western Conference.

Laxidasical special teams play may be the biggest weakness of the Sharks this season, an aspect of their game that many teams have preyed on throughout thus far, yet San Jose's record of 17-10-3 seems just about right for how they have played. But still not up to par in comparison to the tradition of above average regular season play.

The Sharks have a lot of work to do and the new year should be just what they need in terms of advancing their game to the next level and preparing for the Western Conference playoffs.

Here are five New Year's resolutions for the San Jose Sharks.



5. Better Penalty Kill

We will knock out the easy one first and there is not much more to say than the Sharks' penalty kill is terrible. At times, it can be durable, but the majority of this season has been spent on figuring out what is and is not working when down a player. Most of the time, nothing has been working.

Puck awareness can be partly blamed for the NHL's 29th ranked penalty kill, although that is such a generic term to sum up awful efforts on the defensive end this season. The Sharks have stopped the opposing team's power play 73% of the time this season. Simply not good enough.



4. The Big Guns

Take a look at the Sharks' team leaders in each statistical category this season and you may not find Patrick Marleau atop any of them. Marleau has been simply average this season, something he is not and should not be.

What you will find is decent numbers from a list of decent players.

Joe Thornton's numbers are the only ones that may ignite awe from some people. 6 goals and 20 assists, while leading the team in points is a feat for Thornton, but not many come close after him.

The numbers are just mediocre from a team that is so much more and needs to prove that going forward.



3. More Consistent Power Play

Unfortunately for the Sharks, their awful penalty kill has not been saved by a historically good power play this season. The Sharks currently rank 13th in power play conversions at 17.9%.

The days of Thornton, Marleau and Heatley are over, and with it the thoughts of drawing a penalty leading to an automatic goal.

New players and little chemistry can take part of the blame for a team usually built around such a thing. Thornton, more than anyone, needs the chemistry and Marleau's play has simply not been there to satisfy that for him.

More time on the ice and more time together should solve that for a team with unlimited potential on the power play.



2. Team Chemistry.

Out with Setoguchi and Heatley and in with Burns and Havlat. However, the trade has seemed to work out substantially better for the Wild as of late.

Chemistry has been hit hard for San Jose as losing Heatley's attitude and Setoguchi's playfulness has seemed to take more of a toll on this team than we initially thought. Still, the team added Havlat to a finesse group of forwards and Burns to a talented group of defensemen.

What gives?

The pieces are there, it is just putting them together that is the problem. Havlat has been limited on the ice so far this season, which can take most of the blame for the team not being able to get used to this new playing style they unknowingly acquired in the offseason. I will chalk the chemistry issue up to just that, though.



1. Better Play From Martin Havlat

He has been on and off the injury list this season, just as the Sharks probably expected. But it turns out San Jose needs him a whole lot if they are to make a run in the Western Conference.

The loss of Heatley and Setoguchi hurt this team, but getting little to no production from Havlat for several reasons only hurts this team more in return. Havlat has just two goals and 13 assists in 26 games this season.

The production is not what is hurting this team, although it may directly affect them. The time with a consistent set of players is, though. The Sharks players getting used to Havlat and his habits, as well as Havlat getting used to theirs, is the biggest issue for this situation to get resolved. That is hard to acquire in itself, let alone when coach Todd McLellan is attempting to find a different group of players that work together nearly every night.

Havlat's play will come around, but only if given time. Right now, San Jose does not have that time, though. So we sit and wait and watch this team attempt to evolve into a Western Conference elite.

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San Jose Sharks: Dan Boyle Becoming Weak Link on Much-Hyped Defense

As i watched Dan Boyle accumulate three terrible penalties in a crucial game late last month against the Chicago Blackhawks, it seemed to be the last straw in saying that Boyle was the only player on the defense not pulling his weight this season.

That was magnified even more when coach Todd McLellan split up the duo of Boyle and Murray last week that has been so reliable over the past three seasons. There was never a doubt that those two would be paired together in the past, even after acquiring Brent Burns this last offseason.

Now, with the pairing not fully clicking, McLellan paired Boyle with Marc-Edouard Vlasic at one point to get things back together on defense. Vlasic has been the most reliable defenseman this season, which is something we used to say about Boyle.

Boyle has only one point in his last 10 games.

