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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The Good and the Bad of the San Francisco 49ers' Loss to the Baltimore Ravens

It is not often we can find good things about a loss at the hands of a playoff-bound AFC foe on one of the greatest stages the NFL has to offer. But the San Francisco 49ers managed to escape Baltimore on Thanksgiving Day with at least a little of their dignity and a secure spot as one of the remaining elite in the NFL.

The 49ers lost 16-6 to the Ravens behind a terrible defensive line and offensive line effort that saw the Baltimore defense put relentless pressure on poor Alex Smith. He would be sacked nine times on the most thankful of days.

What did Smith have to be thankful for on Thanksgiving Day?

The fact he left Baltimore with his limbs, as Terrell Suggs almost took them with him.

Besides all that, the 49ers managed to show some good play despite all the bad that appeared on the surface.

The Good

Limited Turnovers

Alex Smith only had one interception on the day, which was a pass in the endzone to Braylon Edwards in a panicked moment with time ticking down in the second quarter before the half. The 49ers could have definitely used those points.

But for how much Smith was bombarded time and time again by the Ravens' defense, it is a wonder he did not fumble the ball or even throw a couple more interceptions.

Smith takes care of the ball and that was evident with just one turnover on Thanksgiving Day

The Secondary

We can talk about how the defensive line was close to invisible in the eyes of Joe Flacco on Thanksgiving Day, but the secondary really helped them look a little better.

Flacco is a better version of a game manager, which he showed the 49ers time after time and resulting in zero turnovers in the game.

However, the Ravens' wide receivers are talented. Carlos Rogers was able to keep Anquan Boldin in check, for the most part, and the there was rarely a ball over the top of the 49ers' defensive secondary.

Baltimore does not put up many points, but it was nice to see the San Francisco secondary growing up in a big game.

The Bad

The Offensive Line and Defensive Line

We might as well group these two together to save some time because it is a no-brainer on ths one. There was zero pressure on Flacco from the defensive frontline, and next to zero protection from the offensive line.

Oh, to be a fly in the wall after the game when Harbaugh wished both lines a Happy Thanksgiving.

Credit to the Baltimore defensive minds who strategized that bombardment of flurries from the likes of Suggs & Co. Their offensive line was not bad either, holding one of the better defensive front lines to next to zero damage.

Frank Gore

With no offensive line comes no Frank Gore, and that was never more evident than on Thursday i Baltimore.

Gore was supposed to be the running back rushing for over 100 yards. Who expecte him to run for a long of nine yards on the day?

Not many.

It seemed like Kendall Hunter was more of a force at times in the backfield, which is why the entire offense needs to take a breather, forget Thanksgiving Day and re-group for Sunday against the Rams.

Jim Harbaugh

Where was the game-plan we all could not wait to see in primetime on Thanksgiving Day?

If this was an offensive genius at work on Thursday, I am still waiting.

There simply was no game-plan from what it looked like. The game-plan relied on the offensive line making plays and Gore running for many yards. When that did not happen, it was scrambling time.

Wasn't that the point, though?

Counter to the Ravens' game-changes. However, Harbaugh & Co. did not have that and were not prepared. So we start from square one again and pray for a better showing in the playoffs when the 49ers meet their next notable opponent.

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San Jose Sharks' Penalty Kill Growing As A Unit

It is funny how the NHL works. From week to week, it seems that you can never tell which part of the team will either break down or become clutch in the right moments.

For the Sharks, a penalty kill that was the weakest part of their game just two weeks ago seems to be a key force on the ice in the last week.

San Jose still ranks near the bottom of the NHL in terms of penalty kill percentage, but it was their streak of eight-straight penalty kills recently that has some wondering if this defense could be as good as advertised.

The players have even said with more time on the ice comes more opportunity to mesh as a team, focusing solely on the penalty kill, which has been the team's biggest weakness to date.

With Henrik Sedin's power play goal on Saturday night against the Sharks' penalty kill, San Jose's streak was halted at eight opposing attempts.

However, this is a good sign for the Sharks, who will take anything these days when it comes to defending the zone while down a man. Maybe the biggest difference for San Jose on the penalty kill was the addition of Jim Vandermeer and the subtraction of Colin White.

