The San Jose Sharks look like a team that is completely lost and
struggling to find some way, any way out of their funk.
They also
sound like a team that is just searching blindly for answers, as they
get ready for a practice today to attempt and find some semblance of
cohesiveness to build on and get out of a disastrous five game losing
streak.
David Pollack of the San Jose Mercury News caught up with
Evgeni Nabokov and coach Todd McLellan;
they were less than happy.
I talked with Evgeni Nabokov about rebound control.
“It depends on the situation. When it’s a slap shot or a one-timer,
it’s not that easy,” he said. “But if, like that second goal, those
types of rebounds should be controlled.“We talk all the time about making the save and let the other guys
clear the rebound, but I wish I could have controlled it and put it in
the corner,” he said. “But it doesn’t happen all the time.”
I’m just going to say that the San Jose Sharks have much bigger
issues than rebound control. Nabokov is certainly playing less than
stellar, but the team as a whole is just skating in circles and going
through the motions. In the past weeks, they’ve allowed the Edmonton
Oilers and Dallas Stars to do their best Capitals-offense impression on
what is normally an air-tight defense.
So…get those rebounds under control for certain. But let’s just
work on the basics, first. Pollack does mention that Nabokov mentioned
he would have liked to have some practice time earlier in the week, but
coach McLellan gave the team an off day instead.
Speaking of whom, McLellan was asked about possibly cutting down Joe
Thornton’s minutes.
“Are we going to put that type of player on the bench and sit him
there for a game? It’s probably not going to happen. They’re too
valuable,” he said.“And let’s face it, we’re going to win or lose with these guys and we
have to get through this with them. We can’t take them out of the group
and say, ‘You sit and watch. Let’s let the rest of them find their way
out.’ That’s not how it happens. They have to lead the way out.”
Unfortunately, there’s just too many players on the Sharks that need
their minutes cut down. There wouldn’t be enough players to go around.