The 35-year-old has not had his best stuff over the past two seasons, but seeing him struggle to keep up with the fast-pace of the Sharks' offense, as well as the opposing offense while on defense, is something that we simply are not used to from the rock that once was Dan Boyle.

Bad penalties, turnovers in his own zone - these were things that Boyle never had the capability of doing in past seasons. Now we can expect it from him just about every night at one or two points in the game.

This is a first line defenseman, but it seems that he may be playing much more along the lines of the fourth blueliner on the Sharks this season.

For that reason, McLellan acted quickly when thinking of ways to re-energize this defense that had so much hype heading into this season. Moving Boyle was the first attempt at a solution and pairing him with arguably the best defenseman they have was the best move for the moment.

Boyle/Murray worked so well since the two became teammates in 2008-09. It is rough to see that happen to such a constant in the Sharks franchise.

Boyle will be an unrestricted free agent in 2013, and at the rate things are going, there may be close to zero chance we see him out on the ice in San Jose further than that.

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San Jose Sharks: 5 Moves Todd McLellan Needs To Make

We shouldn't be surprised by a little inconsistency on the part of the San Jose Sharks. It seems every year this team starts off slow, then suddenly runs away with the Pacific Division.

In fact, we can almost call this business as usual for this time of year, and it seems coach Todd McLellan is thinking the same thing. Recently, he has been wayward with some of his line-up changes, with some hitting and some really missing, which has been the result as of late.

That is what type of coach McLellan is, though. He likes to experiment and experiment until he finds something that works without thought and he suddenly becomes a genius. It is what makes him one of the better coaches in the NHL.

But there are still moves that either have or have not been made this season, and he seems to be missing the calling when it comes to either keeping the moves intact or totally switching gears.

Here are some moves that need to be made in the near future for the San Jose Sharks.

Torrey Mitchell and Jamie McGinn Together on the Third Line

With McLellan entertaining the idea of splitting up Marleau and Havlat over the first three lines on offense, it is clear that Mitchell is a top candidate for a spot on Joe Thornton's top line.

Mitchell has been there once, an it seemed to fizzle after a week or so.

However, Mitchell and McGinn make up one of the more hard-working pairs on the Sharks, which is why they need to be set on either side of the veteran Handzus, who can hold steady at center.

Mitchell did hint in an interview the other day that he may be getting tired of moving around the amongst the top lines, so it may be best to position him on one line and just keep him there.

Patrick Marleau and Martin Havlat's Continued Separation

One thing that McLellan has stayed constant on is the separation of Maleau and Havlat. It is rare that we see them both out on the ice together this season.

McLellan is correct on this one, and he need to continue it, but it is Havlat's appearance on the third line that is simply not appropriate. I understand the dispersion of speed on this team, but Havlat is a top-tier player in the NHL, and he deserves a better job description.

Thomas Greiss, Not Antero Niittymaki

With Niittymaki slowly coming back from injury, and Greiss continuing to play well in net when called upon, let the conflict begin.

How can you argue with putting Greiss ahead of Niittymaki on the depth chart?

Greiss has been more than superb when in net as Niemi's back-up, and he deserved the No. 2 goalie spot.

We know what we are getting out of Greiss. We do not know what we are getting out of Niittymaki when he comes back from injury.

Jim Vandermeer Somewhere on the Defense

Colin White has been away from the team for a few games now, but it is the penalty kill and defense in general that has improved without him.

One of the reasons is Jim Vandermeer's hard work on the third line with Jason Demers. The two have seemed to click, and we can expect a gritty player like Vandermeer to continue good play in order to earn a spot on the defense for the Sharks.

That is not to say Colin White should be left out. White is far too good a player to be forgotten off a roster. Plus, San Jose could use his big, bulky body on defense.

However, Vandermeer deserves more ice time, and i think McLellan and others understand that and will reward him for an excellent job in place of White.

Get Ryane Clowe, Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski Back Together

With the recent offensive shortage, it is obvious that some changes need to be made. That is especially true on the first three lines, which recently have been a series of blind shots in the air, as far as line-ups go.

What worked in the playoffs last season, as well as in the past, is a line of Clowe, Couture and Pavelski, who have seemed to find chemistry with one another even in offensive droughts that this team seems to have every once in awhile.

Havlat seemed to work, as well, with both Clowe and Couture. but it was a change in that line that has backfired on McLellan and led this team into an offensive recession.