Vandermeer, who has played in just seven games for the Sharks this season, is a major defenseman when it comes to blocks and grinding defense in tough spots on the ice. He has consistently been the seventh defenseman on the San Jose depth chart this season, and is attempting to provide that gritty performance game-to-game that the San Jose defense has seemed to lack this season.

Of course, we can attribute great defensive play when down a man to the fact that Antti Niemi is as solid as any goalie in the game right now.

After shutting out the Blackhawks last Wednesday, Niemi stopped 24 of the Canucks' 27 shots on Saturday night. He has only let up more than two goals once in the last five games.

Demers and Vandermeer have clearly been the best third line pairing the defense has to offer in recent games. After seeing Demers and Justin Braun share time with the bulky Colin White, the introduction of Vandermeer on the line has seemed to be that gritty final piece that the Sharks needed. Or maybe it is the subtraction of White that has made the difference.

White is that large man in the middle that every team could use, but it seems like the Sharks have reaped zero rewards from such a force in the middle. GM Doug Wilson was absolutely clutch when he acquired the massiv veteran, but it has not seemed to pay off of the team.

With White coming through on the penalty kill comes the Sharks efficiency heading upward. Until then, San Jose will have the veteran Vandermeer working hard for time on the ice and on the penalty kill.

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San Francisco 49ers vs. Baltimore Ravens Preview & Prediction

Throw out the first 10 games. Throw out the tests that were the Eagles, Lions and Giants. Even throw out the 9-1 record because the San Francisco 49ers were never going to get the full respect until their Week 12 match-up with the Baltimore Ravens. It will be the team's biggest test and measuring bar on Thanksgiving day on one of the biggest regular season stages of the entire year.

The 49ers/Ravens match-up is an equal test for both teams, but more so for San Francisco because of the fact that many still believe this team is unproven. Their final few games that include playing the Ravens and Steelers should resolve that.

How will the 49ers fair on a national stage? How will Alex Smith "manage" the relentless Baltimore defense?

From the looks of it now, Smith and the 49ers will probably handle it extremely well, that is if Jim Harbaugh is on the sidelines, and reports are he will be.

The Ravens defense has drawn a lot of comparisons to the Detroit Lions, and the 49ers had no problem moving the ball then.

Maybe one of the best reasons to bet the 49ers on Thursday is the fact that Ray Lewis is not playing. He is the defensive genius behind switching up coverages and making it an overall hassle for opposing quarterbacks. Smith will be glad to not see him while under center.

The Ravens will supply several ideas and schemes against the 49ers on Thursday, but it still comes down to the fact that this team is run on its rushing attack, smash-mouth defense and the occasional offensive breakout game.

It is almost identical to San Francisco.

With that said, Smith will have to handle being blitzed on a regular basis, which is something he was used to against the Lions.

The name of the game on Thanksgiving is about the same as it was against Detroit: short, quick passes and not turning the ball over.

Frank Gore and Ray Rice are powerful backs with potential to break into the secondary, but i doubt we will see much of that on Thursday, what with the 49ers and Ravens boasting top-5 defenses against the run. We can expect around 80-100 yards rushing for each of them.

In the end, the running back that can overcome that relentless opposing defense may see his team win this game. Throw in the aspect of Smith and Flacco simply managing games better than the other, and we could see a very competitive and close game in Baltimore on Thursday.

X-Factor

With both quarterbacks capable of cooperating on offense and not turning the ball over, the game could come down to the defense in the trenches and how the opposing running backs overcome that.

Points will be put up by the running backs, and whatever points the quarterbacks put up is just gravy for their team.

Whatever running back is able to break the opposing defense could see his team's chances of winning this game get really high.

Prediction

Smith showed against the Lions that he can handle blitzes and aggressive defensive teams, which is what the Ravens will hope to do on Thursday.

He should see a slew of quick slants and passes out of the backfield from Harbaugh's play-calling against Baltimore, as should be expected.

If Smith and Harbaugh do not get too crazy downfield, we should see San Francisco escape Baltimore and the Harbowl with a win on Thanksgiving day.

