San Jose Sharks' Focus Should Be On Antti Niemi and the Third, Fourth Lines

There is no hiding the fact that the San Jose Sharks were busy this offseason. The dealings between San Jose and the newly befriended Minnesota Wild have been well-documented, as have both teams' chances at their respective runs in the playoffs next season.



For the Sharks, they needed to address two problems they encountered last season: Speed and defense.



With the help of the Wild, Sharks' GM Doug Wilson managed to pull both off by acquiring speedster Martin Havlat and All-Star defenseman Brent Burns.



Problem solved.



However, what now plagues San Jose may be a tad picky to some, but still remains important if the Sharks intend on advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in their history.



The team did just slightly improve on the offensive side, all the while acquiring worthy defensemen, which has some calling this the best defensive squad San Jose has ever had.



But let's get picky, shall we?





Third & Fourth Lines



The Sharks top two lines are two of the best in the NHL, but how they compare with the team's bottom two lines is what has some questioning this squad.



Currently, the third and fourth lines set up as Torrey Mitchell, Michal Handzus, Jamie McGinn, and Andrew Desjardins, Andrew Murray, Benn Ferriero, although nothing has been confirmed.



How those lines complement a second line like Clowe, Couture and Havlat is yet to be known.



On paper, this is a major dent in their quest to become the best in the Western Conference.



It is yet to be revealed as to whether GM Doug Wilson is done dealing, but those third and fourth lines could be important in whether or not the Sharks are one of the elites in the NHL.



With stable third and fourth lines, the Sharks are the best in the West. Without those stable lines, they will remain the second or third best team in their conference.





Antti Niemi



Along those same lines comes the notion that the Sharks will only go as far as their goaltender takes them.



Antti Niemi emerged as the No. 1 man in net last season and proved he belonged there by hitting strides mid-season that propelled the Sharks to the second seed in the Western Conference.



This season, along with the third and fourth lines, comes the questions surrounding whether or not Niemi can do it again.



This season will be different. Niemi has already been handed the keys to this team, as compared to last season when he split time with Antero Niittymaki. What he intends to do with those keys is still up in the air.



With training camp starting on Saturday, the Sharks still have several wildcards situations on their roster. It is how those wildcards resolve themselves that will reveal how far San Jose plans on advancing this season.

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San Francisco Giants' Baseball Is Torture, But Not the Good Kind

Losing is contagious.



You know how I know?



The defending World Series champions, and a team in the middle of a competitive playoff race, are in danger of being swept by the worst team in baseball.



Do you cringe when you watch Giants baseball these days? How about turn away from the television once the opposing team scores over three runs?



You're not alone.



The Giants can blame the ever-growing list of injuries, and so can the fans. But once San Francisco lost on Saturday afternoon in Houston to the last place Astros, who boast a vast array of 'who's who?' in their line-up, those excuses ended.



The NL West was officially a battle of 'who can limp into the playoffs best?'



This Giants' team still sports the infamous "torture" motto. Live by it, and die by it.



However, this year's team has given the term a whole different meaning.



It used to be that San Francisco was known for one-run games and walk-off wins. I even wrote an article about it earlier this season, which shows you how convinced I was.



Now, the "torture" refers to us, at home on our couches, watching these players on television.



They are not out of it yet, which is surprising considering how hot the Arizona Diamondbacks were at one point and how injury-prone the Giants still are and continue to be. Yet, Arizona cannot seem to pull away, no matter how hard the Giants try to give the division to them.



However, this last week has shown us a lot about the fate of the NL West in September. The Diamondbacks are still not a good team, as shown by the fact that they simply cannot keep up with the elites like the Braves and Phillies. Also, the Giants need to get healthy and back on track, because if they do, they will win the West.



San Francisco is the best team in their division. It is just masked by the list of jugular-seeking injuries, horrid at-bats and the fact that this team is simply down on itself.



Other than that, they're fine, right?



Yet to be seen.



September will be a month of torture. It is up to the Giants as to whether they want it to be the good kind or bad kind.

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September 1 Marks the Start of the San Francisco Giants' Playoff Push

Forget about the injuries, forget about the Arizona Diamondbacks, forget even about the fact that the Giants are 2.5 games back in the NL West. The playoff push is not even close to starting yet.

The Giants are a mess. It think we will all agree to that. A few late-inning throw-aways, slew of injuries and the surging Diamondbacks prove that.