Go with what works, and chemistry is certainly a strong suit of the Sharks.

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San Jose Sharks: Third & Fourth Lines Coming Into Focus

Just piggy-backing on what David Pollak released in his Working the Corners blog the other day. It looks like we may have our first glimpse into what coach Todd McLellan may be thinking as his third and fourth lines.

Parts were expected, but there may be one or two players on the final two lines that may have surprised some.

The surprise: Tommy Wingels.

Wingels leads the team in goals this preseason with three heading into Tuesday, and has seemed to have decent chemistry with everyone he has played with so far on the ice.

For now, we know that two players, Michal Handzus and Torrey Mitchell will be apart of that third line, but it is Wingels who is suited up on the left wing next to them.

Jamie McGinn has seemed to be less favorable in the eyes of McLellan at this point, although it felt that McGinn was the man for that third line spot heading into training camp.

Wingels has impressed. McGinn has not.

On the fourth line, we can pencil in Andrew Murray and Andrew Desjardins at the center and wing spots. However, that last spot may be up for grabs, with McGinn and Brad Winchester competing for it.

Winchester, Desjardins and Murray have meshed very well together so far this preseason, and that may be the deciding factor to hold off on having McGinn start on any of the four lines. It really depends on how McGinn looks on these last few preseason games.


Demoted

It was sad to see Brandon Mashinter head back to Worcester, after a preseason that many saw as his opportunity to crack the starting lines.

It simply looked like he did not have enough, and McLellan noticed it.

Make no mistake, Mashinter will be back sometime this season. He is too talented to stay put in the minors and is a key part in the future of this team.

I guess James Sheppard and Ben Guite never panned out, as well. Neither will start the year in San Jose.

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3 Reasons the San Jose Sharks Can Win It All This Season

Every year you hear it. This is the year the San Jose Sharks will win the Stanley Cup.

Do not feel bad, though. Die-hard fans not only say it, but so do actual NHL experts, and they're paid to make those knowledgeable predictions.

Alas, the Sharks have zero Stanley Cup victories and zero Stanley Cup appearances.

But THIS is the year, right?

They got rid of the superstar attitude of Dany Heatley, bolstered their defensive core and acquired speed.

On paper, it seems that way.

San Jose Sharks Have Best Defense

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

On paper, this is the best set of defensemen the NHL has to offer. It is also arguably the best defense the Sharks franchise has ever owned.

Add that together and you may have something here.

What kept the Sharks down last season, among other things, was the lack of depth at defensemen.

With newly acquired Brent Burns, Jim Vandermeer and powerhouse Colin White, GM Doug Wilson added the exact pieces needed to help the team get over the hump.

An All-Star defenseman, penalty killer extraordinaire and bully in the trenches could hold this defense up as one of the best at the end of the season.

The San Jose Sharks Have No More Divas

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Not to say that Dany Heatley was a diva or had a diva attitude, but it was the superstar persona he brought over from Ottawa that seemed to set this team off.

It was not his fault. Heatley's numbers before San Jose were some of the best in the NHL. However, what he accomplished in San Jose simply did not add up.

So ya got's to go...

That's how Wilson does business.

In return, the Sharks get a speedy Martin Havlat and a lot more money to spend in the future.

Also, a whole new "team" mindset on offense.

The San Jose Sharks Have Speed on Offense

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

It was evident in both the Blackhawks playoff series in 2010 and the Canucks series this past season that the Sharks were simply worn out. They just could not keep up with either team in the Western Conference Finals.

Something had to be done, and the problem was solved by trading Heatley for Havlat during the offseason.

Scoring mentality in exchange for speedy finesse, and both teams got rich off of it.

McLellan has already hinted at the fact that Havlat will be playing on the second line in order to split the speed of Marleau and Havlat on separate line.

This season, San Jose will be bigger, faster and more capable of keeping up with the elites of the NHL deep into the playoffs.

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No Dilemma On San Jose Sharks' Defense

If you told San Jose Sharks' coach Todd McLellan after last season that not only would he have one of the best defenses in the NHL going into next season, but that he would have too many good blueliners, he probably would not have believed you.

CSN's Brodie Brazil wrote an article the other day on how the Sharks now have somewhat of a problem on their hands with owning too many equally-talented players on defense.

It seems that Brazil was maybe a little late to the party with this article, but nevertheless he addresses somewhat of a problem San Jose has.