49ers win 24-20

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San Francisco 49ers: Things to Pay Attention to Against Baltimore Ravens

The 49ers domination of division foe Arizona resulted in some good things discovered and some really bad things that should set up an intriguing match-up on Thanksgiving Day against the Baltimore Ravens.

The entirety of the 49ers' victory over the Cardinals brings up some questions about the team, one of them being "Are the 49ers ready for the Ravens?"

Of course, they are ready. A 9-1 team in the NFL is ready for just about anything at this point, and a defense that sick can handle any offense thrown at them.

But it was the overthrown balls, blocked field goals and ejection that have some wondering about the 49ers' status for Thursday's Harbaugh Bowl.

Here are four things that need close attention in Baltimore on Thanksgiving Day.

Dashon Goldson Possible Suspension

It is unclear as to whether or not Goldson will be receiving a game suspension for his altercation with Cardinals wide receiver Early Doucet. Goldson did throw three hefty punches at the antagonizing Doucet, and that would appear to draw some sort of fine or suspension from the NFL.

Madieu Williams should replace Goldson if a suspension is carried out, which many expect to happen given the ferocity in which he went after Doucet. Williams has received limited playing time since being acquired by the 49ers this past offseason, playing in nine games while starting just three of them.

He is a downgrade from Goldson's hard-hitting prowess, but Williams can still hold his own on an NFL field.

Special Teams

Special teams has been one of the strongest assets for the 49ers this season. David Akers has been one of the better offseason acquisitions for GM Trent Baalke, as Akers has missed just five field goals all season, but just ended a streak of 15 straight made. He also is one of the best kickers in the NFL in terms of touchbacks on kickoffs. Because of that, the 49ers have been able to play the field position battle with several of their opponents this season.

It was the two blocked field goals on Sunday that can be a cause for concern against a rampid Baltimore defense. Even a punt that was almost blocked by the Cardinals off the foot of Andy Lee is a bit of something off the beaten path for this team. Tack that up to a soggy field at Candlestick Park on Sunday, if you will, but it is enough to put something in the back of the minds of both Akers and the protection on both field goals and punts.

The 49ers rely so heavily on getting good field position on offense and dishing out terrible field position for their opponents that this could be a major factor in Baltimore on Thursday night.

Alex Smith

Smith's so-so day in the pocket could be something the Ravens could target on Thursday. It is doubtful Harbaugh chooses to have Smith throw the ball over 40 times, but more surprising things have happened this season.

We can also tack Smith's erratic arm up to the soggy field on Sunday, but Smith had a hard time finding Davis and Crabtree over the top of the secondary several times. He is still learning, as we have witnessed, but there are teams that will take advantage of that and one of them is the Ravens. They will rush Smith on Thursday and force him to make split-second decisions several times, which is something we only saw Smith deal with once this season against the Detroit Lions.

In response to that, Harbaugh had Smith throw short slants and dump routes almost the entire game. We should see that from Smith on Thursday, as well.

Frank Gore' Injured Knee

Should they start him or not?

That was the debate before Sunday, and i cannot say the 49ers made the right decision there. Yes, they took him out with a few minutes to go in the game, but his 88 yards on 24 carries against the 21st-ranked run defense was something we are not used to seeing this season.

Even more, Gore will have a short week to heal from a game that maybe he should not have played in anyway. Kendall Hunter's 2.5 yards per carry on Sunday was not much better, but it could have been a small price to pay for a healthy Gore on Thanksgiving Day had the team rested their All-Pro running back.

We will see how things play out on Thursday, and i expect Gore to grab a little extra for a primetime game on Thanksgiving night, but all fingers will point back towards starting him against the Arizona Cardinals if things go awry on Thursday.

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San Jose Sharks Not Shy in Big Games This Season

It is hard to call any games "big" this early in the 2011-12 NHL season, but for the sake of the argument the San Jose Sharks have had a few, and won nearly all of them.

What defines a big game?

That is up to opinion, of course, but i think we can all agree on a few standout games that we had circled on our calendars during the offseason.

Games like the L.A. Kings returning to where they were scorned last season in the playoffs can be considered big, and even playing the defending Stanley Cup champs is a game that players get up for.