Still, San Francisco remains just 2.5 games back after all that with a whole lot of baseball yet to be played.

Several things can happen in the last month of the season. Carlos Beltran and Co. could come back, pitching could continue to carry the team or Arizona could fall back to earth.

However, Beltran has yet to produce significantly as a Giant, pitching cannot carry zero offense for very long and the Diamondbacks seem bound for this year's version of the 2010 Giants.

The playoff push has yet to fully begin, though. September 1 marks that date. That is the time to put your money where your mouth is for baseball teams.

The Giants are poised to do so in September.

Here are two reasons why.

The San Francisco Giants Have Two Series Against the Arizona Diamondbacks

September 2-4 and 23-25 marks that dates the Giants play the Diamondbacks. It does not matter how many games back the Giants are or how many players they have on the DL. If San Francisco can muster four wins during those six games, they should be in good position.

The Giants do not play a single team over .500, other than Arizona, the rest of the season. Of course, that means nothing when several of the Giants' best players are on the DL, but it sure does make it easier.

If the Giants can stick two or three games behind Arizona heading into September, or even closer, there is a great chance San Francisco can pull out on top, given the circumstances.

The circumstances are having a young team like the Diamondbacks playing for everything they have against a Giants team that has been there and done that several times over.

The Giants' motto is not "torture" for nothing.

September 1 Marks the Start of the 40-Man Roster

No team in baseball will welcome the September 1 opening for the 40-man roster more than the San Francisco Giants.

On September 1, rosters expand from 25 players to 40.

That would mean that manager Bruce Bochy would not have to make up fake excuses for Barry Zito or Jonathan Sanchez to go on the DL -- just leave them there.

Up comes Darren Ford, Brandon Crawford, etc.

Brandon Belt has room to stay on the roster and continue producing in this line-up, which means there is no room for excuses to let Aubrey Huff stay at first base.

For how many one-run games the Giants play, having legs like Ford could be huge for San Francisco. Even having a sure-handed shortstop like Brandon Crawford could play dividends down the stretch.

It is what the Giants have been missing, and it is the reason late innings are stressful these days. There is currently no room for Ford, and instead Bochy has to throw a healthy body like Miguel Tejada out there, although his healthy body has never hurt the Giants more.

San Francisco needs change, or maybe a roster move here and there. However, as long as they can stay afloat in the NL West, things will look up for them come September.

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San Jose Sharks: Moves They Still Need To Make Before the Season Starts

The San Jose Sharks have made a flurry of moves this past offseason. They have really changed the dynamic of this team and kept them in contention for the next several years.

To recap: The Sharks traded Devin Setoguchi and Dany Heatley to the Minnesota Wild for Brent Burns and Martin Havlat in two separate deals. Also, San Jose acquired Jim Vandermeer and Colin White to help bolster the defense, and they acquired Andrew Murray, James Sheppard and Michal Handzus to fill the open spaces in the third and fourth lines.

However, what the Sharks currently lack is depth.

Murray and Sheppard are great pick-ups, but how much can they contribute to a high-octane offense, such as San Jose?

It is for that reason that the Sharks still have work to do in the free agent department.

Here are definite options for the Sharks before training camp starts up.

2. The San Jose Should Re-Sign Kyle Wellwood

Kyle Wellwood is still on the free agent market, and he can still contribute to the Sharks this next season.

However, if GM Doug Wilson was going to re-sign the forward, it would seem that he would have done it a long time ago. The more days tick away, the less likely this deal seems.

Wellwood contributed a lot to this team last season, especially during the playoffs. He had seven points, including a +/- of six during the playoffs.

Andrew Murray was a nice pick-up by the Sharks, but is he really going to be fourth line center this season?

He had just eight points last season as a part of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Wellwood at least knows this team and has at least a smidgen of chemistry with the rest of the fourth line, which looks like it will be a mixture of Andrew Desjardins, James Sheppard, Benn Ferriero and Andrew Murray.

Whether Wilson is just keeping Wellwood in his back pocket until the season starts or even until mid-season, San Jose needs to act before he is gone.

The worry here is that the Sharks' lack of depth will become a problem come mid-season, and continue to hurt them come the playoffs.

With the amount of experience Wellwood has with this team in the most crucial times, he would be a solid pick-up for Wilson and the Sharks.