However, is it really a problem to have too many good defensive players?

Even better, can we actually define the fact the Sharks have eight blueliners for seven spots a problem?

That is where Brazil is wrong.

As far as McLellan, the writers or anyone else with close knowledge of the team is concerned, the Sharks' three lines are set, with the team carrying one other defenseman. That seventh blueliner is already decided.

The way the line look to break down once the season starts is as follows:

Dan Boyle/ Douglas Murray Marc-Edouard Vlasic/ Brent Burns Jason Demers/ Colin White

Jim Vandermeer will take the seventh spot.

There is not much debate against this. If anything, White would be the seventh defenseman and Vandermeer would pair up with Demers. However, McLellan would seem to go with a lesser version of the Boyle/Murray line in the form of Demers/White.

The finesse player paired with the physical defenseman has worked before as the Sharks will not waver from that.

It is ridiculous to say that a player like Vandermeer will have limited time on the ice, with him only playing in certain situations during a game. Also, it is equally ridiculous that a good young player like Justin Braun will not even be on the starting roster to start the season.

Braun is a third line defenseman on any other team in the NHL.

But that is how good the San Jose defense is.

The best way to look at this is that if the Sharks' defense gets hurt or gets off to a slow start, there is that other player hanging in the wings.

For that reason, the Sharks' defense will be consistently dominant for the entire season.

There is no dilemma here, just a team poised for a run at the Stanley Cup this season.

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San Jose Sharks: Reasons To Part Ways With Todd McLellan

No, San Jose Sharks coach Todd McLellan will not be fired this offseason. Not after a year in which the team went from being potentially out of the playoffs to almost having the best record in the Western Conference.

McLellan dealt with the loss of key players in the offseason, as well as injuries during the season. For all the Sharks' coach had to put up with, the season seemed to be a success, for the most part.

However, McLellan is a year or two away from being thrown into the "coaches that just couldn't do enough" pile.

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San Jose Sharks: 3 Ways the Culture in San Jose MUST Change

Another year, another late round exit for the San Jose Sharks. The team from the South Bay came up short in the playoffs yet again, falling to the Vancouver Canucks in the Western Conference Finals. This coming after a 2010 that ended in much the same way, when the Sharks were swept by the Chicago Blackhawks.

Many teams would be happy with back-to-back Conference Finals, but it is all too familiar for the people of San Jose, who continue to see their team play tremendous hockey during the regular season, only to come up short in the playoffs.

It was an up-and-down playoffs for the Sharks. At one moment, they were riding high after a good effort against the Los Angeles Kings led to 3-0 lead against the Detroit Red Wings in the second round. Three straight losses later, the Sharks were a bad Game 7 away from completely blowing the team up and starting over.

Fortunately, a strong final game defeated the Red Wings in seven games, and a sense of relief was felt around the Bay Area.

Still, this year's Western Conference Finals seemed just like 2010. The Sharks were over-matched and seemed to not belong on the same ice with the Vancouver Canucks, or the 2010 Blackhawks, for that matter.

How do the Sharks get over the hump and into the Stanley Cup Finals?

Not blowing up the team, that's for sure.

A few tweaks here and there should do it, but that is what the Sharks have been doing these last several years, with nothing to show but two heart-breaking losses in the Western Conference Finals.

Next season is a new season, but there is a lot to change in the culture of the team between now and then.



1. Understand This Team Is Built For the Future

Year after year the Sharks are in the running for the Stanley Cup, and every year it seems the fans get disappointed.

It may seem as though the Sharks' window of opportunity is closing, when, in fact, it is just opening.

Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Dany Heatley are all entering the prime of their careers, they have young studs like Logan Couture ready to take on bigger roles and the defensive core of Dan Boyle, Douglas Murray and Marc-Edouard Vlasic are all locked up for a few more seasons. Not to mention, role players like Ryane Clowe and Joe Pavelski have deals with San Jose that run through 2014.

Compare that to the past teams that have done well in the playoffs.

The Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in 2010, only to lose their goalie Antti Niemi and several very good role players, such as Dustin Byfuglien to free agency or trade.

This year's representative of the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals is the Canucks. At the end of their season, they will see star defensemen Sami Salo, Kevin Bieksa and Christian Ehrhoff all become free agents.