But this is a different team on the ice than in recent years. It was interesting to see how that would translate in larger games this season, and it seems that this franchise has not missed a beat with their acquired talent.

Through the first month of the NHL season, we saw the Sharks get tested twice, in both the Bruins game and Red Wings game. The result was the same; 4-2 victories that made statements as to how this team was to fair this season.

So far, in this second month of the NHL season, San Jose has been tested with several big games, including the Penguins, Kings, Wild and Red Wings. All resulted in wins, and rather impressive wins at that.

Why the big deal about these big games?

With the way this Sharks franchise has faired in the playoffs, it is hard not try to peer into the future. The playoffs are all about big games, and paying well in them. The Sharks have done that so far this season.

Another impressive characteristic of this team in big games this season: They look so comfortable doing it.

Eighteen games into the 2011-12 NHL season, it has occurred to the masses that this team is so much more ready to take on top-tier talent in the playoffs than in previous seasons. The change in artilary during the offseason is the main reason for this.

Physical players and speed to boot.

In those big games this season against teams that wake up in the playoffs, the Sharks are faster. And if they are not faster, they are more physical, which is why San Jose is primed for a deep run in the upcoming playoffs.

I do not mean to think playoffs 18 games in, but it is hard not to acknowledge the fact that this team has changed since last season, and we are seeing them come together and grow, while benefiting the team with the addition of speed and physicality.

In recent seasons, we saw the Sharks get boat-raced, outmanned and outplayed on the ice in the Western Conference Finals. These days, the Sharks are boat-racing, outmanning and outplaying whatever team happens to be on the ice when they are.

It is not to say that San Jose was not doing this in previous seasons. The Sharks can arguably be called "King of Regular Season" if it was not a knock on their terrible reputation in the playoffs. Winning is what the Sharks do in the regular season. It is the playoffs that have been the hard part.

And yet the Sharks franchise continues to upgrade their roster. This time, it was with speed and large men. Yep, large men (Burns, White, Winchester, etc.). They are the bone-crushing players that make way for the speed and fast play San Jose has used to claim wins so far this season.

In October, the Bruins had a hard time keeping up with the Sharks' fast play and physicality on the boards and in front of the net. Even against the much-hyped Kings, San Jose was able to get pucks to the net with their speed and less with sniped shots from the circles, like in previous seasons.

Much has changed in San Jose, and no one is complaining.

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San Francisco 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals Preview & Prediction

Have the 49ers done enough to sway you into thinking they are Super Bowl contenders?

You better believe it.

It is hard to argue with a relentless defense, physical running back and a quarterback that can manage a game with the best in the NFL.

And so the Arizona Cardinals dawdle into Candlestick Park with an acquired quarterback that does not work and a team hoping for next season. That will not stop them from playing a gritty game against one of the NFL's elite.

It is a trap game for the 49ers if there ever was one.

The Cardinals are coming off back-to-back wins against the Rams and Eagles, and are most likely looking to make it three, while trying to salvage a dismal season after trading for one of the more coveted quarterbacks of the offseason.

For San Francisco, there is not much to it. A conservative game plan will win this game. In other words, play like you have been playing all year.

Frank Gore is said to be ready to go, but if push comes to shove in the second quarter, we will see a whole lot of Kendall Hunter from then on. That may not be the worst thing either.

Arizona has one of the worst passing defenses in the NFL and it is paired with the 21st-ranked rushing defense. Offense may not be needed much in this game for the 49ers, but it may come willingly anyways.

The game falls on Alex Smith's shoulders in this one, and if he can hold onto the ball while limiting mistakes, then we will see San Francisco cruise to a victory.

X-Factor

The Cardinals willingness to win is the key factor here. After pulling off a win in OT against the Rams and shocking the Eagles, the Cardinals are believing. The 49ers cannot fall into the trap they have set before them.

In addition, Smith cannot turnover the ball, which he has been very good about staying away from this season.

Prediction

The running attack and physical defense are consistent week after week, and we can count on that to continue once again in Week 11 for the 49ers.

Smith will not be urged to force the ball, as he was against the Giants last week, and San Francisco should roll to a big win at Candlestick Park.

49ers win 27-17

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