1. The San Jose Sharks Need A Veteran Winger

Piggy-backing on the same thought that was noted in the first slide, the Sharks' weakness at the moment is their depth on offense.

The good thing is that several capable solutions still remain in the free agent pool, and there is little doubt that GM Doug Wilson will pass those up.

The Sharks need a veteran winger to help both in the locker room as well as on the ice with some of the younger players on the team.

It is true, they do have veteran Michal Handzus to help with youngsters Jamie McGinn and Torrey Mitchell, but there is something to be said for a third or fourth line veteran that can still produce a good amount of points.

Three available players that fill that description are John Madden, Chris Drury and J.P. Dumont.

The Sharks must act quickly if they want to nab them, though.

The best fit for the Sharks is Dumont. Just two seasons ago, the 33-year-old put up 65 points for the Predators.

After a down season in 2010-11, he would be able rejuvenate his stats with the Sharks' talented offense.

Whether he will play on the third or fourth line is up to coach Todd McLellan, but odds are he produces a whole lot more than what San Jose currently has on either of those lines.

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San Jose Sharks: 5 Players We Can't Wait To See On the Ice Next Season

The San Jose Sharks will be throwing a whole different team out on the ice next season. This summer, it seemed GM Doug Wilson and the Sharks were a little fed up with back-to-back Western Conference Final defeats, and they decided to re-tool.

While many teams would be content with making it to the third round of the NHL playoffs two years in a row, GM Doug Wilson evidently was not. He made that clear when he traded sniper Dany Heatley and young talent Devin Setoguchi to the Wild this past offseason.

In return, the Sharks acquired speed and defense, making them a force to be reckoned with for yet another year.

Here are five Sharks we cannot wait to see on the ice in October.

5. Jim Vandermeer

The Sharks acquired defenseman Jim Vandermeer this offseason in order to help solidify the third line and promote a more physical style of play on the defensive end.

His strengths were clear weaknesses for the Sharks last season. They were hits and blocked shots. Vandermeer is able to fill those holes.

It will be interesting to see how much Vandermeer will be apart of this defense. As it stands, San Jose is looking to carry seven defensemen to start the season, with Demers, Vandermeer and recently-acquired Colin White to switch off on the third line.

4. Michal Handzus

Handzus specializes in three things that the Sharks will be happy to welcome to the team this next season. The 36-year-old plays in a ton of games, is great on the penalty kill and thrives in the face-off circle.

Losing Manny Malhotra last offseason was a clear blow to the Sharks in the face-off circle and Handzus helps to bolster that area for the Sharks.

He will also be greatly appreciated on the penalty kill. After losing PK-extraordinaire Scott Nichol during the offseason, Handzus should fill the void left by the pesky forward.

The former LA Kings forward is able to play so many roles for the Sharks that he is expected to be a major focal point on how San Jose is able to contend against the better teams in the Western Conference.

3. Colin White

Colin White is a big boy. Let's make that clear.

The Sharks acquired him for the sole reason that they need someone to get physical in the trenches right in front of the net. White certainly does that, and at 6'4", 220 lbs., he will do that will a little emphasis behind it.

He will be fighting for time on that third line with Demers and Vandermeer, but when the Sharks need a defensive stopper with power, you better believe coach Todd McLellan will have White on the ice.

2. Martin Havlat

The Sharks traded Dany Heatley to the Minnesota Wild for Martin Havlat this offseason, and he is set to change the tone of San Jose's offense.

While Heatley brought a scorer's mentality, Havlat brings speed and finesse to the second line for the Sharks.

He is set to play with two other crafty players in Ryane Clowe and Logan Couture.

Keeping up with the opposing team on the ice became a problem for the Sharks last season and it was obvious in the playoffs. Havlat solves that problem for the Sharks.

The 30-year-old is set for a big season, stats-wise.

In Minnesota, the offense was stagnant at best last season. On the Sharks, offense comes in flurries and Havlat should benefit in a large way from that.

We can expect around 25 goals and close to 70 points from him next season.

1. Brent Burns

For the occasional Sharks fan who does not know about Brent Burns, I will say that they should get familiar with him.

Burns is 6'5" and 215 lbs with moderate speed, physical play and a giant shot from the point. The only thing he needs to do is prove it on a winning team. Thanks to the Sharks acquisition of him in the offseason, Burns will get that chance.