Do not be surprised if one of those defencemen sign with the Sharks, who are in dire need of another strong blueliner to put them over the top in the Western Conference.

So as much as other teams are struggling to stay relevant, the Sharks have been one of the few teams to stay competitive and will continue to stay competitive for at least the next several years.



2. New Defenceman

The Sharks did not have the defensive weapons that teams like the Boston Bruins and Canucks had in 2011.

That is to not say they did not try.

Acquiring Ian White from the Carolina Hurricanes was one of the better roster moves made all season. Although the move did not fully take care of the problem on defense, it did silence the critics, who were demanding a defenceman be acquired.

Still, the Sharks will have to re-sign White in the offseason, but he is sure to pitch San Jose a discounted rate.

As for Niclas Wallin and Kent Huskins, neither are expected to return to the team, which frees up a ton of money to spend on a star defenceman.

Some notable free agent defencemen are Tomas Kaberle, Joni Pitkanen, Eric Brewer and Andrei Markov, but do not rule out Kevin Bieksa or Christian Ehrhoff.

Realistically, it would seem as though the Sharks could have their sights set on one of three players in Brewer, Bieksa or Ehrhoff, and any of them would be welcome additions to a defense that was clearly the weakest part of the Sharks' playoff run.



3. Trust Todd McLellan

Coach McLellan has been the head coach of the Sharks for three years now.

His first year started off spectacular with a President's Trophy win, but a first round exit to the Anaheim Ducks quickly brought this franchise back to reality.

Since then, McLellan and the Sharks have seemed to elevate their playoff games, hoping to prove that they belong.

A loss in the 2010 Western Conference Finals to the Chicago Blackhawks sufficed then, but two straight Western Conference Finals losses and some are calling for McLellan's head.

The truth is McLellan made all the right moves. He made the right line changes during the season, and even the right goalie decision, as Niemi started to play well once given the time.

Stand by McLellan and he will take San Jose to the promised land sooner or later. He has proved it by winning in Detroit.

Given the right amenities with the Sharks, he will prove it in San Jose.

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San Jose Sharks: Antero Niittymaki or Antti Niemi To Start Game 4?

How would you like to be San Jose Sharks coach Todd McLellan right now?

Okay, he's probably not the worst person to be right now, I mean, he is head coach of a team that came back from a 4-0 deficit to win 6-5 in overtime in the playoffs and take control of the series.

But how about the decision he has to make for Game 4 in Los Angeles on Thursday night?

Go with the goalie who has brought your team to the playoffs by playing practically the entire second half of the season, or the goalie who silenced the Kings on the Sharks' way to one of the greatest comebacks in NHL playoff history?

Antti Niemi or Antero Niittymaki?

There is really no right answer to the decision McLellan will have to make in the next 24 hours.

Here are the facts, though.

Niemi has not met the expectations that many had for him in the playoffs. He has seemed tired and slow in net. But he has been the rock for this team. The players feel comfortable with him in net, as shown by their second half surge up the Western Conference standings.

But is Niemi out of gas for these playoffs? Is he just not seeing the puck in these playoffs as he would in the regular season?

The playoffs are a different beast and we know players go harder in the playoffs than in the regular season. Is Niemi just not up for the challenge that is the playoffs?

The other side of the equation is Niittymaki's solid goaltending in the Sharks' comeback win in Game 3.

The only problem in starting Niittymaki for Game 4 is that he has proven nothing. He had been injured while Niemi put the Sharks on his back on their way to second place in the Western Conference.

But Niittymaki was the goalie that halted the barrage of goals from the Kings paving the way for a Game 3 win.

He is a breath of fresh air at the moment.

But is that all he is?

Niittymaki needs to be in net for Game 4.

He is rested and the Sharks seemed to have a sense of resurgence when he was in net.

He is something new at the moment and that may be the best thing for the Sharks right now.

If he does not pan out in Game 4, then insert Niemi back for Game 5. But at the moment, you must go with the hot goalie. Not that Niittymaki stopped everything in his path Tuesday night (made 10 of 11 saves), but he was in net for an epic Sharks win, and that's all that matters right now.

He is the face of the comeback for the Sharks and that changes the mindset of all the Sharks players.

Niemi wasn't cutting it in the playoffs so far, and the team wasn't cutting it when he was in net.

Niittymaki is the refreshing change of scenery for Game 4.

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