The 26-year-old takes a part of the Sharks' game that was a huge weakness for them, ever since the retirement of Rob Blake, and turns it into a clear strength.

Burns will be playing on the second line with Marc-Edouard Vlasic, and the two young defensemen should be able to play off each other and turn it into a shutdown second pairing.

Make no mistake about it, when the power play is on and Burns is on the ice, it will be sheer entertainment watching him get open for a shot and then letting it fly.

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San Francisco 49ers: Jim Harbaugh Is A Head Coach, Not A Miracle Worker

Win or lose in the NFL preseason, the best thing to do is forget about the game. Luckily for the San Francisco 49ers, it will not be hard to forget about their loss to the New Orleans Saints on Friday night.



It is true that fans must immediately put the preseason out of their minds once the regular season begins. Last year, the 49ers went 4-0 during the preseason, then proceeded to lose their first five games of the regular season.



The preseason simply does not matter -- success or failure.



However, as new head coach Jim Harbaugh paced the sidelines on Friday night, you could not help but think that this was the beginning of a new era in 49ers football.



However, let's not jump the gun too quickly.



Harbaugh is good -- really good. He proved that at the University of San Diego and again at Stanford University. But the NFL is a different beast, and in order for a team to have success, there needs to be equal parts mastermind coaching and equal parts talented players.



The 49ers only have the mastermind coach, and even that is a stretch after the 24-3 loss to the Saints in Week 1 of the preseason.



The most disturbing part of the dismantling in New Orleans was the fact that the 49ers did not score a touchdown.



What was more disturbing was that San Francisco's first-string offense could not score against the Saints' second-string defense. Even worse, the 49ers' first-string defense could not stop the Saints' second-string offense.



It was only preseason, and I expect Alex Smith and the 49ers to be much-improved in their next game, but that game may stick in the minds of some for awhile.



However, if anyone can turn this team around, it is Harbaugh.



Evidently, he did not get the memo that the Saints were going to throw relentless blitzes and powerhouse running backs at them in Week 1 of the preseason. Even I was watching the game thinking that there was a hand-shake agreement in place in Week 1 where there was going to be little to no blitzes to secure the safety of the players.



I guess not.



It is a definite low for the 49ers because we expected so much more out of a seemingly revamped team with a seemingly revamped mind-set heading into this season.



What we got was much of the same we have been experiencing for almost a decade now.



Again, preseason does not matter and the safest thing to do is to put it out of the mind and forget it ever happened -- win or lose.



You will not have to tell that to 49er fans, though. They are used to forgetting games, since they have been trying to do it since 2002, the last time the 49ers made the playoffs.

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Tiger Woods: This Type of Monumental Collapse Has Not Been Seen Before In Sports

Tiger Woods was at 3-under par through the first five holes during Thursday's opening round of the 2011 PGA Championship, and final major of the year.



Despite the list of mistresses, critics and Steve Williams' remarks, Woods was back to reclaim is rightful place on the throne of golf.



However, we forgot one thing, he is playing the sport of golf and nothing is guaranteed -- not even for Tiger Woods.



Woods would end up finishing round one of the PGA Championship with a 7-over par 77, and in 88th place on the leaderboard.



The 35-year-old has officially fallen from the golf world in 2011.



When was the last time we saw this in sports, though?



A player at the peak of his sport, completely dominating his game, suddenly cannot find the same talent he had just a year and a half ago?



Woods was the sport of golf. He is to whom golf on the major network stations, Golf Channel and the young guns of the sport should be attributed.



Just two years ago, Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major victories was going to be simple to surpass for Woods. Now, it is slowly fading to more wishful thinking.



We can talk about the fall of Michael Vick or the hated persona of Lebron James, but those players ended up rising above those odds and are currently at the top of their sports yet again.



In golf, it simply does not work that way, at least, not at the moment.



There is no option of hitting rock bottom in the sport and overcoming that to become great once again -- not with the amount of things on Woods' mind these days.



It is a tribute to the sport and the players competing. A clear mind, sweet swing and competitive nature bring competitors success in this game, and Woods currently does not have two out of those three.



Will we ever see Woods' like we saw him years ago?



The more days go by and the more 7-over par 77's are posted, the more Woods' career is just another one that came so close to Nicklaus', even though we know he was much, much more.



We can credit the game, but most of all, credit Woods for a monumental rise and fall from the graces of the golf world.

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